Here are a few videos of Jeff playing thru the etudes…

10 LEFT-HANDED IMPROVISATIONAL ETUDES FOR SAXOPHONE
by Jeff Coffin

How (and why?!?) did this all come about? A few years back, during a practice session, I decided to challenge myself by playing ONLY with my left hand. I made a couple of videos and kind of left it at that (no pun intended), but it was always in the back of my mind to go further with it. I had witnessed pianists like Phineas Newborn Jr., and others (as well as numerous classical pianists) play solos with only their left hands and I thought, if they can do it, so can I! I discovered it wasn’t quite as easy as it sounded. Cause it sounds kinda easy, right??

All of these etudes are improvisations over jazz standards. I played through them a number of times using iReal Pro as the backing track, and once I was ok with what I had played, I transcribed each solo. I changed a few little things here and there to make the etudes a little more clear, or to clean up some of the notes I didn’t necessarily mean to play. I absolutely blame my right hand for not helping out more!! 

All my books are meant to benefit not only my current students but also the many students I have worked with over the years. I find there are certain fundamental aspects of the saxophone that usually need to be addressed and I have tried to address those various fundamentals in my books. 

Playing these particular etudes on saxophone has many benefits. They help in ‘voicing’ the notes more naturally and consistently. They also help with intonation, phrasing, voice leading, melody, rhythm, time, interval leaps, harmonic and rhythmic displacement, pattern recognition (sight reading), and more.

To play these, you have to relax and sort of let your body take over the process. They aren’t easy but they are certainly not unplayable. Most importantly, you’re gonna learn some things and they are fun to play! They are not meant to be played too quickly so take your time and really hear the phrases. I always recommend playing things slowly at first, that is to say, REALLY SLOWLY. Getting the lines clean and making them feel as smooth and consistent as possible is the goal. 

I first played these on tenor sax so, if you play them on alto be sure to transpose your backing track. You should play along using the iReal Pro app, because that’s what I used when I played and recorded these. You can download a recording of me playing each of these etudes (on tenor and alto sax) on my website at www.jeffcoffin.com/lhetudes

You will notice that there are many ‘fourth line D’ notes in these etudes. For clarity, I am using side D (Palm D). I was tempted to use side Eb (Palm Eb), and altissimo, but avoided both because I felt that doing so would overcomplicate these already complicated etudes.

So here it is, my book of Left-Handed Improvisational Etudes for your educational edification. I truly believe these will help musicians of all levels take their saxophone playing to an entirely new level. I certainly noticed a number of things in my own playing that were helped by doing these. Thanks so much for checking these out and please let me know what you think of them. Peace, JC

TESTIMONIALS:

Great idea for an etude book. The notion of limiting soloing to a small interval range, vis a vis left hand only, is an effective way to get players to play linearly and melodically versus running chord changes. You could even cook breakfast with your right hand while playing the etudes!
BOB MINTZER (Professor of Saxophone @ USC - Thornton School of Music, The Yellowjackets, Art Blakey, Jaco Pastorius, Sam Jones, Randy Brecker, Gil Evans, GRP All Star Big Band, Mike Manieri, The New York Philharmonic, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Queen, Donald Fagan, Milton Nascimento, recipient of the Bowen H. “Buzz” and Barbara M. McCoy Endowed Chair in Jazz Studies at USC Thornton, #legend…)

In his new book Jeff has created an amazing group of etudes. Built on the chord changes of familiar standards, each exercise explores melodies and intervallic ideas that focus exclusively on left hand technique. These unique studies are both challenging and thought provoking, stretching your fingers and your brain, and will appeal to up and coming younger players as well as seasoned pros. Highly recommended!
TONY DAGRADI (Loyola University, Astral Project, Carla Bley, Ellis Marsalis, Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair, James Booker, The Meters, Dr. John, James Black, Bobby McFerrin…)

Challenging and fun etudes that stump the left hand and explore the extremes of the horn.
BOB SHEPPARD (Professor of Saxophone @ USC - Thornton School of Music, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Michael & Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Ricki Lee Jones, Elvis Costello…)

Jeff’s Left Hand Etudes are so much fun! I have never come across a method utilizing this approach before in my many years of study. This is a fresh take on isolating and developing your technique, by focusing only on using the left hand, it forces you to deal with the saxophone in a unique way. The etudes serve not only to increase your dexterity in the Left Hand, although it accomplishes that swiftly! These etudes also help develop embouchure and muscle tone, force you to produce an even tone on the saxophone throughout your entire range, encourage honing in on intonation in the upper register, as well as building vocabulary and working on changes and language as you play - which is how you build phrasing and musicianship in the distinct language of jazz. What more could you ask for! Love the etudes!!
ROXY COSS (Founder & President of Women In Jazz Organization (WIJO), Co-Artistic Director of the Brubeck Jazz Summit, Board of Directors for the Jazz Education Network (JEN), Jazz Faculty @ The Juilliard School, Diva Orchestra, Darcy James Argue, Steven Feifke Big Band, Clark Terry, Louis Hayes, Rufus Reid…)

I have recently started playing through Jeff Coffin’s new Left Hand etude book, and these exercises are challenging and so much fun to learn! If you’re looking for a source of fresh material to master on the saxophone - you’ll find it here. Highly recommended! JOEL FRAHM (Brad Mehldau, Bill Charlap, Matt Wilson, Dianne Schuur, Jane Monheit…)

Jeff has found an interesting new way to challenge your brain and, at the same time,  learn some new techniques on the saxophone. Playing with one hand definitely makes your think differently about how you are going to improvise on a tune! Its always fun to find new and interesting ways to  practicing your instrument! You can add this to your arsenal!
BILL EVANS (Miles Davis, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Dennis Chambers…)

Dude - what were you thinking!!??!!  Actually, these etudes make a lot of sense (once you work them up).
MILES OSLAND (Director of Jazz Studies & Professor of Saxophone @ University of Kentucky)

This collection of 10 Left-Handed Improvisational Etudes for Saxophone contains plenty of creative “twists and turns” and wide intervallic leaps that present the player with many unusual and fun challenges. The etudes provide for a fresh perspective on the tried-and-true repertoire of the practicing jazz musician and allow the player to rethink what is possible as an improviser while getting inside the mind of one of the most free thinking and creative saxophonists active today! Check em out and be ready to shed! 
DON ALIQUO (Professor of Saxophone & Jazz Studies @ Middle Tennessee State University, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Rufus Reid…)

Jeff is a world-class educator, and this book is a great addition to his work. These etudes can be utilized as technical exercises and a source of inspiration for improvisation or theme and variation. I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to develop independence in their left hand!
RYAN MIDDAGH (Director of Jazz Studies @ Vanderbilt University, Yamaha Performing Artist)

Artwork by Jeff Coffin
Back cover photo by Rodrigo Simas
Book layout & engraving by Kyle Gordon
Text editing by Charlotte Belyea