Here’s a nice blue’s idea (or “lick”) played by Tina Brooks (tenor sax) over the chord changes to Confirmation on Jimmy Smith’s album House Party…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 89: Altered Melody
This is a simple Altered Melody that works on a dominant 7th chord with a #5, #11, #9 and b9 and comes from the 7th…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 88: Bach Theme
In this lesson we’ll look at and play a theme from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier Book 1; Fugue 10 in E minor. What I find…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 87: ii-7 V7 Melody
Lesson 87 is a simple ii-7 V7 melody that you’ll probably recognize. This line will work over both a ii-7 or a V7 so it’s…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 86: Bird Line (2)
Playing bebop melodies through all 12 keys can be a great practice that will help develop your ear, your analytical mind and your technique. Sometimes…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 85: Intervallic Ideas
Studying with George Garzone was always extremely inspiring and challenging. One seemingly simple assignment he gave me when I studied with him at Berklee in…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 83: No Tongue
When studying with George Garzone in the mid 1980’s, I learned to practice and play without using any tongue. In my experience, playing without any…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 82: Maj7 #5 Pentatonic
In lesson 82 we will look at an easy 5 note (pentatonic) scale that works well when improvising over a Major 7 #5 chord. This…
Read Full Blog Post~Lesson 81: Well You Needn’t
Here’s a one chorus solo I played over the chord changes to “Well You Needn’t” by Thelonious Monk for the “Jam Of The Week” facebook…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 80 -Triplets in 4’s
Improvising using odd rhythmic groupings or accent patterns while not getting turned around (loosing the harmonic rhythm) has always been something I enjoy working on…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 79: Broken Arpeggio
Broken arpeggios are one great way to integrate some larger intervalic material into your improvisation while still outlining the chords that you are playing over. …
Read Full Blog PostLesson 78: 8th Note Feel
Working feel of 8th notes seems like an ever ending process of refinement and over the years I’ve found an interesting and pretty fun way…
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