This is part 2 of a 3 part lesson series dealing with using Cycle Wheels to deconstruct any type of 7 note scale. The 3…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 73: Cycle Wheel Pt.1 (Cycle 2 and 7)
This is the 1st of a 3 part lesson on using what I like to call a Cycle Wheel to deconstruct a scale. I first…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 72: 3 Note Cell
This lesson is similar to a study in triad pairs, however, in this melodic example, one of the 3 note cells is a sus (1,4,5)…
Read Full Blog PostGig w Erik Jekabson
Here are a few mp3s from a recent gig with trumpeter Eric Jekabson. Eric and I met in New York just over 10 years ago…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 71: E Modal Melody
Sometimes I find it helpful to spend time working on the modes and 7 main chords in just one key. This helps to strengthen my…
Read Full Blog PostContrafacts
Here are some original compositions that I wrote which are all based on standard chord changes. This compositional approach is often called writing “contrafacts”. It’s…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 70: Etudes
This lesson features several etudes I’ve written over standard chord changes. Back in the 80’swhile doing an undergraduate degree at Indiana University, David Baker would…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 50: Wide Intervals
Here’s an easy way to begin to introduce some wider intervals into your improvisation while still maintaining melodic and harmonic integrity. This exercise uses a…
Read Full Blog PostGigs With Alan Ferber
The composer and trombonist Alan Ferber visited Kansas City recently and we played 3 very fun gigs together, including one with the People’s Liberation Big…
Read Full Blog Post-Lesson 70: Augmented Melody
In this lesson we look at a short melody derived from the (classical) augmented scale ( 1, b3, 3, 5, b6, 7, 1 ) and…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 69: A Major
Sometimes working on just one key for a while can be beneficial. Today I practiced a bit on concert A major – on tenor sax…
Read Full Blog PostLesson 68: -7b5 nat 9 nat 13
This is a simple melody that uses the 2nd mode of harmonic major over a -7b5 chord (or half diminished) in one key (concert F#-7b5)…
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