Lesson 160: Conception Etude
Here’s a fun Etude I wrote for KU Computer Science Major Spencer Addis over Conception by George Shearing. I wrote this in real time during our lessons and Spencer learned it by ear. This is a good method for learning
Lesson 148: I Hear A Rhapsody – Etude
Etudes are a great way to work on new material, vocabulary, phrasing and a whole host of positive musical skills. Here’s a one chorus etude I wrote for Bari player Andrea Edwards who is earning her Bachler’s in jazz at
Skype Lessons
Having taught hundreds of Skype lessons over the last ten years, I’ve come to believe that Skype is a great way to both teach and learn from the comfort of your own home. Although I’m teaching full time at KU
Lesson 64: Book ii-V-I
In this lesson we’ll look at the first ii – V7 – I melody found in the “Modern Jazz Vocabulary vol. 2” book. This melody is comprised of major 1st inversion triads descending by half steps and a few chromatic
Lesson 47: Dizzys’ Bebop
I always liked the introduction to the Dizzy Gillespie tune Bebop. A close friend and wonderful alto player Gabe Eaton and I learned this tune back in the early 90’s and played it frequently while living in Japan with our
Lesson 45: Bird Line
Bird may be my all time favorite melodic improvisor. His sound, feel and ideas still seem fresh and alive and I enjoy him more and more the older I get. I’m always shocked when I put on a side I’ve
Lesson 34: V7 Altered Scale
Here’s a simple ‘cliche’ bebop melody that uses an altered scale (the 7th mode of melodic minor) over and altered dominant (#11, #9, b9, #5). In the video, the line is played around the circle of 4ths starting on concert
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