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Music Theory Basics: The Circle of Fifths

Music theory is packed with quite a few dense explanations of esoteric concepts that plague the performer, and while music theory can be incredibly helpful to performing musicians, it has unfortunately steered so many players in the wrong direction. Recently we’ve had a handful of people write in asking ...Read More

Music theory is packed with quite a few dense explanations of esoteric concepts that plague the performer, and while music theory can be incredibly helpful to performing musicians, it has ...Read More

Charlie Parker’s Brilliant Licks and Tricks on I Remember You

With its unique opening chord changes, the jazz standard I Remember You poses quite the challenge to most jazz improvisers, which is surprising because the chords themselves don’t seem that difficult. But it’s not the individual chords that create the problem...It’s the way one chord moves to the next chord… ...Read More

With its unique opening chord changes, the jazz standard I Remember You poses quite the challenge to most jazz improvisers, which is surprising because the chords themselves don’t seem that ...Read More

How to Decode Greatness – The Process to Solve Any Musical Problem

Every single musician to ever embark on learning to improvise jazz runs into countless musical problems. That’s just the way it is. One problem after another, figuring out different ways to approach a progression in hopes of clarifying their musical ideas and better communicating them to the listener. So if ...Read More

Every single musician to ever embark on learning to improvise jazz runs into countless musical problems. That’s just the way it is. One problem after another, figuring out different ways ...Read More

How to Play in 3/4 Time: Hank Mobley on Someday My Prince Will Come

Of all the time signatures that we encounter in jazz or any other music, the most common by far is 4/4, meaning it has 4 beats per measure and a quarter note is equal to each beat. In fact, 4/4 is so common that it’s actually called “common time” and ...Read More

Of all the time signatures that we encounter in jazz or any other music, the most common by far is 4/4, meaning it has 4 beats per measure and a ...Read More

Master The Minor Blues: A Deep Dive into John Coltrane’s Mr. P.C.

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The Blues is an essential form to master for every jazz musician, but just like most things in jazz, there are dozens of variations to explore. One of the most exciting variations and one that’s exceptionally fun to play over for improvisers of all levels, centralizes the harmony around minor ...Read More

The Blues is an essential form to master for every jazz musician, but just like most things in jazz, there are dozens of variations to explore. One of the most ...Read More

Discipline For Musicians: How to Get It Without Going Crazy

To an outside observer, I look like a disciplined person. The kind of person who works hard and puts the time in to move forward on their goals. And to some degree this is certainly true. I strive to be better, I’m motivated, and I tackle challenges on a daily ...Read More

To an outside observer, I look like a disciplined person. The kind of person who works hard and puts the time in to move forward on their goals. And to ...Read More

Essential Progressions – 4 Sonny Rollins Tools to Tackle The V7 of V7

I can still remember the day I discovered how amazing the ii V7 chord progression could be. After struggling for years, It was as if a locked door finally opened and I was granted access to a secret society... I finally saw what all the fuss over ii Vs was ...Read More

I can still remember the day I discovered how amazing the ii V7 chord progression could be. After struggling for years, It was as if a locked door finally opened ...Read More

5 Tips to Use Sequences like Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond plays the alto saxophone unlike any other…sweet, melodic, and precise, always leading the listener through a clear story from one musical idea to the next - It’s as if every single idea he plays naturally builds on what came before it… So how does he do it? ...Read More

Paul Desmond plays the alto saxophone unlike any other…sweet, melodic, and precise, always leading the listener through a clear story from one musical idea to the next - It’s as ...Read More

All Blues – Miles, Coltrane, & Cannonball Techniques

Have you ever tried to play over a so-called easy tune, only to find that it’s not actually that easy? All Blues, one of the most incredible tracks from the legendary Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, is commonly referred to as an easy tune throughout jazz education, yet this ...Read More

Have you ever tried to play over a so-called easy tune, only to find that it’s not actually that easy? All Blues, one of the most incredible tracks from the ...Read More

A Lesson With Chet Baker: But Not For Me

What if there were a jazz musician that didn’t rely on scales, licks, or patterns, but instead sought only to play what they’d sing? What would this musician sound like? What kind of playing techniques would they use and how would they approach taking a solo? This kind of musician ...Read More

What if there were a jazz musician that didn’t rely on scales, licks, or patterns, but instead sought only to play what they’d sing? What would this musician sound like? ...Read More