Inspiration for improvisers
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Chords, Composition, Jazz Language, Playing Techniques, Premium Only
Recently we received a question about non-standard progressions, specifically the type of progressions you see in Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson tunes… These types of tunes are notoriously difficult, as they don’t seem to use the same predictable chord progressions that other jazz tunes do. A reader asks: When we’re learning, we go through a …
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Chords, Composition, Premium Only, Scales
A reader recently sent in this question: “I was wondering if you could explain to me how to interpret slash chords for soloing. It seems like different sources have conflicting information. Also, what would I do if I encountered a chord like C/Db, in which the top and bottom are not related diatonically?” Slash chords …
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Chords, Composition, Playing Techniques, Premium Only
Everybody wants to play “outside” the chord changes. They think there is something mysterious about getting outside the changes. In my experience, the phenomenal players that I’ve studied with along with the legendary players I’ve learned from on recordings, approach playing outside the harmony much in the same way they approach playing inside the harmony: …
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Chords, Jazz Language, Transcribing
The ii V progression makes up the vast majority of chord changes within the jazz standard repertoire. Much of our success or failure as improvisors comes from being able to navigate this deceptively simple progression. Learning how to play over ii Vs is actually much easier than you think. The mistake most people make is …
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Chords, Composition, Ear Training
In the recent article Hearing in Color, we discussed how to develop the technique of hearing individual chord tones in the context of triads and 7th chords. Just as the individual chord tones in a chord have identifiable colors, the chords themselves have distinct sonorities that set them apart from one another. The key to …
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Chords, Composition, Playing Techniques, Premium Only
If you took a quick survey and asked a few people to describe the components of bebop, you might come up with some answers like: “fast tempos, lots of notes, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, b9’s, b5’s, altered dominants, diminished scales.” While all of these are true, one of the most overlooked, but surprisingly simple devices …
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Chords, Composition, Ear Training
In our first article of Fundamental Ear Training Exercises, we covered how to choose an ear training partner, the correct mindset to approach ear training with, and exercises about singing & hearing intervals, harmonic intervals, and triads. After you feel you’ve got a pretty good handle on everything presented in that previous article, it’s time …
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A reader recently asked: “I was wondering about how to play over altered dominant chords. What are some strategies for playing over Dominant 7 #9 chords, specifically.” This question comes up frequently for many improvisers. It seems like everyone has a “fail safe” scale or lick that they use exclusively every time they see an …
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Blues, Chords, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Premium Only, Visualization
A recent question from a reader inquired about the blues in all keys: “I’m a sax player and have been working through the blues in all keys for the past few months, and was wondering if you guys had any tips, tricks, or any advice?” We’ve all heard it time and time again: Learn the …
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Learning how to improvise can be overwhelming. There’s an enormous gap in knowledge to overcome as soon as you decide that you want to play jazz. Before you even improvise a single note, you have to contend with over 100 years of musical history, from Louis Armstrong all the way up to the innovators of …
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Chords, Composition, Playing Techniques
Sus chords on tunes like Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage can be pretty confusing for the developing improviser. Is it a normal dominant chord? What’s special about it? Do you need a new scale? Are you allowed to play the third of the chord? After studying and transcribing solos of some of my favorite players over …
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Chords, Composition, Playing Techniques, Premium Only
The infamous ii V is everywhere in jazz chord progressions. In fact, the ii V defines a sense of tension and release that prevails throughout all western music… An essential key to understanding how to give your lines a sense of harmonic motion, lies in knowing where to insert a ii V into a static …