Chord function fundamentals

Chord Function: Music Theory Fundamentals You Need To Know

By

Forrest

Chords, Composition, Ear Training, Jazz Standards

Chord function is a confusing topic that is intricately tied to other just as confusing topics like voice leading, harmonic tension and resolution, intervallic content, chord voicings, chord families and more! Today we’ll unravel the slew of questions that arise from exploring chord function. Questions like, how do you build chords within a key? Why …

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Melody and Jazz Improvisation

Why Melody is the Secret to Playing Better Jazz Solos

By

Eric

Composition, Perspectives, Playing Techniques

Ask any musician or teacher what you should practice to develop exceptional jazz improvisation skills, and you usually hear words like “Scales” and “Modes” or “Guide-tone lines.” Sometimes even “Transcribing”… This is all useful information. And it will help you understand the harmonic function and music theory behind all those jazz standards. But it’s missing …

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Jazz Theory Has Failed You

How The Chord-Scale System Has Failed You: 6 Steps to Freedom With Scales and Modes

By

Forrest

Chords, Composition, Jazz Education, Scales

The Chord-scale system has become the most established and widespread method for teaching jazz improvisation…And it’s no mystery why. So often, scales—more specifically the modes of the major and melodic minor scales—get passed-off as the most important aspect of learning to improvise. It’s as if by magic, you learn a couple scales and their modes, and …

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