Inspiration for improvisers
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Music Theory, Playing Techniques, Scales
When you first began learning how to improvise, chances are the first thing you encountered were scales. Memorizing lists of scales from Major and minor to diminished and octatonic. Knowing which scales work with which chords. It can seem like the practice of scales never ends. This philosophy has become so entrenched within the art …
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The ability to play fluently in all 12 keys is essential for every improviser. Initially, it may seem like you rarely play in certain keys or even that it’s just not necessary to play in every key. So why bother with twelve keys, right? If you look carefully, however, many common standards that are in …
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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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How to practice scales for speed is something every musician wants to know. What scale exercises can you practice to quickly attain a high level of speed and accuracy? Are there certain keys you should start with, or specific approaches you should try? Today we’re going to teach you some valuable tactics to practice all …
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Chords, Music Theory, Playing Techniques, Scales
The Altered Scale, also known as the Super Locrian scale, allows access to the most beautiful tensions of a dominant chord in a flash. But using this scale effectively is not easy. In this lesson, we’ve assembled the keys to utilizing the Altered Scale to its full potential. We’re going to get into all of …