Inspiration for improvisers
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By Eric
Charlie Parker’s iconic take on the Blues form, commonly referred to as the “Bird Blues,” is a staple of the modern jazz repertoire and a rite of passage for every serious improviser… However, this particular tune can pose a challenge for even the best players, and oftentimes it’s reduced to predictable theory devices. That’s why …
By Forrest
Half Diminished chords are one of the trickiest chord qualities for developing jazz musicians. Also known as Minor7b5 chords, their structure, sound, and very nature are tough to grasp for just about everyone, so they tend to present more of a challenge than major, minor, or dominant chords. So what makes half diminished chords more …
By Eric
In the jazz lineage, there are certain solos on every instrument that stick out and withstand the test of time. Landmark moments of improvisation that serve as a guiding light for any musician striving to learn the language and find their musical voice… And the world of jazz trumpet is no exception – from the …
By Eric
One of the hardest parts of improvising is the expectation that you need to be creative all the time. The pressure to continually come up with new and interesting ideas in every solo… And as hard as you might try, the reality is that you’ll end up at a creative wall at some point or …
By Forrest
, dominant
In every tune, there’s always a measure or two that’s tricker than the rest of it, and Rhythm Changes is no different. Of course, if you’re unfamiliar with the form, most of tune is tricky, however as you get deeper into it, there’s one measure in particular that gives everyone a tough time. The specific …
By Forrest
In jazz, there are some harmonic situations that seem like they should be easy, but they’re just not. For example, have you ever tried to play over a single major chord for four bars, like at the beginning of I’ll Remember April, and thought to yourself, this should be easy! Why is it so challenging? …
By Eric
Have you ever felt like you’re missing a piece of the puzzle when it comes to improvisation? As if you’re following all the rules, yet still not playing the music you want to… Every musician has felt the sting of this frustration, especially when listening to all those important records and amazing players. It seems …
By Forrest
If you’ve ever been to a jam session before, you’ve probably encountered the famous Thelonious Monk tune Well You Needn’t. Over the years, it’s become one of the most popular jazz standards, but unfortunately, this is one of the tunes that the infamous Real Book got wrong… The chord progression of Well You Needn’t written …
By Forrest
After building your fundamentals on Rhythm Changes, you’ll open up a ton of new ways to think about these chords, but the truth is you never stop acquiring tools for this common progression because everything you practice over them translates to all other aspects of your playing. So in this video lesson, we’ll give you …
By Eric
Every musician dreams of creating solos full of flowing melodic lines. To play compelling ideas over fast tunes, ballads, complex chord progressions, and standard forms like the blues or rhythm changes… The only problem is that most of us are trying to achieve this melodic vision with the same old scales and exercises, piecing them …
By Eric
, Blues
As an improviser, the blues is central to everything that you do…at once a sound, a form, an expressiveness, and a medium through which you can tell your musical story. And it’s something that you’ll be dealing with as long as you play an instrument. You see, the best players not only understand this song …
By Eric
, dominant
Learning jazz chords can be a frustrating obstacle on your path to becoming a better improviser. But what a lot of players forget is that the process isn’t just about memorizing chord symbols from a lead sheet and hoping for the best… The key to improving lies in understanding how each chord functions and developing …