The Lesson Library

Jazz Chords – The Definitive Guide to Mastery
Jazz chords are at the very heart of why jazz sounds the way it does and as a player, these sounds are essential to have in your ear on a deep level. But what makes this so difficult? What are jazz chords and why do they sound different than regular chords? And what makes them ...

Jazz Scales – Everything You Need To Know
Jazz scales are something everyone talks about. Chances are, you’ve been told that you need to know dozens of scales to play jazz and that these structures hold the keys to unlocking jazz improvisation. But what you might not realize is that you don’t need to know a million jazz scales to construct a solid ...

The Definitive Guide to Phrygian & Sus Flat 9 Chords
After you’ve been improvising jazz for a while, most chords are pretty familiar. You’re used to major, minor, dominant, and half diminished…but just as you thought you were getting a handle on things, a chord comes out of nowhere that makes you go “What is that?!?!” And not only do you have to figure out what ...

Jazz Form and Structure: Never Get Lost in the Chord Changes Again
One of the most overlooked and useful elements of learning a tune is the way it’s put together on a macro level, the jazz form that the tune uses. Without this vital information operating in your brain on a deep level, you’re bound to get lost easily during your solo… You know how it goes…you’re ...

The Confusion Around Minor Chords FINALLY Explained
Remember the first time you played a modal tune like Impressions and how fun it was to wail over a minor chord? Maybe you’ve had this experience, or maybe it’s in your near future, but one thing is for sure: it’s fun just to let loose on a minor chord vamp and solo for hours! ...

The Secret to Unlocking the Lydian Sound: From Boring Modes to Killing Solos
Open up any music theory book and you’ll find the term “lydian.” A funny sounding word that refers to the fourth mode of the major scale. You’ve, no doubt, played this scale. You’ve probably even practiced it in every key and studied it’s relationship to the tonic… But what if I told you that you don’t ...

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

5 Secrets for Mastering the Altered Scale
The dominant chord is one of the most versatile chords in the jazz repertoire, and it’s your best bet for adding harmonic tension and melodic interest to your lines. The only problem is that many players approach this sound with the same old scales and licks every time. And this can get pretty boring… That’s ...

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About the Bebop Scale…But Were Afraid to Ask
Scales can be one of the most overwhelming parts of learning jazz improvisation. Between you and me, it can seem like there’s a scale to learn for every chord, a scale for every progression, and a scale for every day of the week… However, as you’ve probably realized in the practice room, scales are not ...

3 Secrets to Soloing with the Pentatonic Scale: A Lesson with McCoy Tyner
No pianist has influenced the modern approach to jazz piano more than McCoy Tyner. From players like Chick Corea and Mulgrew Miller to non-pianists like Woody Shaw and Michael Brecker, McCoy has left his mark on generations of serious improvisers. And one distinctive element of his approach to improvising is his creative use of the ...

5 Simple Ways to Escape the ‘Diatonic Trap’ in Your Jazz Solos
You want to play exciting solos. Ones that will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, that’ll make you stand out from every other musician in the room. But when you improvise everything ends up sounding exactly the same.. Many musicians share this frustration and for many it goes right back to ...

Why Jazz Theory Is Easier Than You Think…
Let me guess…You’re smart. You know your stuff. And you have a sparkle in your eyes when you talk about music. You take lessons and you play in a band, and when you find a few free minutes you’re practicing your instrument. But when you improvise it doesn’t sound like you at all. No matter ...