Dominant Chords in Jazz: A Player’s Guide
The dominant chord is one of the most important sounds in music, an integral piece of the puzzle that is functional harmony. And it’s an essential sound that you need to master as a musician… In traditional musical terms, the dominant chord is part of the broader harmonic movement in any key, consisting of the ...
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The Pentatonic Scale: An Essential Musical Tool
The pentatonic scale, in its simplest form, is exactly what the words tell us: a five note scale… It’s a musical tool has been around for centuries and has been used in musical cultures around the world to create melodies, share songs, and improvise music. And today we’ll explore how this simple 5-note template can ...
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10 Essential Jazz Tunes for Beginners
Learning how to improvise goes hand in hand with learning tunes, there’s no way around it. The only problem is that as a “beginner” it can be hard to figure out exactly where you should begin with all of these tunes. And that’s exactly what this lesson is about – ten tunes that are your ...
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Caravan: An Improviser’s Guide to the A Section
If you’ve spent any time listening, learning tunes, or performing, you’ve probably encountered the composition Caravan by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington… It’s a staple at jam sessions, it’s performed by big bands, and it’s one of the Ellington tunes, along with In a Sentimental Mood, Sophisticated Lady, or Take the A Train that you ...
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Mastering IV to I Movement: 8 Secrets from Sonny Clark
When you’re starting out, it can seem like the secret to improvising boils down to what you play on each chord. It’s all about the notes, the scale options, and the licks you’ve figured out… But the more you listen and learn, you begin to realize it’s the way you move between these chords that ...
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A Night in Tunisia: Navigating the Interlude & Solo Break
The interlude and solo break of A Night in Tunisia is a scary moment. The build up. The intensity. All eyes are on you. The band drops out, and somehow you have to play something convincing while keeping the time. The first time I performed A Night in Tunisia was at a concert my freshman ...
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5 Next-Level Jazz Contrafacts You Should Know
Taking something old and making it new is an integral part this music. And when it comes to the standard repertoire, this idea pops up in the form of contrafacts: new melodies written over existing song forms and chord progressions. This is a practice that has been happening from the beginning as a creative way ...
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Tom Harrell Plays There Will Never Be Another You
One of the best ways to learn a standard and find answers when you’re completely stuck is simple: check out the masters playing the same tunes you’re working on. Not only is it inspiring, listening closely to your favorite players is a way to step outside of yourself and see a chord, a progression, or ...
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10 Tritone Substitution Tactics from Kenny Dorham
Tritone Substitution is one of those terms you often hear tossed around in music theory classes. A definition to memorize, but not something that actually makes it into your playing… But you may want to take another look at this theory device…because you could be missing out on one of the most valuable tools in ...
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The Transcription Step Most Jazz Players Skip
There’s a common saying that any great improvisation boils down to one thing: “playing what you hear”. And over the years, I’ve found this to be true… The more you can let go and access the music inside of yourself, the more personal, expressive, and natural your playing will be. Simply put, this is where is ...
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10 Levels of Playing the Bridge to Rhythm Changes
From the moment George Gershwin’s composition I Got Rhythm entered the jazz repertoire, it quickly became one of the most played, and most important, song forms in this music… And over the years, it has served as a proving ground for serious players everywhere. From beginners eager to show they can hang on the changes ...
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4 Legendary Bye Bye Blackbird Solos (And What to Steal From Each)
Bye Bye Blackbird is a tune that looks simple on paper, yet one that can become surprisingly challenging the moment you begin to solo. And in Part II of our deep-dive into this standard, we’ll unlock a few key tools that’ll help you improvise with musical confidence… Check out Part I here – How Bye ...
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