Inside Mulgrew Miller’s Solo: You Stepped Out of a Dream

By Eric • PRO • Jazz Musicians • Transcribing • Advanced • Major • Mulgrew Miller

A great solo can teach us many things (on many levels) about the way we improvise – from simply finding the “right notes” that fit a progression, to the finer points of phrasing and musicality. And the solos of the great pianist Mulgrew Miller are no exception…

1. Introduction
2. An Approach to Transcriptions
3. You Stepped Out of a Dream
4. Mulgrew Miller’s Solo
5. Six Improvisation Tactics
6. Major Tactics & Language
7. ii-V-I Tactics
8. Anticipating Chords: The “Pick-Up”
9. Diminished Techniques
10. Enclosures
11. Altered Dominant Techniques

His playing encompasses the tradition, the vocabulary, and the more harmonically adventurous and modern reaches of the art form all delivered with impeccable technique and musicality.

And this makes him the perfect study for learning and ingraining the deep language of this music…

Mulgrew Miller quote

Today we’ll take a look at his musical approach to the standard You Stepped Out of a Dream – a solo at once complex and daring, but also filled with techniques and musical ideas that any player can grasp.

Below, we’ll break it down into six accessible improvisation concepts that you can ingrain and use in your playing…

an approach to transcriptions

Before we jump into everything, here are a few tactics to keep in mind when it comes to transcribing and approaching solos so you get the most out of your time. Slowing down, listening deeply, and remembering these points will make the process much more effective…

Learn the tune – this is the framework & harmonic guide for what you’re hearing, lending insight into what the soloist is doing.
Listen deeply – multiple times with different approaches and levels of focus – melody, harmony, rhythm, and time.
Transcribe with a goal – Find the “why” of what you are doing. You don’t have to learn the entire solo, transcribe to solve your problems & goals.
Immersion is the purpose – Focus on the process rather than the outcome of getting “licks.” Time alone with the solo will yield benefits.
Different levels of study – Everything from simple listening, imitating lines, writing down notes, to studying the written music is useful.
Isolate specific sections – Learning and improvement requires focus and repetition, select one idea and master it.

The goal is to begin the transcription, learning, or analytical process with the solo internalized. For more on the transcribing language, check out this lesson: Master the Jazz Language: A Player’s Guide.

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