It seems only fitting that after studying the genius of Charlie Parker for 3 weeks, we finish up the month with one of his most prolific compositions. If you have checked out the last three episodes, make sure you do that before diving into this one. We will be using all three concepts we talked about to put together a statement reminiscent of Bird. Enjoy the episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month … [Read more...]

This week we are going to look at a very specific device that Charlie Parker uses in his solos. Although this seems like it can only have narrow applications, the idea of using this specific thing can really open up our playing and make us think differently as improvisers. Enjoy the episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras … [Read more...]

This week we go further into the playing of Bird by looking at his use of enclosures and the various ways he uses them. The beauty of enclosures is they can be as simple or complicated as we would like. Enjoy the episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras exclusively to our patrons including transcriptions and a FREE gift  … [Read more...]

This week kicks off a new series deep diving into the music of the architects of our language of jazz. Throughout the month we'll take a look at some defining features of Bird's music. These are things we can take with us and apply to our own playing. In the first part, we are going to examine Charlie Parker's use of the 16th note triplet, something he uses quite frequently. Enjoy the episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when … [Read more...]

This month we are going to dive into one of my favorite jazz standards. I have been listening to Miles Davis' recording of this since I was a kid! The form is a bit complicated so be ready for a lot of information coming at you fast. Enjoy! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras exclusively to our patrons including transcriptions and a FREE … [Read more...]

This week we are taking a look at a full chorus of one of my favorite musicians, Wynton Marsalis. There's a lot to dig into here. Wynton's use of simplicity combined with rhythmic genius and a constant attention to the melody makes this one of my favorite episodes yet! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras exclusively to our patrons … [Read more...]

This week we are sticking with our diatonic cadences but ratcheting up the intensity a bit by using melodic minor. These are some advanced sounds and things to wrap your head around so make sure you really listen and focus on what's being presented here. Enjoy! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras exclusively to our patrons including … [Read more...]

This week we are going to continue talking about cadences but focus on a unique way to practice your authentic cadences. We'll be looking at the diatonic chords from a major scale and working on cadences that lead into each of the seven. Shout out to Jens Larsen for this idea! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras exclusively to our … [Read more...]

This month we are taking a look at one of my favorite jazz standards, Victor Young's, Stella By Starlight. This tune has so much to dig into including a relatively little used form, deceptive cadences, and a BEAUTIFUL melody. Enjoy the episode and don't forget to grab your copy of the etude! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a month you get this PDF and every other. We will also be bringing you many extras … [Read more...]

This week we take a look at an amazing line by the great, Phil Woods that demonstrates much of what we have been talking about in the past couple of episodes. Phil Woods puts an amazing superimposed diminished line over the first 4 bars of the blues. We analyze this line and then come up with our own using the same idea. Enjoy the episode and don't forget to grab the PDF! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more a … [Read more...]