This week we are going to talk about an important chord in the blues progression that you may not be using. We use the VI chord to create forward motion in the blues and add another layer of complexity to our lines and solos as a whole. This episode will double as an introduction to the VI chord on the blues and, if you're already using it, might shed light on how to approach this important part of the progression. Enjoy the episode and don't forget to grab the PDF from our Patreon site! WANT … [Read more...]

This week we take a look at a great email that one of our listeners, Bob, sent over and we continue the discussion on the best way to learn tunes! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

This week we delve a little bit further into the dominant chord and what various chord symbols mean. Last week we dealt with the basic versions of these chords and this week we'll get into some of the more complicated extensions and all of the implied scales and extensions that go along with them. We tackle diminished dominant and altered this week. Enjoy the show and make sure that you send me any questions you might have! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to … [Read more...]

This week is all about some strategies I use to learn and retain tunes. This is an essential part of being a competent jazz musician. You're expected to know many tunes! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

This week we are covering a topic that I think will help many people out there. Sometimes reading chord symbols is a very confusing thing. What do the extensions mean? What notes are available over certain chords? These are all questions I hear almost everyday in my teaching career and now we have an episode that will, hopefully, clear some things up for you. We are starting this series with the most common chord symbol in jazz, the dominant chord. There are so many ways of notating this chord … [Read more...]

This is going to be a controversial episode, I'm certain of it. We talk sports and how it relates to other pursuits such as music. Enjoy! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

This week is all about using the melody from this famous jazz standard as a springboard to creating your own lines. The melody is always the place that I start for solo ideas. Why not use something that's readily available, and very well written, as a starting point for our improvisations? If you listen closely, you'll hear many of your favorite musicians quote melodies on a regular basis. The material we are presenting this week comes from a brand new video course called Standard Time: Take The … [Read more...]

This week is all about a different way to think about time spent on your instrument that might be a little bit more doable for most. Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

Joshua Redman is a perennial favorite among jazz fans and musicians alike. This week we are going to take a look at one of his choruses from Blues On Sunday. We will figure out what makes his playing so convincing and compelling. The mixture of blues and bebop are really what makes this solo CRAZILY HIP! This podcast is more about looking at the whole instead of zooming in on one thing. Enjoy! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate … [Read more...]

This week we talk about whether your goals are realistic or unrealistic. You might be thinking about it the wrong way! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]