You probably guessed this would be the tune of the month, but here it is. This month we will be taking a look at the great Sonny Rollins composition and, as always, I've prepared an etude for you over the chord progression. In this etude, I really focused on using the syncopation style we spoke about in episode 257. I also went ahead and borrowed a phrasing idea used by Clifford Brown in episode 258 and based much of the etude on it. I hope you enjoy and have fun with this composition on this … [Read more...]

We are back with a listener favorite Lick of the Month episode! This month, we take a look at a genius excerpt from the great, Clifford Brown on the fantastic jazz standard, Pent Up House. Brown displays many of the concepts we discussed this month in his lines, including a ton of syncopation and altered tones. Enjoy and don't forget to grab the PDF! 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 … [Read more...]

This week we continue talking about strategies to turn rather vanilla lines into fantastic sounds! In this episode, we talk about strategically removing notes in measures to produce interesting syncopation and free up some space in our playing. It's all about the balance between sound and silence. Enjoy the episode ad don't forget to do the homework! 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 … [Read more...]

This week we continue our series on making your lines more interesting and hip. Last episode we looked at call and response, this week, we take a look at morphing your lines from diatonic to altered which created a ton more tension and interest. Enjoy the episode and don't forget to do the homework assignments! 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 … [Read more...]

This month we are going to look at how we can turn uninspiring lines into interesting, well crafted pieces of vocabulary. Whether you're feeling uninspired or just plain stuck, I hope these suggestions will be things you can write down and save for later whenever you're hard pressed to find some new sounds. This week we talk about using call and response to give our lines new structure and flavor. I hope you enjoy this episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to … [Read more...]

This week we take a look at one of Miles Davis' original compositions, Nardis for our tune of the month episode. we will be attempting to use the concepts we talked about over the month involving diatonic playing and space. I'm not going to lie, I had a lot of trouble with this etude and don't think it's my best work. We talk about this difficulty and how you can get through something that doesn't come naturally to you. I hope you enjoy the episode and don't get too annoyed by my whining … [Read more...]

This week we are going back to the concept we talked about in 251. This time we are looking at how to use purely diatonic notes over ii-V-I progressions and make them sound just as good as if we used the most advanced harmonic material possible. The juxtaposition between simple and complicated will definitely take our solos to the next level. 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 … [Read more...]

This week is all about, perhaps, the most well known jazz solo of all time. We are taking a looks at Miles' use of negative space on his solo over Freddie Freeloader. Talking about space and resting may seem boring, but don't let this important topic go unaddressed in your playing! 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...]

Welcome to a new month and a new series! This month, we will be studying one of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz, Miles Davis. In the first episode, we look at how just how effective harmonic simplicity can be by studying a few phrases from Miles' solo on Oleo. Most of us get caught up in trying to play the most advanced, complicated material we can on rhythm changes. Let's take a lesson from Miles and simplify while keeping things super hip. Enjoy! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG … [Read more...]

This month's tune comes from Cy Coleman and is one of the most interesting chord progressions I have come across. It actually manages to demonstrate all three modulations we have been talking about this month! This is a wonderful walking ballad and I hope you enjoy the etude I have prepared for you and you can hear all of the wonderful key changes contained in this harmony. Have fun! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon page and when you donate $3 or more … [Read more...]