This week we continue our series on playing more interesting and engaging rhythmic material. In episode one of this series, we looked at an exercise using escalating note values. This week we are thinking along the same lines but using the 3/4 time signature to learn some new sounds and challenge ourselves. 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 month you get … [Read more...]

This month we take a look at the classic jazz standard, All Of Me, and use some of the concepts we have been discussing in the past couple of episodes. In the etude I have prepared for you, we are thinking rhythm first and basing the melodic and harmonic language from a different point of view. If you have worked on the exercises from episodes 260 and 261, you will be well prepared to play this material and get something out of it. Enjoy the episode and etude! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH … [Read more...]

This week we feature Sonny Stitt playing over the classic jazz standard, All Of Me. This 8 bar excerpt really embodies many of the topics we have been discussing so far this month. We see incredible rhythmic flexibility on display and this should be a real inspiration to continue working on these concepts and become more varied in your rhythmic playing. 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 … [Read more...]

Welcome back! This week we take a look at the same exercise from last episode but challenge ourselves to do it with a real rhythm section. At first, this may not seem like a difficult thing, but as we start to practice, we realize that without the help of the metronome, it almost becomes a different exercise. This will ultimately help you with your flexibility in real life situations. Enjoy the episode and have fun! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon … [Read more...]

Welcome back! This month we are going to be taking a crack at some EXTREMELY difficult exercises aimed at getting your rhythmic comfort to the next level. For the first episode, we are taking a look at a rather simple bebop line and flipping it into a rhythmic tour de force. Be sure to take your time with this and don't rush the process. You must be comfortable and skilled at working with a metronome to complete this exercise and that may take some time. Have fun and remember to work through the … [Read more...]

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...]