I'm really excited for this week's episode as this is one of my favorite things to practice. Upper structures are the key to unlocking the most interesting sounds from any chord. This week, in part 1, we are focusing on the major seventh chord and what notes we can add to our playing to make things a little bit more interesting. I'll warn you that this material is a little bit more advanced than some of the other things I bring you on this podcast so get your basic chord tones down first before … [Read more...]

This week we are going to learn about one of my favorite sounds ever: Harmonic Minor. This scale is amazing because it contains the flatted 6th in combination with the major seventh. This gives us a minor third in the actual scale which is unique among sounds we can use. Make sure you check out the PDF that accompanies this week's lesson as it will give you the basic scale, the arpeggio, an exercise in thirds, and an 8 bar phrase that you can steal from like a pro! This sound will take some work … [Read more...]

Welcome back! I have been checking out a lot of Herbie Hancock this week so I figured I would bring you a great pentatonic pattern from his solo over Tell Me A Bedtime Story. Pentatonics are an essential part of any improvisors arsenal and this pattern will serve you well in any situation that contains minor seventh chords. The pentatonic scale can be tricky at times because it contains only 5 notes. This makes it a challenge to use over time signatures like 4/4 or anything even. Herbie does a … [Read more...]

This week features an awesome technique to use from one of the greatest who ever played the jazz language. We are going to focus on techniques straight from the playing of the jazz masters for the next couple of months on the show. Listeners seem to like this kind of episode, and we are in it for you, the 10 Minute Jazz Lesson faithful! Coltrane shows us a great way to chromatically approach diatonic triads and this will be a concept that can take you many places in your playing. Enjoy the … [Read more...]

This Lick of The Month is a great one! It comes from one of my favorite tenor players of all time, Joe Henderson. This is am interesting lick because it doesn't follow our typical bebop blueprint. Joe teaches us how to play across changes and across the bar line by showing us his unique style and sound that will open our eyes to new possibilities. Henderson utilizes the diminished scale to play a turnaround that is both interesting and non-traditional. If you're looking for a way to step outside … [Read more...]

This week brings us to learning an amazing sound you can use over major chords. The Lydian Mode is based off of the fourth degree of a major scale and is a quintessential improvisational device. In this episode we explain how the scale is derived and how, by using triads, you can utilize the Lydian sound to make your solos interesting and memorable. As always, thanks for tuning in and we hope you enjoy and benefit from this episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over … [Read more...]

This week we are going to look at an important triadic concept that every musician should be aware of and able to utilize. The augmented chord is based off of major thirds and gives a distinctive sound. This triad is perfect for when you're looking to switch things up a bit and try some different sounding material in your solos. You will see that this triad isn't as complicated as it seems and a little bit of work goes a long way. This episode comes with a great PDF that contains exercises as … [Read more...]

This week is all about the foundation of your improvisation. If you've never learned what guide tones are and how to use them, this is the episode for you! Even if you have some experience with these, they are a great thing to review and possibly learn something new about. We are going back to our old friend the blues this week and studying voice leading and starting our phrases on the strongest notes possible. When playing a melody, it makes sense to start on the most melodic note possible. … [Read more...]

It's time for the Lick of the Month! One of my favorite trumpet players and musicians in the world is the late great Freddie Hubbard. This week we are looking at a couple of great licks from his solo on Herbie Hancock's tune, One Finger Snap. The first lick we are looking at contains some useful material over a sus chord. The second lick is an example of a great ii-V line that can be used over any tune. Remember to really absorb the language that Freddie is playing and not just regurgitate … [Read more...]