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🚨 Soloing Through the Changes Pt. 3 – Diatonic 7th Chord Outlinings on “Minority”

In Part 3, we take our soloing a step further by outlining each chord using full 7th chord arpeggios, adding more shape and melodic possibility to our lines. Still working with Minority, this lesson is about expanding from guide tones to complete harmonic outlines—while keeping strong voice leading in mind.

🚨 Soloing Through the Changes Pt. 2 – Guide Tones in a Standard: “Minority”

In Part 2 of the series, we move beyond the blues and apply our guide tone approach to a jazz standard. This time, we’re using Gigi Gryce’s Minority—a minor-key tune with rich harmonic movement and ii–V progressions that challenge your voice leading.

New Lesson Series Alert: Soloing Through the Changes 

Starting today, we’re launching an 8-part lesson series focused on helping you build clear, confident solos that outline harmony and stay rooted in the form. 

Pt. 1 – Guide Tones Over the Blues

In this first lesson, we zero in on guide tones—the essential 3rds and 7ths that define each chord’s identity. Using a 12-bar blues in F, we’ll build strong, simple melodic lines that move smoothly through the changes. No flashy licks—just solid, musical fundamentals.

? Lesson 4: Expanding the Blues with Functional Harmony Goal: 

Strengthen time feel and harmonic fluency by adding functional variations to the 12-bar blues form, while maintaining steady comping with a metronome on beats 2 and 4.

? Lesson 2: Building Time Through 3rds and 7ths – Intro to the Blues
Goal: Develop internal time and harmonic awareness by isolating key movements within the blues progression.

In this lesson, we’ll begin working with small sections of a blues form using dominant chords. The focus is on identifying and connecting 3rds and 7ths—especially how they voice-lead smoothly when chords move by fourths.

? Lesson 1: Building a Solid Time Foundation With a Metronome

? Goals:

So here is the second of three chord melodies. 

I have the pdf and I have the MalletKat version. You can hear basically what's happening with the sheet music. 

I think you can get a lot out of this. You have to know the chords and inversions really well. I think when I just play the lines it makes sense and you here the harmony. That's the goal right. I will post my own version of stella asap. 

In this section, we continue with the F#7–B7–E7–A7–D7–G7–C7–F7 progression in measures 1-4, but with a simplified rhythmic approach. Rather than relying on continuous eighth-note lines, this version demonstrates how to outline the changes effectively with more space and varied rhythmic phrasing.

Expanding Vocabulary Over the A Section

Continuing our exploration of rhythm changes, this lesson focuses on another set of substitute chord changes for the A section. While the general framework remains the same, this version features a different set of passing dominant chords, adding more forward motion to the progression. The focus here is the first A section, which you can tell by the turnaround in the last two measures.

Just some stuff to think about with double sticking as well as a way to practice double sticking. 

i do feel that we want to do as much alternate sticking as we can. I know some disagree including David Friedman. So take it for what it's worth to you. But I give you some ways to work on double sticking.