Lesson

Hi folks,
I wanted to take a compositional approach to the TOTM this time. I find it can be insightful to compose a melody over a tune you're working on. For this one, I was trying to keep it simple- stay with a few basic rhythmic themes. I used some 4 and 5 note groupings discussed in previous lessons and used some Lee Konitz inspired melodic ideas. I always hear Lee's type of melodic playing over this tune, especially at a slow/ medium tempos. Love it!

Click on the brackets on the bottom right of the video box and you can watch in full screen mode.

Also print out the etude which is attached to this lesson.

Here is your assignment:

Play this all over your instrument. Just play the progression. Grab a spot and a voicing and play it. Move to another spot and play it. Use the chord symbols, not the notes. Play in all inversions.

Ok let's move to another TOTM.

How about:
All the Things You Are
and
Prince Albert

Do you know about these tunes? Prince Albert is a contrafact of All the Things You Are. That is same chords but new melody.

Prince Albert is a great bebop tune and GREAT to play through all the keys.

So you're studying one set of chord changes, but two tunes.

So get ready for some fun lessons!

Hello everyone, videoclips have just been uploaded to my new Jazz Improvisation channel on YT. More clips related to jazz improv concepts as addressed in The Complete Guide To Improvisation will be added soon. Concepts in the book include Chord Tone Soloing, Tension Resolution, Chord Scale Theory, Chord Scale Application & Practices and Harmonic Practices.

I was trying to dust off the chops today and came up with this little exercise. Try it out for 10 minutes in some different keys and see if it helps.