Most Popular Lessons

Berklee Improv Class - Applying the improvisational concept of Four Note Groupings over John Coltrane's Giant Steps. In my 39th year of teaching and it's still a pleasure to teach improv to these talented and motivated musicians. I feel fortunate to be able to pass on the information as well as learn and grow along with the students.

A nice medium be-bop tune that sounds pretty good as a solo piece.

Was checking something out about the minor 3 half step scale and came across this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexatonic_scale

Some interesting scales there. I wonder how you write in some of those scales, or if there are examples of compositions.

I can't stop what I'm doing (except to post this). What do you guys know about all this?

Play this down in whole steps. It should make sense, what to do.

Then try and vary it a bit, change the rhythms, add a note. Try to build on this.

This is essential to play standards and more complex original tunes.

This needs to be second nature!

The first dominant chord, in this example G13b9 uses the dominant diminished scale. The second chord in this example the A7b13b9 uses the Altered scale.

Dom Dim - G Ab Bb B Db D E F G
A Altered is - A Bb C Db Eb F G

Put this through all the keys.

Is this helpful???

Groovin High

I did this for my student Dan. We wanted to play very inside over the Tune Quasimodo which is a contrafact for Embraceable You.

Everybody should download this and put your choruses on and post it.