Most Popular Lessons

🚨 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.

🚨 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.

Thanks Glenn For Sending it! 

this is an amazing video for a lot of us. Do this stuff! 

🚨 Play a Great Blues in 3 Months – Week 3

Over the first two weeks, we focused on building a solid foundation:

• Clear guide tone movement in the left hand
• A stable and controlled upper voice
• Consistent Charleston rhythm

This week, we start introducing more functional harmonic movement into the blues.

You’ll notice a few important additions:

Part 2 coming later this week!

Check out the attached PDF!

Hey guys,

I’m Rupert Lo, and I’m really happy to be part of the faculty here. I’m a vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer based in New York City. I’ll be sharing some of the things I’ve learned along the way—practice concepts, creative approaches, and hopefully some inspiration for your own playing. I also keep a few private lesson spots open each month for students of all ages and levels. My email is below, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to connect!

This is an etude for Donna Lee that is all 8th notes. Of course we don't necessarily want to play a solo like this, but it's a good study in weaving around the changes. 

🚨 Soloing Through the Changes Pt. 4 – 7th Chord Outlinings with 9ths & Alterations

In Part 4, we take the 7th chord outlines from the previous lesson and extend them into 9ths, while also adding alterations and inversions on dominant chords. The result is a more melodic, colorful, and expressive soloing vocabulary—still grounded in chord structure, but reaching toward the sound of bebop and beyond.

I've made other lessons here with the same theme. Make it sound like the song. 

It's our job in a way. Sure the heavy weights do this or that. But a true heavy weight can make it sound like the song. Once you have mastered that then you can take liberties. Listen to some of the solo Chick Corea CDs. He takes liberties but he's a monster!