Most Popular Lessons

Check out the attached PDF!

Real simple. We are just working with the first 4 bars of tune. This is valuable stuff! Watch the video. 

Try not to do my etude which is below here, until you've done the video part of this lesson. 

Easy Living by Ralph Rainger

I've been working on getting used to playing full tunes with intro and endings

Here is the answer: Find the shape you like and come up with different sticking, then go through different scale!!! 

If you don't know what is the rootless voicing, no worries! we'll talk more later!!

come up with your own sticking ideas and some interesting shapes!! BTW, check out Tony's video:https://www.vibesworkshop.com/video-embed/chords/tonymiceli/070225 

Every chord has a scale that in each tune fits in the context of that tune. That's because chords can have more than on scale that goes with them. I.E. Cmaj has Ionian and Lydian. 

This video talks about ways to practice these scales and then learn to weave through the scales. The scales are your basic material, like colors to a painter. Once you know all this, then you make phrases and sounds that really represent the harmony. Sure there's all types of advanced stuff to do, but if you can't do this, then you can't do the advanced stuff.

When we learn I think it's best to break things down into small chunks. Learn a piece move on, put a couple pieces together. That's the way I do it. So let's take this simple beginning of the tune and work on it. 

Do you know and can you see that this is basically a 12 bar blues? 

I'm a big fan of practicing the bridge of rhythm changes. The harmonic movement in fourths is common in many tunes, making this a valuable exercise for improving your ability to navigate various progressions.

You should be able to do this. 

Watch great players and if they do something you can't do, like a warm up or they're standing in the corner with there sax and they play something. You should be able to do it. If they say well I did this when I was young, then you should be able to do it also. Don't worry about why, just do it. The why will come later. 

Check out the attached PDF!

Check out the attached PDF!