Most Popular Lessons

I talked how 1 diminished chord relative to 4 dominant chords (4 major chords) in this videos, and also showed the foundation of voice leading.

I shared the pdf of how one diminished chord(dominant b9 chord) resolve to the I major. please check it and let me know how do you think about practicing voice leading over diminished to I major chord! 

I'll share more my ideas over this soon! stay tuned! 

DM for the private lessons: rupertlo777@gmail.com

Check out the attached PDF!

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. 

I sometimes cop Balafon patterns to work on. I love listening to Balafon players and checking out their independence. 

Check out this video: 

In the beginning somewhere he plays this pattern. I don't take them down stricktly, because they vary them. 

Check out the attached PDF!

Lesson: Inverse Diminished Lines Over the Bridge of Rhythm Changes (Part 2)

In this second part of the lesson, we’re continuing to explore the bridge of rhythm changes with a new twist on the diminished pattern from the previous exercise. In this version, the diminished line is inverted, offering a fresh approach to navigating ii-V lines over the bridge.

🎵 Harmony Without Chords – Pt. 10: Putting It All Together

In Part 10, we bring together the core concepts from Parts 1–9 into a single, musical chorus over Minority by Gigi Gryce. This etude is designed not to feel like a technical study, but like a complete improvised statement — one that clearly implies harmony through line construction alone.

Throughout the chorus, you’ll hear:

In a recent lesson, I worked with a student on applying modal concepts to one of my original compositions, Mindful Moments. As in our previous lesson, we focused on incorporating dominant bebop harmony within a modal framework. While understanding modes is essential, embellishing them with dominant bebop vocabulary adds depth and character to modal playing—something that can be heard in the improvisation of the jazz greats.

? Working on Time Pt. 3: Simple Blues with Four-Note Voicings

Goal:
Play through a simple three-chord blues using four-note voicings, while locking in your time with the metronome on beats 2 and 4 at a medium tempo. This lesson builds on Part 2 by applying the foundational third and seventh movement into fuller voicings across an entire 12-bar form.

What you’ll practice:

A summary of my 9th lesson with Tony.