Listening Lab: Joe Henderson – Recorda Me – The Sound of Natural 6 On Minor and Using Minor Triads In Colorful Ways
We’ll explore the ways Joe’s melody and solo describe the harmony, and take inspiration for some fresh ways to re-purpose minor triads to create colorful melodic lines.
Members Play Bob’s Solo On “Industry Rule” (Funk/Fusion)
My review of our May transcription challenge. Excellent work!
Applying a Flat 9, Flat 13 Lick to Three Standards
In this lesson, I’ll show you how to tackle the most important (and often least practiced) part of learning new vocabulary – application. We’ll apply the lick over three tunes – Autumn Leaves, Oleo, and There is No Greater Love.
Solo Analysis – Bob Brookmeyer’s Solo on “I’ll Remember April”
An in-depth solo analysis of our most recent Transcription Challenge. We’ll cover how Brookmeyer anticipates chord changes, uses enclosures and guide tone lines in his improvisation, and we’ll highlight some great ii-V vocabulary to steal.
Listening Lab: Bebop in the Groove
A look into ways of mixing bebop and blues elements into a more funk/rock context.
Recording a Funk-Rock Power Sax Solo
Some screaming altissimo lines and a lot of takes to arrive at this one. Let’s dig into the process!
Members Play Stan Getz’s Solo On “Stella By Starlight”
My review of our short and sweet march Transcription Challenge. Nice work, all!
Shedding “Stella by Starlight” – Building a Solo from Fundamental Elements to Melodic Shapes
A simple chord-scale exercise for memorizing tunes and examples of an improvisational approach to memorizing and playing over chord changes.
Members Play Chris Potter’s Solo On “El Morocco” (Modern Jazz)
My review of our February transcription challenge. Very, very impressed with the excellent submissions on a tough challenge.
Interchangeable Modes and the Value of Repetition – Shedding One Minor II V From “Stella By Starlight”
Almost twenty minutes of me shedding just two bars of “Stella By Starlight,” starting with some practicable vocabulary. I’ll show you how I practice looping individual lines and eventually spin it out into full improvisation.
Members Play Bob’s Solo On “Our Day Will Come” (Pop Jazz)
My review of our January transcription challenge. Excellent work, as always!
Solo Analysis: Bob Breaks Down His Approach to “Our Day Will Come”
Motifs, rhythmic approaches, bebop scales, and one of my FAVORITE go-to harmonic tricks.
Listening Lab: Opening up Minor Chords With Wider Intervals, the 110% Trick, and Using the Rhythmic Density Scale — Chris Potter on “El Morocco”
One of my all-time favorite recordings. Lots of innovative material with minor chords and intervals, a great altissimo workout, and exemplary use of the rhythmic density scale.
Stella! Analyzing the harmonic motion of the deceptively tricky “Stella By Starlight”
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Quick Tip for Memorizing Melodies
Tip begins at 6:15.
Members Play Dexter Gordon’s Solo On “I Was Doing All Right” (Hard Bop)
My review of our Dexter transcription challenge. Excellent work, everyone!
Members Play George Garzone’s “Have You Met Miss Jones?” Etude (Advanced Post Bop)
Suggestions for how to increase triad fluency, extend lung capacity, lower your bottom lip, and an example of me applying this TCA concept on a Snarky Puppy album.
Using Dynamics To Accent Phrases: Dexter Gordon on “I Was Doing All Right” – Listening Lab, Chord & Guide Tone Exercises, Transcription Workout
This performance is PACKED with fun! Explore using dynamics to shape your lines and get a workout with these exercises.
Let’s shed a 2-5-1 in E Major (concert)
Repetition, repetition, repetition. Play along with me on this one phrase and by the end it’ll be stuck in your noggin. 🙂
Members Play Vincent Herring’s Solo On “Have You Met Miss Jones?” (Bebop)
My reviews of the October Transcription Challenge.
October 2020 Transcription Challenge – Vincent Herring on “Have You Met Miss Jones”
Vincent’s tone is buttery and buzzy. His rendition of the melody, his bluesy-bebop, motivically-balanced solo, and the arrangement’s groove make this an ideal vehicle to study this “must-know” standard.
Members Play Hank Mobley’s Solo On “Dig Dis” (Hard Bop Blues)
My review of our Mobley transcription challenge. 58 submissions(!) with bundles of pointers. Great work, all!
A technique for making your 8th note lines swing harder & some tasty shortcuts to add flavor to dominant chords and ii Vs
Learn some of my favorite “go-to” harmonic substitutions for dominant and minor chords (and thus ii Vs), as well as a technique for making your 8th note lines swing harder.
Listening Lab: Hank Mobley’s melodic turnarounds (and more) from “Dig Dis”
From solo pacing to groove to rich harmonic activity to Hank’s melodic turnarounds there’s so much to explore in this killer performance.