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2022-01-15 By 11 Comments

Blues for Alice – Tune Island

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  1. Michael S. says

    2022-01-17 at 3:12 PM

    Do you ever take a break between chords to sing the next chord? I was thinking it might be valuable to help internalize the changes and as a quiz to see if my ears have kept up with my brain

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  2. Michael S. says

    2022-01-17 at 3:45 PM

    Also this is maybe just a really nit-picky question, but I’m confused about the first chord. There’s a root in the melody, and Charlie Parker plays a line that has a root in it in the first bar of his first solo chorus, so I would think it would be preferable to use a G69 voicing instead of a major 7 there.

    Is it ultimately easier in this kind of situation to learn the changes as a major 7 and just remember that the root isn’t an avoid tone, or to call the first chord a G69 and avoid the avoid tone issue altogether?

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  3. Owen S. says

    2022-08-29 at 9:55 AM

    I am thinking of this organization of your C’s:

    control + clarity + comfort = confidence

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    • Bob R. says

      2023-02-04 at 12:40 PM

      Love this, Owen!

      I can add “The 4 C’s” to my “3 S’s” and “7 T’s”

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  4. Miguel F. says

    2023-02-04 at 11:19 AM

    Great exercise the Tune Island to get relaxed, memorize and automatize the arpegios, free your mind to think about the next chord and learn the full harmonic sequence. Thanks Bob.

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    • Bob R. says

      2023-02-04 at 12:41 PM

      That’s it! Nailed it, Miguel.

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  5. Udi K. says

    2023-12-01 at 11:31 AM

    Bob, could you please explain why flat-5 on f# in the second measure? seems like the melody has c# there..

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    • Bob R. says

      2023-12-02 at 12:02 PM

      I talk about it ~3:05 in this video. You’re correct about the melody, but most often when it comes to the blowing, people are going to go with ΓΈ7 to 7b9. Check out this lesson for more: The Sharp 4 Half Diminished Turnaround: A Common Jazz Chord Progression and Effective Practice Tool.

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      • Udi K. says

        2023-12-06 at 11:24 AM

        thanks!

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  6. Michael R. says

    2025-06-19 at 2:24 PM

    For me, I practiced with a done on F concert to help with intonation. Maybe that comes later, but I felt like I needed it.

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    • Michael R. says

      2025-06-19 at 2:24 PM

      For me, I practiced with a drone on F concert to help with intonation. Maybe that comes later, but I felt like I needed it.

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Blues Workout - Progressive Exercises to Hear and Feel the Blues Form
Module 1 Basic Blues (I IV V) Workout+
Lesson 1 Example 1 - Roots only
Lesson 2 Example 2 - Roots and 3rds
Lesson 3 Example 3 - Triads
Lesson 4 Example 4 - Major 6th Chords
Lesson 5 Example 5 - 7th Chords
Lesson 6 Example 6 - Bluesy Riff
Lesson 7 Example 7 - Guide Tones (3rds and 7ths)
Lesson 8 Example 8 - Guide Tone Line 1
Lesson 9 Example 9 - Guide Tone Line 2
Lesson 10 Example 10 - Chord Tone Solo
Module 2 Jazz Blues Workout+
Lesson 1 Jazz Blues Workout - Introduction
Lesson 2 Listening Lab: Sonny Stitt on "Soul Shack"
Lesson 3 Example 1 - 7th Chords Up
Lesson 4 Example 2 - 7th Chords Down
Lesson 5 Example 3 - 9th Chords Up (from the 3rd)
Lesson 6 Example 4 - 9th Chords Down
Lesson 7 Example 5 - Applying Vocabulary 1
Lesson 8 Example 6 - Applying Vocabulary 2
Module 3 "Bird" Blues Workout, Part 1-
Lesson 1 Blues for Alice Melody 1 - Correct Notes, Ghosted Notes
Lesson 2 Blues for Alice Melody 2 - Practice Considerations, Dealing with Wide Intervals, Tuning
Lesson 3 Blues for Alice Melody 3 - Practicing the melody at 50, 75, and 100 Percent
Lesson 4 Blues for Alice - Roots
Lesson 5 Blues for Alice - Tune Island
Lesson 6 Blues for Alice - 7th Chords Through the Form
Module 4 "Bird" Blues Workout, Part 2+
Lesson 1 Blues for Alice - Chord Scales 1 - Explanation
Lesson 2 Blues for Alice - Chord Scales 1 - Exercise
Lesson 3 Blues for Alice - Chord Scales 2 - Explanation
Lesson 4 Blues for Alice - Chord Scales 2 - Exercise
Lesson 5 Blues for Alice - Guide Tones
Lesson 6 Blues for Alice - Conclusion and Improvisation
Lesson 7 Blues for Alice - Improvisation 2 and Drum Loop

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