This is on the intermediate to advanced side, but no reason not to start doing this even if it feels over your head currently. I can’t overstate how important it is to get to the keyboard to visualize harmony.
Every Melody Note Works with Every Bass Note
It all depends on the chord in between the two notes. But this leads to some great ideas for improvisation AND composition.
Don’t Stop at the Top: Unlocking 7th Chords
I remember thinking seventh chords stopped at the seventh—and what an eye/ear opener it was when I saw beyond.
Chord Exercises 3 – Dominant Descending (from flat 7)
Sharpen your technique while familiarizing yourself with dominant 7th chords throughout your instrument.
How to See Inside a Chord Symbol
Learn to unpack a chord symbol and discover the various “mini-chords” living inside it.
Chord Exercises 2 – Augmented Descending
Sharpen your technique while familiarizing yourself with major thirds all over your instrument.
Modal Melodies: How to Find the Right Notes (and Play Them Creatively)
Using the Joe Henderson song “Black Narcissus” as an example, I cover practice strategies for mastering each chord, scale, and the tune as a whole.
Minor 7th Chord Sidestep Workout (+ Sonny Rollins’ Eternal Triangle solo)
A staple bebop lick you want to have under your fingers in all keys.
Diminished Chords: Using Inverted Major Triads for a Fresh Sound (5 lessons)
Once you begin to “see” the chords this way, it opens up new doors…new hallways of ideas.