intermediate

🎵 Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months – Week 6

Last week, we introduced one of the most important concepts in jazz improvisation:

👉 Connecting the harmony through the 3rds and 7ths.

Those guide tones gave us a clear picture of the rhythm changes progression while keeping the melodic language relatively simple.

This week, we take the next step.

👉 We're keeping the same guide-tone foundation, but embellishing the lines.

🎵 Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months – Week 5

Over the first four weeks of this series, we've focused entirely on harmony:

• Learning the form
• Internalizing common voicings
• Exploring different textures
• Developing comping rhythms and syncopation

This week, we shift gears.

👉 We're introducing line exercises.

Just like Week 5 of the blues series, we're beginning with one of the most important concepts in jazz improvisation:

👉 3rds and 7ths.

I am pleased to announce that my solo vibraphone book has now been published. The book is called "A Piazzolla Portfolio - 5 Nuevo Tango Pieces" arranged for Solo Vibraphone by Jerry Weir.  The five pieces in the book are:

🎵 Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months – Week 4

Over the first three weeks of this series, we've built a solid foundation:

• Learning the form
• Internalizing common voicings
• Introducing basic comping rhythms
• Developing a feel for the harmonic movement of rhythm changes

This week, we take another step forward.

👉 We're introducing more syncopated comping rhythms.

I have more, but for now here's the chord melody. Next I just play around for a couple of choruses. 

Get this down! 

🎵 Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months – Week 3

Over the first two weeks of this series, we've focused on building a harmonic foundation:

• Learning the form
• Internalizing common voicings
• Hearing the movement of the harmony
• Developing familiarity with rhythm changes

The rhythm was intentionally simple so all of our attention could be placed on the chords.

This week, that changes.

👉 We're introducing comping rhythms.

Many of the voicings in this lesson will already be familiar from Weeks 1 and 2. That's by design.

🎵 Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months – Week 2

Last week, we focused on learning the form and internalizing a set of common rhythm changes voicings. The rhythm was intentionally simple so all of our attention could be placed on the harmony.

This week, we're continuing that approach.

👉 The focus is still harmony, not rhythm.

The written rhythm remains simple because we're trying to build a larger vocabulary of voicings before we start introducing rhythmic comping concepts.

🚨 New Series Alert – Play A Great Rhythm Changes In 3 Months

Over the past few months, we worked through Play A Great Blues In 3 Months, building a complete approach to the blues through comping, guide tones, lines, vocabulary, melodies, and chord melody.

Now it's time for the next challenge:

👉 Rhythm Changes

If the blues is one of the foundational forms in jazz, rhythm changes is the next major milestone.

I will do a chord melody and either post it here, or as a separate post. 

Let's work on comping!