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Chord Scales for Major Chords - Ionian, Lydian, Harmonic Major, Double Harmonic Major

Hello everyone,

As with the previous lesson on dominant chord scales, I want to stress that just playing scales correctly won't necessarily produce the best improvisational content, and I think learning scales has a limited value. But there is value, and it's essentially figuring out what extensions happen on what chords.

A scale, at the end of the day, is just a 13th chord, with a 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 all put within one octave, and knowing this makes scales much more useful to me. So as you practice scales, remember this and figure out what chords they relate to.

The Three Types of Dominant Chords, Part 2: Why does lydian dominant exist?

Hey everyone,

Here's part two in this mini-series. In this one, I focus on dominant 13 (#11) chords, explain where to play them, why they exist, and how to solo over them. And, most importantly, why you have to treat every dominant chord you encounter differently, depending on context.

Let me know if you have any questions!

The Three Types of Dominant Chords (Don't Play Mixolydian over Everything!) Part 1

Hello all,

This is a topic I've been wanting to cover for awhile, and I finally made a video on. I think this is something that jazz education (at least in my experience) hasn't covered enough. It's how, in the key of C, you need to play differently on an E7, compared to a Bb7, compared to a G7, compared to an F7. They all have different scales and extensions that accompany them.

It's not all hard science, but a lot of it is! I heard someone say once that 99% of music is teachable, mathematical facts, and 1% is magic. So learn the 99%!

All Things You Are - Chord Etude

Ok, I was going to put the chords in, but I always get mad at myself when I do that. I'm making it easier for you guys and that's not how you get good!

So you put the chords in, put the extensions in and analyze the music and play it.

Can you talk about it? That means you have the harmony memorized.

Look for the hidden triads. I.E. -> a C triad over a Db and the chord is Eb13b9. Do you understand what just happened here? Can you explain it for others?

Do the work and pass it on.

Vibraphone Etude No.2

Here's another etude that I wrote, in F major this time. This has a much larger focus on dampening, with a repeated phrase throughout that the etude is built around. The motive is moved through different keys and modes before returning and ending on F major. Pedaling and dampening marks are in the .pdf attached.