Most Popular Lessons

Berklee Improv Class - Applying the improvisational concept of Four Note Groupings over John Coltrane's Giant Steps. In my 39th year of teaching and it's still a pleasure to teach improv to these talented and motivated musicians. I feel fortunate to be able to pass on the information as well as learn and grow along with the students.

Was checking something out about the minor 3 half step scale and came across this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexatonic_scale

Some interesting scales there. I wonder how you write in some of those scales, or if there are examples of compositions.

I can't stop what I'm doing (except to post this). What do you guys know about all this?

A nice medium be-bop tune that sounds pretty good as a solo piece.

I did this for my student Dan. We wanted to play very inside over the Tune Quasimodo which is a contrafact for Embraceable You.

Everybody should download this and put your choruses on and post it.

Ok this is the B section to Green Dolphin Street. Can you hear it? If not play the tune on the vibes get it into your head then try again.

Fill in the chords. Study the harmony and the solo. can you see the flat 9s? all the altered notes?

Play in C and Eb (and other keys).

Record the chords and then play the line on top of the recording.

Do this in all keys. Can you see how this could really help you? Recording the chords and then playing the solo in every key! Yikes!

Day 5: We've combined the top note passing tones with the inner voice passing tones. It's a little tricky to complete all this dampening in tempo, so be sure to pick a nice, relaxed pace to work at!

I've given voicings for Giant Steps. Your just is to study the harmony, write in the chords with their upper partials and then memorize the voicings. Then add rhythm and comp with a play along track to get the voicings inside of you.