Most Popular Lessons

Check out the attached PDF!

I am doing a lot of teaching this semester. Probably the most I have ever done. It's really hard for a musician to turn work down. Well for me it is. 

It's a lot of fun teaching students who practice and work hard. Not as much fun teaching students with lots of excuses. 

I do have a bunch of good students though so that helps. Here's an exercise I made for one of them to work on the Bebop dom scale. Learn it, memorize it and play it fast!!!!

This will help with your voicings.

🎯 Harmony Without Chords – Pt. 6: ii–V Outlining Variants

In Part 6 of Harmony Without Chords, we expand on previous ii–V concepts by focusing on clear chord outlining and upper extensions over dominant chords, all while continuing the descending whole-step motion. Rather than relying on chord voicings, these exercises show how strong line construction alone can clearly imply harmony, even as the harmonic density increases.

Don't write it down until you can play it. 

Can you play it in another key? 

I tried to make the easy one easy. The other has two choruses, one easier than the other. 

I also tried to focus on some things like a scale or a target note. 

Another Cool Turnaround! Pt. 1 by Behn Gillece

Hey everyone,

In this first lesson on pedaling, I explain how I view the pedal, how it's different from the piano, and how to set it up properly. Next we will talk about legato-pedaling, staccato-pedaling, pedaling rhythm, and half-pedaling.

Can you play this? With a metronome, make it swing and play the rhythyms? Go as slow as you want to!!!! But once you get it down, work on the speed. Also, IMHO, don't use it as a reading exercise. Memorize it. Can you play it in another key? 

I'll give a free lesson to anyone who can play it (memorized) in another key. And you'll have to play it at the lesson as well! :-)

Oliver recently did a lesson on playing Misty solo for beginners. It's great lesson!

Meanwhile, I bought the application Staffpad for the Ipad. Where you can write your music using a Apple Pencil. That's what I like about the Ipad, it's that I can write notes and things. I miss that. 

However learning Staffpad is a pain in the is. So I've been writing out tunes that I know like Donna Lee, and here is a solo vibe version of Misty. 

Any notation problems, let me know. I didn't get to pedaling or dampening, but most of you can figure that out. 

Especially when studying jazz standards, each tune can teach you something. 

In this tune I'm briefly checking out Minority because it's a minor tune with major 2 5's and they move in a sequence. So play the same lick or idea on every chord! 

Click here to find a whole section on the tune minority.