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Minor Vamps Pt. 4 by Behn Gillece

I've done other etudes with Cherokee, but here's a new one. I like doing  certain tunes even if I'm doing another something for that tune. Some tunes have so many progressions in them that when you learn them, you learn many many other tunes at the same time because they have pieces of these progressions. So learn this one again it's best. If you memorize it, play it and play it and play it study it study the harmony study the upper partial, see what you remember when you make up your own solo or you do your own comping.

🚨 Playing in 3/4 – Pt. 7: Tune Study – “Little B’s Poem”

In Part 7, we shift into the modern 3/4 / 6/8 hybrid feel of “Little B’s Poem,” exploring a full chorus of melodic ideas that highlight the tune’s contrasting sections. The opening modal passages are approached with pentatonic-based shapes that sit naturally in the flowing 3-beat feel, creating open, spacious lines that fit the harmony without sounding overly dense.

This etude goes through the same chord changes as Blues for Alice. One thing to keep in mind is that when playing this etude with the additional ii-V-I's, figure out all the other tunes you can use these lines on. Also, try it in different keys!

Let's work on comping! 

Check out the attached PDF!

Chords and Scales, Head and Solo

🚨 Tune Deep Dive: “Wave” – Pt. 7: Harmonic Tension & Resolution 🚨

In Part 7, we shift focus to tension notes and their resolutions. By weaving in altered tones (♯11, ♭9, and other upper extensions), you’ll hear how dissonance naturally pulls toward resolution. This creates expressive solo lines that sound deeply connected to the harmony instead of just running scales.

In this lesson we’ll:

Check out the attached PDF!

This is a performance of Friedman 13.