Chromatic approach notes are used in jazz to embellish otherwise diatonic melody lines. They add a lot of 'colour' to a line and as you'll see in the illustrated examples here, they can ma...
Read MoreHere are some jazz turnaround lines for a I VI II V chord progression. These melodies are typical of the bebop jazz language and make use of scale passages, arpeggios and approach...
Read MoreThis short lesson is all about learning how to subdivide specific rhythms against a single beat (in this case a quarter note) In the practice sheet shown below, I have illustrated a...
Read MoreThe Bebop Major Scale is a modified version of the regular major scale and has an extra note added between the 5th and 6th scale degrees. The scale is constructed like this: Root, 2nd,...
Read MoreColtrane changes (sometimes also termed the Coltrane matrix or cycle) refer to a progression of substitute chords employed by the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. These substitute...
Read MoreHere are some lines utilising a tritone substitution chord within a regular II V I chord progression. Usually a II V I chord progression (in this case in C major) would be this harmonic...
Read MoreMost jazz guitarists routinely employ arpeggios and melodic cells in their soloing, as they really help to outline chord changes accurately. Having said that, some players don’t fully...
Read MoreThe composition ‘Guardian Angels’ first appears on John McLaughlin’s 1979 solo album ‘Electric Dreams’. This recording was his sixth solo album and ‘Guardian Angels’ is the...
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