Shred with this Diatonic 3rds Pattern – TTT #7
Here is a simply 3rds-based pattern you can use to shred in any key. It fits easily in the hand, and you can practice using it at faster tempos to blow your audiences away! Try it over various modes, such as dorian, mixolydian, and phrygian. https://youtu.be/YYrsAA5oKyw CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions […]
Drop-2 Voicings in A-Flat Major – TTT #6
Drop-2 Voicings are an essential piano comping technique. You can make these voicings by playing a 4-part chord such as 1-3-5-6, and dropping the 5th down an octave. Try these “Drop-2” voicings next time you are comping in A-flat major! Enjoy! https://youtu.be/_Lo0VxxOpLc CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a […]
This G Major Lick is Based on “Butch and Butch” – TTT #3
“Butch and Butch” is a 12-bar blues melody written by the great saxophonist and arranger Oliver Nelson. This G Major lick is based on the first few bars of that melody, and features an ascending chord progression using diminished chords. https://youtu.be/LbDZnjihxlM CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a Lick […]
Gonzalo Rubalcaba Goes Totally Wild on “Donna Lee” (LOTW #272)
Gonzala Rubalcaba can play incredible freely improvised solos, and also shred on jazz standards! Here is a lick he pulls out after 1 chorus of improvised melody accompanied by Ron Carter on Bass from his 1994 album “Diz….” Enjoy! https://youtu.be/_KaUUmM2Nt0 CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LICK BOOK (UPDATED MONTHLY) If you have questions or suggestions […]
Brad Mehldau Warps Time and Space on “Bewitched” (LOTW #271)
Brad Mehldau is often known for playing lines that rise above the normal grid of subdivisions. Check out this line from “Bewitched” on Art of the Trio Vol. 3, where he bends time and space and plays outside of the grid! https://youtu.be/fY7bNfvHcGo CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LICK BOOK (UPDATED MONTHLY) If you have questions […]
Oscar Peterson Burns Through the Changes to “If I Were a Bell” (LOTW #270)
Oscar shows us how it’s done on this version of the classic standard tune “If I Were a Bell.” He plays it in the key of Ab instead of the usual key of F major, and pulls out all of his favorite vocabulary in this new key. Check out this lick from a great solo! […]
A Rare Chromatic Parallel Lick by Bill Evans (LOTW #269)
Bill Evans was a master of improvising and creating melodies through difficult chord changes. It is one thing to play a phrase that navigates the chord changes in an accurate and direct manner, but it is a completely different thing to make a phrase that goes right through them! Here is a chromatic idea which […]
A.C. Jobim’s Intro to “No More Blues” (LOTW #268)
Sonny Clark is widely known for his work as a sideman, but is often underappreciated as a composer. Here is a beatiful theme from a tune called “Melody for C” from the classic album “Leapin’ and Lopin’” (1961). https://youtu.be/5ogWfJoTqH0 CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LICK BOOK (UPDATED MONTHLY) If you have questions or suggestions for […]
Red Garland’s Playful Bebop Lines on “Billy Boy” Pt. 2 (LOTW #267)
Red Garland was a longtime member of Miles Davis band, known as the “First Great Quintet.” He often featured Red and the trio with Jimmy Cobb on drums and Paul Chambers on bass. Here is a continuation of Red’s solo from “Billy Boy” from Milestones (1958). https://youtu.be/gqRhKSfLzRI CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LICK BOOK (UPDATED […]
Red Garland’s Playful Bebop Lines on “Billy Boy” (LOTW #266)
Red Garland was a longtime member of Miles Davis band, known as the “First Great Quintet.” He often featured Red and the trio with Jimmy Cobb on drums and Paul Chambers on bass. Here are some lines from Red Garland’s solo on the famous trio version of “Billy Boy” from Milestones (1958). https://youtu.be/PRZV8Pc1aR8 CLICK HERE […]
