A Nasty Chord Melody from “Inner Urge” – TTT #25
Joe Henderson created a language of his own by running arpeggios of unique chord shapes up and down his horn. This lick from the last 4 measures of his tune “Inner Urge” is a classic example of one of Joe’s chord melodies. https://youtu.be/yhn5LpprzWY CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for […]
A 2-5-1 with a Major 7th Walkdown – TTT #24
We are always looking to come up with creative improv ideas over the 2-5-1 progression. Try this line which uses a walkdown from the major 7th of the 2 chord to create a compound melody. https://youtu.be/AdOTt13IB_c CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a Lick Of The Week you would […]
A Funky 13th Chord Voicing – TTT #23
Whether you’re playing music by Miles Davis, James Brown, or even Jimmy Hendrix, this chord voicing will work well over any funky comping sections. https://youtu.be/zs3stSR_jd4 CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a Lick Of The Week you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down […]
This Advanced Diminished Lick is CRAZY! – TTT #22
Do you ever need to pull out a crazy lick to get someone’s attention during your solo? This one will surely get the job done! This is a lick which uses ascending first inversion major triads with an approach note. Give it a try! https://youtu.be/OIR2EnE7C3Y CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or […]
Try This Minor 2-5-1 Lick – TTT #21
Minor 2-5-1’s can be tricky… Try this lick which uses chromatic approach notes and accurately expresses the harmony of each chord in this progression. https://youtu.be/huSp1osx9Jc CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a Lick Of The Week you would like us to do, please leave them in the comments down […]
This is the Smoothest Minor Chord Voicing! – TTT #20
Great pianists from Bill Evans to Robert Glasper have used this minor chord voicing. It is very versatile, and can be transposed and sound good in all 12 keys! Try it out for yourself and see what you can create. https://youtu.be/Ztkw2KVXC7I CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION If you have questions or suggestions for a Lick […]
Check Out Ornette Coleman’s “Turnaround” – TTT #19
Ornette Coleman was known for inventing “free jazz,” a completely spontaneous approach to improvising in a jazz style. He also wrote some unique compositions, including this 12-bar blues titled “Turnaround.” These chord changes come from the last 4 measures of the blues, and move chromatically in half and whole steps. CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTATION […]
Substitute Hip Chords for 3-6-2-5 Using the “Ladybird” Turnaround – TTT #18
The 3-6-2-5 chord progression is integral to playing jazz standards and improvising. When things begin to seem repetitive or too familiar, you can spice up the progression by adding alternate chord changes. This chord progression from Tadd Dameron’s standard tune “Ladybird” uses alternate chords a tritone away from the original roots of the 3-6-2-5, resulting […]
Try This Bebop Line Over the Chord Changes of “Donna Lee” – TTT #17
“Donna Lee” is a contrafact melody by Charlie Parker based on the chords of “Back Home in Indiana.” It has become a standard tune called at jazz jam sessions, and can often be challenging to improvise on due to the blazing fast tempo. Try this line over the chord changes for the first 4 bars […]
Shed These Drop-2 Diminished Voicings in all 12 Keys – TTT #16
Diminished chords can be tricky to navigate sometimes when comping. These voicings are sure to help you find the sound you need, they come from a 4-part diminished 7th chord with the second note from the top placed an octave below, known as “Drop 2.” Transpose them into 3 keys and you’ll have all 12! […]
