Hey Jazz Guy

Hey Jazz Guy, Who’s solos should I be transcribing to learn how to play through changes? -Searching in Somerville Dear Searching, Transcribing solos of great jazz musicians is a surefire way to improving your understanding of the genre. However, to really execute certain concepts, it can be very helpful write out your own solos. This […]

Hey Jazz Guy, How can I turn my cool rock chords into some sweet jazz changes? –Rockstar in Reno Dear Rockstar, Reharmonization is one of the hippest ways to alter a chord progression. Let’s take some basic chords and follow their transition from pop-rock to uber-jazz. We will start with a progression [Ex 1], using […]

Hey Jazz Guy, Whats the difference between a guide tone and a leading tone? –Unguided Dear Unguided A LEADING TONE is a half-step away from the tonic note in any key. This is more of a classical music term. For example in C Major the leading tone is B. In A minor, the leading tone […]