Hey Jazz Guy

Hey Jazz Guy, I’ve got all the right notes in all the right places, but my improvisation just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. How can I build a solo with direction? -Wandering in Williamsburg   Dear Wandering, This really is the improviser’s greatest challenge. The mechanics of theory and technique may be necessary for a […]

Hey Jazz Guy, I want to major in music, and my college audition is coming up. I have no idea what to expect and what to prepare. Can you give me some tips? -Auditioning in Austin Dear Auditioning, This is a great question and I’m glad you asked it. I’m sure it is on a […]

Hey Jazz Guy, I’m playing all the right notes, but something is still missing. How can I make my phrasing sound more jazzy? –No Swing in Norway Dear No Swing, Perhaps the most elusive and mysterious concept in jazz, is swing feel and articulation. The concept has changed over time and many great players are […]

Hey Jazz Guy, I know that learning jazz takes years of study, but is there anything I can do to improve quickly? –Eager in Elmhurst Dear Eager, We all share your desire to speed up the improvement process! Although musical study is a life-long sport, these are a few of my favorite things you can […]

Hey Jazz Guy, Now that I’ve got the inside playing down, how bout that ‘out’ stuff? –Inside in Indianapolis Dear Inside, How bout that ‘out’ stuff? Well, it is worth looking outside the box to examining some simple techniques that can sound fantastically outside. As with the inside examples, we use for practice the first […]

Hey Jazz Guy, I’ve got all my scales down pretty good, but still having trouble making all the changes. Can you give me some advice on how to put it all together?? –Fragmented In Fargo Dear Fragmented, A difficult part of improvising, is putting it all together, turning scales into great sounding lines. However, there […]

Hey Jazz Guy, What are some more ideas for re-harmonizing a melody? –Standard in Syracuse Dear Standard, Using re-harmonization to spice up a melody can be very exciting. One method that is useful and interesting is to change the bass note. In the examples here we’ve used F as the melody note, and re-harmonized it […]

Hey Jazz Guy, Now that I got the A section of “Rhythm Changes” together, what can I play on the dominant chords in the bridge? –Subordinate in Salem Dear Subordinate, The bridge or B section changes in “I Got Rhythm” is one of the most commonly found harmonic progressions in jazz. Using all dominant chords, […]

Hey Jazz Guy, What kinds of things can I play over ‘rhythm changes’? –I Got Nothing in Naperville Dear I Got Nothing, Ahh, Gershwin’s little delight “I Got Rhythm” is one of the most important forms in the jazz idiom. This tune is a gateway drug to the great American songbook and understanding it well […]

Hey Jazz Guy, Is there a way to introduce tapping in a jazz solo/improv? –Picking in Puerto Rico Dear Picking, What a great question! This is a really cool idea, so adventurous however, that few guitarist have managed to try it, let alone master it. The most obvious candidate for this type of playing is […]