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, 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, 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, […]