Tag: jazz
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How to Handle a Sus Chord Part II – Sus Blues
Most learning players approach a blues by combining the following two approaches: Using figures from the blues scales over quite straight old-fashioned blues harmony. Using bebop scales and language over elaborated “jazz blues” changes. There’s another way to go about things, though, and it’s characteristic of McCoy Tyner’s approach (as heard on albums such as…
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To Lick or Not to Lick…
So everyone’s agreed, right? The way to learn jazz is to learn loads of licks taken from recordings of our favourite players and take them round all the keys. Hmm (a big hmm). While I do agree that you can learn a lot from transcribing (licks are nothing more than mini-transcriptions that have become part…
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The Secret of Jazz? Mathematics
Forget technical studies, listening to the greats, learning licks, advanced harmony, playing out, networking and “living the life”. Well, don’t forget them at all, actually. But those are the obvious bits, and there’s a very simple principle that most learners completely overlook as they strive to progress in jazz. They’re usually too busy with the high-flown…
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How to Handle a Sus Chord Part I – the Real McCoy
It’s a common problem among people learning how to improvise that they freeze when faced with a sus chord. I’ve often found that the reason people don’t know what to play over this chord type is that they don’t really understand it. Here are a few ways of tackling this mysterious chord type that should…
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A Simple Technique for Outside Playing
This article will give you a simple, easy to remember, but very effective formula for taking a solo line outside the changes. When I say simple and easy to remember, I mean it. You’ll grasp the principle inside ten minutes, and be able to put it into practice within an hour. If this weren’t one…
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How to Hear the Clave in Salsa
If your experience is anything like mine, you may have struggled to hear clave direction when playing or listening to salsa (and its precursors, son, guajira and mambo). Sure there are differences, but rhythmically these styles are largely the same, they’re just played at different tempos and with different instrumentation. I’m aware that it’s a…
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Transcription: Bill Evans on Love for Sale
This is a transcription of the two-chorus solo that pianist Bill Evans takes with the Miles Davis Sextet on Love for Sale. It’s taken from the Columbia recording originally entitled Jazz Track, although these days you’re probably more likely to find it under the reissue title of ’58 Miles. I think this solo is one…
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Transcription: Tommy Flanagan on Mr PC
I’ve posted this solo because someone recently asked me for advice on bebop playing over minor blues changes. I first transcribed it years ago and developed a bit of an obsession with it at the time. I can honestly say that studying this solo really unlocked the minor blues sound for me. I hope you’ll…
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Practising Soloing Backwards
I’ve noticed that an awful lot of people learning jazz have a specific weakness when soloing – their lines don’t really seem to go anywhere, the phrases never really conclude. They’re usually aware of this problem but don’t seem able to fix it. Very often what happens is that a soloist will rip through a…
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