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In this lesson I discuss a modal approach to playing these chord changes. I show you how to weave the the bridge section by connecting chord scales in a stepwise manner. Other topics include the diminished scale, tritone subs, triad pairs and voicings in 4ths. Included are 15 pa...

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It's in so many of his tunes and all over his solos. Wes's ingenious way of simply adding the II chord to the tritone changes the whole approach to this common substitution. Great examples on the PDF using Autumn Leaves, Another You, Blues and Rhythm Changes. This lesson is so i...

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One of my favorite minor tunes! There are some great opportunities for reharmonization as well as a chance to work on your dominant cycle progression. Great examples of comping and improvising are included in the 10 page PDF.

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A deep look at Miles Davis's tune Nardis using the Bill Evans 1961 recording as a reference. This tune isn't just about phrygian, there are many more harmonic elements in the tune that are rarely touched on. I explore them all. An epic composition that will broaden your understa...

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A great lesson on Pat Metheny's "James". This is a fantastic study on playing melodically, and understanding voice leading when dealing with predominantly triadic harmony. It's a deceptively simple tune that requires the improviser to think completely differently... Included is ...

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As always, my goal is to make great sounding arrangements that are easy to play. I'd like to imagine that you will playing this for friends and family in a matter of weeks. The lesson contains a full walkthrough of every chord from the intro through the ending with every chord c...

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This lesson is based on several requests to do more of a funky, groove based tune. Lot's of blues, a discussion about octaves, and some thoughts on NOT playing the changes.... Great backing track and PDF included.

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In this lesson I discuss voice leading, three note voicings, the dominant II chord and biii diminished. Much more in this 50 minute lesson, including a 9 page PDF in both notation and tab with great examples of comping and soloing.

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In this essential lesson I show how I use small melodic patterns to allow me to weave through the five positions I always use. The best part of this is that in every position, the fingerings remain the same. It's simple but mind blowing when you realize what this can do for your...

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The iconic composition by Chick Corea is finally here as a video lesson! Although the harmony isn't difficult, there are a couple of sections that are quite challenging to perform. All the examples are played at a much slower tempo than the recording so anyone can play along wit...

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I think you're going to enjoy this lesson very much! What started out as a response to a recent survey turned into a great lesson on rhythm changes. I have included seven transcribed choruses at various tempos and styles. On the earlier choruses I stick to the common chord chang...

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This lesson covers all of the harmony from top to bottom as well as triad pairs, the secret jazz chord, what went wrong with the real book and much more. PDF and backing track included.

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This lesson is packed with musical ideas and practical applications. You’ll learn to play more melodically, navigate static harmony such as A–7/D, and apply expressive chordal concepts. I demonstrate how to anticipate chord changes for a more natural, less academic sound, and sh...

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In this lesson I show you how to use 4 different pentatonic scales on everything from modal tunes in minor to advanced jazz harmony. The pentatonics derived from melodic minor can be used on all harmony constructed from melodic minor! This would include altered dominants, major ...

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One of my favorite tunes to play! It's a relatively easy tune but the deceptively simple first 8 measures are a gold mine of awesome reharmonization techniques. I'll walk you through the whole tune but the most interesting stuff happens in the front section. A 14 page PDF and ba...

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Enjoy this lesson on the classic Chick Webb and Benny Goodman tune Stompin’ at the Savoy. We’ll focus on time feel at medium-slow tempos, where a strong eighth-note feel is essential. I’ll also break down the harmonic structure, especially the turnaround to the ii-7 chord. The a...

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This lesson includes some very hip ways of working with the first 8 measures including using 2 key centers from Giant Steps. Other topics include modal playing, tritone subs with Major 7th chords and much more.

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In this lesson, we’ll break down the solo guitar arrangement of Here’s That Rainy Day by Jimmy Van Heusen. I’ll walk you through the techniques I used, from chromatic movement to dominant approaches, and show how tritone substitutions can really open up the harmony. Full PDF inc...

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Step into the smoky, dim-lit world of jazz guitar mastery as I delve into the art of arranging Duke Ellington's timeless piece, "Prelude to a Kiss." Join me as I unravel the nuances of my approach to crafting solo guitar renditions that not only sound nice but are also playable....

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In this lesson of Miles iconic tune, I discuss chromatic ii-V's, re-tartgeting ii-V's and how to recognize the two ways dominant chords function in a jazz tune. The PDF is filled with linear and chordal examples in both notation and tab. A great lesson on an a very important tune!

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In this lesson, I systematically go through the modes I use most often when improvising. They would include major, dorian, mixolydian, locrian, locrian#2, phrygian augmented, diminished, lydian b7 and the altered scale. There is much more in the 45 minute lesson. Includes 12 pag...

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This lesson has everything! Altered dominants, diminished lines, augmented scale lines and blues. I've also included the bebop scale and how to utilize the major triads in the diminished scale. 11 pages of transcribed examples in notation and tab!

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Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil is one of the great modern standards. In this lesson I show you how to disregard 7th to 3’s when dealing with II-V’s and how to deal with this tune in a “modal” fashion. Great lines and vocings included on the PDF.

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Irving Berlin’s How Deep Is the Ocean is one of the great American standards, combining a beautifully crafted melody with a harmonic structure that offers endless opportunities for exploration.

In this lesson, we take a close look at the tune’s abundance of minor ii–V progressi...