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.

In this lesson, I explore techniques for using fourths to comp horizontally rather than vertically. By inverting fourth voicings, you can uncover unique and unexpected harmonic textures. I demonstrate how to apply these concepts to modal tunes and II-V progressions. A PDF is included for further ...

In this 40 minute lesson, I discuss this wonderful Cole Porter classic in great detail. I teach you numerous substitutions, look at minor ii-v's, talk about triadic playing and give many chordal and linear examples in both notation and tab. The 11 page PDF will guide you through the video lesson ...

In this lesson I show you all of the methods I used to create the chord melody arrangement. voicings in 4ths, counterpoint and reharmonization techniques are clearly explained. The arrangement has been fully notated in both notation and tab.

This is such a beautiful tune. I go through it with you from top to bottom and discuss every decision made to create the arrangement. I offer alternative ways of playing several of the sections and give many examples. I also talk through how many of these harmonics decisions have helped my compin...

Billy Strayhorn loves the key of Db! In this lesson I take a cue from the Joe Henderson recording of this tune. There are so many interesting harmonic moments especially when coupled with challenging melody notes. This is a great lesson on voice leading, minor ii-V's, altered dominant sounds as w...

This is such an amazing tune by Pat Metheny, it has elements of minor blues, some Bach inspired chord motion and John Coltrane's countdown progression. Deceptively simple until the countdown changes sneak up on you... As usual, I walk you through the tune from top to bottom and give many examples...

This lessons covers one of the most important song forms in jazz, Along with the blues, rhythm changes is a necessity in any jazz musicians repertoire. I treat this lesson in a fundamental manner, breaking the tune down into its major components. Turnarounds, ii-v to the IV with variations and th...

We all know "Somewhere" from the musical West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein has done such a clever job weaving through tonal centers and constantly lifting the composition through unexpected melodic statements. I had a great time working through this composition using some of my favorite harmoniz...

In this lesson I take a close look at Charlie Parker's classic bebop head Donna Lee. I explore the ways that he would delay resolutions of his bebop lines in order to make them sound less "practiced". This lesson features 10 pages of notated examples featuring the augmented scale, diminished scal...

From the Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane album. This Tommy Flanagan tune is a 12 bar Bird blues in Ab. The head is great and the changes are so much fun to play over. I use this chord progression as a substitution on regular blues all of the time. Great lines and chords on the 15 page PDF. Backin...

In this lesson, we take a close look at Duke Pearson’s classic tune Jeannine. The piece presents a compelling opportunity to explore modal harmony and the expressive use of pentatonic scales, with special attention given to the unusual shift from Ab minor to Ab major. We also break down the more ...

In this fantastic lesson I discuss the major and minor II-V as well as Lydian b7, the tritone substitution, chromatic II-V's, and provide a fully transcribed chorus of comping. The total PDF size is 13 pages in both notation and tab!

In this lesson I walk you through each step of the harmony and provide both linear and chordal examples in notation and tab. Topics include the I diminished chord, tri-tone subs, chromaticism, and the augmented and diminished scales. Chord lovers will enjoy the one chorus etude provided!

In this lesson I look at one of Sonny Rollins's most popular tunes. Airegin is part minor blues and part major II-V madness! I show you how to use the dominant approach to keep the static minor harmony moving and how to overcome the temptation of just using sequenced ideas on the chromatic II-V's...

In this lesson I describe how the jazz blues differs from traditional blues and show you the methods used to create the ii-V's that give jazz blues it's definitive sound. This is designed as a beginner lesson but even intermediate to advanced guitarists will find something useful in it. This is a...

One of the most challenging musical situations a guitarist finds himself in is a duo with a bass player. There is a level of intimacy and musical conversation that can't be replicated while playing with a drummer. In this lesson I discuss how to get comfortable with this format and to appreciate ...

Join me in this 45 minute lesson as I discuss all of the methods of harmonization used in the arrangement. I discuss each and every chord and also address chord scale relationships. Include on the PDF is the full arrangement and some practice exercises for generating reharmonizations. PDF is in b...

In this video lesson, I present my chord melody arrangement of Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” We will explore the harmonic choices behind the arrangement, designed to be both accessible and musically captivating. A PDF of the complete arrangement is included for your reference.

An hour live masterclass on creating chord melody arrangements. Tunes that we worked on are "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "But Beautiful".

In this lesson I discuss George Benson's solo on the Theme From Mash. I consider this one of the best recorded guitar solos ever. It has something for everyone in it! Included is the full transcription and awesome backing track. Enjoy!

In my latest video lesson, I delve into the standard jazz composition "I Remember You," The lesson covers topics such as the use of secondary dominants, and emphasizing a departure from conventional chord scales to foster a more nuanced approach to improvisation.

Enhancing the learning experienc...

Grab a cup of coffee and begin a journey into the depths of the diminished scale! This lesson has everything, analysis, chords, scales, triads, lines, different methods of usage and most importantly, how to use the diminished scale melodically rather than with patterns. The most information packe...

Without question, George Benson is one of the most important figures in the history of jazz guitar. His ability to weave brilliant technical lines as well as play in the most sultry, soulful manner is still unsurpassed. He truly is a giant and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for keeping the ba...