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Confirmation - Tune Based
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In this lesson, we take a thoughtful look at Charlie Parker’s Confirmation, one of the most iconic and intricate bebop heads in the jazz repertoire. The melody poses unique challenges for guitarists, as Parker’s saxophone-specific phrasing and embellishments don’t always transla...
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A Study in Minor II-Vs - Essential
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In this lesson I discuss the way I approach the minor II-V. I use Dizzy Gillespie's tune Woody'n You as a vehicle for all of the demonstrations. Topics include thinking of the -7b5 chord a s a minor 6, and the usage of pentatonics and the melodic minor scale. This is an eye open...
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My Funny Valentine - Chord Melody
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In this lesson I walk you through each measure of the tune and discuss all of the harmonization methods used for the arrangement. I love the use of open 3 note voicings and putting the minor cliche in the bass! Enjoy the preview and get the lesson with the arrangement fully nota...
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Don't Let me be Lonely Tonight - Tune Based
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In this lesson, we use James Taylor’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight as a vehicle for exploring melodic improvisation. The main focus is on approaching improvisation the way a singer approaches a lyric—prioritizing phrasing, lyricism, and storytelling over mechanical thinking.
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Playing Outside II (ATTYA) - Topic Driven
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By request, Playing Outside II 🎸This time I focus on the application of outside techniques to a standard tune. "All The Things You Are" offers ample opportunity for both harmonic and intervalic outside playing. It's all here in this one hour lesson. The PDF has amazing examples ...
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Autumn In New York - Chord Melody
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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 hav...
