In this video lesson, I guide you through Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” using it as a framework to explore the Lydian ♭7 scale and triad pairs. We’ll analyze the tune in detail, covering the harmonic choices throughout. The lesson includes a PDF and a backing track featuring Ulysses Owe...

One of my all time favorite standards to play. In this lesson I dig deep into the minor II-V to both major and minor. 3 and a half pages of licks and cool chords are included to help you internalize the material. A very thorough and detailed look at this great tune. PDF include with download.

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...

A fantastic lessons for jazz guitarists of all levels. I take you through Bird's chord progression and then show you how to utilize melodic fragments from the melody to build vocabulary. I fully discuss retargeting II-V material on the last 4 measures of the blues, this is sure to inspire you to ...

In this lesson I go through ways of dealing with this amazing tune. Topics include reharmonization, chromatic substitution, the Major7#5 chord, hip voicings and the diminished scale. Much more included in the fully transcribed PDF in notation and tab. This is one of best PDF's I've put together t...

Check out this amazing new lesson on Wes Montgomery's Jingles. In this comprehensive session, I look into every aspect of the song, guiding you through its structure and nuances. I explore essential topics such as improvising over static minor chords and navigating II-V progressions in various ke...

Join me in this video lesson as I dive deep into the classic Cole Porter tune, "All of You." I cover everything from the susb9 chord to the minor 6 pentatonic, as well as techniques for comping and soloing. This lesson includes a detailed PDF with both notation and tab, plus a backing track featu...

In this 30 minute lesson I break down Just Friends chord by chord while paying special attention to the bIII diminished chord. Most of us use the Ab-7 Db7 change, but the diminished can be a lot of fun. Tons of chordal and linear examples including a 9 page PDF in notation and tab.

A wonderful lesson on the great standard tune "I Thought About You". I discuss back-cycling as well as give numerous examples of some of my favorite melodic and chordal ideas.

What an awesome lesson! I have transcribed dozens of killing George Benson smooth/groove/blues style lines. I also show you ways of incorporating more traditional jazz harmonic approaches to this deceptively simple tune.

In my latest jazz guitar lesson on the classic jazz waltz "Emily," I provide an in-depth exploration of chord scale relationships, melodic phrasing, and the effective use of triplet subdivisions to create engaging solos. This lesson offers a comprehensive analysis of the tune from top to bottom, ...

Dive into the heart of hard bop with my lesson on Clifford Brown's classic tune, "Daahoud." This video focuses on unraveling the language of jazz, with a spotlight on this tune's unusual turnaround. Grammy award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens provides a stellar backing track, ensuring a hands-on e...

This lesson is all about chords and comping! The 15 page PDF contains many examples and also includes a 2 chorus etude that you can play along with me. I cover many techniques of substitution as well as show you efficient ways of using chromaticism, pedal points, the tritone sub and the I diminis...

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...

In this lesson I discuss one of the most popular jazz waltzes. I cover modal playing and the use of pentatonics on both Major and Minor chords. Triad pairs are also discussed in regards to modal playing. Great linear and chordal examples in this 30 minute lesson. 10 page PDF included in both nota...

Dive into the world of Bossa Nova with my latest lesson, meticulously crafted around the timeless classic, "Triste" by the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim. In this comprehensive video, I delve deep into the heart of the original composition, using it's original key and chord changes, while emphasi...

In this lesson I discuss one of the most common standard standard tunes "Summertime". I walk you through many interesting substitutions and have include the most exhaustive pdf material to date. Enjoy the lesson!

In this video lesson, I guide you through the renowned composition "The Great Stream" by Pat Martino. While it may seem harmonically straightforward, Pat's remarkable talent in seamlessly crafting endless musical phrases is truly exceptional, forming the core of this video. The main theme present...

In this lesson, I'm deconstructing the iconic jazz gem by Sonny Rollins, "Pent-Up House." While it maintains a simple structure of major II-V progressions, Clifford Brown's solo adds subtle nuances of alternate changes not present in the original score. And that's not all – you'll also receive an...

This is one of my favorite Wes Montgomery tunes! The A sections are fairly easy, but so much fun to play. I show you how Wes would use the G-7 sound on top of the F dorian sound - it's classic! The bridge of this tune takes listeners on an exciting musical journey, exploring a series of II-V pro...

In this tune based lesson I discuss Kenny Barron's composition Voyage. It's comprised of a small modal section followed by some fairly common bebop harmony. The bridge is a bit tricky... ascending chromatic ii-V's that will keep you on your toes! The included PDF contains pages of comping and sol...

Another great Tune Based lesson on Thelonius Monk's "In Walked Bud". I walk you through the tune from top to bottom giving you insight into ways of approaching the tune. Backing track and PDF included. The backing track features Ulysses Owens in drums. Enjoy!

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 tune is another great example of a pop tune with the chord changes of an American Songbook Standard. There is however a big difference in the rhythmic aspect of approaching this tune as it has a contemporary groove with a bit of swing feel. I walk you through the two approaches I usually tak...