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...

What a beautiful tune! An absolute must for your bossa nova repertoire. I explore the tune from top to bottom and show you several ways of approaching the chord changes. Topics include secondary dominants, the diminished scale and much more. Fully notated PDF and backing track featuring Ulysses O...

This was a fun lesson to create. I discuss George's superior sense of phrasing and his uncanny ability to create lyrical melodic statements along with chop filled 16th note lines. I had no idea this was a Stevie Wonder tune but have always loved it. Great written examples on the PDF as well as a ...

In this lesson I discuss some of the more modern aspects of jazz playing. This tune is a perfect vehicle for studying pentatonics, voicings in 4ths, triad pairs, weaving lines through unrelated key centers and of course playing over Major7 chords, Joe loved the Major7 chord:)

I've borrowed the intro and tempo from the Diana Krall version of this tune. So swingin! I walk you through the whole tune and discuss some of my favorite substitutions. Topics include soloing on Maj7 chords, the Io7 chord and soloing on the V7/Vi chord. Great examples on the PDF. Backing track i...

Of course this is a chord melody lesson but it's much more than that! As usual I walk you through every melody and explain the decisions made in creating the arrangement. I also take a look at this tune from a ballad playing perspective concentrating on phrasing and the significance of the triple...

An excellent lesson on both modal and ii-V playing. Both sections present challenges, in this video, I address ways of overcoming them. Includes 10 pages of examples and a backing track featuring Ulysses Owens on drums!

I didn't know you could squeeze so many ii-V's into one tune! Wes Montgomery's Twisted Blues presents two challenges, the key of Db and a relentless stream of short ii-v's. This is a great study on how to navigate short ii-V's and to appreciate the way Wes treated the tritone substitution. Backin...

Bebop time! If you've wanted to improve your bebop playing, this lesson is for you. I have come up with a method for navigating chord changes that has worked incredibly well for me. I share it with you in this lesson on Charlie Parker's Yardbird Suite. Let's get to work! PDF and backing track wit...

One of my all time favorite Pat tunes! In this lesson I discuss the different versions Pat has played this tune over the years and look at some interesting ways of approaching the static D-7 sound. I also discuss the ramifications of a modal approach versus a bebop approach. As always, great line...

This is one of my favorite tunes to play! I love the wide open modal section and the contrast it creates with the chord changes throughout the tune. There is so much to learn from here, secondary dominants, modal playing, voicings in 4ths and lot's more:)

What a powerful melody. Lee Morgan's composition is so beautifully constructed, it makes you rethink the way you would typically deal with this chord progression. Check out Herbie's Dolphin Dance and Frank Foster's Shiny Stockings, they all have similar harmonic adventure...

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...

A wonderful lesson based on the Pat Metheny recording from Question and Answer. Pat handles this tune expertly. His ballad playing in a trio is exceptional. This lesson focuses on some of his methods for playing in a trio as well as some slick harmonization techniques. Backing track featuring Uly...

In this 40 minute lesson I take a step by step look at C minor blues. Topics include comping, line playing, dominant approach, Oliver Nelson chord progression and much more. Includes 9 page PDF in notation and tab.

What an amazing tune! You have a wide open modal section and then a fairly complex set of chord changes to navigate. Cedar does an incredible job of connecting key centers using diminished based tritone substitutions. This was a fun one to put together, enjoy! Superb playing on the backing track ...

Barry's approach to time is an essential lesson for all jazz guitarists. The goal of this lesson is simple: you learn the methods behind creating a quality jazz time feel. If you are struggling to improvise at a slow-medium tempo or if your lines could stand a bit more direction from your right h...

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!

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.

I've had several requests to do another Invitation lesson. Well, here it is. As usual, the tune is discussed from top to bottom and includes topics such as the diminished scale, triad pairs, the Coltrane pentatonic and much more. Includes a PDF and backing track.

I love this lesson! Great lines and chordal example as well as a very hip way of looking at the A section harmony. 10 pages of transcribed lines and ideas for you to study. I also discuss the "Benny Golson Progression" and the turnaround to the ii chord. Much more in this fantastic lesson. Enjoy ...

Great combination chord melody and comping/improvising lesson. I show you numerous ways of navigating the tune as well as provide fantastic examples on the included PDF.

What an amazing lesson on chromatic II-V's! As usual, great examples on the included PDF. I also discuss ways to use chromaticism regardless of the tune your playing and give several examples to demonstrate this. A really enjoyable lesson. Backing track with Ulysses Owens included.

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 understanding of harmony. ...