Modern Jazz Line #17 - Cliche Lick with a Twist - Jazz Piano Lesson

This week's modern jazz line is inspired by a very common bebop phrase I hear a lot of musician frequently playing.  There's nothing too chromatic or "out" in this line but I think it still carries a modern feel.

I hope you enjoyed watching the first 10 lessons from my Modern Jazz Line series.  In these jazz lessons I covered how to become a better improvisor using the ii-V-I progression as a guide.  The next Modern Jazz Line videos will cover the tri-tone substitution used in the context of a basic ii-V-I progression (see example below).  If you haven't read or watched my explanation of the tri-tone substitution you may want to check it out before continuing with the lesson below.

Sheet Music for this lesson:  Modern Jazz Line #17 .pdf

You can find a complete list of my jazz piano lessons here and watch the playlist for either Modern Jazz Lines #1-10 or Modern Jazz Lines #11-20.

Introduction to the Tri-Tone Substitution: The Tri-Tone Substitution

Modern Jazz Line #17:

Learn how to practice this jazz piano lesson here:

Jazz Piano Lesson #43: Seventh Chord Workout - Harmonic Minor

Jazz Piano Lesson #43 - 7th Chord Workout - Harmonic Minor (Jazz Hanon)

These exercises for the jazz pianist (or any musician for that matter) are as technical as they are practical.  The goal for each exercise is to focus on an essential jazz improvisational element while improving speed and fluidity.  I hope you enjoy these exercises and would love to see some videos of my viewers playing through them.

Please watch the first exercise of this jazz piano technique series before continuing with this lesson by clicking here.


Click to view the sheet music to this lesson:
Jazz Piano Lesson #43 - 7th Chord Workout - Harmonic Minor (Jazz Hanon)

Watch the accompanying jazz piano video lesson:

Modern Jazz Line #16 - Modern Diatonic Melody - Inspired by Keith Jarrett

This week's modern jazz line is inspired after listening to Keith Jarrett's solo record "Staircase."  Jarrett's solo work is long lasting proof that you don't have to play "outside" to create moving modern melodies.

I hope you enjoyed watching the first 10 lessons from my Modern Jazz Line series.  In these jazz lessons I covered how to become a better improvisor using the ii-V-I progression as a guide.  The next Modern Jazz Line videos will cover the tri-tone substitution used in the context of a basic ii-V-I progression (see example below).  If you haven't read or watched my explanation of the tri-tone substitution you may want to check it out before continuing with the lesson below.

Sheet Music for this lesson:  Modern Jazz Line #16 .pdf

You can find a complete list of my jazz piano lessons here and watch the playlist for either Modern Jazz Lines #1-10 or Modern Jazz Lines #11-20.

Introduction to the Tri-Tone Substitution: The Tri-Tone Substitution

Modern Jazz Line #16:

Learn how to practice this jazz piano lesson:

Jazz Piano Lesson #42: 7th Chord Workout - Melodic Minor (Jazz Hanon)

Jazz Piano Lesson #42 - 7th Chord Workout - Melodic Minor (Jazz Hanon)

These exercises for the jazz pianist (or any musician for that matter) are as technical as they are practical.  The goal for each exercise is to focus on an essential jazz improvisational element while improving speed and fluidity.  I hope you enjoy these exercises and would love to see some videos of my viewers playing through them.

Please watch the first exercise of this jazz piano technique series before continuing with this lesson by clicking here.


Click to view the sheet music to this lesson:
Jazz Piano Lesson #42 - 7th Chord Workout - Melodic Minor (Jazz Hanon)

Watch the accompanying jazz piano video lesson:

Modern Jazz Line #15 - Harmonic Minor - Tri-Tone Substitution (ii-V-I)

I hope you enjoyed watching the first 10 lessons from my Modern Jazz Line series.  In these jazz lessons I covered how to become a better improvisor using the ii-V-I progression as a guide.  The next Modern Jazz Line videos will cover the tri-tone substitution used in the context of a basic ii-V-I progression (see example below).  If you haven't read or watched my explanation of the tri-tone substitution you may want to check it out before continuing with the lesson below.

Sheet Music for this lesson:  Modern Jazz Line #15 .pdf

You can find a complete list of my jazz piano lessons here and watch the playlist for either Modern Jazz Lines #1-10 or Modern Jazz Lines #11-20.

Introduction to the Tri-Tone Substitution: The Tri-Tone Substitution

Modern Jazz Line #15:

Learn how to practice this jazz piano lesson:

J.S. Bach - Sinfonia #10 (G Major) - Three-Part Invention

Here is J.S. Bach's Sinfonia #10 in G Major.  I wasn't quite able to get it up to the Glenn Gould tempo. In the end I decided I'd rather sacrifice clarity for speed.  I've been working on speed again lately so it is possible I will revisit this composition in the future.

To check out my complete playlist of Bach recordings click here:
J.S. Bach Three-Part Sinfonias Playlist
J.S. Bach Two-Part Inventions Playlist

Jazz Piano Lesson: 7th Chord Major Scale Workout (Jazz Hanon)

Jazz Piano Lesson #41 - 7th Chord Workout - Major (Jazz Hanon)

After graduating college I became a scale and Hanon exercise junkie.  I usually spent 1-2 hours every single morning playing through my Hanon book.  At one point, I had all the exercises memorized in ALL 12 keys!  Becoming bored with the sameness of the Hanon exercises I decided to take on the Tristano method of scale practice.  I spent a year playing scales at an ultra slow tempo (40-60) and then playing polyrhyhmic variations of each scale (3 against 2, 2 against 3, etc).

After completing most of the Tristano method of scale practice I decided to replace my daily exercises with Bach etudes.  Over the past year I've completed all 15 two-part Bach inventions and just finished learning my 10th three-part Sinfonia.  The Bach pieces have greatly improved my technique and musicality but I'm left feeling a little sluggish after not practicing scales for a year.  That is why I've decided to write some of my own "Hanon" exercises.

These exercises are as technical as they are practical for the jazz musician.  The goal for each exercise is to focus on an essential jazz improvisational element while improving speed and fluidity.  I hope you enjoy these exercises and would love to see some videos of my viewers playing through them.

Up first, 7th chord arpeggios through all the major scales.

Click to view the sheet music to this lesson:
Jazz Piano Lesson #41 - 7th Chord Workout - Major (Jazz Hanon)

Watch the accompanying jazz piano video lesson:

Modern Jazz Line #14 - Whole Tone Line (Tritone Sub)

I hope you enjoyed watching the first 10 lessons from my Modern Jazz Line series.  In these jazz lessons I covered how to become a better improvisor using the ii-V-I progression as a guide.  The next Modern Jazz Line videos will cover the tri-tone substitution used in the context of a basic ii-V-I progression (see example below).  If you haven't read or watched my explanation of the tri-tone substitution you may want to check it out before continuing with the lesson below.

Introduction to the Tri-Tone Substitution: The Tri-Tone Substitution

Modern Jazz Line #14:  

Sheet Music:  

Modern Jazz Line #14 .pdf

Video Lesson: