Modern Jazz Line #29 - Bebop Displacement - Jazz Lesson - Piano

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-29-Bebop-Displacement

I feel like I can't possibly say this enough.  Thank you everyone for all your support in helping grow this website.  I wouldn't have the motivation to do all this without you!

In this week's lesson we will tackle some moderately advanced bebop chord tone circling techniques. I've made the exercise more challenging by displacing the resolution of a few of the target notes.  Take it slow and play the rhythms evenly as you learn how each dissonance resolves.

The target note for Cmaj7 ends up resolving on the and of beat 2 after being circled chromatically above and below.

The 9th of Am7 is approached by a half step below as it resolves on the and of 3.

The 5th of Dm7 is approached chromatically by two steps below and resolves on the 1st beat of the 2nd measure.

The 7th of G7 is circled by three notes starting with a half step below on the and of beat 1.  Then resolving on beat 3 after being approached by two half-steps above.

I also had the #5 of G7 in mind when writing out the last three eight notes of measure two.  Notice how it is circled using half steps.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this or any of my other exercises.

You may want to watch my Introduction to Modern Jazz Lines 21-30 before continuing with this lesson.

You can find my complete collection of Modern Jazz Line "How to Improvise" playlists below.  You may want to review these lessons before continuing with the series.  They will give you an excellent introduction to voicing and improvising over the ii-V-I progression.

Modern Jazz Line #1-10 - The "ii-V-I" Progression
Video Jazz Piano Lesson Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (1-10)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #1-10

Modern Jazz Line #11-20 - The Tri-Tone Substitution
Video Jazz Piano Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (11-20)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #11-20

Sheet Music:   Modern-Jazz-Line-29-Bebop-Displacement

Video Lesson:

Modern Jazz Line #28 - Shapes in 12/8 - Jazz Piano Lesson

Sheet Music:  Modern-Jazz-Line-28-Shapes-in-12-8

With this line I tried to transpose and invert a simple shape through each chord of the I-VI-ii-V progression.  Take a moment to analyze the notes in order to understand how each shape works with it's corresponding scale.  Once you are familiar with the shape in all 12 keys you should begin using it as a guide to improvise slowly over some of your favorite tunes.  Over time, you will become more comfortable creating your own shapes and choosing your own scales while improvising.

I hope you enjoy transposing this melody through all twelve keys.  Feel free to substitute any of the written left hand voicings for your own.

You may want to watch my Introduction to Modern Jazz Lines 21-30 before continuing with this lesson.

You can find my complete collection of Modern Jazz Line "How to Improvise" playlists below.  You may want to review these lessons before continuing with the series.  They will give you an excellent introduction to voicing and improvising over the ii-V-I progression.

Modern Jazz Line #1-10 - The "ii-V-I" Progression
Video Jazz Piano Lesson Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (1-10)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #1-10

Modern Jazz Line #11-20 - The Tri-Tone Substitution
Video Jazz Piano Playlist (YouTube)
Sheet Music Collection for Jazz Piano Lesson (11-20)
Blog Posts for Modern Jazz Line #11-20

Sheet Music:   Modern-Jazz-Line-28-Shapes-in-12-8

Video Lesson:

Jazz Piano Lesson #44: Major Pentatonic Workout (Pattern/Technique)

I've mentioned many times before on this blog how big a fan I am of technical exercises.  I feel like my playing is at it's best when I have some sort of daily technique routine.  Almost every exercise I work on is played and sung through all twelve keys.  For this reason, the technical exercises (ala Hanon) I've been writing lately have been really challenging both my technique and inner singing voice.  I have to remind myself that daily slow and patient practice is the key to making these exercises feel effortless.

In this week's jazz piano lesson we will be taking a look at the Major Pentatonic scale.  The pentatonic scale is a very old traditional five note scale that is often used in jazz improvisation.  Some of my favorite jazz masters known for their mastery of pentatonics include McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane, Woody Shaw and Chick Corea.  Any of these great players is well worth checking out.

The construction of the pattern used in the jazz lesson is discussed in the video below.  Suggestions for practice are also included.

Sheet Music: Jazz Piano Lesson #44 - Major Pentatonic Workout (.pdf)

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:

Modern Jazz Line #12 - Simple Pentatonic Melody

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 #12 in the key of C:

This week's modern jazz line is a simple pentatonic melody over a ii-V-I progression.  Below is a list of the pentatonic scales used for each chord.

Dm7 = F Major or D minor pentatonic

Db7 = Db Major Pentatonic

CMaj7 = C Major Pentatonic

Sheet Music for Modern Jazz Line #12: Modern Jazz Line #12 - Simple Pentatonic .pdf

Modern Jazz Line Demonstration

By request, here is Modern Jazz Line #11 played at goal tempo.  I could should have played this with a metronome and you should too!  It can take me anywhere from 48 hours to a week to begin to feel comfortable with a new line.  For YouTube purposes, I try to write lines based around a jazz concept.  For example, the ii-V-I or the Tri-Tone substitution.  However, when at home or teaching a student I try to write a line that is just out of reach of my (or the students) technical ability.  I learned this from watching Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery DVD and have found it to be an extremely rewarding practice technique.

Modern Jazz Line #11: The Tri-Tone Substitution

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

Sheet Music for Modern Jazz Line #11:  Modern Jazz Line #11.pdf

Video Lesson Guide:

Modern Jazz Line #10 - Large Intervals and Triads

Hearing large intervals, particularly descending 6ths and 7ths, have always been a big challenge for me.  For this week's Modern Jazz Line I've decided to tackle some of those tricky intervals using triad embellishment. Try to notice which intervals you struggle the most with.  You may want to identify these intervals for later isolated practice through all 12 keys.

The embellished superimposed triads for each chord are as follows.
Dm7 = FMajor Triad (i.e. 3-5-7 of Dm7)
G7 = AMajor Triad (9-#11-13 of G7)
CMaj7 = DMajor Triad (9-#11-13)
C6 = n/a



Sheet Music for this lesson:  Modern Jazz Line #10 .pdf

Follow the steps in the video below for mastery of this jazz lesson.

J.S. Bach - Sinfonia #9 in F minor - BVW794

I've been using Bach Inventions and Sinfonias for the past year or so as a daily technical exercise.  I spend about an hour each morning working slowly through challenging sections of the music.  After about two weeks I record a performance and post it to my YouTube channel.  The goal of these videos is to track my progress and growth over the course of studying J.S. Bach's counterpoint.  I do not consider myself a professional classical pianist but I still hope you enjoy my best (albeit amateurish efforts) at performing Baroque music.


Check out my reasoning for practicing Baroque music as explained in this previous blog post.

Jazz Piano Lesson #37: 3rds and 7ths Singing Exercise

As you may have noticed by now, I'm a big advocate of simple voicing exercises.  For me, simple exercises with a slight challenge are what help me make the fastest improvements in my playing.  As Bill Evans eloquently puts it in the Universal Mind of Bill Evans, "The person that succeeds in anything has the realistic viewpoint at the beggining... knowing that the problem is large and he has to take it a step at a time."  Check out an excerpt from the movie below.

Kenny Werner similarly advocates simple more narrowly focused practice throughout his book and DVD.  If you haven't read Effortless Mastery yet you are missing out one of the truly essential books for a jazz musician (or any artist for that matter).

The jazz piano lesson below may seem simple but don't let that detour you from trying it out.  The truly simple parts of my practice routine are often the most gratifying.  Apply the steps in the video to other tunes you are working on and over time you will notice great improvements to your ability to hear and improvise jazz melodies.

Sheet Music for Lesson #37:  Jazz Piano Lesson #37 .pdf

Modern Jazz Line #7 - Improvisation Exercise and Lesson (Jazz Piano)

Each week I write out a new challenging jazz line for my own piano practice routine.  I try to create a line that just "out of reach" in some technical way.  This could mean the line has a challenging rhythm, melodic intervals or harmonies I can't quite hear yet.  Dedicated practice of these lines has already greatly improved ability to hear new improvised melodies.  I hope it can do the same for you too.

Here's another jazz line that should make for some challenging ear training.  Follow the steps in the video to start learning how to practice and improvise your own modern jazz melodies.

Sheet Music for this lesson:  Modern Jazz Line #7


Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this video or purchased sheet music for this lesson.  Thanks for your purchases and donations of my music.  It goes a long way to help me keeping the site updated and running.  

Modern Jazz Line #6 - Learning to Improvise - Jazz Exercise

This week's modern jazz line melody is based off of Lesson #28 "Modal Interval Pattern.  I took the pattern from Lesson #28 and sequenced it through a ii-V-I progression.  Once you've completed this learning this modern jazz line you can start experimenting writing your own lines based on the same or a similar pattern.

Here's the sheet music for this week's lesson:
Modern Jazz Line #6 .pdf

You can also watch the complete video playlist or view each individual lesson post.

I hope you enjoyed this free jazz piano lesson.  For updates on more jazz piano lessons and modern jazz melodies subscribe to my YouTube or follow me on Twitter and Facebook.  Thanks for all donations, purchases of sheet music and signed copies of my CD.  Your support goes a long way to helping keep the site going and keeping me motivated to make videos.  Thanks for watching!

Lesson #36: Blues Etude with Voicings and Worksheet

In this week's lesson we'll be taking a look at a Blues Etude I composed over a simple 12 bar jazz blues.  The accompanying worksheet will help you better understand how to write out and improvise shell voicings for the tunes you are currently working on.  I have written out voicings for the first chorus to give you a good model for writing out your own voicings.

View the accompanying worksheet for this lesson here:
Lesson-36-Blues-Etude-Voicing-Worksheet

For a review of two and three part shell voicings, check out these posts:
Two Part Shell Voicings
Three Part Shell Voicings

Thanks for watching!  I upload new videos every single week.  If you want to be updated when I release a new video just subscribe to my channel on YouTube or follow my Facebook/Twitter profile.  Thank you for considering donating or purchasing sheet music and my album to help support the website.  

Welcome to my YouTube series dedicated to helping you (and me!) become a better jazz pianist and improvisor.  In these videos of lessons, exercises, patterns and transcriptions we will work on concepts that I've developed in my own practice routine.  Dedicated weekly practice of these lessons will greatly improve your ability to listen and hear improvised jazz melodies.  

Topics covered:  

Voicings, Improvisation, Chromaticism, Bebop, Pentatonics, Diminished, Scale Theory, Modes, Patterns, Learning Tunes, Chords, Rhythm, Re-Harmonizing, Sequencing, Ear Training, Singing, Transcription and much more.

I love modern jazz piano.  I owe so much to great pianists like Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Lennie Tristano, Art Tatum and many more (most of which I've transcribed) for pushing the limits of the music.  I'd like to give a little back to the community by making these educational jazz videos.

All lessons are free to view in full screen on Scribd.com and many are purchasable to download/print for a very small fee.  

Modern Jazz Line #5 (ii-V-I) - How to Improvise - Ear Training

Welcome to my new jazz lesson video series dedicated to becoming a better improvisor.  In these short videos, we'll explore jazz lines I've written out to help myself become a better improvisor.  Over time, dedicated practice of these lines will greatly improve your ability to hear and improvise modern jazz melodies.  Check out the links below after the break for the accompanying sheet music to this lesson.

Sheet Music:  Modern Jazz Line #5

Please feel free to send me a message or leave a comment if you have any questions on this or any other of my jazz piano lessons.  For a complete list of jazz lessons, click here or on the "lessons" tab above.

Personalized signed copies of my new cd are available here "Meditations Vol.1".  Thank you for all the donations and purchases of my sheet music.  I really do appreciate your support.  It goes a long way to help me keep these jazz lessons going.

Modern Jazz Line #4 - How to Improvise - Ear Training (ii-V-I)

Welcome to my new jazz lesson video series dedicated to becoming a better improvisor.  In these short videos, we'll explore jazz lines I've written out to help myself become a better improvisor.  Over time, dedicated practice of these lines will greatly improve your ability to hear and improvise modern jazz melodies.  Check out the links below after the break for the accompanying sheet music to this lesson.

Sheet Music:  Modern Jazz Line #4


Please feel free to send me a message or leave a comment if you have any questions on this or any other of my jazz piano lessons.  For a complete list of jazz lessons, click here or on the "lessons" tab above.

Personalized signed copies of my new cd are available here "Meditations Vol.1".  Thank you for all the donations and purchases of my sheet music.  I really do appreciate your support.  It goes a long way to help me keep these jazz lessons going.

Jazz Piano Lesson #35: Voicing, Melody, Harmony

In this lesson we look at how to compose a fresh melody and improvise over predetermined voicings.  This exercise is inspired primarily by the playing of Bill Evans and Lennie Tristano.


Sheet Music for this Lesson:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/117144112

How to Practice:

Step One:  Play the ii-V-I voicing.  Concentrate on trying to feel the shape of each chord.  Feeling the shape of each voicing will 

Step Two:  Play the melodic line with the metronome.  You may want to try singing the line as described in my other "Moder Jazz Line" lessons.

Step Three: Put it all together.  Play the harmonized melodic line.

Step Four:  Repeat in all 12 keys.  Once mastered, try each like at a performance tempo.

I hope you enjoyed this free jazz piano lesson.  Thank you for considering a donation, purchase of sheet music or my album "Meditations Vol.1" to help support the site.   Please leave a comment below or send me a message if you have any questions about my videos. 

Modern Jazz Line #3 - How to Improvise - Ear Training (ii-V-i)

Welcome to my new jazz lesson video series dedicated to becoming a better improvisor.  In these short videos, we'll explore jazz lines I've written out to help myself become a better improvisor.  Over time, dedicated practice of these lines will greatly improve your ability to hear and improvise modern jazz melodies.  Check out the links below after the break for the accompanying sheet music to this lesson.

Sheet Music:  Free Sheet Music to the Lesson via Scribd.com



Please feel free to send me a message or leave a comment if you have any questions on this or any other of my jazz piano lessons.  For a complete list of jazz lessons, click here or on the "lessons" tab above.

Personalized signed copies of my new cd are available here "Meditations Vol.1".  Thank you for all the donations and purchases of my sheet music.  I really do appreciate your support.  It goes a long way to help me keep these jazz lessons going.