Improvising over Blue Bossa
This Kenny Dorham tune from Joe Henderson's seminal 1963 Blue Note release Page One, is perhaps the classic latin jazz tune and certainly one of the first tunes that most jazz players learn to improvise over. This lesson, the first in the "Improvising over . . ." series on JazzPianoOnline.com takes you through a harmonic analysis, a review of the basic chordscale choices and shows you, step-by-step, how to improvise over the changes to the tune using the Four Components of Melodic Construction.

Lesson Stats
When added: 12/30/07; Duration: 18 minutes;

Prerequisites
Moderate keyboard proficiency. Ability to read notation. These lessons are good prerequisites: Four Components of Melodic Construction and Improvisation: the Concept.

Quiz
Quiz 1: practice building target note lines and voice-leading them at chord changes.

Practice Sessions & Playalongs
Practice Session 1: Write out and improvise a target note line over the changes to Blue Bossa.
Practice Session 2: Write out and improvise a voice-led target note line over the changes to Blue Bossa.
Practice Session 3: Write out and improvise a harmonically specific and melodically logical line over the changes to Blue Bossa.

Includes play-alongs for all practice sessions in MIDI, Band-in-a-Box™ and GarageBand formats.

Resources for further Listening and Reading
Check out these featured books and recordings.