Chordscale Theory: Modes of the Major Scale
Dorian, mixolydian, ionian, locrian. You've no doubt heard these terms tossed around in improv books and by teachers but what do they mean and what are they used for? Find out answers to these questions and more in this second lesson in the Chordscale Theory series where the tune Mack the Knife is analyzed and a transcription of Jessica Williams improvising over the changes from her 1997 recording Higher Standards is examined for her use of chordscales in the solo. The Practice Sessions will guide you through the construction and use of each of the 7 modes of the major scale in all 12 keys. (more...)
Circles
This charming little jazz prelude starts off with clean, clear, harmless sounding, perfectly voice-led rootless diatonic 7th chords derived from the cycle of 4ths. A sunny start to this decades old piece first (more...)
Londonderry Aire Reharmonized
This old irish folk tune (aka Danny Boy) is the perfect choice for reharmonization. When it's familiar diatonic melody is set against the highly chromatic harmonic treatment given here, the tune takes on a (more...)
FREE Music!
Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Bill Frisell and the list goes on. Ten tracks in total and all FREE on this ECM Digital Sampler. Click to listen and download yours now.
CD Reviews
Lynn Seaton Trio featuring Steve Anderson Puttin' on the Ritz
There's such closeness and affinity among the members of the Lynn Seaton Trio that there's almost no clearly delineated leader operating here. Seaton, pianist Stephen Anderson and drummer Joel Fountain mesh steadily on any and everything they play (March 2006)
This album finds him in a trio setting with pianist Stephen Anderson and drummer Joel Fountain, a group that swings hard, handles flying tempos with ease and executes its business with a sense of ensemble that suggests the legendary trios led by Oscar Peterson (June 2006)
Steve Anderson Trio Forget Not
Stephen Anderson’s compositions are musically and historically erudite, and meticulously plotted and crafted. “Mobiles” draws on Earle Brown and Stockhausen. It has “a design of chord paths” intended to limit the repetition caused by “the cyclical nature of jazz.” It allows the players to make choices about “the ordering of (September 2008)
Hot Jaz
z Lick!
If the Three Benny Green Licks aren't enough to keep you busy try this tasty major iiV line also from the Bud Powell tune Celia from Benny's That's Right recording. You can find many, many, many more like it in the Benny Green Collection, a compilation of several of his tunes and transcriptions from his multiple recordings as a leader.
Recently Added Lessons
Rootless Voicings in the Real Worldadded 08/03/08
Once you gain some facility with rootless voicings and begin to venture out into the wide world of jazz repertoire, you soon notice that certain (more...)
Introduction to Chordscale Theory added 07/20/08
Chordscale theory describes the interdependent relationship of harmony and melody. It states that chords serve specific roles within a key which determine the scales that are associated with those chords (more...)
Improvising Over Stella By Starlight added 07/06/08
This great standard is a challenge to improvise over. It progresses through several keys, never resolving to those keys in ways that you would expect and often just modulates on the spot. Yet, the keys that (more...)
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