Lesson Description
The "Improvising Over . . ." series of lessons provides insight into how to improvise over the chord changes to important tunes in the jazz repertoire. Based on a transcription of a master musician improvising over the changes to a standard jazz tune, each lesson describes how the soloist uses chord tones, arpeggios, chordscale passages, approach patterns and other improvisational techniques to develop their solo. The onscreen practice sessions will take you from the lesson to the piano and help you get started improvising over these tunes.
Hiromi's understated solo over this well known baroque keyboard piece is an accessible introduction to improvising with pentatonics. In this lesson, a transcription of her solo from 2010's "Place to Be" is analyzed for her use of the major pentatonic scale within the framework of the Four Components of Melodic Construction. As an added bonus, she incorporates stride and gospel elements as well.
Preview
Watch this short video for an overview of the content of this course.
Prerequisites
The Five Essential 7th Chords
Improvisation - The Concept
Four Components of Melodic Construction
Study Support
Contact me with questions at any time.
Start a discussion with fellow students by clicking on the discussion link in your student control panel to leave a message or search previous conversations.
Consult the Lesson Road Map to for a suggested sequence of lessons.
To continue your study of this topic, face-to-face, live webcam lessons are available.
Testimonials
"It was Greek to me at first, but now I'm getting it. There is a lot of depth in what you've posted. Getting it under my hands will take a lot of time, but at least now I'm headed the right direction. Jazzpianoonline has given me enough material to keep me busy practicing for years to come. The site is fantastic." -Doug
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Course Curriculum
What's included?
Bill Rinehart
About the instructor
Bill did undergraduate work at the Berklee College of Music and holds the M.Mus. degree in Jazz Studies from the Boston Conservatory/Berklee College of Music where he studied with Ray Santisi and Charlie Banacos. Bill taught and played extensively around the Boston area for the better part of two decades appearing everywhere from the legendary Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge MA to a long stand at the Hampshire House on Beacon Hill in Boston before relocating to the Raleigh-Durham NC area where he teaches full-time on JazzPianoOnline.com.