Description

This lesson is based around a transcription of a one take improvised performance of me soloing over the chords of the song How High The Moon. The solo illustrates in some detail how I approach a lot of aspects of improvising over a jazz standard, which I also discuss in the 45 minute lesson video that I made.

The solo is 2 choruses long and as it is a basic example of how I play it contains a few polyrhythmic ideas as well as some cross the barline phrasing and reharmonizations. In the lesson I try to also discuss how the melodies are created and how they fit together since that is a topic that is often not covered in YouTube lessons (mostly because it is difficult to get into in a lesson of that length).

The download package includes:

• Performance video and mp3
• backing track mp3 from the performance
• 45 minute video lesson on the solo and how it is constructed
• PDF and GuitarPro transcription of the solo
• Performance notes

Some of the material I cover includes:

• Using Pentatonic scales over a jazz standard

• Playing Altered and diminsihed scales on dominant chords in cadences

• Phrasing across the barline and changing duration of chords to create exciting sorts of tension within the improvised lines

• Reharmonizing, adding chromatic leading chords in solos

• Using groupings to create rhythmical tension and to break up the meter but still stay in the groove

• Different types of phrasing in a jazz solo (Swing, bebop and blues language)

• Adding chromatic passing notes to delay chord tones in a melody

I hope you can use this transcription and the video lesson as an inspiration for your own soloing and that it can help you develop new ideas and melodies with some of my approaches.