You have a problem if your Jazz solos sound too much like this:
In a way, this should work because a lot of things are right about this:
It is nailing the changes
There’s a place where you can add a nice Bebop accent
It is actually also a motif that is being moved through the changes.
But it still doesn’t really sound ok, So what IS the problem?
“It is Jazz! It needs chromatic notes!!!”
Still not really working, let me show you why:
A great jazz line should surprise you, it should not only change direction on the heavy beats like this or even the previous one did.
Because that makes it sound heavy, the lines should have more life and more interesting rhythm, not just go from heavy beat to heavy beat like a lawnmower.
Instead, you want something that is more like this:
Of course, It isn’t so that you can never change direction on a heavy beat, but not all the time, and it pays to figure out how to make the line more surprising, so let’s look at some surprisingly easy strategies for that.
Flipping Chromatic Enclosures
A simple chromatic enclosure that you probably already know is a great hack for this!
So if you have a Dm triad
then you can add the enclosure around the notes like this:
These are called diatonic above chromatic below.
The great thing about these is that they have a direction, and can go both up and down:
And that is much more powerful than you think.
Let’s say that you are playing a Descending Dm7 arpeggio:
But you want to add a chromatic enclosure around the last note, the D. The arpeggio is descending, so if you also take a descending enclosure then you get:
But if you have the enclosure go against the descending melody then you get this:
I am sure you can hear how HUGE that difference is!
And this will help you create lines like this:
Throw In A Triad
Another useful tool is to use the diatonic triads like I am using the Am triad on Dm7 in this example:
The concept is pretty simple if you have a note where you can dip down and take a triad that fits the chord, then that will work as a way to skip around and still be a strong melody.
In example 10, I did this on the E adding an Am triad. But you could also just take the A and use the Dm triad:
That will work in a line like this where I also use it on a D diminished triad on the G7(b9):
Steal a Bebop Trick
B-roll: Illustration of the F and E -> add low A?
Often a fantastic solution is to get a large interval skip in there but that sometimes sounds very unnatural. Luckily, we can lean on the Bebop greats to give us some tricks for this!
If you are playing a melody in the scale with a half step apart, so for example F down to E on the Dm7 chord then you can throw in a lower chord tone like the 5th, A:
And this always sounds great, another place where you can use that is on the G7 between the b9 and the root adding a low B:
One of the most powerful places to learn this and also get a ton of inspiration is of course to study the Bebop Greats, and especially Charlie Parker. Check out this video, If you want to see what you can pick up from him and also how I use that in my practice and playing. I can promise you that it is worthwhile and a lot of fun!
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I think it is time you test your Bebop skills so you know where you are at with your solos. For some of them I am very happy I learned that early on and a few that I wish I had figured out a lot earlier, but I’ll tell you about that along the way.
#1 Diatonic One-Octave Arpeggios
This is essential for Bebop, and luckily something I was taught early on by both my teachers in Denmark and at the Barry Harris workshop in the Hague.
If you transcribe or analyze Bebop solos, maybe even jazz solo in general, you will see that most arpeggios are played as one-octave melodies and not the large positions we use on the guitar.
And it really makes sense a lot more sense to focus on practicing the things that you actually need in your solo, so you want to practice your diatonic arpeggios in any scale you want to use in your solos, but what is more important is of course that you want to practice using the arpeggios in your solos.
And you can use that in a line like this:
So the question is: Can you use these one-octave arpeggios in your solos?
Even if you don’t pass the test then this video will give you some things to you can add to your playing that really will improve how you sound, and it is fun to keep score.
#2 Arpeggio From The 3rd of the Chord
The great thing about the diatonic arpeggio exercise is that it gives you A LOT of material, and the 2nd most important arpeggio for a chord is the arpeggio found on the 3rd of the chord. This is all over Bebop solos, and something you want to have in your vocabulary for sure. Again something I learned from Barry Harris.
To demonstrate this, let’s take a II V I in C major: Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
Dm7 to G7 to Cmaj7. And here you have an Fmaj7 arpeggio from the 3rd of Dm7, which is really giving you the sound of the chord and adding a 9th on top
and for the G7 you have Bø which essentially does the same thing giving you a 9th on top of the G7.
A line using these two could be something like this:
Where you have the Fmaj7 arpeggio here, and the Bø arpeggio on G7 here.
Do you use the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord in your solos? Keep track and leave your score in the comments!
#3 Ending Phrases On An Upbeat
This is something that is tricky for a lot of guitarists, probably because it is so difficult to learn to play sustained notes on a guitar, but Bebop is called Bebop because of the way a lot of phrases end, so you want to be able to play phrases that end with
I don’t remember when I started getting this right, but I am pretty sure it was after quite some time. It wasn’t really something I was taught or that my teachers pointed out to me, but it is a good skill to work towards:
If you really want to know then record yourself soloing and listen to how often you end on a short note on the offbeat. You may think you have it, but maybe not?
#4 Chromatic Passing Notes
This is usually one of the first things associated with Bebop: Chromatic passing notes, even though that is something you have in a lot of other styles of music as well.
The basic principle is, of course, to add a chromatic passing note that resolves to the next note in the melody, just to create a short moment of tension and some forward motion to the line.
That can be used like this, which is almost a Parker lick:
You probably knew this one, but the complicated cousin of the chromatic passing note, That, is a different story.
#5 Chromatic Enclosures
These types of melodies blew my mind when I first came across them with Pat Martino and Joe Pass. This is where chromatic phrases really start to become interesting. These melodies are also a lot less common in other genres of music.
The idea is to have a short melody with chromatic passing notes that move around the target note and there are many different variations you can use:
Here you have a chromatic enclosure before the C and also a longer chromatic phrase targeting the high B
And you definitely want to have this in your playing if you want to sound like Bebop!
#6 Triplet Arpeggios (two variations)
Playing Arpeggios as 8th-note triplets is a great rhythmical part of the Bebop vocabulary and also something that it really pays off to practice through your scales, both for technique and because it is great vocabulary.
The first variation is to play the arpeggio as a triplet with a leading note. That would give you this exercise.
But you can also drop the leading note and play this variation:
And that will give you phrases like this:
Where I am using the Em7 arpeggio with a leading note and the Cmaj7 triplet arpeggio without the leading note.
You practiced your triplet arpeggios, right?
#7 Octave Displaced Arpeggios
This is probably one of the Bebop secrets. At least it seemed magic to me when I tried to figure out how it worked by myself and just kept failing miserably
But actually, it is something you can easily work with and start using in your playing. The coming skills are not as much about what to play, but how to play it which is really what mostly is missing and what really makes the difference.
The concept is simple: Here is a one-octave Cmaj7 arpeggio, and instead of playing the arpeggio as an ascending melody you can move the last notes down an octave to get this great melodic skip in there.
And you can use that to create lines like this II V I where I use it twice:
And here you have the Fmaj7 arpeggio as an octave displaced or pivot arpeggio on the Dm7 and the Bø arpeggio on the G7.
#8 The Chord Tone Skip
Similar to the octave displaced arpeggios this is a great melodic skill that is a great part of the Bebop language: adding skips between notes in scale melodies. Mastering this helps you get rid of endless boring scale-run licks that are closer to a cure for sleeplessness than a great Jazz lick.
This is especially effective between two notes that are a half step apart like C and B on a Cmaj7 chord.
So you have the arpeggio from the 3rd Em7 arpeggio, and then a chromatic run where I am inserting the low E between C and B.
And you probably recognize this from the solos you have heard by George Benson and Pat Martino. The question for the test results is: Are you like George and Pat?
#9 16th notes
Another melodic embellishment that makes your solos sound more interesting is to add some 16th note turns or trills. I am not actually 100% sure what the name is, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments. This is actually something that I think I could still use a bit more in my playing and have fun working in there more and more.
This type of phrase also helps you not get stuck in the boring 8th note lines, since it helps you how to change direction in a line and create some variation in the rhythm.
You can just add an arpeggio run to it and then it is a great Bebop Line
Did you fail already or are these last skills helping the score?
#10 triplet trill
This type of trill can also really change things up and make your lines sound better. This is all over Parker and Pass solos and also turned into a repeated figure by Grant Green and Wes Montgomery.
On guitar, this is usually executed with legato playing which makes it easier to play the fast-moving trill and also gives it a more fluid sound.
And you can put this to use in a line like this:
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You already know that Jazz lines use arpeggios and chromatic phrases, but at the same time just knowing that doesn’t mean your lines sound like Bebop, and you don’t want to only play other peoples licks that you transcribed. You need to study phrases and learn how to create and hear those types of lines.
That is what I will show you how to do in this video.
Most of us already practice arpeggios and chromatic passing notes, but one thing is going over exercises another is to put it together and actually use it in your solos. As you will see in this video, One of the best ways to do that is to check out what makes up a strong lick and practice making lines with what you find. In this video, I am going to give you some examples and break them down so that you can take some things away and start using that to get some stolid bop lines into your vocabulary.
And when you strip down the lines then it is pretty amazing how simple they are!
Lick #1
Understanding How a Bebop Lick Works
This is a basic Bebop G7 lick, and it may seem very complicated, but it is really just built around a G7 and a Dm7 arpeggio:
Let’s break it down and then I will show you how you can start playing lines like this yourself:
The first part is a way of adding leading notes moving from F to D in the G7 arpeggio
You can see how the melody is moving from E via Eb down to D, and I am using the G as a chromatic note in between F and E. This is btw a Barry Harris trick.
So moving from F to D becomes F G E Eb D
The Eb to D is played with a pull-off because that gives and accent to the Eb leading note, that is more interesting, and the (boring) resolution is naturally a bit softer.
I am using the same principle between the B and C and inserting a D
Then you have the next part of the G7 arpeggio: G and F
From there the next part is a Dm7 arpeggio with an enclosure around the first note using a scale or diatonic note above and a chromatic note below, E and C#.
The lick ends on the B, adding a grace note.
Making Your Own Licks
Right now it might seem like there are a lot of things happening, and I think that if you want to work on making licks in this way then it makes more sense to just take a single thing and make variations on that, so, for example, take the first phrase and then try to use that together with a G7 or a Dm7 arpeggio
something like this line with G7:
or if you combine it with a Dm7 arpeggio:
And you can also just take the first part of the line and combine that with a Bø arpeggio like this:
Practicing With Material Like This
1 Be able to play the line.
2 to make a line with that chunk and combine it with the scales and arpeggios you use.
And if you work on it like that then you will start to hear melodies with it can come up with great sounding licks of your own that use this.
Let’s have a look at another example and go over some more things you can use in your playing plus see other ways of using what I already covered.
Lick #2
More about how the viewer recognizes the structure?
Maybe you can already begin to see the structure.
The first part is a G major triad in 2nd inversion, followed by a scale run, an Fmaj7 arepggio, and two G7 arpeggio notes.
The G major triad is played in the 2nd inversion with a leading note before the first note.
You can get a lot of interesting melodies by just adding a chromatic leading note before an arpeggio or triad, and practicing this as scale exercises and exploring melodies with it is very effective. Think of melodies like Well You Needn’t or Night in Tunesia
Adding a chromatic passing note to the scale run between A and G
The next part is a descending Fmaj7 arpeggio with an added trill on the first note:
And finally two notes from the G7 arpeggio.
Analyzing Licks for New Vocabulary
Now you are probably beginning to see how you can also transcribe some of your favourite phrases from Joe Pass or Parker and then really try to understand what is being used in there and use this method to get that into your playing.
A huge part of improving our playing is actually figuring out what it is we like and what we need to change, and that is very difficult when you are on the inside looking out.
So now whenever you find something you like in a transcription you can analyze what is going on, and instead of only having a single technique you can copy/paste, you can now start to make it a method for thousands of variations that you can use to develop your own bebop vocabulary.
Let’s check out another lick and get some more things to work with!
Lick #3
This lick is mostly coming from scale melodies, but then you can add a lot of interesting twists and turns to make those more interesting to listen to, but you can already now see that there are some new tools in there that you can use in your own playing.
So, as you can see, then removing the embellishments leaves 3 pretty simple building blocks:
Which is two scale melodies and two notes from the arpeggio
The first part is adding a trill and a leading note around the first D, using hammer-on pull-off to play the fast 16th note triplet and the fast notes really add a lot of energy to the line.
The next technique is one of my favourites, and it is great for making a scale run sound a lot better! Here I am first inserting a low A in between the F and the E, it is similar to the way I use the G in example 1, but adding this large interval below sounds great.
I follow it up with another chromatic leading note between E and D
The next scale run is another example of how you can get a great sound out of adding a lot of passing notes in a line. Here it is also really changing the direction of the line and making it much more playful and surprising.
Chromatic note from D to C, Chromatic note above between C and B, and an extra leading note below the B.
And then finally two arpeggio notes to still nail the sound of the chord
More Bebop Vocabulary
If you want to build your bebop vocabulary and play more interesting lines then check out some this download:
You can also download the PDF of my examples here:
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You already know how to find the scales and arpeggios that go with the chords, and you can play something on each of the chords, but your solos still sounds very much like you are just playing something on each chord, and when you listen to great players like Wes then you hear a whole melody in the solo, not just something on Dm7 and something else on A7.
In this video, I am going to show you how to improve the skills that make it possible for you to play a solo that is a complete piece of music and not a bunch of random lines next to each other.
I a m going to go over 5 examples that will show you what to focus on start hearing and playing connected melodies in your solos. You can use them as blue prints for writing your own lines and try to add this to your solos.
In a way the concepts I am going over here could be described as a “holy trinity” of Beethoven, Muddy Waters and Kurt Rosenwinkel – just a strange side-note.
The material I am using here is pretty basic and you probably know it already.
It is a II V I in C major so we have an arpeggio from the root and one from the 3rd of each chord:
And around that we have a C major scale:
If you want to explore more on diatonic arpeggios then check out this lesson:
Beethoven inspired II V I lick
One way to connect a melody is to follow up a phrase with a developed repetition of that phrase. This is called motivic development and is a very powerful way to make melodies just ask Ludwig Beethoven
This is a really solid example of basic motif: the melody on the Dm7 and G7 are almost identical and just transposed, but that does make it easy to hear how the G7 melody is a logical follow up on the Dm7.
Muddy Waters playing Changes
Call-Response is associated with blues, but is really a part of all melodic traditions. In the example it becomes almost a question answer where the Dm7’s ascending melody is a question and the G7 is the descending answer.
It feels a little like the Dm7 is opening up something and the G7 melody is closing it again. The Cmaj7 line becomes more of a tag to finish it off.
Creatively Voice-leading Motifs
When you work with motifs then you can be very strict and mechanical, but in the end you should also want to be able to use it more freely and maybe a little less obvious.
This example is starting with a descending Fmaj7 arpeggio on the Dm7 and that is “voice-lead” to a descending G7 arpeggio.
It is not only for II V I licks
To keep everything compact in this lesson I am just using short II V progressions, and you should practice making melodies or licks with this types of melodic connections, but as you start getting it into your system then it really pays off to take this to entire songs and work on creating musical sentences over entire sections of a song. I think especially Wes is a great clear example of this, but if you listen closely you will hear it with pretty much everybody!
Stubborn Rosenwinkel Habits
One of the things that I learned from a Kurt Rosenwinkel masterclass was how he already in technical exercises worked on continuing a melodic direction through the changes.
This II V I lick is a simple example of that where the melody is ascending throught the II V to resolve on the Cmaj7.
Another thing that is worth noticing is that instead of playing only scales, arpeggio patterns then the G7 line is using something that works like a D pedal point in the line.
Reverse Rosenwinkel with a motif
And of course you can make a lick that is descending through the entire cadence. In this example it is combined with a motif using first a Dm triad and then a B dim triad.
Adding Alterations (Like Benson)
The previous examples where all very simple and I tried to keep everything diatonic to make it clear that it is about melody (and maybe also about rhythm?) Of course you can also do this with altered dominants and this example is developed from an altered phrase that I transcribed from a George Benson solo.
The melody has a motivic development between the Fmaj7 and the Fø arpeggio, but also a connection between the Fø and the Em7 arpeggio on the Cmaj7.
You can also download the PDF of my examples here:
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.
Bebop is a beautiful but difficult musical language to learn.
Bebop is a beautiful but difficult musical language to learn.
Sometimes it works better to hear how the phrases sound and try to play them. This way you get a feel for how you should phrase them, and add to your bebop soloing techniques.
This started as a lesson on how arpeggios are used in bebop but then I got really into the licks and liked them so much that I ended up just making a lot of really solid traditional bebop lines.
You should check out the licks but also try to isolate small phrases and make your own licks with them. That is how it really becomes a part of your vocabulary.
1 Inserting 2nd voice and using trills
In the example below I am using two voices in the Dm7 line. The 1st voice is on beats 1 and 3 and in between are the counter-point melodies. This way of adding extra melodies is a great way to add surprising skips and have short changes of direction in the lines
2 Using a chromatic enclosure to resolve
Chromatic enclosures are a great way to create suspensions and movement in a line. In this line, the Dm7 line is first suspending the F with a 4-note enclosure. I am also using chromaticism to move from the G7 to Cmaj7.
3 Adding Arpeggios in Scale-runs
Inserting arpeggios in scale melodies is a good way to change things up. This is what is happening with the Am triad on the Dm7 chord.
The G7 line is using a G augmented mixing it up with an Abm triad.
4 Arpeggio Patterns to get large intervals
Using Arpeggios played in inversions and patterns is a great way to have melodies that are closely related to the harmony and add larger, more surprising, intervals.
On the Dm7 I am using a 1531 pattern of the F major triad. The triad of the 3rd. The G7 line has a Bdim arpeggio, again the arpeggio from the 3rd.
5 Voice-leading ideas as great bebop lines.
Many great bop lines are made from voice-leading concepts. This example is turning a Dm7 – DmMaj7, Dm7 Dm6 into a great super-imposed bop line.
Notice how the Dm to DmMaj7 uses basic arpeggios and introduces a large range.
6 2-note enclosure and motivic chromaticism
The line on the Dm7 is starting with a 2-note enclosure. The G7 line is using the G augmented triad and adding octave-displacement.
The last half of the G7 bar is a chromatic phrase that is moved and repeated on the Cmaj7 to develop the melody.
7 Moving phrases on the G7 chord
Another way to move phrases is illustrated on the G7 line in this example. The motif uses a maj7th interval that really makes it stand out.
8 Chromaticism and Maj7 inversions
Chromaticism as a means to suspend the sound of the chord is a good way to keep the line moving forward and also a way to add an outside phrase to a line.
The line below opens with a double-chromatic enclosure resolving back into the chord on beat 3.
9 Extended arpeggios in Bebop Soloing
Using 9th arpeggios is also a good option for bebop lines. The line here below is using a DM9 arpeggio and playing the last part of it as an 8th-note triplet.
The G7 line is using a Bdim arpeggio and breaking up the 8ht note flow with a trill.
10 Triplet and embellishing dim arpeggios
The Dm7 line is using the Fmaj7 arpeggio, again the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord. This time it is played as an 8th note triplet.
The entire line on the G7 is based around a pattern of a B (or Abdim) that is embellished with passing notes and played in an inversion.
You can also download the PDF of my examples here:
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.
What makes a phrase sound like Jazz? Even if you know the chords and can play the right notes there is more to get it to sound like Jazz. This video is going to give you 3 examples of Bebop licks which really use some of the core elements of the jazz sound. I also give you some exercises so that you can get them into your playing and add them to your own solos.
The techniques and the licks
The topic of this lesson is jazz and bebop sounds so it makes more sense to also work with a moving chord progression like the II V I. But at the same time the techniques and exercises will work just as well on static chords, and you can easily convert them.
#1 Lick using Arpeggios and how to use them
The first example here is using arpeggios on the different chords of the II V I.
On the Dm7 the arpeggio from the chord is played with a C# chromatic leading note. On the G7 the melody is created from the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord: Bø. Here I am adding a scale note between the F and the A.
When you improvise with arpeggios the melodies are created by mixing arpeggios and the scale that fits the chord.
Arpeggio from the 3rd and the Exercise
Something that I have discussed earlier is the concept of using the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord.
The concept is really simple. Let’s look at a Dm7: D F A C.
You were to build a chord from the 3rd(F) then you would have an Fmaj7: F A C E. Obviously these two chords share a lot of notes and the Fmaj will sound great on the Dm7.
Using that logic we have two arpeggios per chords, the one from the root and the one from the 3rd:
Dm7 – Fmaj7
G7 – Bø
Cmaj7- Em7
Practicing these two arpeggios through the progression could be like this:
#2 Lick using Chromatic Leading notes (and an alteration)
Another very characteristic part of Jazz is the use of chromaticism. Chromatic leading notes and Chromatic enclosures .
This lick is using chromatic leading notes. The two places where they are used are both to lead to a chord tone, so the G# resolving to the 5th of Dm7 and the A# leading up to the B on G7.
Notice how the A# is used to transition to the G7 and in that way really drive the progression and the lick forward.
Practicing leading notes
A great way to work on this is to play through the arpeggios and then add a leading note to each chord tone. This is shown in the example below.
#3 Lick using 8th note triplets
Jazz and especially bop-oriented jazz consists of a lot of 8th note lines. An amazing way to add variation to 8th note lines is to use some 8th note triplets, and especially when playing arpeggios.
8th note triplet arpeggios move quickly over almost an octave range and nicely break up the 8th note flow.
The lick below is using a Dm7 arpeggio played as a triplet and with a chromatic leading note before the root.
Similar to the first exercise this can be used on the arpeggio from the root and equally well on the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord. This is what the exercise below shows:
You can also download the PDF of my examples here:
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.
Bebop is famous for having solos of long 8th note lines and bebop licks are often a lot of notes. But an important part of what makes the lines really beautiful and breaks up the constant flow of 8th notes.
In this video, I am going to go over some great lines from Bebop Masters like Dexter Gordon, Clifford Brown and Sonny Stitt. The way they use embellishments and construct lines is a great resource for learning and enhancing your own playing.
The PDF with examples for this video is available through Patreon. You can check out my Patreon Page here: https://www.patreon.com/jenslarsen
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Learning the rules of a jazz language like Bebop can be a really useful way to study and internalize that sound. In this video, I am going to use some Jazz Licks to cover some of the techniques and how you use them on a Maj7 chord. The 5 examples will show you how you can use Chromaticism, Arpeggios, trills and octave displacement on a maj7th chord.
Jazz Lick #1 – Cowboy Bebop?
When playing bebop we often think about long rows of 8th notes. But it is important to break up that flow to keep it interesting. This example starts with an 8th note triplet which is a chromatic run. This is already adding a different feel fromt the beginning.
From there it continues with a C major triad. The Triad is a great arpeggio to use on a Cmaj7 chord. Charlie Parker plays major triads all the time. From the triad the melody skips up to the 6th(A) and via a chromatic passing note ends on the 3rd(E). Notice how the line is ending on the 2&. This keeps the energy higher than ending on a beat or even a strong beat.
Jazz Lick #2 – Bensons favorite Maj7 lick
This example is build around another 8th note triplet idea. This 8th note triplet is using a Cmaj7 arpeggio. Playing arpeggios as triplets is a very common device in bebop, it really helps target and emphasize the 7th of the arpeggio which is also the top-note. From the target note the line descends in half steps down to the 5th(G)
This example is a favourite of both George Benson and Charlie Parker.
From the G the line concludes with an approach to the 3rd and skipping up to the 6th.
Jazz Lick #3 – Barry’s Recipe
A very useful way to both construct your own lines and understand lines that you have transcribed is to see them as scale melodies with added detours. Barry Harris often constructs lines in his workshops in this way.
This line is essentially a scale melody in bar 1, but with an added chromatic approach between the C and the B.
The 2nd bar is using the arpeggio from the 3rd of the chord, Em7, and adds an exciting skip from C to G, ending on 4&.
Jazz Lick #4 – Octave Displacement on a Maj7
Octave displacement is another way to break up the direction of a melody. The idea is to have a melody is moving in one direction and then move a part of the melody an octave up or down.
In this example I am using Octave Displacement to change a Cmaj7 arpeggio and in doing so create a more surprising melody in the first half of bar 1. This is also know as the Honeysuckle Rose lick, since it is in that melody.
The line continues with a descending 1st inversion Am7 arpeggio followed by a trill. Trills are another way to add embellishments to a line that breaks up the flow of 8th notes in a nice way.
In this case the trill is a part of a skip down to the lower G and from here the line concludes with an Em pentatonic melody.
Jazz Lick #5 – Putting it all together!
The final lick is making use of most of the devices discussed in the first 4 examples! Try to have a look and see if you can spot what is used where.
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When You are learning jazz, a huge part of learning vocabulary and melodic techniques is studying Jazz Licks. But you can study licks in useful and less useful ways. This video is going over a 3-step process of how you might study a jazz lick. The focus is on making it a flexible part of your vocabulary. Really a part of your playing.
Most jazz guitar lessons are using jazz licks as a way of demonstrating the topic. Learning licks is also an important part of how we study jazz vocabulary and assimilate jazz languages as bebop and blues. When you are studying it is very useful to also think about how to learn jazz guitar and make sure that you have an efficient way of studying.
In this video I am covering several Jazz Licks Guitar Approaches that you can use when you are studying new vocabulary to have a faster and more efficient way to get it into your system.
Content:
0:00 Intro – How it is difficult to use licks 0:54 The lick I am using in this video 1:32 #1 Make Sure You Can Play The Lick 1:57 Keeping the Context and Chords in mind 2:23 Connect it to you Vocabulary 2:43 #2 Move around the lick 3:14 What Defines the Phrase? 3:58 Move the Lick around the scale 4:36 Take It Through The Blues 6:52 It’s Not An Exact Science, Use Your Ears. 7:19 Voice-leading a Motif Through The Blues 8:42 The Thinking Behind This Process 9:57 #3 Developing and Making Variations 11:31 Rhythmical Variations 12:32 Like the Video? Check out My Patreon Page!
Learn the Progressions you play!
One thing that is very important when it comes to using licks on a song is to have songs that you know really well. If you want to work on really learning songs then check out this article:
The PDF with examples for this video is available through Patreon. You can check out my Patreon Page here: https://www.patreon.com/jenslarsen
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The most important part of sounding like jazz, whether you play in that genre or in another, is probably to have some Bebop as a part of your playing.
This video is going to demonstrate 5 easy bebop licks on a C7 chord in a very position and quickly connect it to a scale and an arpeggio. I will go over how you can add some bebop flavour and chromatic phrases to your playing in this position.
Learning and adding to your vocabulary
Finding practical and playable solutions is essential if you want to learn something like the jazz language and this video should give you some easy to apply examples and ideas. This is also how I work and have worked with learning new material.
Keeping Bebop simple: Chord, Position, Licks
The examples I am going to cover are all found around this chord, which is C7 in the 8th fret:
which is closely related to this arpeggio.
And in that position you could think of this C7 or F major scale:
I find that this is an area of the neck that is a good starting point if you want to add something new to your C7 vocabulary because it is very close to the chord and the Cm pentatonic scale so we have an overview already.
Chromatic Passing note idea 1
This first example is adding a chromatic note on the top E string. The melody is adding a note between the 9th and the root. From there it is a descending scale run ending with a C major triad.
Notice how the end of the phrase is no on the beat which is also typical for bop lines.
More Chromaticism and a bit of Blues
In this example I am using a longer chromatic run on the B string. On this string we already have 3 strong C7 notes: 5,13 and b7.After a short bluesy phrase with those the lick is descending from b7 to 5 in halfsteps again reconnecting with the chord by playing a descending C major triad at the end.
Pivot arpeggios and arpeggios from the 3rd
This example uses two really strong bebop concepts. First this way of using an arpeggio inversion where I am using Em7b5 in first inversion but starting with the high note and then skipping down. If you want to check out how George Benson uses this I have that in a video here.
The other example is adding a chromatic note between b7 and the root which is also extremely common.
Two note chromatic approach
Here the chromatic approach is two notes and inserted between F and E in the beginning of the lick. The rest of the line is using an Em7b5 arpeggio and ends on the root on the high e string. Again ending on the 1&
Encircling: Diatonic above, chromatic below
Encircling a chord tone with a chromatic note and a scale note is also a very common bebop melody. This example is first encircling the 5th(G) with A and F# before it continues with first the arpeggio from the 5th: Gm7 and then a C7 arpeggio.
A few closing Bebop remarks
Besides the devices I talked about in this video it is also important to remember that bebop lines are based on the chords your are playing over. This means that you want to use those chord tones as target notes and as start and ending points of your melodies when you are improvising.
If you want to explore more bebop and especially focus on the phrasing then I have this WebStore lesson with some exercises for that:
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know. Leave a comment on the video or send me an e-mail. That is the best way for me to improve my lessons and make them fit what you are searching for.
