Jazz Guitar 201: Advanced Jazz Guitar Improvisation

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Major Modes & Chord Scales and Harmonic Minor Review

• Major Modes and Learning the Fretboard
• Fifth Mode of Harmonic Minor [7(b9b13)]
• Dom7(b9 13)
• Introduction to Transcription
• Great Performances: "All the Things You Are" by Grant Green
• Great Performances: Sonny Rollins Solo on "All the Things You Are"
• Great Performances: John Scofield Solo on "All the Things You Are"

Lesson 2: Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale

• Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale
• Time Feel, Swing Feel, and Subdivision
• Melodic Minor (1st mode), Melodic Minor Scale Rhythmic Subdivision
• Lydian b7 Scale
• The Locrian n2 Scale
• The Altered Scale
• Great Performances: Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooch"

Lesson 3: Continuity: Across the Bar Line Phrasing

• Creating Continuity via Scales, Intervals and Arpeggios across the Bar Line
• Major Modes across the Bar Line
• Harmonic Minor Mode 5 (Mixolydian b9b13) across the Bar Line
• Melodic Minor across the Bar Line
• Great Performances: Peter Bernstein Solo On "Eronel"

Lesson 4: Blues in Jazz Continued

• Review Charlie Parker Blues Form
• Bebop Scale Review
• Harmonic Anticipation and the Bebop Scale
• Adding Tension to Basic 12-Bar Blues with the Altered Scale and Harmonic Minor
• Coltrane Blues Variations
• Great Performances: John Coltrane's "Take The Coltrane"
• Great Performances: Charlie Parker "Visa"
• Great Performances: Wes Montgomery's "No Blues"

Lesson 5: Rhythm Changes

• Rhythm Changes: A Short History
• Basic Rhythm Changes
• Tonic/Approach, Continuity, Harmonic Minor, Harmonic Anticipation
• The Complete A Section
• Adding the Secondary Dominant
• The Bridge—Lydian b7
• Great Performances: Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie's "Eternal Triangle," John Scofield's "Wee"
• Great Performances: Miles Davis and John Coltrane's "Oleo"

Lesson 6: Pentatonic Scales

• Pentatonic Scales in Jazz
• Review of Minor 7 Pentatonic and Its Uses
• The Dominant 7 Pentatonic Scale
• The Major (b6) Pentatonic Scale
• Mixed Pentatonics on Major and Minor Blues Progressions
• Great Performances: Joe Henderson's "Recorda Me"

Lesson 7: The Diminished Scale

• The Whole-Half and Half-Whole Diminished Scales
• The Half-Whole Diminished Scale and Its Relationship to the 7(b9) Chord
• Secondary Dominant Exercises
• Diminished Scale Patterns
• Triads and Diminished Chords and Scales
• Great Performances: Peter Bernstein Solo on "It Happens"

Lesson 8: Phrasing, Dynamics, and Rhythm & Jazz Guitar Comping

• Using Space
• "Play/Rest" Exercises
• Rhythmic Groupings
• Dynamics
• Comping Rhythms
• Great Performances: Jim Hall's "John S."
• Great Performances: Kurt Rosenwinkel's "Pannonica"

Lesson 9: John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice"

• The First Eight Measures
• Across the Bar Line on the First Eight Measures
• Easy Chord Voicings for "Moment's Notice
• "John Coltrane's Solo on "Moment's Notice"
• Great Performances: Mark Turner's "Moment's Notice"
• Great Performances: Mike Stern's "Moment's Notice"

Lesson 10: John Coltrane—The Coltrane Matrix ("Giant Steps" )

• "Giant Steps" Matrix
• Arpeggios, Approach Notes, and Four-Note Motives—Analyzing Coltrane's solo
• Using the Whole-Tone Scale on the Matrix
• Applying Coltrane Changes to Other Songs
• Great Performances: John Coltrane's "But Not For Me"
• Great Performances: Jochen Ruckert's "Satellite"
• Great Performances: Wolfgang Muthspiel's "Giant Steps"

Lesson 11: Contemporary Jazz Guitarists (Jim Hall, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny);

• Harmonic and Melodic Characteristics of Each
• The Importance of Sound and Time
• Blending Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Funk Styles
• Analysis of Selected Excerpts from Each Guitarist

Lesson 12: Nonfunctional Harmony, Contemporary Jazz Guitar, and Slash Chords

• Nonfunctional Harmony Progressions
• Slash Chords and the ECM Compositional Style
• Modern Jazz Guitar
• Modern Jazz Guitar Composition