The RIGHT Way to Improvise with CHORD TONES for Better Solos

Just purchased. I love this approach and is in fact how I finally started to teach myself to make the changes after years of people telling me to play scales. Obviously, I love more advanced concepts too but as you point out if you can't make clear musical statements with the chord tones, none of the rest adds much to the music. Looking forward to working through the etudes!

good explanation, and really good use of motives to show people how to be creative. good video

I greatly agree with this approach. Besides, students learn chords and how they function.

This is excellent thanks very much really helpful

good video, many thanks for posting

Still at the beginning of the video, definitely looking forward to this.
But, regarding scales, wouldn't you say the mileage you get with the Major and Minor scales and modes are pretty much the same as learning the chord tones? I was thinking about this concept a lot and it seems like the Modes are definitely the back door to learning chord tones because a mode implies a certain chord in it's most basic explanation (like playing Phrygian over the iii chord). And, when you look at chord theory and go into the extensions, you actually end up with the complete scale anyways. You quickly find yourself getting into scale theory once you start developing your chord theory, and certain chordal concepts are just way out of reach if you don't know the scales. So unfortunately, there's no secret importance over one or the other, but I can imagine the reasoning behind starting with scales and modes first is that it can make Chord theory easier to understand later, but also it's possible the importance comes from the emphasis on melody more than anything because melody may arguably at one point have been the most glorified aspect of music because it tends to drive many songs.

You’re a great teacher man!

dont play the butter notes Jeff

great points. One of the factors that so many teacher don't stress is that landing on a chord tone on the beats. if we play a non scale tone on a beat, be aware and control.

This is my first video of your to have watched. Very interesting. Good concepts and well presented.

Thank you :)

"Don't play the butter notes" – Miles/Herbie

Dude this is perfect, thank you!

Thank you Jeff!!!!

Excellent teaching, Jeff.👍👍

OMG! It's not enough to use chord tones, now there is a "right way", and a wrong way.

Dude I have been playing classical piano since I was 4 years and played well into my high school years but when I went to college, I wanted to switch it up and learn jazz. Scales were already a part of my repertoire, and even after applying complex scales like the lydian dominant, half-whole and super locrian scales, I never knew how to use them comfortably. Thank you so much for breaking it down and teaching the simplistic way to learn it. From here I can now build a foundation for which to apply my knowledge and create better solos. Thanks man! Keep it up! Liked and subscribed!

lookin handsome too jeff!

I dookied my pant.

But this is Jazz, How I play in rock music ?

Actually, Hemingway probably did'nt write this 6 word story... i'm now looking for the origin of this sentence and can't focus on the content of the video X'D

Really really cool lesson. Thanks

This man explains things that are head hurting into real understanding wow I’m a proud subscriber . Bro get some sleep too bro 😎

Great advice. Thanks Jeff!

Well edited

"I found someone else" hahaha

This was a missing piece for me for years. Thank you

I never got the free score man

Hi! Can I play this in rock or Blues?

We’re not 2 years old, we don’t need visual tools

You sound American but you're British. That's why you write key signatures beside the Clef. 👍

I watch this as a rock guitarist, came out as a jazz player

Jeff,
Have you tried formula improvisation!
Take 1357 and think of them as target notes. Now choose any note and a half step below a whole step above then play the target note. Sometimes this formula actually works!!😳🎸🥁🎹☠️😎

Jeff,
Thank You for this post as I happen to be very skilled and talented at finding the worst possible sounding note and then playing that note multiple times During a solo but only if there are 60 people at the bar listening carefully and then saying that they could probably play solo at least as crappy sounding as mine !!
To top it off I have a Jazz gig in Manhattan coming up and let’s hope that chord tones help me !!
Tuesday April 19th 730 3rd Ave 22nd floor Rooftop terrace 12noon to 3pm.
Jazz standards I’ll try not to butcher the tunes to badly!!

Hi Jeff, You invariably offer great content. For that I wish to thank you.
And I’m a subscriber.
I’m an old guy………74…….and returned to my clarinet 10 years ago after a lengthy hiatus. Still learning how to improvise. So this is a good clip. I also transcribe a whack of clarinet solos to see what the ‘big dogs’ were doing.
I’m getting better……..but that call from Lincoln Centre has yet to arrive.

I am a guitarist and since guitarist are somehow cursed with playing 3-note per strings scale and pentatonic, I have to admit that this is by far the best lesson on how to improvise. The rhythms arent too crazy in the given example and everything is very understable! Thanks Jeff!

Dude get some sleep

This is improvisation made difficult.

Excellent

The level of production combined with the clarity and value of these lessons is amazing.

one big question i have and sorry for asking but why the g7? i don't get it. shouldnt it be minor?

Enjoyed this video, but it seems a summary or a conclusion to a course. I need to
Learn each step or concept individually, practice it as part of a song, then move
To the next concept. If you have a video course like this, I’ll buy it. Everyone of the
Concepts makes sense. It’s just how you go about learning. I can’t take all this in
At once.

Great Tips and analysis. Thanks. I "Liked" and subscribed.

It’s a great way to sound predictable too

That's top-notch tuition right there - thanks for this!

I like the concept, thanks

I did not find Chord Tone Magic. Will you please direct me to it?