The Jazzmaster Cookbook by Jim Grantham is a very comprehensive and ambitious book on jazz theory and improvisation. In this review I explain why I recommend reading and studying it, but also what are the limitations that can render even relatively simple concepts complicated and lead a beginner student to be even more confused than…Continue readingJim Grantham Jazzmaster Cookbook, a review and study guide
Tag: improvisation
What is a musical scale? Anyone playing an instrument is accustomed to practicing with scales, but the concept of a scale has much broader implications than just technique. In this lesson, we look at scales of five to eight sounds in general, in particular the major, minor and pentatonic scales.Continue readingMajor scale, pentatonic scale and other scales, what a musical scale is
In the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization (1953) George Russell makes the Lydian scale the centre of the tonal system, instead of the traditional major scale. His system was a great inspiration to a whole generation of jazz musicians, who used it to try to expand the language of their improvisations. Let’s see how…Continue readingGeorge Russell and the Lydian Chromatic Concept
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How to learn 100 jazz standards
In this lesson, I offer a complete guide to learning a repertoire of 100 jazz standards, starting from scratch. First, we will see how to analyse a jazz tune and how to study it. I will then propose a list of 10 tracks, the ten easiest jazz standards. Finally, we will see how to expand…Continue readingHow to learn 100 jazz standards