The study material for each solo has been organized in to 3  progressive stages:

1. The solo - You will deeply study the 6 solos (which have been meticulously checked for accuracy)  using the Soundslice software (see below)
2. Bar by Bar analysis - this is where you will delve profoundly into the mindset of the soloist, discovering the intellectual and musical motivations behind their notes. 
3. Distillation exercises. The essence of every solo is distilled into a series of inspiring and creative exercises. These practical workouts are specifically crafted to assist you assimilate the particular language of each musical genius.

 

Masterclass Features:

Who is this Masterclass for?

 This masterclass course is aimed at the Intermediate → Advancing students/lovers of Jazz who:

1. want a trustworthy, inspiring resource packed with essential information that will teach them the "secrets" of Rhythm changes (that the pros know)
2. need a structured  path of study that will guarantee them substantial, quantifiable  progress - without the need for  additional  instruction.
3. is hungry to learn the authentic Bebop language knowledge and techniques the greats used.

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Solos Breakdown:

 

1) Oscar Peterson - “CottonTail” This Rhythm changes solo is a masterclass in succinct, logical, pristine Bebop language and execution. Oscar´s voice leading is absolutely perfect, almost as if he wrote the solo beforehand. 

2) Charlie Parker - “Moose the Mooche” This solo distinguishes itself  not in terms of superiority but rather in a harmonic sense. Parker’s approach to improvisation is “local,” emphasizing the individual chord changes. As well, his use of extensions and substitutions was light years ahead of his time.

3) Sonny Rollins - “Oleo” 1954 Which ever way you look at it, this is a titanic solo! There is so much style, thought and language here. There are moments of space + simplicity juxtaposed with dense bebop. There are sections of diatonic melodies and others of sophisticated extended harmony. If that is not enough Sonny uses thematic development and repetition to boot!

4) Miles Davis - “Oleo” 1954Throughout this solo Miles demonstrates his unparalleled originality and musical wisdom, showcasing the power of his innovative ideas over virtuosity. With an innate sense of form, tension, and release, Miles  expresses a soundscape that is uniquely his own. Studying this solo gives us a birds eye view of the mind of a genius musical architect.

5) Hank Mobley  - "Tenor Conclave"  This 1956 solo is an absolute must know for bebop jazz students as Hank masterfully and beautifully outlines the chord changes with the most sublime jazz language full of tasty, coherent chromatic embellishments and chromatic runs.

6) John Coltrane “Oleo” 1956 John Coltrane´s influence stretches past styles and genres and who´s legacy is wider than music.  This 1956 solo is from a seminal period of Coltrane´s evolution where he was intensely playing the chord changes. It is loaded full of his unique Jazz language.

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Why This Masterclass Matters

“Rhythm changes is one of the most crucial chord progressions for any aspiring jazz student to know, navigate and be able to improvise on”

 

 

Key Features:

🎵Living Notation  App - Follow along  and practice the lessons with the built in software that syncs the sheet music and audio and allows you to change speed, key, sound and much more  (works on any device - phone, tablet and computer)

 📄 Concert, Bb, Eb, Bass PDF files included

 

Ask yourself these questions

1. Have you ever gone back and assiduously studied a substantial quantity of classic jazz recordings?
2. Do you think if you did that your playing would improve?
3. Do you want a sure fire, tested plan to be a better player and improvisor?

You may have played and transcribed a few historic Jazz recordings but you may be left with an uneasy feeling that your playing would be better and knowledge deeper if you had  studied more solos from the Jazz continuum.

 

The Learning Path: A Three-Step Process

Step 1.  LANGUAGE -

You will completely immerse yourself in the 6 Classic solos featuring a who´s who of Jazz greats :1) Oscar Peterson 2) Charlie Parker 3) Sonny Rollins  4) Miles Davis  5) John Coltrane 6) Hank Mobley Each solo is a gem, a master class in itself!

Each transcription has been meticulously checked for accuracy.

You will live , play and listen to the solos with the SOUND SLICE SOFTWARE that allows you to slow, down and loop sections and syncs the music to the score! (PDF scores are included if you prefer to print!)

Step  2.  PRACTICAL  THEORY+ ANALYSIS  

You will delve deep into the mindset of the soloist, discovering the intellectual and musical motivations behind their notes. Using a bar-by-bar written analysis, you will scrutinize each solo, uncovering the rationale behind every phrase.

Through this analytical approach, you will begin to develop a true understanding and appreciation of what makes each solo so great. You will start to recognize the common Bebop language and motifs that run throughout the solos.

 

Step 3.    PRACTICAL -  DISTILLATION  EXERCISES + Tutorials

This is the CORE and the most crucial part of the masterclass. It is designed to help you develop your skills and  master the language of the masters. Let me explain why.

1. The essence of every solo is distilled into a series of inspiring and creative exercises. These practical workouts are specifically crafted to assist you in mastering the particular language of each musical genius, allowing you to integrate it seamlessly into your own playing.
2. Moreover, this module is where we combine and refine the work done in the previous two steps. 

Check out these previews of the distillations

Each distillation tutorial in the course is a Masterclass in itself. (average duration of each one is 10 minutes+)

Ultimately you'll be able to personalize these exercises to fit your own unique style, instrument, personality, and skill level. This will help you to take your musical abilities to the next level.

 

 

💪💪💪 The Power of Studying Classic Jazz Recordings

As you get to know the recorded solos you will become acutely aware of the musical gems and elements they contain. You start to hear more details, like phrasings, articulations, often used phrases, blue notes and embellishments.

Your playing becomes more sophisticated as you hear the common melodic motifs the greats used.  As you start to join the dots of this Jazz language  your improvisations will become more confident and assured.

By the end of the Masterclass you will learn:

1. ✅ How the greats created lines over rhythm changes. What combinations of notes they used 
2. ✅  Musical exercises to help you navigate the chords and incorporate the language in to your own playing
3. ✅ The scales, approach notes and harmonic devices the pros use to highlight and spice up their solos
   

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the difference between this Bebop Rhythm Changes Masterclassand the full Rhythm Changes online course?

A. The full online course  features 21 solos spanning from 1925-1975 that feature the following Jazz styles : Vintage, Swing, Bebop, Bluesy + Hard Swing. As well the course contains a 4th module and Appendix files.

check the Table of contents here

Q. How were the solos chosen?

A. The criteria was to pick the the most coherent and seminal Bebop Rhythm Change solos that would inspire and motivate the Jazz student. The list of players is a who´s who of Jazz greats 

Q. What level do I need to be able to use the course?

A. The course is aimed at intermediate level players and beyond. The soundslice software allows you to slow down the audio examples so that really makes the material practice friendly.

Q. Is the course instrument specific?

A. No, the course is suitable for most instruments. Concert, Bb, Eb + Bass clef 

Q. What is the sound slice software mentioned?

A.Soundslice  is a cutting edge software for learning music via interactive music notation. It  synchronises the audio to the score and allows you to slow down, loop, transpose and much more! It works on all devices! (You can always print all the music out as well if your prefer to)