3 Great Ways to Start Improvising in a Classic Jazz Style (Podcast #2)

1. Practice & play simple pentatonic melodies (or the Dorian mode) over minor chord vamps.
2. Practice & play simple pentatonic melodies over blues changes
3. Focus on groove!

Most beginners (at least I did) hear “jazz music” and think complexity.

But the secret for most beginners (and really most musicians, imho) is to play extra simple with groove.

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Also, if you’re interested in personal musical coaching and lessons, please check out:

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Podcast – 3 Great Ways to Start Improvising in a Classic Jazz Style

Download Guitar Kitchen Podcast #2 – 3 Great Ways to Start Improvising in a Classic Jazz Style!

Backing Tracks

How to Practice Improvising with Minor Chord Vamps

Practice Exercise #1 – D minor Vamp + D minor Pentatonic Scale

1. We take a vamp – D minor
2. Then use the D minor pentatonic scale to improvise over it
3. Focus on creating melodies
4. Focus on groove

Practice Exercise #2 – D minor Vamp + D & E minor Pentatonic Scales

After doing this exercise, go the exercises for the blues before doing the following exercises (#5 &#6)

1. We take a vamp – D minor
2. Then use the D & the E minor pentatonic scales to improvise over the vamp
3. Focus on creating melodies
4. Focus on groove

Practice Exercise #7 – D/Eb minor Vamp + D & Eb minor Pentatonic Scales

Do this exercise after doing the blues improv exercises.

1. We take a vamp – D minor (8 bars), Eb minor (8 bars)
2. Then use the D & the Eb minor pentatonic scales to improvise over the vamp
3. Try to use the D minor pentatonic over the D minor chord
   • and the Eb minor Pentatonic over the Eb chord
4. Focus on creating melodies
5. Focus on groove

Practice Exercise #8 – D/Eb minor Vamp + D,E & Eb,F minor Pentatonic Scales

Do this exercise after doing the blues improv exercises.

1. We take a vamp – D minor (8 bars), Eb minor (8 bars)
2. Then use the D & the Eb minor pentatonic scales to improvise over the vamp
3. Try to use the D minor pentatonic over the D minor chord
   • and the Eb minor Pentatonic over the Eb chord
4. Focus on creating melodies
5. Focus on groove

How to Practice Improvising with Jazz Blues

Practice Exercise #4 – Slow C Blues & C minor Pentatonic Scale

Do this exercise after doing the blues improv exercises.

1. We play over a Slow C blues
2. Use the C minor pentatonic scale to improvise over the blues progression
3. Focus on creating melodies
   • Simple melodies!
4. Focus on groove!

Practice Exercise #5 – Slow C Blues & C minor Blues Scale

Do this exercise after doing the blues improv exercises.

1. We play over a Slow C blues
2. Use the C minor blues scale to improvise over the blues progression
   • The blues scale isn’t a pentatonic scale, but use that extra note (the “blues” note) wisely!
3. Focus on creating melodies
   • Simple melodies!
4. Focus on groove!

Practice Exercise #6 – Slow C Blues & C & D minor Pentatonic Scales

Do this exercise after doing the blues improv exercises.

1. We play over a Slow C blues
2. Use the C & D minor pentatonic scales to improvise over the blues progression
   • Try playing a melody in C minor Pentatonic scale and a similar melody in the D minor Pentatonic scale
   • Try playing a melody in C minor Pentatonic scale and then a contrasting melody in D minor Pentatonic scale.
3. Focus on creating melodies
   • Simple melodies!
4. Focus on groove!

Extra Ideas and Tips

• Create your own backing tracks for the minor vamps & the Slow C blues – Make your Own Backing Track (5 Minute Practice Ideas)
• You can also practice along with two great tracks:
  • Learn Jazz Guitar, Day 1, So What by Miles Davis – Minor Vamp (D minor & Eb minor)
  • Practicing Jazz Groove (Slow C Blues with Oscar & Count Basie)
• For more ideas about improv, check out – Keep Your Jazz Improv Simple & Smile (Beginner Ideas)
• Minor Pentatonics (6 Fretboard Diagrams for Guitar and Full Moveable Chart)

Guitar Kitchen Lessons & Articles about Jazz Guitar

Here’s some of the ideas I discuss in the podcast (and links, etc):

Sing What You Play

• Play what you sing, sing what you play!

Improve Jazz Guitar Groove

• Improve Jazz Guitar Groove (Right Hand Swing/Triplet Etude)
• Improve Solos – Right Hand Groove (Jazz Guitar version)
• Jazz Guitar Ideas – Count Out Loud – Improve Time and Groove !
• Better Groove – Six Fun Practice Ideas!

How to Play Jazz Guitar (imho)

• How to Play Jazz Guitar (24 Beginner Lessons)
• Ideas for Learning to Play Jazz (Bebop, 2nd Line, Swing)
• Learning Jazz Guitar FAQ!
• Keep Your Jazz Improv Simple & Smile (Beginner Ideas)

Posture & Wellness

• Lead with Heart! Verbal Cues to Improve (Guitar) Posture
• 12 ideas for good health (Wellness for musicians and everyone else!)
• Ideas for Wellness and Musicianship

Guitar Kitchen Practice Tips & Ideas

Wynton’s 12 Practice Tips