CHECKPOINT: Loops and listening

Music Lesson Summary: Chord Techniques and Improvisation

So far, you've become familiar with:

• Major triads and inversions
• Major 7ths
• Major 6ths
• Dominant 7th chords

To help you develop fluency in the right hand, I'm going to summarize some of the techniques we've used so far. Let's think of them as loops:

Techniques to Practice

1. Notes of the Triad:
   • Broken chord
2. Major Seventh Arpeggio:
   • Five-finger position
3. First Five Notes of the Major Scale:
   • A loop formed from the major scale itself
4. Major Pentatonic Scale:
   • Remember, that's root, second, third, fifth, sixth

Practice these devices over the tunes we've done so far.

Revision Tips

• Play them with chords in the left hand.
• Use a metronome or even both.
• Try them in different keys.
• Go around the cycle of fifths to become familiar with all these ideas in various keys.

Soloing and Singing

To get more fluent, you can:

• Sing the melodies.
• Play with someone playing a bass line in the left hand or with the backing tracks.

The Importance of Listening

To become a successful improviser, it's really important to listen to as much jazz as possible. There's a long tradition of improvising solos over one chord, not only in jazz but also in blues.

Recommended Listening

Check out:

• Muddy Waters
• The Beatles
• Aretha Franklin

For specific listening, refer to the PDF attached for a long list of suggestions. For instance, you could listen to one-chord jams by funk groups like:

• Meters
• James Brown
• Earth, Wind and Fire

In jazz, many players have explored the freedom of playing over one chord. Check out tracks by:

• Bud Powell
• John Coltrane
• Miles Davis
• Herbie Hancock
• EsbjTripletrn Svensson

Please do it!