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The lesson is the third on improvisation, following the Life Vest Arpeggio I and II. "Chroma Zone: The Chromatic World Around the Life Vest Arpeggio" is a masterclass designed to introduce students to the rich and complex world of bebop scales. Led by acclaimed jazz guitarist and educator Genil Castro, this course explores the theory and practice of bebop scales through the lens of the "life vest" arpeggio, a fundamental bebop concept that will serve as the basis for the course. Throughout the course, students will learn how to apply bebop scales to a variety of chord progressions, as well as how to use chromaticism and tension to create melodic interest and complexity. In this course, you can expect to: Explore Bebop Dominant scales derived from Major, Harmonic Major. Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor scales. Review of visualization strategies for arpeggios application on II V I in Major and Minor Keys. Mix Arpeggios with Bebop Scales for chromatic melodic lines that work over common chord progressions and static chords. Acquire Tips to study Linear Expressions by Pat Martino With 38 minutes of instructional content, this masterclass is designed to help students advance dramatically with a simple yet complex approach to bebop dominant scales. Ready to be blown away with this approach by Genil? Full Class: 38 min 6 Pages PDF 3 min Audio track

Do you ever wonder what two Jazz guitar masters talk about when they are just hanging out and enjoying each others company? Join John and Tim in an wide ranging and enlightening conversation on the subjects of Jazz improvisation, learning strategies and more. About Tim Lerch World renowned guitarist and educator, Tim is a member of the legendary Northwest Gypsy Jazz Group Pearl Django and popular duo with Jamie Findlay. In between gigs with PD and Jamie, Tim tries to play as many Solo Guitar performance as he can fit into the schedule.

Do you ever wonder what two Jazz guitar masters talk about when they are just hanging out and enjoying each others company? Join John and Tim in an wide ranging and enlightening conversation on the subjects of Jazz improvisation, learning strategies and more. About Tim Lerch World renowned guitarist and educator, Tim is a member of the legendary Northwest Gypsy Jazz Group Pearl Django and popular duo with Jamie Findlay. In between gigs with PD and Jamie, Tim tries to play as many Solo Guitar performance as he can fit into the schedule.

Do you ever wonder what two Jazz guitar masters talk about when they are just hanging out and enjoying each others company? Join John and Tim in an wide ranging and enlightening conversation on the subjects of Jazz improvisation, learning strategies and more. About Tim Lerch World renowned guitarist and educator, Tim is a member of the legendary Northwest Gypsy Jazz Group Pearl Django and popular duo with Jamie Findlay. In between gigs with PD and Jamie, Tim tries to play as many Solo Guitar performance as he can fit into the schedule.

One of the most pleasing sounds/techniques available to a guitarist is playing contrary motion counterpoint using concerted rhythms. These are lines that occur simultaneously moving in opposite directions. Unfortunately, it happens to be one of the more difficult things for an improvising guitarist to do on the fly. This class is designed to address how to incorporate these amazing sounds into a practice routine so that they will become second nature, coming out in an improvisational setting as well as in your own written arrangements. A little goes a long way with this technique; just a small dose can be very effective in engaging the listener. These examples sound great as part of intros, endings or interludes or anything along the way. This class consists of 19 short examples of counterpoint lines using II-V-I progressions which are extremely useful over standard tunes. It’s beneficial to limit the number of examples when learning these concepts. Focusing on just one or two exercises per week will lead to better memorization/retention of the material. Each example can be altered rhythmically and melodically to make them your own. A theoretical analysis of each example is provided in the video with an emphasis on memorization techniques. The class is packed full of practical advice in coming up with original phrases and creative brainstorming of this concept in the practice room. The independence required in playing examples like these will quickly be felt in the fretting hand fingers. Not only are these devices useful in improvising but can really spice up one’s solo guitar arrangements as well as ensemble arrangements. Let these short, musical and memorable II-V-I phrases be part of your contrapuntal vocabulary! Running time: 40 minutes 4 pages of PDF material in TAB and standard notation

When I listen to some of the greatest improvisers I am always amazed at the outside sound and hearing how lines weave in and out of the key center. One of my biggest influences is Michael Brecker. His lines have some of the best note choices and melodic movement that I have ever heard. So I set out to learn how to try and add this into my playing. I know most guitarist want to be able to play lines that sound fresh and hip as well. Knowing the fretboard well enough to be able to not only follow the changes but to pick and choose what notes are the best to your ear is a goal for most musicians. Starting with two chord vamps is a great way to hone these skills, learn new ones and put them into real world practice. This course will cover the use of Pentatonics, Modes, Hybrid Scales, Chromatics, Harmonic and melodic Minor as well as Diminished scale in a Minor two chord progression. Using Miles Davis’ standard “So What” we will get into these ideas with much detail. There are tabbed examples provided and the course is divided into 6 Sections. There is also a breakdown solo over the track to recap the concepts covered. I will provide a link for the backing track which is part of Quist’s YouTube Channel. This version is a funk feel. There are many different styles of backing tracks out there that you can explore if you are into a standard jazz feel. Modal Funk If you are looking at adding different elements to your improvisation and creating more hip minor lines then this course should have you up and running in no time. 18 Pages of PDF included 7 Guitar Pro files for each lesson included

Don’t complicate your life in these weird times. Instead, express the blues with Randy Johnston’s Blues for the New Millennium ! In this masterclass, you’ll discover how to play Randy’s lyrical blues from his 1997 album, Somewhere in the Night . Written for the turn of the Y2K era, this tune sounds as fresh now as ever. Randy shows you the chords, how to play the melody of the song and his signature 6-step strategy to improvise confidently over this basic blues with a modern flavor. Randy makes it as simple as possible as he shares: The 3 scales he uses to navigate through the changes The one thing he adds for that Pat Martino sound in his lines (and where & when to do it) The Chuck Berry thing that adds that blues sound when you need it A ‘False Fingering’ approach that makes your lines sound even better How thinking from the minor chord make the dominant sounds work easier The twist in the harmony of the song that is both easy yet adds so much to his song Throughout this info-packed 31-minute masterclass, Randy doesn’t waste your time but tells you exactly what he does so you can spend more time playing rather than trying to find time to watch a long video. No filler, all golden nuggets from Randy in his bunker in Central Virginia straight to your home. This is Blues for the New Millenium. Full video is 31 minutes. 3 Pages PDF Included See Randy's Full Recorded Performance Free on MMC's All Access TrueFire Channel Channel Members: See Pt. 2 - Form (What's this?)

内容紹介： ダウンビート誌で'’もっとも偉大なギタリスト 75’’の1人にも選ばれ、''現代のマエストロ''と称されるハワード・アルデンが、典型的な4音のジャズギターコードではなく、3弦を使ったストリングトリオ・アプローチを紹介する。3音のシンプルなコードだからこそできる、コードの内声に動きを加える方法や運指を、コードソロや伴奏に大いに活用できる応用例やジャズスタンダード曲のデモ演奏なども交えながら詳しく解説する。伝説的なジャズギタリスト、ジミー・ワイブルとの逸話や7弦ギターを弾く彼ならではのテクニックなど充実の内容。最後にはマイクズ・マスタークラスのマイク・ゲラーが生徒として登場し、直接レッスンを受け、数日間の練習の成果を報告する特典映像付き。 バイオグラフィー： アメリカの名門レーベル、Concord Jazzのレコーディング・アーティストとしてリーダーアルバムを多数発表。ディジー・ガレスピー、ベニー・カーター、クラーク・テリー、ウディー・ハーマン、レッド・ノーヴォ、ジョージ・ヴァン・エプスとも共演してきた現代のジャズギター界の代表するレジェンド。また、ウディー・アレン監督の映画『ギター弾きの恋』ではギターソロをすべて担当し、この作品でアカデミー賞主演男優賞にノミネートされたショーン・ペンには演奏指導もするなど各方面で幅広い活動をしている。

内容紹介： ライオネル・ハンプトン、ヒューストン・パーソン、エタ・ジェームス、ロニー・スミスと共演、そして17年もの間、ルー・ドナルドソンのレギュラーメンバーとして活躍してきたランディー・ジョンストンによる、コード進行に基づいたソロがテーマの約30分間のマスタークラス。コード感のあるフレーズの習得の鍵となるガイドトーンの解説と実際の応用例を紹介。そしてギタリストにありがちなアルペジオに頼った繋がりの悪いフレーズに陥ってしまわないための1オクターブ限定の練習方法を、ジャズスタンダードの定番曲、Stella by Starlightのデモ演奏を交えて詳しく解説する。ジャズレジェンドと共演してきた彼ならではの貴重なアドバイスも必聴。 2 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation. Full video is 27 minutes

内容紹介： 今回のマイクズ・マスタークラスは、ニューヨークのジャズギター界に多大なる影響を与えた伝説的なジャズギタリスト、ヴィック・ジュリスの90分近くにおよぶマスタークラス。彼の教則本『Modern Chords』（Mel Bayより出版）からのコンセプトを中心に、クリエイティブなコードボイシングやスタンダード曲のリハーモナイゼーションなどを解説。そして、ライブ配信の参加者からのQ&A、ピッキングのテクニック、ダブルストップ、コンピング、ウォーキングベースライン、練習についてのアドバイスなど、さまざまなトピックについても逸話を交えながら紹介する。従来のコードボイシングだけでなく、新しいコードやプレイの可能性を広げるための貴重なアイデアが満載の充実の内容。All The Things You Are、Green Dolphin Street、Stella by Starlight、Alone Together、Blue Monkといったスタンダード曲のソロ演奏も収録。

How do YOU do chord melody? In this masterful 2-hour and 7-minute long guitar workshop, you find out how jazz guitar master Sid Jacobs approaches chord melody playing BEYOND standard block chords, harmonized automatic voicings and memorized arrangements. If you’ve always loved playing chord melody but feel trapped with set arrangements, discover how Sid deconstructs the basic elements of music & song to create powerful arrangements. SPOILER ALERT: It’s all about melody. From there, it goes into the importance of melody, making etudes from the musical ideas that interest you, tension resolution, guide tones, creating voicings, enharmonic voicings, voice-leading, Lenny Breau stories, Joe Pass chords, the power of dynamics and Ted Greene ideas. It’s about understanding the building blocks of music in order to create your very own strong arrangements. Soon, you too will be improvising melodies that reflect your own musical identity! Sid’s humorous and light hearted teaching style makes this session enjoyable even when he goes deep into advanced concepts like fourths, the overtone series, triad pairs, and upper structure triads. This session captures the depth of Sid’s years of musical experience and technique. He draws from what he learned from Ted Greene, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass and his own studies of the music of Bach & the jazz canon. Prepare your notebook and guitar in hand as this is one that will be worth watching again & again. If you’ve bought Sid’s other masterclasses, this clinic will give a preview of many topics that Sid covers. If you’re new to Sid’s videos, this is a value-packed way to start exploring his wealth of knowledge and increase your understanding of music and the guitar. Don’t miss out on this & let it level up your guitar skills today! Full video is 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Do you ever get bored playing the same jazz licks over and over? Does changing chord scales stress you out? What if there was a better (and simpler) way to improvise beautiful jazz guitar lines? Many legendary guitarists often use simple ways to think about what they’re playing. These personal harmonic concepts enable them to play strong melodic phrases over complex chord progressions. Genil Castro has distilled his years of experience so that you can improvise more confidently through complex chord progressions. Life Vest Arpeggio Part II is a follow up to Genil Castro’s popular ‘The Life Vest Arpeggio for Jazzers’ masterclass. This video will: show you give you powerful & simple ways to play over min7b5, dominant 7th (for both altered & Lydianb7 sounds), tonic minor and minor II-V-I progressions. allow you to solo more confidently (and create extended harmonic sounds) over the bossa nova classic ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ reveal Genil’s personal 911 strategies for improvising unleash Genil’s Pandora Box of Transformations which form the basis for his jazz soloing style Discover this harmonic tapestry on six strings that makes your playing even more colorful today! Full video is 37 minutes 9 Pages PDF

Pat Martino. Mike Stern. Pat Metheny. Joe Pass. George Benson. Some of the best jazz guitarists that leave an impression not only can play slow artistic melodies but also intense double time lines. Playing blistering fast & powerful double time lines has always been a rite of passage for jazz guitarists. You might be able to play beautiful motivic melodies, but can you hang you have to create intensity via your double time melodies? Some people rely on a few pet licks. Others play lines that do not clearly outline the changes. The best players though - are able to play melodies that not only make your jaw drop but also weave through the harmony, balancing dissonant edge & consonant peacefulness. In this latest masterclass by Randy Johnston, you'll discover Randy's unique approach to developing strong double timing skills. Randy show you his approach of ‘Skating’, Swing, straightening double time, switching back and forth between regular & double time feel and more concepts that increases your command of this essential jazz guitar skill. Don't be left behind. Instead double time today with Randy Johnston! Full video is 29 minutes.

Jake Reichbart has established himself as a master solo guitar arranger, drawing equally from jazz and pop standards to create a virtually bottomless reservoir of tunes to accommodate any gig. While equally adept at complex harmony as well as the bebop language (check out his popular diminished harmony lesson on this site), in this 3-part lesson, Mr. Reichbart focuses on three basic techniques he uses on almost any song he arranges and which focus on the most basic stumbling block to playing solo guitar - how to move any arrangement forward rhythmically thereby taking the melody, harmony and bass, turning them into a smoothly flowing arrangement. The three parts of this lesson are: Bass and melody only - making sure to play the melody as it needs to be played (or an improvised line) while also playing a credible/sufficient bass line to create the foundation for the arrangement. Performing these two lines, each with its own rhythm is at the core of solo guitar arranging. Chord arpeggiation - once the melody and bass have been established and chord notes added, playing arpegiated chord notes in spaces where there is is no melody, or a long sustained melody note, in order to create an audible rhythmic grid, helping the listener along to hear the rhythm as well as helping the player to keep time. The famous "backbeat stroke" - a signature sound from Mr. Reichbart, explained in detail.

Bitonalism or Bitonality is a polemic term.It means the use of two different keys at the same time. Looks simple.But some theorists like by example, Paul Hindemith and Milton Babbit, the last one was the creator of the post-tonal nomenclature (Integer notation or pitch class set) posted that Bitonalism doesn't exist. He said that is impossible listen two tonalities at the same time. Beyond Babbit ad Hindemith, many others use to think that Bitonality and Polytonality exists.I'm agree 100% . These ideas exist, and beyond modern classical music, you can listen it in Lithuanian folk, and in some tribes of India.Masters classical composers as Stranisky, Bartok, Aaron Copland , Charles Ives and others used Bitonalism a lot. Someone called Stravisnky the “father of Polytonality”. In Jazz music you can listen Bitonal stuff on the playing of Ornette Coleman (Double Quartet), Jazz group Bad Plus and piano player Richie Beirach.Some Allan Holdsworth 's songs also have some Polytonality. But let's talk about guitar. I have been thinking for a long time if is possible play Bitonal music on guitar(I mean Solo Guitar).And I arrived to the next concept:It's not possible in an instant, in a freezing musical moment, that I called it “Vertical musical moment”, but it's possible in an “horizontal musical moment”, it means wth the passing of time. In a full Bitonal guitar composition or improvisation you will listen two keys or more for sure. So this video lesson shows my ideas on this complex stuff. Now, I have more ideas that I will show in the next video lesson. The sound of Bitonalism is contemporary, dissonant, and we have a big new world for discover.I'm amazed with this stuff on guitar. Hope you can find it interesting and useful. Juampy Juarez Deceber 2019 Politonalidad significa muchas tonalidades, bitonalidad dos tonalidades, tritonalidad tres tonalidades, esto es , a la vez, o al mismo tiempo utilizar mas de una tonalidad. Compositores contemporaneos como Charles Ives, Igor Stravinsky, e incluso Mozart(la llamada”Broma de Mozart”) han incursionado o experimentado con estas sonoridades. En el Jazz tenemos a Ornette Coleman y su doble cuarteto, asi como de tambien a Sun Ra y sus experimentos. Otros ejemplos mas modernos serian los arreglos para el standard “All the things your are” del piansta Richie Beirach, asi como algunas improvisaciones del grupo Bad Plus. En el Jazz existen algunas composiciones de Frank Zappa que tal vez naveguen con estas ideas por el mar de la politonalidad. Algunos teoricos piensan que la politonalidad, sea bitonalidad o tritonalidad no son posibles. Por ejemplo, si usamos dos triadas superpuestas, digamos, E mayor y C-, si bien el sonido es “disonante” o outside, solo estamos replicando el sonido de la tonalidad aumentada de la Escala simetrica aumentada o escala magica. Para poder componer o improvisar musica politonal, necesitamos al menos tres triadas, con dos, no hay manera de que “seamos” politonales. Si usamos tres triadas, vale decir, las triadas mayores de C,F#, y A, aun estamos dentro de la Escala de Bb disminuida, o sea que no es tan sencillo como parece, solo por el hecho de superponer tres triadas no estariamos siendo bitonales.Pero si utlizamos las triadas de C A y Db, Cy A, estarian en Bb disminuida, y Db no, o C y Db estarian en F menor armonica y A no.Ahora si tenemos algo. En cuanto a las escalas, al intervenir mas notas, es mas sencillo. Si utilizamos una escala de nueve notas la cual llamaremos escala nonatonica, formada por las notas C, D Eb,E, F, G,Ab,A y B, tendremos las notas de la Escala de Do Mayor, y dos notas, Eb y Ab, de la Escala de C menor natural.Las triadas, cuatriadas, modos, pentatonicas y demas recursos , pensados como subconjuntos o “subsets” de la escala nonatonica, serviran para que nuestra musica sea bitonal. Es posible tambien llamar a esta escala de nueve notas, y su musica, Bi Modal. Juampy Juarez

Jake Reichbart has delighted audiences for the past 30+ years with his unique solo guitar arrangements, performing around 300 live gigs annually. A big part of his staying power has been his ability to successfully incorporate countless pop tunes into his repertoire thereby connecting with all generations. In this lesson, through the lesson on his arrangement of Kid Charlemagne, you will be afforded a window not only into the world of Steely Dan as interpreted for solo jazz guitar, but also into countless ideas and concepts that can be applied to any pop song. Once you dive in, you will see that, voicing and fingering wise, you are likely already half way there as the vast majority of these voicings are classic drop 2, drop 3, closed voicing triads and other straight forward harmony. In this one hour and 25 minute lesson, with the creative use of rhythm and melody you will learn how to use the tools you already have. In the lesson, Jake Reichbart starts out with a rhythm and right hand introduction, teaching and demonstrating how to play bass and melody only, each with it's own unique rhythm, chord note arpeggiation in the underlying subdivision to help the rhythm move forward and finally, his right hand downstroke, creating his famous backbeat. He then proceeds in great detail to outline the entire arrangement slowly and in closeup while also discussing countless additional ideas and techniques that will make any solo guitar arrangement come alive: Dynamics, articulation, the use of open strings, etc.

A Mike’s Masterclass subscriber requested a class on single note melody playing, specifically how to make a melody truly sing like the human voice or a horn. I was happy to put this class together as I feel this is a nice addition to my multi-part class on jazz phrasing. Many considerations go into achieving a horn-like phrasing on the guitar and with this class we will examine the topic using four tunes as examples. The ballads Over The Rainbow and Embraceable You , as well as two tunes often played at medium swing tempos, Gone With The Wind and East Of The Sun . There is a PDF sheet included, filled with concepts to consider and employ to help improve one’s single note expressiveness. Fingerstyle, pickstyle and thumb-style techniques are demonstrated in the video. If you are looking to move away from a typical guitaristic percussive attack to a more vocal-like quality in your single note playing, this class is for you. This is part one of a two part class. Part 2 will deal with the theory involved in choosing intervals to add below a single note melody. Running time: 46 minutes

Do you want to be an even better solo jazz guitarist? Today, you’re in luck because Genil Castro has finally decided to share more of his personal tips and arranging techniques with all of us! Genil shows you how to play a beautiful solo guitar version of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. This was one of the first YouTube videos Genil posted in 2006 which has now reached 119,684 views on YouTube. In addition to learning the solo arrangement, you will discover: Flowing harp harmonic technique Genil’s personal right hand fingerstyle technique tips (with close ups) George Shearing style reharmonizations applied to guitar How to play chords with artificial harmonics This master class is great for players of all level from beginners to advanced guitarists. For beginners to chord melody, you get a chance to get inside Genil’s mind & have a feel for the musical way to approach chord melody. For the more advanced guitarist, you will have the chance to examine and steal some beautiful ways to enrich your current solo guitar playing. Fragile, delicate and flowing -- Genil’s playing & insights takes you to the next level. Own this now & sound better today! 7 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB Full video is 45 minutes

Class Aims: Learn to play an iconic solo from one of the early greats, on an essential standard selection. Develop technique, time, and aural awareness in so doing. Increase our improvisational vocabulary and awareness of jazz guitar styles. Learn how great players modify and/or elaborate standard song progressions. Mike suggested I take a look at this solo, and I’m very glad he did, as I’ve learned a huge amount in the process. The combination of one of the most iconic jazz standards (“ Body & Soul ”) and one of the electric guitar’s greatest early pioneers (Oscar Moore of the King Cole Trio), makes for an absolutely fascinating study. In the class, I share my findings, and also some tips I’ve picked up down the years with regard to examining the great recordings. The focus is mostly on this particular solo, so this isn’t a “how to transcribe” class as such, but I have tried to share a few ideas on the subject along the way. In the full 46m class: We set the scene with a brief discussion of early electric guitar styles in context. I play the solo along with the original recording, now using two different camera angles, to help you see as much as possible. We then go through it phrase by phrase, analyzing various aspects of harmony, rhythm, reference to the original melody, and articulation. In the process, we see how Oscar and the trio find unusual alternative chord pathways through this familiar song, and even include some really adventurous “outside” playing. After we deal with the solo itself, we move on to a discussion of transcription in general, its potential benefits and some of the pitfalls to avoid. Synchronised ‘Soundslice’ notation/tab ensures that you know exactly where you are in the transcription at all times. A lead sheet of the standard song is also included. In terms of difficulty, nothing in the solo is likely to prove prohibitive to most players, so this should be a fairly accessible class. Having said that, though, even the most advanced student should find plenty here to enjoy – this really is a fantastic passage of playing, which demonstrates how incredibly advanced the early electric guitarists were.

“What do I play over this chord?” “Man, I’m bored of playing the same old licks…” “I have so many ideas on some chords but zero on others…” If you’ve ever had any of these thoughts, this new master class might just be the cure to your “I-don’t-know-what-to-play-itis”. Maurice Arenas shows you how to navigate through the changes of the jazz classic, Take The A Train in a systematic thorough way. You don’t just learn some licks here. You find out practical chord voicings to comp on the song. Then, you’ll see multiple scale & arpeggio options, carefully curated by Maurice to bring out the character of the song. From classic jazz sounds to more dissonant outside scale choices, you get a lot to experiment with. In addition to discovering Maurice’s personal harmonic approach to the song, you’ll also get to know the exact practice order he would approach each option he presents. You feel like you’re right in front of Maurice as he welcomes you into his mind and get into this song as you never had before. Even if you’re an experienced player, you might get some different perspectives on the tune. For beginners and intermediate guitarists, this class also includes PDF notes with the chord voicings, scales and arpeggios in both standard notation & TAB for easy reference. The included backing tracks helps you hear every cool thing Maurice shares with you. So, if you want to get out of confusion & into some ‘Fusion’, this is ‘A Train’ you want to get on today. 7 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation and TAB Full video is 48 minutes

Professor Sher presents his concept called Fretboard Harmony: a study of the intervallic relationships on the guitar neck and how thy can enable you to see and move effortlessly around the neck. Through this concept you’ll be able to move beyond horizontal fingering patterns and travel vertically from bottom of the neck to the top. In this first lesson Professor Sher introduces the basic concept, and then shows how to apply the concept to some fundamental skills including arpeggios, blues and major scales. He the continues with some melodic examples of how to create lines that travel through different registers. There’s ideas for blues, jazz-blues and flowing be-bop lines in the style of Pat Martino. It’s an eye-opening lesson for whatever level or style you are at!

A follow-up to his popular “Tetrachord Scales - Part 1” masterclass, Randy Johnston is back with more insights for you to use in your jazz soloing. In the first masterclass, you discovered how to use specific 4 note patterns to play all the modes of the major scale. Now, in this new Melodic Minor Tetrachord Method masterclass, you’ll find out how Randy simplifies your entire melodic minor soloing concept using tetrachords . In addition to the easy to understand take on melodic minor, you’ll also be able to use this concept to play the diminished scale using two logical fingerings & even the whole tone scale using this tetrachord strategy. Your fingerings will become even more logical and easier once you’ve discovered Randy’s take on this concept. For fans of the first masterclass, you simply must get this insight-filled masterclass. For newcomers to this topic, getting both the masterclasses gives you essential tools that levels up your melodic improvisation skills. Randy will also show you what tetrachords and Melodic Minor scales to use over a minor blues so you can apply what you find out in the masterclass. As with all of Randy’s classes, there is no filler material here , just all pure instruction straight from Randy to you. 6 Pages of PDF materials in standard notation (Chord block diagrams, melodic minor scale fingerings, tetrachords in standard notation and essential chord voicings) Full video is 33 minutes

You have learned many new chord voicings, inversions, and string sets and are starting to get some of them under your fingers. But in a performance situation, these new voicings are slow to come out naturally. This class shows how to apply chord voicings to a tune in a practical real-world situation with the goal of making them an organic part of your vocabulary. In this class, we will explore different inversions of drop 2, drop 3, drop 2&3, and drop 2&4 voicings (with some close voicings as well) as applied to chord changes of the A section from the song Body and Soul. This is an intermediate to advanced class which assumes the viewer already has some familiarity with these voicing types, although a brief explanation is provided for anyone needing a refresher. First, we will start with simple voicings that define the basic harmony and then move on to substitute chords that suggest upper extensions and/or different melodic minor modes for more harmonic color. The goal is not merely to have one or two new “grips” to plug in but rather to have a more fully-encompassed command of the new voicings all over the fingerboard so that they may be called upon at will as your musical creativity dictates. Finally, an example etude links the new voicings to a real musical setting with a melodic line and contrapuntal motion. This etude could be used as a rubato intro to Body and Soul. Body and Soul: Putting Chords to Work covers: review of drop 2 voicings and the drop system basic chord changes for the A section of Body and Soul with harmonic analysis exercise for gaining fluency with drop 2 voicings as applied to Body and Soul explanation of the 24 possible ways to arrange the notes in any four-note chord with review of the basics of close, drop 2, drop 3, drop 2&3, and drop 2&4 voicings exercises for gaining fluency with drop 3 and drop 2&3 voicings as applied to Body and Soul chord substitution concepts to generate voicings with more harmonic color chord substitution table for Body and Soul exercise for gaining fluency with substitute chords as applied to Body and Soul chord etude with upper melodic line and contrapuntal movement as an example of real-world musical application of concepts from the class 50 minute running time includes 17 pages of written examples and exercises All musical examples from the video are provided in music notation, tablature, and chord grid form. Each example performance is shown in close-up view and titled and numbered for easy navigation. Backing tracks at two different speeds are included for practice.

Too many videos teach techniques out of context! If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by getting too much information but not been able to apply it, Jake’s latest masterclass might be just be what you’ve been looking for. Using the Beatles classic composition, Something - Jake distills his years of solo guitar arranging experience into this powerful insight-packed masterclass. In this master class you will discover how to: Use jazz ideas in a pop song arrangement Create arrangements that groove Use logical fingerings that make your arrangement sing and flow If you want to boost your chord melody & solo guitar chops, get this video now. Full video is 1 hour 25 minutes

Learn and play Steve's fingerstyle arrangement of the great 1939 Django Reinhardt tune from the inside out! The class begins with a harmonic analysis of the original basic chord changes and then moves on to an advanced original arrangement with a bar by bar analysis featuring many useful textures and concepts. The arrangement includes many reharmonizations which feature: Lots of inner-line motion 16 th note fills Counterpoint with contrary motion Parallel 3rds and 7ths Lower and upper pedal points Lenny Breau-style essential tones below a melody Whole Tone Harmony Delayed entrances of bass notes and staggered voices in chords Clusters Ascending and descending contiguous II-V's The arrangement includes both fingerings and TAB and also a separate PDF of standard notation only with fingerings. Nuages is a classic jazz tune every guitarist should know and this arrangement is a terrific finger independence/gymnastic workout. It provides the guitarist with important and useful concepts in solo guitar arranging that draw from pianistic and orchestral techniques. Apply these concepts to new arrangements of your own, a welcome departure from the world of guitaristic “block” chordal playing. Running time: 34 minutes 6 pages of PDF material (4 pages of standard notation plus TAB, 2 pages of standard notation only)

Have you ever been overwhelmed with having to memorize too many arpeggios? Have you ever wondered about a simpler way to navigate through jazz compositions? Well, you’re in luck as Genil Castro has decided to share his personal approach to simplifying jazz chord progressions. He will show how he uses one arpeggio shape as a life vest to float and survive through the treacherous jazzy sea! In this master class you will discover: The Life Vest Arpeggio (and how it helped simplify his playing) How to maximize this arpeggio over both major & minor II-V-I progressions (and altered chords too) Musical applications of this concept so that you can apply it in your own playing If you’ve been stuck not being able to smoothly connect lines in your jazz improvisation, this might be the gateway to help you level up today. Full video is 39 minutes 18 Pages PDF

The Shadow of Your Smile: Solo Guitar Arranging Master Class In this latest master class by Jake Reichbart, you will discover how he uses 3 specific techniques to create distinctive arrangements. Via the beautiful piece, The Shadow of Your Smile, Jake shows you: How to create grooving solo guitar arrangements Practical ways to fill up spaces between melody How to use open strings to maximize your arrangement Interesting reharmonization that add tasty harmonic flavor His logical fingering choices that allow everything to flow In addition to guiding you through his entire arrangement note by note, you will learn valuable tips & techniques that you will be able to apply to other songs. Not only will you be able to play the song but these insights will help you beyond just this song! This class is recommended for any guitarists who want to develop fuller solo guitar arrangements. If you’ve been mostly stuck with disconnected chord melody arrangements, Jake’s masterclass will give you ideas to get out of your solo guitar arranging rut. Get this today & start grooving away! The full class is 1 hour and 41 minutes.

How do you sound “outside” when you’re still playing inside the tonality? This is the question that Sid Jacobs answers in his latest master class. In this info-packed video, you’ll discover: Modern & interesting lines based on 4ths How to use triad pairs from the melodic minor & whole tone scales How to use the power of inversion to triple the melodic possibilities of your lines Sid’s personal fingering choices to allow fluid single-note line playing using these sounds If you’re interested to develop your outside playing in a creative way, this master class is for you! Although this class is best for intermediate to advanced students, players of all levels will also benefit from the concepts discussed. Full video is 24 minutes

Be sure to check out a sample recording below. It's not every day that you get guitarists of this level together. Both Howard Alden and Sid Jacobs have had a well-deserved level of success in their lives, performing in front of packed audiences across the globe. Surprisingly, even though Howard and Sid have know each other for years and both had studied with Jimmy Wyble, they never had the opportunity to perform together. Until now! Mike was able to get Sid and Howard together for an intimate house concert in Tucson and give the attendees an opportunity to witness the first time these two jazz legends played their guitars in the same room together. This unique experience is now available to you as well in form of a video recording. What happens when two jazz legends play together for the first time? You might expect loads of practice and preparation. As Howard states, "We didn't have a rehearsal, you get to just hear our 'hearsal". What resulted was a wonderful musical exploration where two master guitarists feel the moment. They explore jazz standards and a rare Jimmy Wyble etude in a masterful duo while incorporating their own unique styles. You can see the joy in each of their faces as they connect musically. Mike's Master Classes is bringing this recorded version of this house concert completely free to members. More information on a monthly membership can be found here. Full Set List: You Stepped Out of a Dream Darn That Dream Stablemates Smokin' a Half Note Dreamsville Line for Lyons All the Things You Are Strollin' Indian Summer Emily Jimmy Wyble Etude I Should Care Here is a sample recording from this house concert:

As we all know, the diminished scale is unique in its symmetry, we have all moved the diminished chord up and down the neck in minor thirds as a substitute for a 7b9 chord. But what if there was a method to be able to add countless, literally hundreds or even thousands of great sounding diminished voicings to you vocabulary? This lesson will show you how. The diminished scale, starting with the half step, (i.e. a Bb against a root of a A in the context of A7, as an example) will produce the 1, b9, #9, 3, #4, 5, 13 and 7, NONE of these being an avoid note. It stands to reason, then, that practically any random combination of these notes - with the variables being how many notes in the voicing, which of the 8 notes are included and on which strings - will produce a viable "correct" voicing for a 7th chord with a diminished scale flavor, the only limitation being your taste, whether you like the sound of the voicing... Put in those terms, coming up with a method to organize and learn such voicings could be daunting. This lesson will put you on this path by offering a clear, methodical and logical way to produce an initial voicing, to then move it in minor thirds, demonstrating the often neglected "in-between" voicings, thereby created a complete series of 8 scale-chords, then move on to INVERTING the initial voicing, creating three additional new fingerings of the same chord type, then moving THOSE new shapes in minor thirds along with THEIR in-between voicings, and repeat... Virtually limitless. Regardless of your level, you will come away from this lesson with new chord voicings you can use right away!