David Cohen

In an incredibly detailed 70 minute lesson, David brings you up to speed on chord progressions by presenting harmony principles taught in an introduction music theory class (roman numeral analysis, chord construction, etc) eventually presenting more advanced jazz scale choices and substitutions. Dave takes you step by step through the process of understanding the function of each chord in a tune - 1. Each chord is given a roman numeral based on its placement in the home key and any other key which the chord relates to. 2. Possible extensions and substitutions (including tri-tone substitution, direct substitution, parallel substitution, chromatic fill-in, modal borrowing/interchange ) are noted directly below these. Some re-harmonization concepts are presented later and applied to a selection of the tunes. 3. Every chord is classified by its broader function (Tonic, Predominant, or Dominant). 4. All of the scales which sound best for improvisation are then presented and Dave's preferred scale and chord fingerings based on "mode zones" are shown along with advice on how to practice these. Dave demonstrates all of these principles with seven standard jazz tunes, some based on modality and the others based on standard tonality. Modal tunes used are "So What," "All Blues," and "Footprints." Standards used are "Autumn Leaves," "All The Things You Are," "Blue Bossa", and "Honeysuckle Rose." References to what the jazz greats would do are presented whenever possible. Anyone who gets confused about which scale belongs to which type of chord should see this lesson. Preparation needed: Understanding of intervals, major and minor scales, and basic jazz chord construction; in other words, there will be lots of talk about "root, third, fifth, and sevenths." 26 pages of material are prepared in TAB and standard notation. View clips from David's class.

In this master class aimed at the beginning-intermediate jazz guitarist, a wealth of information is presented that will allow one to visualize the major scale and the chords that belong to it across the entire neck of the guitar. Not only will you be able to see exactly how a great number of chords, voicings, and extensions come from the scale in a visual way, but an exhaustive number of fingering options will be discussed including: 1. Position playing, which pertains to the idea of Mode Zones - where the first finger dictates one of 7 "Mode Zones" that a player can be in. 2. 3 notes-per-string (3 NPS) concepts. 3. Sliding scales, which are patterns that repeat on 2 string groups. 4. Full range scales - fingerings which traverse the entire guitar neck. 5. 1-string, 2-string, and 3-string playing. Also included is a discussion on triads that come from the scale, triad pairs, and "triad triples" which allow for harmonizing the scale in a simple way on 3-string sets. There will be some explanation of the music theory related to the scale, but the emphasis is on getting the scale, chords, and licks into your fingers. As a result of this video, you will have a much better handle on this scale which is so important in music, along with a foundation to learn other scales. View clips from this class

In this master class aimed at the beginning-intermediate jazz guitarist, a wealth of information is presented that will allow one to visualize the harmonic and melodic minor scales and the chords that belong to them across the entire neck of the guitar. Not only will you be able to see exactly how a great number of chords, voicings, and extensions come from the scale in a visual way, but an exhaustive number of fingering options will be discussed including: 1. Position playing, which pertains to the idea of Mode Zones - where the first finger dictates one of 7 "Mode Zones" that a player can be in. 2. 3 notes-per-string (3 NPS) concepts and practicing stretches. 3. Sliding scales, which are patterns that repeat on 2 string groups. 4. Full range scales - fingerings which traverse the entire guitar neck. 5. 1-string, 2-string, and 3-string playing. Continuing on, some scale patterns are presented which can be applied to any scale. Next, are discussions on triads that come from the scale, triad pairs, and "triad triples" which allow for harmonizing the scales in a simple way on 3-string sets. At the end of the video, we put it all together over "Take the A Train" Some important harmonic minor concepts discussed: The Phrygian Dominant mode to use over a dominant 7 chord Diminished 7th arpeggios Simple scale passages that work over ii V i Turning a major ii V I into a harmonic minor ii (minor7b5) V7b9 i Some important melodic minor concepts discussed: The interchangeablilty of melodic minor: Minor-Major 7, 7#11, Minor 7 flat 5 chords, and Altered Dominant 7th chords, and their respective modes, can all exchange licks and chord shapes! The famous "Jim Hall chord" As a result of this video, you will have a large number of ideas to use these scales which can add a great deal of variety to your playing. Materials included with TAB. VIew clips from this class

"Blues and Pentatonics – Part I" - Pentatonic Box Possibilities - Major and Minor 12 Bar Blues - This lesson is aimed at the guitarist who is relatively new to improvisation (though others may benefit here as well). The most basic 12 bar blues form has three primary chords: the major 12 bar blues is I IV V, (the UPPERcase roman numerals means these are major chords) and the minor 12 bar blues is i, iv, v (the lowercase means these are minor chords.) There are a number of scale options, the primary one being the minor pentatonic scale position, or simply "the box." Many approaches to this scale along with common other "start frets" for the box will be discussed, including: the "diatonic" approach, using appropriate major pentatonics over each chord, using appropriate minor pentatonics over each chord, suspended sounds which highlight the 9th and 11th, altered sounds for transitioning, and free chromatic connection. In addition to the minor pentatonic, other scales and modes will be introduced, explained, and explored. My method of "highlighting/aiming" for scale degrees is discussed in depth so that each new position will sound convincing from the first time you try it. Common turnarounds will be discussed as well. These ideas are basic and fundamental to improvisation. View a clip from this class

The CAGED system is the answer to finding chords and scales anywhere on the fretboard. Using the five open shapes C, A, G, E, and D, the guitarist can take the first step in playing any chord and soloing in each of the five positions which cover the entire fretboard. In this lesson, which is a second part in a series on blues and pentatonics, we are going to take a step-by-step approach to playing every position of the pentatonic scale in every key. First, we assign scale degrees to the notes in the positions. Second, an in-depth discussion on playing each of the five barre chord shapes and the general method behind finding where they are on the fretboard. Next, is a discussion on how to play the scale and visualize it within the chord shape. Each of the five positions is given a name which makes them easier to remember, along with tips on how to use each position. We are also going to explore the five possibilities of changing between the three chords of the twelve bar blues in the same position. If you've ever wondered how the CAGED system works and how to apply it, this is the lesson for you. 7 pages of written materials including fretboard diagrams and TAB come with this class. View a clip from this class