All Courses by Jay Umble
14 coursesOut of Nowhere/Solar - Chordal Explorations
Jay Umble works through two classic compositions — Out of Nowhere and Solar — showing how he combines and connects voicing types: chromatic embellishments, standard jazz voicings, quartal harmony…
Jay Umble Live Q&A: May 23, 2018 @ 8pm EDT
Technical difficulties means a win for those tuning in live. Although we would have loved to ask questions with Jay live, we instead broadcast his class on Modern Harmony & Harmonic Concepts. Jay…
Soloing Over Major ii, V7, I Progressions
Jay Umble demonstrates his approach to soloing over the classic ii–V7–I progression, working in the key of G major (Am7–D7–Gmaj7). The class takes a global, concept-driven view of improvisation…
Modern Harmony & Harmonic Concepts
In his first Mike's Master Class, guitarist Jay Umble shares his ideas on modern harmony — parallel chordal systems, modern comping for the blues, and the harmonic set-ups that give great jazz…
The Altered Dominant Matrix System
Jay Umble explains his unique approach to improvising over altered dominant chords: the Altered Dominant Matrix System . The system builds on the discovery that altered dominant sounds move in minor…
Dominant Line Concepts
In this masterclass, Jay Umble connects the entire guitar neck from the dominant 7th perspective, working through the key of C7 (C7, C9, C11, C13) position by position. He covers five positions in…
Major Linear Concepts
Jay Umble shares his approach to soloing over major chords, working from the chord form itself rather than running scales. Using G major 7 as the home base, he maps the chord across five positions…
Modern Harmony & Harmonic Concepts - Part II
Jay Umble continues his exploration of quartal harmony and modern chord voicings, expanding on the C Dorian harmonized scale introduced in Part I of this series. The focus is on breaking those…
Composition Techniques
Jay Umble teaches a set of practical jazz composition techniques built on a simple idea: instead of waiting for inspiration, give yourself a small creative parameter and let it guide the writing…
Psychology, Philosophy & Methodology for the Jazz Guitarist - I
Jay Umble opens his class series on the psychological, philosophical, and methodological side of jazz guitar, sharing insights drawn from 30 years in the music arena. Unlike the standard masterclass…
Psychology, Philosophy & Methodology for the Jazz Guitarist - 2
Jay Umble continues his class series on the psychological, philosophical, and methodological side of jazz guitar, sharing insights drawn from 30 years in the music arena. Unlike the standard…
Psychology, Philosophy & Methodology for the Jazz Guitarist - 3
Jay Umble's third class on the psychological, philosophical, and methodological side of jazz guitar, drawing on his 30 years in the music arena. Rather than the standard masterclass approach (put…
Giant Steps
Jay Umble offers a comprehensive study of " Giant Steps ," John Coltrane's elusive jazz classic. Jay moves through the class at a relaxed pace, giving ample time to grasp each concept — for example…
Minor Line Concepts
Jay Umble teaches an arsenal of harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic approaches for building minor lines, using G minor 7 as the recurring tonality throughout. His stated aim: "become a sculptor of sound…















