Tony DeCaprio

Tony DeCaprio presents his tetrachord-based approach to jazz improvisation in this 2.5-hour masterclass, built around his "units" system — tetrachord combinations that open up parallel scale relationships and inside/outside playing concepts rarely taught elsewhere. What's covered Working through "All the Things You Are" : finding the rest points in the melody and placing fills, licks, and mini-motifs there Using mediant and submediant relationships — playing A minor or E minor material against Cmaj7, for example Flat-two substitutions borrowed from Phrygian harmony (the Dbmaj7 approaching Cmaj7 as a Neapolitan), plus Lydian borrowing Tony's Arpeggiated Cyclic Progression Activities — hearing smooth voice leading between seemingly unrelated chords like Dmaj7 and Bbm7 Using fourth intervals musically rather than mechanically Building cohesive solos from motifs: keeping the melody in mind throughout the tune instead of running chord scales Identifying resolution points and treating strong internal cadences as mini-modulations Geared toward intermediate-to-advanced players who feel stuck in derivative patterns, the class offers a systematic way to blend inside and outside playing without losing the listener — and to develop a personal voice in the process.

Tony DeCaprio gets down to the nitty-gritty in this hour-and-a-half lesson packed with improvisation concepts, opening the session by improvising over "Alone Together" and pressing on from there without letting up. What's covered Nine individual arpeggiated sounds for a dominant chord — a path past any fear of altered chords and how to improvise over them in relation to their cadential functions Tony's "Units" studies , this time applying the melodic minor scale in a new way, so you're in the driver's seat with the jazz minor rather than stuck in a paint-by-numbers approach Playing fills where the melody is sparse , demonstrated over "There Will Never Be Another You" — a foundation for improving your accompaniment Fusing various scales together to enhance your improvised lines Off-the-cuff ideas for the blues , plus assorted musical tips and advice It's a relaxed but unrelenting stream of ideas for the intermediate improviser who wants to move beyond formulas.

Tony DeCaprio teaches his approach to strategic picking — the topic of his column for Just Jazz Guitar magazine. Tony's premise is that picking has a logic to it: like the bowing technique of the violin, the plectrum should follow the physics of the line you want to play, whether that's piano-like arpeggiations or horn-like phrasing. Many players overcompensate with the right hand on bebop and modern lines, and this class shows a more deliberate way. What's covered Picking with the grain of the line — patterns like down-down-down-up rather than indiscriminate alternate picking or sweeps The rest stroke (apoyando) borrowed from classical technique, and treating the down/up motion as a pendulum Building lines from double fourths and other intervallic ideas Harmonic thinking behind the lines: harmonic minor, minor-fourth-chord relationships, and playing off the 9th and 11th Mixing slurs with picked notes — digging in with the nail so slurred notes still sound like a pick Staccato versus legato phrasing, and what the beboppers actually did This is as much a class on developing your own improvised lines as it is on the often-overlooked art of the plectrum. 7 pages of musical notation included.

Tony DeCaprio teaches a master class on jazz blues, focusing on elements of blues playing that are often overlooked and sparsely taught. Rather than stringing together stock licks, Tony shows how to build real lines and tell your own story within the blues, in any key. What's covered The V7 chord resolving home to the I7 chord The VI7 chord moving into the secondary dominant before the turnaround Turnarounds — developing 'line savvy' and a real sense of cadence instead of superficial stock licks Building a 'story' in your blues playing rather than relying on mimicry or chained-together licks Applying these ideas in any key, with Tony's hands-on approach This class suits players who already know the basic blues form and want their jazz blues playing to sound less like a lick collection and more like a personal statement.

Tony DeCaprio continues his jazz blues series with a master class focused on the minor blues . Building on the ideas from his first blues class, Tony digs into the harmonic details that are often overlooked and shows how to tell your own story over the minor blues form. What's covered How the V7 chord resolves home to the I chord , and the VI7 chord moving into the secondary dominant before the turnaround Turnarounds — developing 'line savvy' and a sense of cadence instead of stock licks that only cover the changes superficially Building a 'story' in your blues playing rather than relying on mimicry or stringing licks together Applying these concepts to the minor blues, in any key, with Tony's hands-on approach A natural follow-up to Tony's first Jazz Blues class for intermediate players who want their minor blues solos to sound like connected lines, not a chain of licks.

Tony DeCaprio teaches an advanced masterclass on substitution chords and their parallel usage in both comping and improvising. Rather than treating substitutions as a chord-only topic, Tony shows how to play lines through the substitute changes — outlining them with arpeggios and inversions so your improvising covers the harmony without guesswork or reliance on artificial devices. What's covered ii-V-I cadences and ii-V chaining Using the cycle of fifths, thirds, and seconds to move between chords Secondary dominants, back-cycling dominants, and contiguous dominants Diminished chord functions and modulation Mediant substitutions and pivot chords shared between keys (e.g. treating the iii chord as a deceptive cadence for the ii) Tritone (flat-5) substitution applied to line playing, not just chords Arpeggiating root-position and first-inversion voicings to outline changes simply Tony applies these ideas to real progressions including the Blues , Rhythm changes , Confirmation , Joy Spring , I Remember You , All The Things You Are , and Countdown , showing you how to develop your own interesting lines through each.

Tony DeCaprio teaches a 90-minute master class on chord movement for jazz guitar — turnarounds, endings, interludes, and how to get beyond the mundane stock changes by understanding where chords want to go. Tony keeps the voicings simple at first so you can hear each substitution clearly, then builds toward bolder reharmonization. What's covered Turnarounds built on the 3-6-2-5-1 cycle, and why the bass line is the most important piece of information Tritone substitution and what Tony calls the "cycle of 2" — half-step bass motion that does the same job as cycle-of-5 movement Changing chord quality through modal interchange — parallel scales over the same roots Extended dominant seventh chords, ii-V patterns, hybrid chords, and diminished chord applications Side-stepping, rhythm changes, and Coltrane substitutions applied to intros, turnarounds, and modulatory interludes Moving from vertical chord theory to horizontal improvised lines Droning — sustaining chords while singing tones to develop your ear For intermediate and advanced players ready to think past chord symbols and chord/scale formulas. Tony's fast-paced, "human hurricane" teaching style packs a lot into the session, with handouts referenced throughout.

Tony DeCaprio teaches a master class on the art of solo guitar playing, built around Polkadots and Moonbeams in the key of F. His approach grows out of early influences — Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, and Wes Montgomery — and his deep experience accompanying some of the most influential singers in music history. What's covered Interesting chord voicings , tenths, and double stops Slash chords and hip substitution chords Counterpoint, runs, and dynamic finesse — a sound Tony likens to "Jim Hall meets McCoy Tyner" A parallel view of single-line and chordal improvising over the same tune For intermediate players who want to build a complete solo guitar treatment of a ballad — harmony, counterpoint, and improvisation — guided by a seasoned accompanist's perspective.