Composition Masterclass
Composition Techniques
“Wow! Even just the first composition technique that Jay teaches allowed me to write a tune with modern changes and melody...in less then an hour! It is a tune I am actually proud o…”
About this masterclass
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. Each technique follows the same workflow — compose a series of chords, determine the tune's structure and style, write a melody (some techniques build the melody into the chords themselves), then add intros and endings.
What's covered
- Alphabetic Junction — mapping a scale to the alphabet, choosing a word, and generating the tones each chord must contain
- Single Tone Variation, Multiple Tone Variation, and Single Chord Variation techniques
- Numerical Junction for generating fresh harmonic material
- Building chord sequences by ear — each chord simply has to sound good moving to the next
- Demonstrations using Jay's original compositions Orange to Grey and Infinite Staircase
- Finishing touches: structure, melody, intros, and endings
These aren't rigid formulas — each method just gives you a direction, leaving the artistic choices to you. Best suited to players who understand jazz harmony and voicings and want reliable tools for writing original tunes on demand.
Lessons in this masterclass
Lessons
- 1Composition Techniques56s
Reviews & Ratings
If you have a good knowledge of chord voicings at your disposal then this class will have you creating some great sounding tunes. I purchased this class as I had to compose an original tune for my upcoming recital, and as Jay mentions in the video, it only took an hour and a half to have the tune 95% completed. Jay's playing on the video is inspiring when demonstrating the concepts...awesome sound and feel. I am looking forward to using all the concepts mentioned in the video. Highly recommended.<br /> Note: this is a review from Stephan B. who did not want his full name listed. As that is how the site works and I cannot edit reviews, I am re-posting this for him.
Wow! Even just the first composition technique that Jay teaches allowed me to write a tune with modern changes and melody...in less then an hour! It is a tune I am actually proud of!<br /> <br /> In the past few months, I have been writing a lot thanks to this master class. Jay explains the process very clearly. There are "formulas" involved, however what you will be doing is pure creativity. The formulas he presents are more of "limitation exercises" that in the end give you lots of freedom.<br /> <br /> I played a couple of my creations with a trio last night. The other guys dug the tunes and we had a good time fleshing out arrangements. Thanks Jay!
Jay, thank you for this incredible workshop. The material you share here can help not only guitarists but any other kind of instrumentalists to discover their compositional "voice". This is one of the best resources about composition i have come across. It works; and the results are immediate and surprisingly stunning! A Big Thank You! :)
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