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Chords Archives - Page 4

Jazz Bass Improvisation
Sheet Music & Instruction

Jazz Bass Improvisation

Musicians Institute has released Jazz Bass Improvisation, written by jazz bassist Putter Smith. The book offers approaches to chords, scales, arpeggios through detailed practice routines and techniques to help advance practical techniques, improvisation concepts, jazz theory, chord studies and scale patterns. The method is suitable for both electric and upright players. The book ships with a companion CD, featuring 34...

Bass The Chord
Sheet Music & Instruction

Bass The Chord

Gerardo Colon Ortiz has authored a new bass method book, Bass The Chord. The book focuses on the groove, with an emphasis on connecting lines with chords, using rhythm and harmony, to build more interesting bass lines. “The bass line won’t be sacrificed,” Ortiz explains. “In other words if you play a bass line in the style of salsa, blues,...

Chord Tone Exercise
Ask Damian Erskine

Chord Tone Exercise

Q: Can you give an example of how one might get more comfortable with available chord tones? A: An exercise that I’ve been enjoying lately addresses this exact issue! I’ve previously stressed the importance of developing the ability to arpeggiate chords in every inversion while working through any tune in the Real Book. To refresh (briefly), you would practice playing...

Lesson: Melodic 2-5-1 Mutation
Bass Lessons

Lesson: Melodic 2-5-1 Mutation

In one of my earlier lessons I talked about using melodic minor scales to create different degrees of altered tension over functional dominant seventh chords. I got a request from a No Treble reader named Mark, asking for ii-V-I applications. Mark, this lesson is for you! We’re going to focus on different ways to reharmonize the ii-V-I and how that...