Major Triads Warmup Exercise

Summary:

This exercise works every major triad, including all inversions in every key. It is most effective when played slowly.

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Javier sits in with Greg Perkins at Coffee Republic

Summary:

Folsom, California, January 3, 2009

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Major Scale Tips and Tricks

Summary:

Learn a very fast way to master all 12 major scales.

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From “Javier’s Jelly and Jam Session”

Summary:

Javier’s Jelly and Jam Session is Javier’s jazz show for children

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Anatomy of a Melody, Part 3

Summary:

Gaining melodic independence over a II-V-I progression — One of the challenges in improvising over a basic II-V-I chord progression is keeping a solo sounding unpredictable and engaging. Maintaining a focus only on chord tones can often lead to a very satisfying melody, but such an approach can begin to sound uninspired, predictable, and a bit tedious. Chord tone consonances within a melodic line can always be balanced with a focus on non-chord tone dissonances. Breaking free of chord tone dependency can be achieved by attaining a deeper understanding of tension and release within the II-V-I progression. The end result is a “melodic independence” and freedom to create a line as dissonant or consonant as you desire.

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Anatomy of a Melody, Part 2

Summary:

Learning chordal dependence over a II-V-I chord progression — One of the fundamental challenges of improvising over a basic II-V-I chord progression is knowing how to move smoothly from one chord to another, matching each new chord in the cycle. This may be achieved by maintaining a steady focus on chord tones, which tend to change with each new chord. This focus on chord tones is called “chordal dependence,” and the resulting melody can be quite consonant and strikingly beautiful.

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