Hi Everybody, I'd just like to let you know that I have posted a new video (2 parts)--Ionian Pentatonic Scale Lesson. This video is the fourth based on by book, "Jazz Guitar Soloing Concepts: A Pentatonic Approach to Jazz Improvisation.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/rlemos#p/a/u/0/Tk...

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/rlemos#p/a/u/1/DR...

A special note of "Thanks!" for all of you who have purchased my book and given me such great feedback. I hope you find this new video of interest. Also, my article, "Spicing Up The Jazz Turnaround" appears in the Winter 2010 issue of JAZZ INSIDE MAGAZINE. In addition to great jazz articles, reviews and lessons, this issue includes excellent interviews with John McLaughlin, Jimmy Bruno, Hank Jones, Mike Maineri and others. Thank you very much once again for your interest and supposrt, Ron

Hi, the first and most important thing is that none of your questions are even remotely "stupid". Music, jazz, and jazz improvisation are all art forms and we all need to keep learning and asking questions.

To answer your question on the bebop dominant scale, the root, seventh, flat seventh movement is just the beginning on using chromatics. For example, you can also use ninth, flat ninth, root. The "trick" is that you can connect any scale tones with chromatics as long as the chromatics fall on an up-beat. So, using the C mixolydian scale for C7, you can have E Eb D Db C B Bb A G (all 8th notes)for a longer line. Notice that the chromatics fall on an upbeat.

An other "trick" is to replace the chromatic with a scale tone. For example, instead of C B Bb A G for the dominant bebop scale, replace the note B with a lower G (C G Bb A G). Try replacing the the B with a higher D (C D Bb A G).

These ideas can be applied to all scales (major, minor, dominant, diminished, whole-tone) and modes.

With respect to your second question, you can start on any note. At the beginning, try to start with chord tones if on a down beat or if you start with an up beat start with a neighbor scale tone or a chromatic.

If you are interested in a different approach to improvisation that is based entirely on pentatonic scales where there are no "avoid" notes, check out my website at:

http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/rle...

Hope this helps.

Ron

Hello Soren, There are many approaches to learning how to improvise over jazz tunes. All of them are valid and have merit. However, the first step is to learn the melodies to jazz songs. Once you learn the melodies, practice them on your instrument using backing tracks such as Band-in-a-Box by PG Music or the backing tracks CDs sold by Jamey Aebersold. Next, listen to recordings of various musicians playing these songs. Decide what styles you like and what artists you admire. Don't limit yourself to sax. Listen to vocalists, trumpet players, piano players, etc. The point to all of this is that the song comes FIRST! Once you have the song down, then you can start to work on improvisation.

Once again, there are many approaches ranging from highly theoretical to "just feel it". I would like to introduce my approach that is based on using pentatonic scales for any chord, chord progression or song you would ever encounter. This is a "system" and therefore open to much criticism by jazz theorists. However, it will work and will complement any style and level of development. With this system, it is impossible to play a wrong note. You don't have to worry about "avoid" notes. You can concentrate on the song. I have written a book, "Jazz Guitar Soloing Concepts: A Pentatonic Modal Approach to Improvisation". You can read book reviews at:

http://www.amazon.com/Pentatonic-Modal-A...

http://guitarinternational.com/wpmu/2009...


While this book is aimed at guitarists, the principles can be applied to any instrument. Is this approach right for you? I have a lot of FREE resources describing my approach. For more details on my approach, including articles and mp3s, please see:

http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/rle...

Hope this helps. Please feel free to email me at: rlemos@calstatela.edu

Thank you very much.

Ron

Hi __aux,

I am glad you enjoyed this clip and I appreciate your supportive comments. We both have "day jobs" and play jazz because we love the music. Believe it or not, even in a large metropolitan area like Los Angeles, there are few jazz venues (this issue can be an entire new thread!). Pick style solo jazz guitar does offer a great complement to other solo styles. I hope others also find it an interesting approach. Best wishes, Ron.

Hi Everyone, I thought you might enjoy this video of my brother Dean Lemos playing solo jazz guitar on the jazz standard "Stella by Starlight". Guitar is an archtop Fender D'Aquisto played through a Carvin AG100D amplifier.



Regards,

Ron

Hi, you are most welcome. I hope you find them useful. Best wishes, Ron

Hi Everyone. I have just done my first self-produced DVD based on my article that appeared in the November 2005 issue of JUST JAZZ GUITAR, "Advanced Bb Blues Rhythm Concepts." To see an excerpt, check out YouTube:



In this lesson, a different bass note and chord is played on each beat of the Bb Jazz Blues progression. As shown in the YouTube excerpt, I give a detailed explanation of each measure, done very slowly so that it is easy to follow. This project was fun to do but did take a lot of time in learning iMovie and iDVD on a Mac iBook G4. I initially
tried Windows Movie Maker but quickly found the Mac programs to offer much more power. I also tried Final Cut Pro but found the program to be too deep for me to learn in a reasonable period of time. While I am far from being an expert in using iMovie and iDVD, feel free to
ask questions. I'd be glad to try to help. Thanks much.

Ron

Hi Everyone,

I have posted a lesson, "Dorian Pentatonic Scale Lesson: Jazz Guitar Soloing Over IIm7 Chords in the Changes to Misty" on YouTube:



This lesson, focusing only on Mode I, is based on my article in the February 2007 issue of JUST JAZZ GUITAR, "Dorian Pentatonic Scale" and my recent book "Jazz Guitar Soloing Concepts: A Pentatonic Modal Approach to Improvisation".

Hope this post is useful.

Ron