How to Improvise Over All the Things You Are (Tutorial)

[@pianojonathan]

Learning the melody is also a good thing and for improvising it is good to sometimes sing the solo as you play it.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Absolutely! Melody is always a great starting point.

[@yellowmagicdog3350]

I love how you break this down. I have been wanting to learn to play jazz for a long time and I never really knew the right way to move through the changes, and always got lost unless by pure luck I ended up in the right place, and I am a guy that does not know theory either so I struggle, yet I love jazz music and jazz guitarists. This may just help me, at least for this song. I listen to Grant Green do it, his example may be the best. So sophisticated, perfect really, and seems effortless when he plays it. I am on this one, and am going to take my time until I understand it. This really helps. Thank you (actually let me hold my thanks until I do get it and then I will promise to come back and personally thank you).

[@snifty]

Really useful and straightforward. 💪

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jazzerson7087]

Learn All the Things You Are in all 12 keys, and transpose a decent solo for it in all 12 keys, it's a superb tune for learning to solo!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Fairly ambitious, but that will do the trick!

[@jazzerson7087]

What I do is compose or transcribe a solo on Impro-visor using the lead sheet and then automatically transpose it into different keys, that part is fairly quick. On the guitar it's just shifting everything up a fret but piano takes more work. The work done on one tune like that I find benefits my playing on other tunes so nothing is wasted! Some tunes I do it in a few keys but rarely 12 as it is a lot of work!!

[@bernieriegger7447]

Awesome Lesson and I just really like the sound of that guitar...wow

[@maxvoloshin_nefariousaquarius]

I just think of a person I know and simply play something that sounds like all the things they are. 😁

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Ha!

[@patpogoallroundguitarist5814]

Something I do currently is playing 3 note voicings on same 3 strings on every chord. Mostly without the root, on a particular place on the neck.

[@amitleshed]

Great stuff man thanks a lot!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

My pleasure Amit!

[@leleckeberg]

😊Great Lesson . 🤗Lennart

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Glad you liked it!

[@kylepetersen6520]

I haven't seen that F# chord as a m7 chord before idk if this happens sometimes but I have always seen it as F#halfdim but again I could be wrong so someone please lmk

[@BluenoteBoy]

Great lesson thanks. What software did you use to colour the bars and add the 251 notes?

[@stevedouglas7375]

Wow, great little lesson! Nothing like using an actually song with graphics on the screen to teach from. At least to start with. I'm sure I speak for many folks out there who appreciate you starting with "simple" and easy to understand concepts, then expanding from there. "Theory" can get complicated fast (for me anyway), so again, thank you for simplifying things.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Glad you found it helpful Steve!

[@alanhowell3646]

Brent can I ask what you use to create the colour coded chord charts. I’d like to do the same with my charts as it’s a great visual way of seeing modulations. Thanks

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Hi Alan! We upload the music sheet to Canva and color them.

[@rillloudmother]

They say you should learn the lyrics to the tunes, but in this case it made me like the song less. Made me wanna say, "shh, you're saying too many words."

[@trumpetmusic5672]

You don't even have to play the third on the changes in this tune because the melody is already doing it, that's why this tune is so popular and so good as a standard for practicing improvisation.

[@hakonosatowakugai7256]

I would add that when you improvise you should always be singing in your head. If you can hum over changes it will help you play over the changes.

[@wesboundmusic]

Interesting. In trying to get a few known standards under my belt, I sort of got hung up on this one as well in terms of what you said, i.e. it's a standard to take a lot of vocabulary away from due to the many different key centers. You break it down great, this is really helpful, thanks!

[@dontlettheworldgounder7975]

Great video as always! You have a very good sense to make jazz be understood! 👍🎸

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Awesome, glad to be of help!

[@TheEpochCompanion]

This is a great lesson that's laid out very well, but I think you are missing the most important element when it comes to improvising over a standard- the melody. While improvising a solo is not just playing the melody, it's important to keep it in mind and how it relates to the harmony as a foundation for where you go and how you develop your themes.

[@ammiammi1974]

Thanks Brent for this extremely comprehensive beginning to improvising on a simple chord progressions. However, as many of the Jazz material online, there is no mention of rhythm/dynamics. Without this, inspite of all the correct chord tones, guide tones, resolutions etc. being played, the impro does not sound jazzy. Thus, any possibility of getting help on rhythm exercises or whatever that could help (the right hand) when soloing? I'm certainly aware of the importance of listening to jazz legends and copying them. However, some sort of help in analysing what they are doing rhythmically will be of utmost help. Sadly this is missing in all what I've seen on KZbin. Cheers.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Indeed rhythm is super important. Here's a video that can help you start to develop some of this in your solos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKW3m5J9gs-Ap80&t=

[@lavenderfana3137]

@@Learnjazzstandards best video made... ever.

[@dwightfrie]

I noticed you were using Major 9 chords at around the 12 min mark. I love them! lol. But you called them Major 7 chords and I would hope that most of us realize the Maj9 chord works there. Thank you again for all the content you provide!!! I hope to be a paying member at some point. But, as long as it's part of working my plan and not just watching random videos. I have found your lessons and methods to learn and practice apply to all genres.

[@robertballard8833]

Dude - need a better pop filter or different Mic.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Hi Robert, thanks for the feedback. This is an old video and I have upgraded my stuff. :-)

[@yellowmagicdog3350]

Hello again, I did two takes on this tonight, the second one is better and I put them all in one video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epOxoXmeYt6iiqM Would love for you to listen to it and maybe tell me what you like and what is working, and what might not be working. I would say that this stuff is definitely Grant Green inspired, but I definitely do my thing with the ideas I have and I only really went note for note at the beginning. Would love to hear from you or anyone who sees it and would like to comment. Thank you so much!

[@matpat5330]

Great stuff Brent, thanks for sharing your knowledge and ideas. The problem for impro beginner like me is to find out where I am already after 4 bars of my impro. No problem to find arpeggio notes or pentatonics… but the problem is to combine in real-time (passing very quickly) this ad hoc notes=melody ideas with ad hoc rhythm ideas and keep correct progress simultaneously. Irealpro, m-in-box or other form for backing helps a lot, but not always. Do you have any comments- sugestion on that?

[@jonrubin60]

This is exactly where I am too! See my new comment above.

[@remyepinoux-freshmind7729]

Great vid ! Do your "Jazz Standards Playbook Vol. 1" propose chord subsitutions and/or modal alternatives ? thx

[@dwightfrie]

Oh, because you asked. I picked Autumn Leaves to start with. It was more familiar to my ear than the others on the list of 10 standards. I'm making good progress by listening to different versions in different styles and keys and breaking them down. Starting to improvise a bit better. Thank you!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Wonderful!

[@dkwvt13]

LOL, not to flog a dead horse but... this is where I use a backing track with a looping function (Ireal) for a consistent foundation to work things out. Great workup and nice to have these tips all linked in one location. Thanks as usual...!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Absolutely, that sounds like a good use of iReal! Glad to help!

[@MrGuitarmanSL]

Very clear thanks. Any thoughts on the versatility of modes ?

[@alward5678]

These are Great lessons, Love jazz guitar. Thank you.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Glad you like them!

[@sasongs]

I thought you using a pop shield!

[@stuartarnold4495]

this was and is very useful to look at the way of stripping back and building up to play something really good instead of just a scale over chords. Thanks

[@andyquelch662]

Thanks Brent, love the way you break down the harmony into sections 👍 Is your Ibanez stock pick ups and machine heads? ... sounds great 🙏

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Thank you!

[@eddrummond]

Excelent approach! Focus on the basic and training it to grow musicaly. Tks for the info!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

You got it!

[@williamkao5381]

Another great lesson

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Thanks William, glad you found it helpful!

[@MrAdvoga]

tks, man!!!

[@landajimmy]

Love this approach. I played this for my jury last semester but still have trouble with it. Will go back to basics and apply your method. Definitely rings with me.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Wonderful!

[@DrChavezMR]

Super useful and very instructional, subscribed!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Thanks!

[@ellisfeder3378]

my favorite new video. Very helpful!!

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@bubba-rh3hz]

Thank you Brent😊.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

You're welcome!

[@BiggerThanClevelan]

nod bad

[@BiggerThanClevelan]

good

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Thanks my friend!

[@massimobianchi3168]

Amazing tutorial

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@guitardoppio]

Thanks man

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Any time

[@UwaBaKii1]

I am more used to do all the steps for isolated parts first an then try to group then together, but I'm considering doing the other way around. It seems to give a better understanding of the music.

[@Learnjazzstandards]

Nice Andrius!

[@nanciannecianci1784]

I think your videos would have more impact if you stopped waving your hands around so much. It is completely unnecessary and simply detracts from the tutorial.