Bebop Without Scales And Why You Need This Skill

[@JensLarsen]

Do you also drop scales every now and again? 😎 Is This Jazz Guitar Method Fantastic and Terrible At The Same Time? kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXuYlJmAq9Rsrrs ✅My 7 Best Jazz Licks With Only Four Notes kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpunfJubeL-ngbM

[@Typical.Anomaly]

Not really but I want to. After I watch this video several more times it'll hopefully start to get more instinctive in the moment. You are a great and inspirational teacher. The only other KZbin theory teachers I really watch are 12tone and Jake Lizzio (Signals Music Studio) but you are teaching what I want to learn in a really concise way. I usually play my baritone tuned A D G C F# A so I'm often forced to change the chord positions while I follow along. It's excellent exercise! I play a standard tuned guitar quite often as well when I really want to mimic lol Trying to make some unprecedented crossover stuff with a long-time friend. Noone: Have I ever heard jazzy metal with a jungle beat and lap steel guitars? Don't forget the cowbell! Us: 😁😁

[@JensLarsen]

@@Typical.Anomaly Thank you 🙂

[@theAxehound]

@@Typical.Anomaly, too funny! I'm exactly the same, this channel and Jake! Though Jens posts about 100 times more content and is in a whole other dimension, that most will never peek behind the veil of and even get a glimpse. Haha

[@theAxehound]

I have to watch these videos like three times minimum!

[@Jamestele1]

I would say this might be one of the most impactful, intelligently presented Bebop guitar lessons I've watched. I really believe many people just like hearing themselves speak in terms of scales, modes, voicings, etc., where as this lesson is actually useful to jazz guitarists, at various levels. Because of your lessons, I've learned more than I did taking formal lessons. Thanks you for making this and posting Jens: I will share this with any friends who ask me how I get that "jazz vibe" in their lead lines. Peace

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much! That is really great to hear :)

[@kendevries3212]

I totally agree!!! This was a fantastic video - ultra practical. This is the best jazz guitar channel on KZbin, especially for rock guys like me who have never embraced bebop in our earlier days. I saved this video for repeated viewing.

[@rockguitarmodes]

This is such helpful, common sense advice. The 'enclosures' method of resolving to chord tones is guaranteed to get you away from the 'this scale fits this chord' mentality and creates lines that sound much more jazz. Add in the rhythmic variation and you have a method to create your own unique jazz lines

[@J.M.Stigner]

Enclosures...that one word has just opened the whole concept up for a novice like me, never heard the term before and totally get the idea, brilliant thank you

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@irawhitlock1084]

Wow. Eye opening. This really revolutionizes the sound and feel of the lines I create.

[@michaelstevens8]

Great video as always Jens. Your absolutely right about the importance of Chord Tones. Bebop is Chord Tones with Embellishments. Charlie Parker made Chord Tones with Embellishments sound Endlessly and Effortlessly Melodic. One more detail about most of the lines you demonstrated in this video. Their was often Chord Tones on the strong bears of 1 and 3. Both Bach and Charlie Parker did this quite often. But, and this is important, they were absolutely Not Dogmatic about it. Great minds think alike. For anyone that's interested, check out Forward Motion by Hal Galper, Chord Tone Soloing for Jazz Guitar by Joseph Alexander and Jazz Guitar Arpeggio Soloing by Tim Pettingale. Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Michael! Yes, you often want to connect to the changes :)

[@lucagianquitto]

Top lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Luca!

[@laphrase1]

Great lesson.thank you Maestro !

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@timothybarrd.c.185]

I love this! This fits with how I think much better than scales.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! 🙂

[@alexgrishin8294]

Thank you, Jens! Very useful lesson. Short and clear explanation!!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@maxb4107]

Now that’s a great lesson Jens!

[@makingsmokesince76]

Excellent lesson. Props and thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@jamescopeland5358]

Makes perfect sense

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@kendevries3212]

The most practical video on bebop guitar lines on the web. Saved for repeated watching!

[@johnjacquard863]

love it , i think this way a lot

[@stevejohnston1331]

awsome , learning jazz ( old rocker ) this video helps a ton .-more like this please

[@ChaseMaddox]

Love the video, Jens! Great breakdown of how you can solve those 3 Beginner problems with bebop by making the changes you suggest 🤘

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I really appreciate that coming from you :)

[@ChaseMaddox]

@@JensLarsen You're a big inspiration to me personally and in motivating me to make guitar lesson videos on KZbin! Cheers!

[@maxwellshammer5283]

You’re lesson are incredibly helpful. I wish this stuff was available when I was young and wanted to learn jazz guitar. Twice I tried taking lessons, but though my instructors were excellent guitarists, they were not good teachers. I knew what I wanted to learn and I wasn’t learning it. Your lessons are so concise and well thought out I learn more in ten minutes than I did taking 30 or 60 minute lessons. The only thing missing is feedback from an instructor, but still, I’ve learned so much watching your videos. This lesson was really fantastic! Thank you so much for what you do.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! You can still find a teacher though? That is probably the most efficient way to learn :)

[@maxwellshammer5283]

@@JensLarsen I’m retired on a fixed income, and really, I just play for my own enjoyment now. When I was younger I really wanted to play professionally, but then marriage and a child put that out of the question. I played off and on over the years, mostly classical, but did try playing along with some jazz records occasionally. Then I saw George Benson in concert, and just quit trying much jazz.🤣 I got back into guitar as a hobby around 2005, but I was just playing blues and rock mostly. I am not good at rock, lol, and much prefer jazz. When I played in a rock band in the early 70s I found it rather boring, not to mention the rowdiness of the rock clubs. The last rock gig I played ended with fights breaking out and the place surrounded with Sheriff cars. 🤣 I like the challenge of jazz. When playing classical, I loved playing Bach because it was the most challenging. Anyway, thanks again for what you do.

[@AntarblueGarneau]

Great lesson Jens! I also love the acting! ))

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@LeahyGer]

This is an absolute Master Class Jens ... I don't know whether to laugh or cry but this made total sense to me. Thank you for sharing this amazing lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it, Ger! :)

[@bobartur1386]

Simple and effective as usual! Thanks a lot for sharing this lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@Dang...]

Excellent! Thank you Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@Dang...]

@@JensLarsen You are a tremendously talented and generous teacher. Thank you for everything you've given us.

[@VitalBigras]

Another GREAT VIDEO with helpful exercises!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@patricioeb]

I remember the exercise of armonizing the major scale with triads you taught us time ago. I'll work on this idea (2:14) with that concept. It was very useful and game changing for me. Greets from Tenerife (Canary Islands)

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it :)

[@vicentedeandresmusic9862]

So great!!!!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@joemacedo782]

Awesome man. Signed up to your course a few days back and loving it!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Joe! That is so great to hear :)

[@TheMetalslayer100]

Nice - i think when it comes to guitarplaying, bebop is such a nice style to play - surfing around guide tones from the chords is so much fun :-) And then you also have this „traditional“ sound in the lines. Thank you for your lesson Jens. Nice Concepts!

[@JensLarsen]

Indeed! :) Glad you like it!

[@kevindonnelly761]

Thanks for posting this video lesson Jens ! It's excellent and VERY helpful as usual.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome, Kevin!

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

Nice stuff.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks!

[@frankvaleron]

Fantastic video Jens. I find the Solo app you did a video on before great fun for finding chord tones everywhere. I must experiment more with thinking enclosures in between

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! That's a great idea :)

[@dave9497]

And this...is the key to playing this music. Ears.

[@andreborela5264]

Wow! That's a jazzy shirt!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@jeline55]

Man what a great video!!!! Perfect timing for me in my journey. Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful! Go for it :)

[@zuko8428]

Can you please make more bossa/ samba videos

[@JensLarsen]

I certainly will :)

[@johnmac8084]

Great ideas Jens, and so clearly explained, thanks 😀

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Shortest path stuff. Woot!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it :)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

@@JensLarsen Easier to work on the craft when there is a community of folks doing similar work. Cheers.

[@fouroutoffour]

Excellent!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@fouroutoffour]

As I’ve done more transcribing lately it really does become more clear how the bebop idiom is about forward motion in the line just as you described. Your lesson is spot on! Thank you

[@JohnHorneGuitar]

This is the way.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes!

[@theAxehound]

Thanks my genius!!

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! You're welcome!

[@somtingwongwai7194]

I'm too dumb to be playing Jazz, but I apply these lessons on my type of plying. Thank you again.

[@paulmitchell5349]

I would be interested to know if and how you mix diminished scales into this mix.

[@JensLarsen]

Well, let's start by why that would not just be the same exercise but on a dim arpeggio?

[@stevejohnston1331]

could you help with ...the music inside by Loeb .........the chords are evading me ............

[@JensLarsen]

Sounds like a Bm turnaround: Bm7 E7 C#m7 F#7. Smooth jazz is not really my thing.

[@stevejohnston1331]

@@JensLarsen --wow ,thanks fer that reply , I use the Bm scale for the leads , i keep thinking the tune may be a D maj thing , those chords work for the start , then there are some changes ill have to work on those chords ..........i have learned many valuable things from your vids I have watched .....you are appreciated

[@jdeez1492]

Great lesson! What's with that extra little screw hole in your guitar below where the neck meets the body?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! To be honest, I don't know but I expect that is where the pickguard was attached? I bought it 2nd hand so it was just always like that :)

[@jdeez1492]

@@JensLarsen ahh that makes sense.

[@LostSoulAscension]

Very cool! Almost like you just wanna know scales in order to know how to build chords, and that's it! And maybe, for me, visualize movement through a scale as a shifting of chord options and variations, and let the simplicity speak complexity and depth from there.

[@JensLarsen]

Well, there is a place for scales as well, it is not one or the other :)

[@LostSoulAscension]

@@JensLarsen Ah, true, I was over compensating the need for chords likely cause I need to work on my chords xD

[@piotrzakrzewski1612]

Superb lesson Jens. Thank You. Have silly question, which scale You play while discussing about enclosure on Dm ?

[@JensLarsen]

It is a II V I in C major right? 🙂

[@OM10PYE]

Hi Jens, love your work and your channel so much that it has inspired me to start my own jazz journey (with your expert help of course) but I am so stuck! I play Blues, I have scales and shapes I play in. I know which notes to hit. What is the equivalent in jazz? What notes am I meant to hit? It all changes so quickly and whatever I play sounds garbage! Please help me based Jazz god! Dank je wel :)

[@JensLarsen]

It is difficult to give too specific advice because everybody is different and at different levels, but maybe check out this post: jenslarsen.nl/how-to-learn-jazz-guitar-suggestions-to-begin-studying/ You also want to start practicing your diatonic 7th chord arpeggios and check out this on soloing over chord changes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJCri4aLm7R-ra8

[@OM10PYE]

@@JensLarsen Big Jens man, always there to help and provide advice. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to questions. :)

[@johnjacquard863]

i really like this use of color in this one. are you still using the A7iii? i been experimenting with the creative profile neutral to get similar good color like your video here, because the picture profiles color does not seem to be as good ( magenta color shift on A7iii)

[@JensLarsen]

I upgraded to the A7sIII about a year ago. Still using Leeming luts though 🙂

[@johnjacquard863]

@@JensLarsen Thats great !! :)

[@SeedsOfMusicAcademy]

This is great Jens! I'm wondering about some of the choices in the half-step-below/diatonic-above approach. It seems that for the basic chords, it might make sense to have the above note default to a whole step. This would result in Lydian, Lydian Dominant, Dorian, and Locrian #2 which I think of as all good default scales for those chords, of course altered dominant would need to be handled differently. On the other hand, using the half-step above that you find in Ionian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian sounds a little awkward to me when I'm practicing. Do you have any suggestions for a productive way to think about these choices and an efficient way to approach practicing with these choices in mind? Thanks for the awesome videos!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! Don't translate these to scales, and certainly not modes. That is not what this is about at all, and in doing so you are obscuring the function of some of the chords which is most likely not how you hear them. Try to make it vertical is in many ways ignoring what is most important about the whole thing: the forward motion.

[@SeedsOfMusicAcademy]

@@JensLarsen I see what you mean. I was asking because you were using the enclosure pattern that people usually call "diatonic-above/half-step-below" and my curiosity is about how best to derive the "above" note. Should we instead just think "whole-step-above/half-step-below?" That would be so much easier! Thanks again!

[@JensLarsen]

@@SeedsOfMusicAcademymaybeb just use the key. Bebop is tonal music more than modal after all

[@SeedsOfMusicAcademy]

@@JensLarsen Makes sense! Thanks for taking the time to reply!

[@dry509]

Please define enclosures? Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

A short phrase leading to a target note from above and below

[@Hering.07]

🆗

[@Remi-B-Goode]

The scale approach is so "american" ... ! Thanks for the fresh air and for sharing your ideas!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks for watching!

[@Dang...]

Jazz and Blues are so "American". You're welcome.

[@honoredutrey]

The best way to learn jazz is to lock yourself in a room for three hours a day with some Louis Armstrong recordings !

[@johnjacquard863]

i went from 13s strings to 11s and now my playing faster!!

[@sergeybogdanovich7019]

🙏❤️🎼🎶🎵✌️🍀🎸🇮🇱👌

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@sydknee604]

Still confused but ik it’s just me lmao

[@pascaljeanne6520]

Thanks jen , but i don't want to play like you ! lol ! sorry !

[@JensLarsen]

Don't worry, you never will :)

[@nomnomnommy2955]

This is a stupid, click bait thumbnail

[@JensLarsen]

That does not seem to be how most people think of it

[@vertyisprobablydead]

No thanks Jens, I don't listen to rap anymore.

[@JensLarsen]

If it works for Benson, it might work for you...