The 10 Levels of Bebop and The Skills You Want To Master

[@JensLarsen]

Share your score! Are you 10/10 or 3/10 on the Bebop Scale (pun intended) 😎 ✅ These Scale Exercises Are Immediately Great Jazz Licks kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKrVZ6Z-rpmJfKM ✅The Bebop Secret: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKbIe3p5iNh6odE

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

I like the diatonic but came up with what I call Angles, and Diagonals. Also I found for years the whole tone scale is in the Major scale. The old time Jazz of 1920-1940 was so rich in melodic and chromatic lines. I always explore Jump runs with answers run M7b5. Now found I have been using Locrian b6. My root is the Major scale with a b5 which has everything.

[@paulmoore7964]

octave displacement: having learned sax recently I can see how this came about. Sax player's thumb is permanently on a button whose sole purpose is to shift octaves, so its dead easy to jump up and down octaves at any point of any line.

[@JensLarsen]

I don't think Bach played the saxophone though :)

[@kevindonnelly761]

I hereby present to you The Cardboard Oscar Award for 'Musician Acting' at 5'01" Well done and Congratulations ! 📽 😁

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thank you Kevin! :)

[@ДмитрийФроленко-в8п]

Just starting to compose lines. Well, chromatic leading notes and ending on bebop just made my fist lines shine. Thank you, Jens a lot. Soon I'll add other techniques. So helpful video

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it :)

[@mwicks1968]

10 skills in less than 9 minutes - Bargain!!! 👏👏👏

[@JensLarsen]

We aim to please :)

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

I would definitely watch "America's got bebop".

[@rickjensen2717]

Great list Jens! The ornament is called a 'Mordent' - v common when wading through baroque pieces 🎶

[@j.s.m.5351]

mmmmm…. Zesty!

[@JensLarsen]

Interesting! :) I will try to remember :)

[@stephengrant8295]

Yes! I knew there was a word but I couldn't recall what it was. I learned classical piano as a youth and the mordent shows up regularly in Bach pieces. I'm pretty sure I haven't heard the word "mordent" in almost 50 years!

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

I passed, Locrian b6, mix m7b5, m9th add4, blues scale, etc

[@hagedospe]

You're really great Teacher for not getting lost in the Bebop ocean

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you George 🙂

[@titobattaglia7932]

OK Lars! Yes, Yes, NO (ending on short offbeat notes… ahrrr!), Yes, Kinda (enclosures), Yes, Kinda (octave displacement), Yes, Sometimes (16th embellishments), Nope. So it's about 6,5/10? Most of the "yes" are thanks to you ;D

[@JensLarsen]

That's great! I think that is a pretty solid score! :)

[@hugomaesplaybass9016]

I actually play the electric bass but I love your videos haha ! very instructive to build my soloist vocabulary

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear it!

[@markbarling1048]

amazing lesson - so clear and great supporting examples. Each one of these levels is worth its weight in gold. If there is one video lesson to watch about playing bebop it is this one. Thank you for all the time you put into your lessons and for sharing with so many.

[@JensLarsen]

Awesome, thank you!

[@19648746]

Great teacher, good student .Bravo

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! 😃

[@thehat1218]

It's a beautiful thing to have you articulate on how you think about it. It challenges me to think about skills and techniques differently or think about them at all. Very much appreciated.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Jon! I am really glad you like it 🙂

[@zinc1024]

Tremendously helpful Jens!!! Bravo, critical vocab material in a nice condensed format. Off to work!!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@SvenHulaHoop]

Great video - one of your best, explained concisely and with characteristic humour.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@fredericlinden]

Essential information communicated masterfully ! Thank you !

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@Jrod1rulz]

I’m a simple man. I see a Jens Larsen video, I hit like.

[@JensLarsen]

I appreciate that! :)

[@jamescopeland5358]

Jens, it reminded me of a Calculus test I failed after tooooo much partying the night before I knew the material but I couldn't feel my brain. Thx for another fine lesson

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Not the first thing I would imagine being compared to 😁

[@HamlinandJolliffe]

This is exactly the video I have been looking for, without even knowing. Thanks you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear that 🙂

[@bellsteven]

Fantastic lesson. Jens, you're a brilliant teacher and bonus points for the addition of more humour/funny edits 🙏

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Steve 🙂

[@allanhartshorne2198]

I have really found this lesson useful, it makes you work on what you don't know or more precisely what you think you may be doing but you're actually not doing. Awesome as always, thanks Jens

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@adu5162]

I've learned so much from your videos. thank you, very much !!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@mark-ze4en]

your comedy is getting some practice too> Always great videos Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I try 🙂

[@bushje]

Best bebop lesson I have seen on KZbin. You are a great teacher. Thanks for sharing this.

[@JensLarsen]

Makes my day that you think so! :)

[@mwicks1968]

“Vocabualry” … ? 😉😂

[@enterprisesoftwarearchitect]

Scored a 2. But that’s why I’m subscribed!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks :)

[@justicekeyes308]

haha Stripe and Batman!😆

[@AntarblueGarneau]

Love the humor and the acting) The Vikings is a nice touch))

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Antar! I really appreciate that! :)

[@jonreider9263]

These videos are great - I've picked up tons in the last few weeks!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear that, Jon! 🙂

[@rjones197]

I didn't know what to expect, as I didn't think I would pass. Jens, you got me here. You did, and Joe, and Barry, and Benson, and many others. The work you laid here on KZbin took a know nothing metal guitarist with broken hands and gave him another chance. I give this win to you, teacher, for all you have done for me. Thank you, Jens, thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Ryan! That is very nice of you :) It really is about your hard work more than anything though.. I can only show you what to work on , not do the work.

[@johncostigan6160]

I heard some"pull-offs" in your ornamentation @ 7:10. These are of course derived from Nordic Death Metal...

[@JensLarsen]

That is indeed Scandinavian Jazz popping up 😂

[@johncostigan6160]

Thanks Jens! I studied jazz improv in college, but it was memorizing modes in all keys. I have learned SO much from your joyful approach to jazz harmony, rhythms and soloing in general. Thanks Again!, John

[@bobartur1386]

What to say? Thanks God is Thursday lesson time!

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it :)

[@vivienbonazzi5838]

I will take the test this weekend. I suspect I will find many chromatic gremlins, vikings and other strange musical apparitions, oh the shame (or is it the horror, the horror?) ....In desperation I will hope that the ghosts of Joe Pass and Pat Martino will materialize to help out. But I suspect that each of the 10 exercises will end up aligned with the death of each gremlin (original movie). Triplet + leading note , yep, gremlin in a blender

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks Vivien! Your Gremlin knowledge is far beyond mine! Pretty impressed!

[@vivienbonazzi5838]

@@JensLarsen there are many gremlins in my guitar playing...not all them are as cute as Gizmo

[@Domitianvs]

Took test. Failed miserably. Huh. Almost as if I need to spend less time watching instructional videos and more time actually practicing the content of said videos 🤔

[@JensLarsen]

That can't be right! Maybe just watch it again? :D

[@Domitianvs]

@@JensLarsen So obvious! That'll fix it! 😆

[@drbalalajka]

2/10 perhaps... 😮 As a slide player I'm having a hard time ending phrases on a short note. I do peactice arpeggios as you've suggested, not enough though. Chromatic passing tones I do, but seldom enclosures. Lots of stuff here for me to work on. Really like your videos man. Informative, fun, inspiring... I watch them a lot.

[@TheJustificer]

Really, you are a great teacher and the videos are so clear, good job! Thank you

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@marshwetland3808]

That was really interesting. You picked out a bunch of details that explain some things I like about bebop and that seem to be missing from a lot of popular music. Stuff that's too straight-ahead. Wow, that "endless boring scale run" at 6:16 was priceless. Going nowhere, but FAST. 😂

[@mwicks1968]

Great acting in here Jens - are you up for an Oscar … ? 👍

[@JensLarsen]

We live in hope 🙂

[@fivetimesyo]

Zero. My score is zero. It's zero. 🤦🏻‍♂️😞 But I love your videos tho.

[@JensLarsen]

At least, you know where to start :)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

I knew it! Jens "Chromaticus Complicadus" Larsen learning the folks again!

[@JensLarsen]

Haha Thanks 🙂

[@rockstarjazzcat]

@@JensLarsen Happy Friday! :)

[@jimkangas4176]

Well, I'm not sure exactly what my score is - I know of all these things, but I'm better at some and others I don't use often enough. I think an interesting variation on your quiz would be how we learned these things, and how many we taught ourself. For example the "don't use long tones" I discovered by listening to myself: it just didn't sound as good as I thought it did when I played those. Octave displacement I recently discovered even though it seems so obvious in retrospect as something that I should have realized long ago. Good list.

[@3r1cratpool22]

Thank you

[@stevenz9916]

Sir, I have a question. In reality, not every sentence starts from the first beat. So how to balance the rhythm relationship? (google translated)🙂

[@darirockculture9835]

I love the sense of humor in this video 😂

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! That is great to hear :)

[@pgodfrin]

I did remarkable well, but I missed enclosures, octave displacement and 16th note turns. It's the extended bebop scalar passages that escape me!

[@pgodfrin]

Oh and thanks, as always for your great videos!

[@JensLarsen]

That's great! :)

[@pgodfrin]

@@JensLarsen Thanks (from a sax player... :)

[@theAxehound]

There's a lizard on that Start!

[@JensLarsen]

There is a what?

[@andrearondo1478]

Thanks Jens! Fantastic as usual

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@gabrielnunes3497]

🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@albarylaibida1214]

This guy is excellent!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! He is happy to hear that :)

[@Bobby007D]

This lesson is "Gold" for me ! Thanks Jens Larsen...

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@Bobby007D]

@@JensLarsen Like golden pork chops simmering on the grill just waiting to be , you know , I injested. !!!

[@JUMBARGUITAR]

great video . thank you !!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@mariobarrela]

Great video! Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@maxwellshammer5283]

Great list, Jens. I just started trying to incorporate octave displacement in my lines. I still have to think about it too much, but it’s slowly coming along. Unrelated to bebop, one problem I have is improvising over more, perhaps avant-garde, tunes. I like Wayne Shorter’s tune “Orbits”. The changes don’t seem to follow the normal tonal changes, to me at least. There doesn’t seem to be a tonal center. The best answer I’ve found so far seems to be using short chromatic lines. Something like this from The Real Book, Db mi7, C mi7, Gb, Ab maj7.

[@JensLarsen]

It is just about sticking with it :) It is worth the work!

[@Typical.Anomaly]

8:13 Turn on English CC here for a surprise message!

[@Campbell_Jazz]

Additional skill: one octave arpeggio whose root is a whole step below a dominant chord (I.e., play a Cmaj7 arpeggio over a D7). I see this all over bebop lines.

[@JensLarsen]

That is indeed a good one too. The one form the 5th is also often useful :)

[@benkatof5852]

This was great! I scored myself 7.5/10... Need to work on chord tone skips, trills (gave myself half points as I use them but don't practice them) and a self test on #3 which ive improved on but need more work.

[@JensLarsen]

Not bad at all! :)

[@Dang...]

Thank you Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Super that you find it useful!

[@MarkAnderson-iv1zt]

Damn, a pop quiz!

[@JensLarsen]

The worst kind! :D

[@dexblue]

Thank you Jens Larsen...

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@ezequielwalter2991]

Great!. Sometimes, in Charlie Parker solos, he plays a maj7 arpeggio over a Dominant 7 chord Ex: Fmaj7 over F7. Billies Bounce.

[@JensLarsen]

Are you sure you mean Fmaj7 over F7?

[@ezequielwalter2991]

@@JensLarsen Sorry. Forget Donna Lee, and Pat Partino. I´ve confused. But i´m Billes Bounce (Omnibook) C. Parker plays in staff 6 and 15 a Fmaj7 over F7.

[@JensLarsen]

@@ezequielwalter2991 This is actually not Parker playing that on a an F7, he is in fact thinking F as a tonic and just playing that as a maj7 chord. He does indeed do that very often in bar 7 of a Blues (Au Privave, Billie's Bounce, Now's The Time all have this) but it is not about thinking F7. Wes does it as well on his Au Privave solo with Adderly. It is sort of linked to Parker Blues as well, and I do talk a bit about it in a video, but I forget which on because it is not the main topic. It is a great example of how you should NOT only think about notes against the chord but also zoom out and understand the context.

[@ezequielwalter2991]

@@JensLarsen Thanks for the response! But how knows the piano player when Charlie will think in Fmaj and not in F7. Because is a Blues form. I will see your videos about Parker blues

[@JensLarsen]

@@ezequielwalter2991 The people comping just listen, but given how often he does it and always in that spot it is somewhat predictable.

[@lollipophugo]

Does this stuff ever get internalised? Not that I want to play without thinking but how long am I gonna be like ok F#maj7 there's the root, the 3 and 7 are there and there relative to that root, to D#m7 ok there's the root and the nearest b3/b7 ok G#m7 so there's G# and ooh I'll jump to the 6, ok now C#7 ahhh. It feels like my limit just to play the chord notes before the next chord comes along if I'm playing in any kind of time and it's a swirl of chord names, note intervals and over the sound of my own 2 5 1 loop I can hear my brain whirring. It feels like it will never feel natural.

[@JensLarsen]

That is a question of time. It will become natural and you will get it to the point where you don't have to think about the notes, you are just aware. It does require you to do the work and stick with a song until you really know it.

[@aosivitz]

Thank you for the lesson! At 4:36, should the triplet be on the first 3 notes of each arpeggio? It sounds like it is played different than the score. Also, 2:12 mentions triplet arpeggios when I think 'from the 3rd' is meant. Sorry, not trying to be pedantic, just wanted to point out in case it's worth mentioning as a correction. Thank you again!

[@JensLarsen]

You are just hearing the 1st note as the downbeat even if it isn't. It can be a bit tricky, but if you focus on hearing the 2nd note as beat 2 (or 4) then you can hear it.

[@tedbahas]

5/10 maybe… Ok I got more work to do! Thanks for the accountability lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Not bad! :)

[@petekay67]

Incredibly generous content here. Such useful ideas to help me play music and enjoy doing it. And that's what it should be about 😊. Limiting arpeggios to one octave blew my mind. No more worrying about six string arpeggios. Thanks again Jens

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@JustinSakogawa]

haha this was an awesome vid! Demon Jens really spooked me out of nowhere! \m/

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks :)

[@petealba707]

Killer stuff as always. I've practiced 8 of the 10 concepts in the past but my triplet game is clearly rusty in a bebop context. I will work on this with arpeggios, perhaps starting from the 3rd. I love that sound and you demonstrate it very well. Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Pete! Go for it :)

[@johnnyjaime123]

Jens, I have to be honest that I enjoy Cool Jazz and Modal Jazz more than Bebop and classic Jazz Standards. I am an intermediate musician, only now interested in jazz. Do you really advise I should begin by learning Jazz Standards and Bebop, or can I just skip all that and start with Miles Davis and Charles Mingus?

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

You can do what you like but you won't get far without bebop in jazz - it really is the foundation. Why not try to develop a taste for it by listening to modern players playing bebop tunes - one of my favourites is Scofield playing Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase". There are a couple of different live videos but The Paris Concert is the best.

[@Shafer.Jesse.Sandbox]

I got a 10 but I sure don't feel like a 10

[@odysseaspierides7466]

I love you

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like the videos 🙂

[@Oscaraha]

Great stuff as allways mr Jens! Dont forget level 11: to do all of this stuff with great feel in fast tempos.

[@JensLarsen]

Are you only testing in slow tempos? That doesn't work! :)

[@Oscaraha]

@@JensLarsen haha im trying to get there, not easy on the upright. Just managed to pull out some decent playing on rhythm changes over 200, trancribed some patitucci-lines that used alot of legato that gave me some neat tricks here and there. Before this my eightnotes was more around 180 when starting to really struggle, so I was quite happy to finally get comfortable with something a bit more respectable tempowise:) thanks again, and keep up the great work youre doing!

[@JensLarsen]

@@Oscaraha Sounds really solid! :)

[@jimmrvos2930]

I got 7 out of 10. I was feeling pretty good after the first 7, but crashed and burned in the last 3.

[@JensLarsen]

Those are the most tricky :) Super well done!

[@TheMegansdad]

Love the skills break down Jens. Especially enjoyed the trill v triplet trill analysis. Great stuff!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Larry 🙂

[@brucegoode1263]

Thank you for this helpful, and fun, video Jens 🙂🙏🏼👍🏼

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it, Bruce!!

[@ryantotten5011]

This is my favorite lesson from your collection. One could work on these principals for a couple of years before moving on...lots of resources to expand upon.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@LuizTrevisani]

This is really helpful. Thank you again, Mr Larsen. Great stuff, as usual.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear that!

[@seasider2164]

Three. I know these concepts but do not yet have them in my playing. This is a great checklist, thanks for the lesson.

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it! Knowing is the first step!

[@JamesJLaRue]

Where in Bebop we would insert an intervallic skip between notes that are a half step apart, in country chucken pickin' I often just put a rest where that note would be (and play the first note as a staccato pluck). Of course that's only breaking up the rhythm.

[@JensLarsen]

Country and Bebop are in many ways pretty similar in language.

[@hugoestrada2089]

0/10

[@JensLarsen]

Lots of room to grow! Very good :)

[@chappahx]

You're such a great teacher. With so much information, I don't know where to start to have progressive learning.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! 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/

[@chappahx]

@@JensLarsen excellent! This is really helpful. Thank you.

[@michaelstevens8]

Another great video Jens. For any one thats interested, the books Bebop Guitar by Joseph Weidlick and Elements of the Jazz Language by Jerry Coker go into great detail about Bebop/Jazz Language. Lets remember that even though their are many different genres of Jazz, you will hear Bebop language in all of them. Thanks.

[@matthiaskuhn6433]

Great Video Jens, thank you :-) my score is about 6, but i think it sounds sometimes like the Gremlin. What about singing the Lines like Chet Baker did it ? Is this in your practice Routine ?

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! I used to practice singing lines, but it is not something I do that much anymore. I spend my time learning things by ear instead.

[@JensLarsen]

Pretty good score btw!

[@Joesmithpiano]

Something I found that really improved my bebop playing was hitting chord tones on the strong beats. I was able to play the scales, arpeggios and rhythms, but I still wasn't getting the sound I was after. It's still a work in progress but it completely transformed my playing. Great video btw! This was a good checkup to see what I have and haven't been practicing.

[@toby1kenobe]

Great vid as always- the score concept/ production is great!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@El_Funky_Habibi]

Video starts at 5:00

[@Fatfingertunes]

Always great to hear you, Jens. It helps so much.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@frankvaleron]

I am using all 10 of these in my playing to varying degrees , although all ten can be seriously improved! But it's really great to watch this Jens as a handy checklist and I know I'll be coming back to it

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Frank! Sometimes it is nice to have a checklist, I thought so as well :)

[@frankvaleron]

@@JensLarsen absolutely :)

[@ultramother]

Another amazing bundle of super-crucial information for the desperate ones out there, trying to find their way into the language! Thank you Jens!

[@Vera-zc2ql]

Another awesome video! I would call Bebop skill #9 grace notes because that's what they would be notated with in piano sheet music

[@carlosalcala1004]

Really useful for me. Thanks, Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gilrosado_media]

You have put together an awesome series of videos here. Bravo!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like them!

[@steellemonstudios]

Masterful lesson! Thank you! Not sure what my score is exactly, but I’ll take an honest assessment. I know about all of these, and some of them came in a lot more recently (chromatic enclosures). The terminology and strategies presented here are very helpful as well. I learned #9 from a Joe Pass video back in the day, but even though he demonstrated this well, he didn’t explain a lot of the other concepts; he just played them with no explanation (chromatic enclosures and chromaticism come to mind) probably because it was so basic for him. Love those old videos, but it is helpful as both a player and a teacher to break these fundamentals down and not gloss over them. Sorry for the long response. Thanks again for a fantastic lesson, Jens!

[@PixelWavesGuru]

The Digs

[@hermanncordes2866]

What about doubletime phrases?

[@JensLarsen]

They are the same as 8th note phrases, just faster (Is that what you are asking?)

[@effiefs9561]

Thank you Jens for this lesson, great advice applicable to any instrument. Knowing about these things is one thing, but this video made me check at the keyboard if i actually ever sat down to practice some of them. Keep it up!

[@edesbalazs]

The memes are getting pretty solid Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@SmogandBlack]

I have to study more 🙄...

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it :) (but take one thing at the time :) )

[@andrearondo1478]

Thanks Jens! Fantastic as usual

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@capzisediam5845]

Thank you !!! This video is exact the one i was looking for !!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! I am glad you like it! 🙂

[@capzisediam5845]

​@@JensLarsen you have to know --->> i am a beginner ... so i don´t understand it complete (maybe also of my bad english? ;-) but i hear what compare together. AND i like the little licks !!

[@neilmunro9932]

I think this may be the best lesson I've ever seen on KZbin

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Neil! :)

[@neilmunro9932]

@@JensLarsen I genuinely feel like this is the video I've been searching for, for years to finally get me into Jazz!