The Type Of Jazz Licks That Make You Play Better Solos

[@JensLarsen]

How do you work on licks? Do you have a favourite source? Content: 00:00 Intro 00:33 Keep it Short and use Phrases as Building Blocks 01:05 Joe Pass is a Good Guitarist, Be Like Joe 02:08 Forward Motion and Joe Pass 02:40 A Message from Things-I-Forgot-To-Film-Jens 03:19 Different types of Phrases to Recognize and Learn 05:25 Building Your Own Jazz Vocabulary - 2 Examples 07:15 Analyzing Longer Phrases - What You Lose When You Zoom In 08:19 Kurt Rosenwinkel Breaks the Rules (again) 09:27 But Parker also Breaks the Rules 10:34 Arpeggios as Building Blocks 10:40 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page

[@jimkangas4176]

I've been trying to use the "asterisk" method to insert 2-5-1 vocabulary but I like this idea of breaking it down further - more licks for each building block.

[@JosephusDalrymple]

Book reviews from your POV would be very interesting.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Joe! I will keep that in mind 🙂

[@felipeangelim2]

Yess!

[@jimkangas4176]

I have always had too many books and if you study them too closely, you can spend enormous amounts of time on it (or more likely they sit on the shelf). Any thoughts on how to quickly extract the essence of a book would be a good topic for me.

[@JensLarsen]

@@jimkangas4176 I am not sure that a book is any good of you can do that with it.

[@ivan_osorio]

I love your content, Jens. It's so dense with information, I can stay with one of these videos for a while to be able to unpack it all and really digest it into playing. Something I really appreciate is that you almost never use guitar-specific terms.. It's never the 3rd fret of the 4th string, but the minor 3rd of the scale. I really appreciate that. Thanks a lot for all the content; as a hobby guitarist, it really helps me keep going :)

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like the videos, Ivan!

[@captainkoo]

I’m amazed at the number of times I couldn’t quite articulate an issue only to find your video stating the problem perfectly. I used to transcribe Bill Evans solos for piano, only to find that they were too long to be inserted into my playing. Thank you again for your brilliant teaching.

[@kilterkaos1]

You are one of the better teachers on KZbin. And I thank you for taking your time to post these videos.🙏👌

[@TheMegansdad]

Your breakdown of, what is to me, intricate analysis of complex ideas, turns them into user friendly and easily grasped concepts.Thanks for all you do for the guitar and those who love it.

[@insidejazzguitar8112]

This is a great lesson. After transcribing a few Charlie Parker solos, I noticed him using some same little phrases over and over but he alters them slightly and sometimes plays them in different places in the bar and connects them differently to other phrases.

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly :)

[@RC32Smiths01]

To know different types of licks make guitar playing so much more interesting definitely! Always a pleasure to watch!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks RC!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@JensLarsen Always a pleasure!

[@josephfuentes2251]

Thank you! by far the best teacher on KZbin!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Joseph! :)

[@thejamnasium6447]

You are an absolutely sensational teacher Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you John! :)

[@colindeibertmusic]

I tried playing jazz with my building blocks, but I took a Giant Step on a Lego.

[@JensLarsen]

Hahaha!

[@harveyhensley875]

Another helpful lesson particularly when combined with your excellent lesson on Coltrane Patterns.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@idnemgk]

Great look at building blocks and why they are important! Another thing (at least for me) that is very important is developing my control of dymanics and swing (or groove). That seems to be less present in many guitarists' playing. I feel very rewarded by all the work done with the intention of getting the building blocks to really dance! ... and I confess, listening for that in my own playing also provides excellent feedback on (the many) times when I've neglected that practice. : ) On the other side of that - perhaps only when I am well into the practice, these building blocks start to feel wonderfully flexible - that could also be enhanced by years of listening to how Coltrane plays with them. Interesting to hear which of the great players, build solos by playing a streams of well connected "buidling blocks", and which players spend more time playing with fewer "building blocks", but playing more with how they can be morphed and reshaped. Also note how that latter approach sounds to my ears, to be a later developement in the history of Bebop (and in the history of John Coltrane's playing). I haven't done this yet: make a note of recorded examples of that developement across the entire history of Jazz improvisation. Also, Jens, I'd love to follow you in a series of videos on your take on the different jazz teaching books that are out there! I hope you'd be including some that are not specifically for guitar, but that work very well for guitarists, as well. Thank you for sharing this video. It cheered me up and woke up my morning sleepy neurons. : -)

[@Jamsville]

I really like the perspective you take in this video. Breaking down phrases in to their smallest elements allows you to mix them up and create variations more easily, in your own style (similar to the comment I wrote on your FB post which I wrote before watching this video.) Also, I think Chad LB takes a similar approach with his “melodic cell” concept where he chains together melodic cells to play longer lines, although those are not necessarily transcribed ideas.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Adam. I did not check out that Chad LB video 🙂

[@ivankachkovski]

Thank you for this Sir! A series on books would be great indeed, I find Joe Pass books a bit overwhelming for instance (most probably I am just way below required level yet) but your comments help look for immediately applicable things! Fantastic!

[@benkatof4240]

Another excellent lesson. Maybe sheds some light on ideas behind the lines in your books, which I love.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Ben

[@stumpshot70]

Thanks Jens for putting out this video content during this trying global situation we find ourselves in. The last example with Parkers material ties in for me with what Barry Harris is talking about with some of his half step approaches. It's so fascinating how it all evolves as time goes on and who learns from who and who carries on these traditions.

[@qoodrink347]

Awesome video as usual Jens! Would love to see more videos exploring Joe Pass' playing, love his style. Also a book review series sounds great 👍

[@CliffieVanR]

Very valuable lesson - thanks Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome Cliff!

[@rockguitarmodes]

My first experience of Joe Pass licks was the REH video Single note lines. He separates tonalities into major minor and dominant only. That helped me a good deal at the beginning, just simplifying the thinking

[@HristoVelev]

Awesome lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@wadsmitter511]

I love the names of the sections: "Joe Pass is a Good Guitarist, Be Like Joe" and "Kurt Rosenwinkel Breaks the Rules (again)"

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I very much appreciate that 😁

[@benaiahwright937]

That was an amazingly insightful lesson!👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Watzzys]

Good and useful video! Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Great to hear 🙂

[@pablocerda234]

thanks so much for your content, it is really helping me to improve my playing way mor than I imagined, good vives and keep on uploading more of your great content

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I will do my best :)

[@anabsurdkitten623]

3:52 That's the first thing I thought when I heard that phrase, lol!

[@JensLarsen]

😄🙏

[@michaelthomson1855]

I would love that series about books! I'm looking for places to start to build my vocabulary and teach me how to aim for chord tones on the changes, and add some chromaticism, and there's the stuff on your channel for that but I'm also looking for some proper reading material and would love your recommendations in a video series

[@carlofrancisco5256]

Very informative! Subbed!

[@JensLarsen]

Awesome, thank you!

[@MrFaridash]

gratitude gratitude gratitude.

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome

[@gabrielecofano]

Please make the video about jazz guitar books! I'm sure it would be a great source

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Gabriele, if I make it then it probably be a series and also use it to discuss what it is about and exactly what it teaches you.

[@VictorPennaM]

Thanks!!

[@JensLarsen]

Welcome!

[@anthonyromero3193]

The first thing you said keep it short, sometimes less is more. That's a problem with some of my improvisation or solos, a bunch of notes that have no since

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly! 🙂

[@turpohd7541]

great video

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you

[@raulbanosg]

Great lesson, really valuable content, as usual. These days I was wondering what's your approach when you have to prepare a complete set for recording or playing live. What's your balance between preparing licks and lines and improvisation. Thanks for bringing me back to jazz.

[@ericschwartz9982]

I'd love your opinion on the Mikey Baker Book 1. Great lesson today. Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Eric

[@hargisP2]

Book review would be great!!

[@JensLarsen]

THansk Hargis!

[@hargisP2]

Jens Larsen by the way Mr Larsen, you are the first person to pronounce my name correctly. You said just right on the video mail.

[@JensLarsen]

@@hargisP2 Brilliant :) Pure luck though!

[@hargisP2]

Jens Larsen probably because it has a Danish sound 😆

[@JensLarsen]

@@hargisP2 Or Dutch?

[@HristoVelev]

At about 6:45, it's convenient to think about that as part of G locrian/halfdiminished, on the 5th degree of the dominant? Would that be ok?

[@JensLarsen]

It isn't a part of that scale since it contains an E (It is an Edim arpeggio after all) I would imagine that it is more efficient to just think C7 since that is what is being played, at least that is what I do. Often substitutions are just over thinking things that you don't hear.

[@HristoVelev]

@@JensLarsen ok will try that thanks!

[@hksonx]

There are thousands of lessons about licks. But there are very few good lessons about how to actually incorporate them into your playing.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@MHW133]

Thanks so much for this weeks subject. Concept of building blocks or devices is quite useful to keep grounded and stay musical On the subject of books one that is musical and helped my playing is Jazz Guitar Structures by Andrew Green. Very thorough treatment of minor 7th arpeggios, major +2 (major Coltrane pattern) and minor tetrachords structures over many different chord types. Fits the bill for short and expandable.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Never heard of that book 🙂

[@TimBeauBennett]

Would be keen on the book series - I've never checked it out, but I've heard mixed reviews about Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry, for example.

[@TimBeauBennett]

Also Steve Khan's books

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! Not sure which one of the Ted Greene books I studied from. Actually a lot of why people like or dislike these books is that they want to learn something that the book is not trying to teach

[@JensLarsen]

@Thomas Grey I did one a few years ago :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXSofXWBbbmDpdU

[@lesliengo]

So through this logic, should I be breaking down the phrases in Pat Martino's 'Linear Expressions' into smaller usable cells? Still not sure how to use that book.

[@JensLarsen]

That would make a lot of sense if they are very long at least.

[@stumpshot70]

That's pretty dense material...the way I study that material is in each of Pats "activities" break down what notes in those activities are chord tones and regular extensions (9, 11, 13)...and seeing as how he converts to minor almost constantly...I would say his version of minor is often Dorian mode (2nd mode of any Major scale)...after this analysis look at how he skillfully uses chromaticism or side slipping to get to the next chord tone. Pat is such a great guitarist to study.

[@cjgreen4331]

@@stumpshot70 I'm definitely going to try that out, I'm currently learning his solo on how insensitive, and I am SO confused by his 16th note phrases, how do you play all 12 notes over just 2 chords and make it sound good? not even straight chromatism either aside from like 2 passing tones. Pat is insane

[@salvadorgarcia8661]

Como siempre una clase formidable. Gracias maestro.

[@SharpElevenMusic]

But there is just one lick that will make your solo reeeally better... 😉 #almost

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly :)

[@SharpElevenMusic]

@@JensLarsen 😍😍🔥👀

[@endangeredoddities]

Good video

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you

[@tai16phanphuoc87]

Thank you ;)

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome!

[@glennbloomfield71]

Thanks Jens, this is perfect timing for me. I'm going through a Wes ideas, so much material. Breaking into segments makes it easier to manage the content.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@delanglaisfabrice6026]

thanks very interesting i would like to approuve reading music with my guitar could you give me a name for a book witch can help me ; by the way i buy your jazz book .

[@davidtardio9804]

All great stuff, but I do have one question. A lot of times I learn a ii V I phrase (or connect smaller phrases) and I'm starting to be able to insert them into my solos. My problem is connecting the first ii V I with the next one. So, for example, on Tune Up, how do you connect the first I chord with the following ii chord? Otherwise my solos sound like idea followed by idea, etc. rather than one long flowing idea.

[@JensLarsen]

Motivic development and call-response seem like obvious choices? 🙂

[@davidtardio9804]

@@JensLarsen I'll have to work on motivic development then. I'll do a search for this on your videos as well :)

[@JensLarsen]

@@davidtardio9804 Maybe start by finding some recordings of TuneUp that you like and then figure out what they do. You can probably hear that without having to transcribe everything note for note.

[@karlhorton185]

Hi, What is the guitar you are playing.?

[@JensLarsen]

It is an Ibanez AS2630 🙂

[@karlhorton185]

@@JensLarsen Thank's for the info, i am looking to get one.

[@themusiccovenant]

Jazz master

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you

[@themusiccovenant]

@@JensLarsen please see my channel sir. I have uploaded some amateur videos of acoustic jazz and double bass if you find time and comment 🙏

[@markburk2888]

Is the "voice leading" the musical term to describe the chromatic going from one arpeggio to another?

[@JensLarsen]

Not sure what you are referring to exactly?

[@lollo_9880]

03:53 HHHNNNNGGG

[@G0dbeast]

I almost started screaming

[@frankvaleron]

Don't forget to throw in your own books if you do that suggested reading video

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Frank. Not sure I feel that talking about my own books would be really appropriate.

[@frankvaleron]

@@JensLarsen fair enough Jens, although plenty of youtubers have no problem plugging anything and everything. if you make the video I'll leave a comment recommending them :)

[@JensLarsen]

@@frankvaleron Thank you, Frank 😁

[@wewennomagic6784]

Can i know what is the backing track song name?

[@JensLarsen]

Which backing track?

[@moishielevitsky4084]

what scale is this?

[@JensLarsen]

That varies from example to example

[@moishielevitsky4084]

@@JensLarsen the first and third example

[@JensLarsen]

@@moishielevitsky4084 Can you give me times in the video?

[@moishielevitsky4084]

@@JensLarsen ye sure first = 1:50 second = 5:33 third = 6:17

[@JensLarsen]

@@moishielevitsky4084 First is F major (it is a II V to an F major chord) with a leading note and the 3rd is also F major since it is a II V I in F, but on the C7 I am using F harmonic minor (with a leading note again) to create a little extra tension before resolving.

[@Millo1868]

When I put my building blocks together, instead of a Ferrari I get a non-running Yugo!

[@JensLarsen]

Hahaha! Keep building! :)

[@davidlynch4338]

Hi Jens, thanks for the great videos! they are very informative and helpful. But if I could offer a bit of advice, please do them without all the cuts. I would rather hear you say "uhhh... errrm..." or stutter than have the fast cut videos with no visible mistakes. The fast cuts give me a real fog in my eyes and head and make it impossible to get through an entire video. Just like recorded music doesn't sound great with hundreds of little clips linked together, video with hundreds of little perfect clips glued together is un-natural and really hard on the attention span. It is too bad that this is such a trend in videos at the moment... I have a feeling that this fast cut style is really having a negative effect on people's attention spans. Thanks all the same though and keep up the great work.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Actually editing like that is what most of the audience very clearly prefer, so I probably won't be able to change that for you. Sorry.

[@philliphanford2792]

What if you have to mow the lawn or take out the garbage? You noodle out of the IV chord maj 7 arp, IV chord Melodic minor. up a minor third to alt down a minor third to vanilla. What about the I chord? It's a four chord you don't have a one chord.

[@JensLarsen]

At least you would have fixed that! 🙂

[@philliphanford2792]

@@JensLarsen LOL yeah at least.

[@MrUnforgivablehope]

Joe pass has always been and will probably always be my favorite guitarist

[@dominicellis1867]

Those are just digital patterns Charlie Parker used those way before Coltrane.

[@thijs199]

0:00 hah grapjas

[@MarkGibbonsCh]

Now I'm drunk and it's your fault :)

[@JensLarsen]

Hahaha!

[@renehuacuja6895]

My eye twitched when only half of "The Lick" was played

[@gasparepellecchia]

the least ironed shirt of all youtube

[@inflatedear7131]

Great lesson!👍🎶☮️

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@landofold]

This is really good advice for stealing licks in any genre.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you

[@hargisP2]

Istealimlegos

[@passionearmiariacompressa883]

this is a totally wrong way to learn and play music. This is why most guitarists play tons of notes without saying anything. Guitar licks in music are like phrases in speech: to learn talk you don't have to memorize whole phrases, you have to learn words and concepts. Then you have to build your own phrases. In music is the same: you have to learn the basic grammar, then you have to develop a style (maybe inspired by great musicians) and this is the only way to make music. Otherwise, going on playing licks make you just a player and not a musician, without fantasy, with no emotional impact, with no sense of melody. Licks are just mechanical stuff, they are useful just to make fingers excercise

[@JensLarsen]

I think this video is exactly about finding the musical words and looking at how to build a sentence. To be honest I also think that you did not watch the video and just tried to guess what it is about....

[@rubo1964]

Only criticism I have for your approach is providing overwhelming information over and over.JUst play please stop the urge to impress with knowledge

[@crisrose521]

That’s a lot of talking to demonstrate “ short phrases “

[@JensLarsen]

I am paid by the minute