These Scale Exercises Are Immediately Great Jazz Licks

You want to use the things that you practice, and if your scale exercises are already solid licks then you can easily sound better. Let's have a look at 3 solid examples that are "instant Bebop"
Scale Exercises don't have to be dry technical things, they should both sound better and really connect with what you want to play in your solo. The 3 examples in this video (actually 4) are great ways to create some amazing Bebop lines, and two of them are coming out of the Barry Harris approach to soloing.
The Bebop Secret:
• Bebop Magic - One Of T...
The 3 Bebop Licks You NEED to know:
• The 3 Bebop Licks You ...
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Content:
00:00 Intro
00:23 Practice Bebop Arpeggios, not just chord tones!
00:43 Triplets And Bebop
01:41 Triplets and Chromaticism
02:33 Barry Harris Knows A Few Tricks!
04:22 Bebop Boost Your Scale Runs
05:36 A Way to Make You Jazz Solos So Much Better
05:40 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!
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My name is Jens Larsen, Danish Jazz Guitarist, and Educator. The videos on this channel will help you explore and enjoy Jazz. Some of it is how to play jazz guitar, but other videos are more on Music Theory like Jazz Chords or advice on how to practice and learn Jazz, on guitar or any other instrument.
The videos are mostly jazz guitar lessons, but also music theory, analysis of songs and videos on jazz guitars.
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[@JensLarsen]

Recommend a great scale exercise and tell us why it is useful! ✅The Bebop Secret: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKbIe3p5iNh6odE ✅The 3 Bebop Licks You NEED to know: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJqpi5eCm5yUZ9E

[@michaeldennisguitarlessons]

Here is a guitar player-friendly concept. Play the fingering pattern [2143] across any fret of the guitar fingerboard. For example, play the fingering pattern across the 5th fret. The notes sounded by your 1st finger [ADGCEA] create an Am pentatonic scale. The notes sounded by your 3rd finger [BEADF#B] create a Bm pentatonic scale. The notes sounded by your 2nd and 4th fingers are chromatic approach tones to the "2" pentatonic scales. Essentially, this concept creates an "A Dorian" sound with the Am and Bm pentatonic scales along with additional "outside" sounds. Experiment with string groupings and string skipping.

[@Joe_Dominates]

Your video editing is unreal. So good. These shorter vids are like HIIT workouts - so much quality packed into short bursts. Hopefully it appeals to the ADHD of younger generations and helps propagate the jazz tradition 😂

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Joe! I will pass it on to my editor as well :)

[@douglaspiper7804]

One more quick comment Mr. Larson. You introduced me to another talented and very cool person, Mr. Rotem Sivan when he joined you for a lesson! So, thank you for that too!! With respect to you, Doug P

[@Dang...]

Wow, this is such a helpful lesson! Jens, your ability to express musical ideas so clearly and concisely is brilliant. Thank you very much for this. Your lessons truly make the world a better place.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Dan 🙂 Glad you find it useful!

[@douglaspiper7804]

Very well said!! My sentiments exactly! Doug.

[@Przemasso]

Great lesson, as always! If there's anything to complain about, is the fact that once again I need to wait till afternoon to practice new stuff :)

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks! Go for it! Where are you going to start?

[@Przemasso]

@@JensLarsen so the funny thing is that few days ago friend of mine, kind of "introduced" me the person of Barry Harris. Since then I've soaked into his albums and now you're showing his way of practicing. In this case answer could be only one - pivot arpeggios, sir! :)

[@larryhall2805]

You voiced what I was also thinking, Pz.

[@antonparas4782]

jens you should do an AMA/Q&A. your channel is the library of alexandria of jazz. you've created accessible, comprehensive videos on musical topics that few other youtubers would cover. im sure many of us have questions about your musical journey would be nice to collect the most popular questions & answer them either on a youtube video or written post :)

[@JensLarsen]

I used to do that, but there wasn't really that much interest. One thing that I do suspect is that a lot of people mistake knowing what something is for being able to play like that, or expect that if they get an explanation then they can automatically play something. But you can go back and check out the old videos, I think I did around 10 before I gave up because there was too little interest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kF6QZXl6ZceIha8

[@antonparas4782]

@@JensLarsen Maybe try again sometime! A few years is a long time, you have 300K+ subscribers, and I personally know I would provide tons of good questions 🙂 some about music, but mostly about you! I know you have an undergraduate degree in math, so what are your favorite/most hated parts of math? Do you think your mathematical background has affected your musical career? If you were to try starting over - learning jazz guitar from scratch today, how do you think you’d do? What would you do differently? those are some example questions (that I would like answered, but no pressure 😅)

[@JensLarsen]

@@antonparas4782 Haha! I really appreciate that :) I still doubt if it would really work though, but I will keep it in mind, maybe occasionally doing something if I can find a way :)

[@danqodusk8140]

Jens, in the last hour it has become abundantly clear to me I haven't visited your channel anywhere near often enough to learn solid material and skills. I just bookmarked 4-5 of your lesson presentations involving elements you learned from Barry. I never heard his name mentioned until today. I now I have several great videos of yours I will review and get to work on. The materials I bookmarked are exactly the stimuli I need right now. The music gods put me into the right place at the right time. In reference to you alluding to owning an SRV Strat. My primary guitar is a sunburst deluxe Strat. As you know, it has lots of tonal possibilities. I always use the neck pickup to get a thicker, warmer sound. Thank you very much for all of your work! By the way, the little funny elements you add to your videos are quite creative and welcomed.

[@marknolan5644]

Great lesson, thank you for the density and clarity of your explanations. No BS with your video.

[@JensLarsen]

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

[@kevinelliott5823]

That pivot thing makes my brainy parts feel😵‍💫 very cool

[@JensLarsen]

Great! That is super useful to learn 🙂

[@djmileski]

Holy sh1t, this one video will give me weeks of practice material

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it! 🙂

[@salvadorgarcia8661]

A great lesson.I have learned a lot from it. Thank you teacher.

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome

[@wenjacklow]

Love how brief and to the point this video is!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@tenbroeck1958]

One of the most easy to understand and directly applicable tools for a jazz player

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@InformedMisery]

I learn a lot from your videos, but this one has been particularly enlightening.

[@JensLarsen]

Really glad to hear that 🙂

[@RogerFedora]

Wow so tasteful and musical. Beautiful. I can't wait to try it.

[@thpthp]

I got a LOT out of this video. Thanks so much.

[@JensLarsen]

That's great! They indeed exercises that I also return to all the time 🙂

[@gabrielrothley]

I really like the sound of the 6th Interval combined with scale runs. Actually it took me a long time to understand that a sixth is basicly the sound of a first Inversion triad but with a nice intervallic Sound 🙂

[@JensLarsen]

I look at it as an inverted 3rd, which also explains why it is melodic or at least easy to make melodic 👍

[@gabrielrothley]

@@JensLarsen yes that's true. I think i need to work on visualising intervals from the melody voice and not just from the bass note. Thats also very helpful for harmonizing melodies 👌

[@donaldmccoy49]

My friend, this is GENIUS!! I may have taken a giant leap this evening...thanks to YOU... and an awesome theory lesson .. thanks man!!

[@JensLarsen]

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

[@wilfriedmarkenstein]

Great and comprehancive 👍🎸 BIG the Jens

[@wilfriedmarkenstein]

Great and comprehansive 💪🎸 BIG Thx for sharing Jens

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure! Do you have a favourite exercise that you use?

[@DaveLynchJazzGuitar]

Jens this is great stuff!! I'm working on a few a your bebop videos. Very helpful. Keep it up! Thanks.

[@vgm_composer]

1:52 nailed it

[@alexli3667]

Love it~!!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@cbolt4492]

This is just great Jens. Thanks so much 😎

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gauravbrahmankar6871]

great title ! thanks for this !

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@bobparsonsartist564]

This is really packed!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@SpartanLaserCanon]

Thanks. These are great things for me to add to what I already play.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear it! Go for it!

[@milesparrish]

Great lesson, as usual.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it! What is your "most useful" scale exercise?

[@sgazzz]

Wow, really great tips!!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gonzalosurvideos]

Excelent to practice!!

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it 🙂

[@hydeman75]

ow great ! thanks Jens

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@jefffogle1288]

Best video yet - very powerful! Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@KennethGonzalez]

Great installment, Jens! 😀

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@DexterTheater]

Really good Jens. Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheMegansdad]

Great lesson Jens. Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@TunaLoopBackingTracks]

Great scale exercise Jens! Very musical method for practising arpeggios. Will try it out :) Have a great day!

[@JensLarsen]

Have fun!

[@trevortimoko7512]

Great lesson Jens Many thanks

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@carlosixty6876]

thank you very much, your videos are very interesting

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@BillyJ57]

Great lesson here Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you so much Bill! 🙂

[@hoovacant]

This lesson is gem that makes me re-subscribe your patreon. very inspiring. I can say that this one one of the best scale study video of yours. Thank you so much

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!!! :) See you over there!

[@samuelemahtolo]

Many, many thanks. That's all I have to say...

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! How do you work on scale exercises and get them into your playing?

[@samuelemahtolo]

You wouldn't believe me but right now I don't even have a guitar or a place where I can practice. My story is an incredible one. Maybe someday, I might tell you. It's already a great priviledge to be able to access KZbin and watch those great lessons of yours. The good news is...the end of the tunnel is maybe, just days away !

[@JensLarsen]

@@samuelemahtolo Great! Hang in there 🙂

[@Llirik_Kuynorov]

valuable, visual, very comprehensive. Thank you for your excellent work :)

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@cfibanez]

Pure GOLD Jens. You nailed it again. Thanks a lot for this. I will be working on the PIVOT arpeggio now for a while. Cheers!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Carlos! Go for it!!

[@benkatof4240]

Great stuff Jens! Ive been doing more and more of this type of practice - especially the triplet and chormatic leading note on the root and the 3rd too. Makes practice more fun and productive.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! That is indeed super useful to work on!

[@BedeLaplume]

Great tuto for practices..

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it

[@tioliak]

I'm not a jazz guitarist, but I find this really helpful! Great teaching, Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@yamadapc]

Super helpful; will need to come back to this (there's quite a bit of material). Thank you so much!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@carlosalcala1004]

Thanks again,

[@JensLarsen]

Always welcome! Any exercises you want to recommend?

[@carlosalcala1004]

@@JensLarsen diminished and whole tones patterns for developing languages.

[@GJSsongsmith]

Brilliant

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@TheLuigigi]

Condensato di consigli essenziali

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@pieceoffake7443]

Such a good video

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@pablosuarez8275]

Im an improvisar guitarist, and i' ve been studying for several years. Understand jazz language always have been hard for me. As you explain it makes me much easier the study. Thank you very much! 💪💪💪

[@JensLarsen]

Really glad to hear that, Pablo 🙂

[@douglaspiper7804]

Thank you so much for making such informative videos! I really appreciate the video lesson from an earlier time! I wish my parents were as passionate about my love of music in my younger years. Perhaps I might have been at a music symposium to expand my knowledge and depth of intervallic study. Thank you Mr. Jens Larsen, for your information and inspiration for melodic practice and study. Respectfully, Doug Piper.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@douglaspiper7804]

@@JensLarsen Love all your videos!! Thank you kindly. Be well sir.

[@alexanderkyd6152]

More videos on "Chromaticism" please! Outstandingly helpful.

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe some of these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHvUfK2kh5uMaJI

[@elenadelisle]

Thanks for this! Love your videos! I'm confused about how you're using the metronome. Do you have it on beats 2 and 4? thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Yes, I often have the metronome on 2 & 4

[@Chris-cf2kp]

4:30 Misterioso :D

[@baloon]

You are a great teacher. Thank you. I'm curious to know why you move out of position when you do these exercises. For example, in exercise #2 you stretch your 2nd finger out of position to play the chromatic note and subsequent arpeggio. Is their a reason or just your personal preference?🙂

[@JensLarsen]

That is of course a personal choice, but in this case it is also what gives you the best sounding phrasing in my opinion.

[@juliendrouot128]

Jens, it was fantastic as always! One question : "leading tone sounds great on the downbeat" I noticed that as well in a lot of solos that i transcribed, but how would you practice this, to implement it in one's playing and make it sound right? I always thought the "rule" is to use passing tones on up beats. Thank you :)

[@JensLarsen]

Be careful with rules :) I guess you should just explore how you make that sound good, so try to make lines where there is a leading note on the beat? A lot of it is taste, and there are not really any rules that can't be broken anyway

[@juliendrouot128]

@@JensLarsen thank you so much, well noted for me 😉

[@somtingwongwai7194]

arhhh! Mr Larsen I'm still struggling on the previous lessons. How am I going to refrain from this one?

[@JensLarsen]

You can do it! 😂

[@MichaelPlak]

Hey Jens, It's been 2 years already since you made a video about jazz tone (on a strat), but I really would love a video about Jazztone on a hollow body, because I find it very hard to get the jazz sound I want. I would love to know more about AMP Settings (no AX8 studio settings), guitar settings, picks, strings, Polytone amp or someting else, what are some good jazz elements for a hollowbody etc. I have a D'angelico EXL-1 Throwback myself and I fell in love hearing the original introduction video of the EXL-1 Throwback and the B-Style. For me that was the sound i wanted, but now i have the guitar I just don't feel like I sound thay way. Hopefully you can help me out and maybe some other people with the same problem! Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Did you miss this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZ25aq2goqqIh68

[@MichaelPlak]

@@JensLarsen I actually have seen that video. I probably have seen every KZbin video about jazz tone, but for some reason I don't feel like it makes to much of a difference for me. Or maybe not as big as I want to. I have tried the settings from the Princeton reissue on my Fender Twin Reverb Jensen speaker edition reissue, but I still don't feel like I have the sound of a stereotypical jazz sound

[@JensLarsen]

You need to learn to use your ears when you try to dial in a tone, not just try to take over settings. No video will ever help you if you only do that.

[@MichaelPlak]

You are right! I hope it comes throught the years. I will keep practicing to hopefully find what I am looking for! Thankyou for you're advice

[@mwicks1968]

Love the Barry Harris tips! Using a Metronome: you set the click to 2 & 4? What BPM do you recommend starting with? Great video as always Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! It depends on what you are used to. If you are new to practicing with a metronome like that then take a medium tempo and start with something you can already easily play, once that is comfortable then you can see what fits for other exercises. So I would say around 120bpm which would give you 60 bpm on the metronome?

[@mwicks1968]

@@JensLarsen I’ll try that - I really struggle with a metronome!!!

[@JensLarsen]

@@mwicks1968 It does take some practice, but only in the beginning

[@mwicks1968]

@@JensLarsen I just need to sit myself down with a Metronome one evening, and fall in love with it then!?!?!

[@JensLarsen]

@@mwicks1968 You can try :D

[@klinedinstdan]

Jens, is there anyway to print the tabs/music of the exercises? Thanks for a great lesson!

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, follow the link in the video description to download a PDF 🙂

[@klinedinstdan]

@@JensLarsen Thanks! I see it now.... Happy to support you sir.

[@guitarrathiago]

So I just choose what other note to put ? Like after FMaj7 arpeggio I played D ( the 13th ). Or I can choose then other tensions ? Like. The 9th ?

[@JensLarsen]

If you like the sound then yes. Phrasing wise the 6th sounds more natural

[@peterron5522]

Hej Jens. Vil du ikke lave en video hvor du snakker lidt om gypsyswing/gypsy jazz? Synes ikke jeg kan finde noget på din kanal. Jeg er kæmpe fan af Django Reinhardt og spiller selv en del, men kan jo altid bruge lidt mere input fra en professionel 😉

[@JensLarsen]

Tusind tak! Jeg spiller ikke selv Gypsy Jazz og der er hundredvis af kanaler der handler om det, så det har jeg valgt at overlade til dem 🙂 Prøv at checke Robin Nolan eller Christiaan Van Hemert?

[@adhoc37]

Great stuff but I'm struggling with my filing...

[@JensLarsen]

Then fix that so you can get to practice guitar! :)

[@stephenhoward2245]

Jens when I started learning jazz the point I missed is like all other music forms there's a prearranged piece to play. You can then jazz with this but you already have the original formula 🙂 This should be stressed.Jazz isn't in most cases just playing innovative scales.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, it is important to realize that we are in fact just playing songs :)

[@stephenhoward2245]

🎼🎶

[@mohamadkheradmand587]

in first chord progression the Bdim arpeggio i think its not correct the second string should be 9th fret not 10 it should be G#

[@86lanzo]

Jens.. are these exercises in your book??

[@JensLarsen]

No, but there is a link to my website in the video description and you can download a PDF in that article.

[@bill3837]

dont forget the bliesa

[@ishaq24722]

Very good stuff… BTW, if you care to deal with this question somewhat off-topic: I don’t know if you're very familiar with Grant Green. He plays somewhat what I think may be some form of triplet (played very fast or maybe a double triplet) in his solos that are very unique. I never heard anyone playing that but him. Are you aware of that style? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIq0iX-tqaymg7s Green solo starts at 3: 25...if you care to listen.... on Lee Morgan's Mr. Kenyatta. I know you're busy...I'll figure it out sooner or later...thanks anyway! He may be just toggling the notes.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Zak! You can interpret the phrase in many ways. It is a very common trill that you will find all over Wes and Metheny's play as well (to name a few) I talk about Grant using a variation on it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpLEXpdpqsuDfbs

[@ishaq24722]

@@JensLarsen Thanks Jens for that answer. You're a great guy and a wonderful musician and teacher!

[@FrankFurther]

Always figured I would like jazz more once I could improvise in this way but it still all sounds bad