Tutorial: 5 hot licks to make you sound clever!

[@camillesindell2740]

Authentic advice so appreciated. I’ve watched a gazillion videos and nobody acknowledges just how hard it is to get better. Weirdly comforting that everyone struggles.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

I agree, people tend to act like these things are easy which is daunting, it’s human nature to look down at others below unfortunately!

[@tzodearf2596]

Much love. Thanks for slowing down a little so we can hear better. Adding the notes on screen is a bonus. I wanted to ask you to do a video like this but didn't because you don't owe me a free lesson. But I plan to make the most of these since they're more fun than scales.

[@TheChurlishBoor]

It's nice having a successful musician taking the time to teach us these cool things. It helps to restore my faith back in humanity 🙂. Thanks man! 👍

[@md-ps2hx]

I love the niche you're carving out for yourself. These clips are the sound of a guy who's confident in what he knows and is unafraid to share. By showing these ideas, what you are doing is making us appreciate even more on what YOU and other musos can do ... even if you were to share EVERY single idea you ever had as a lesson, it still does not take away from your talent or fear of being 'ripped off' ... It makes us strive to use what you share into creating our own niche! What it also gives to people, is a foundation, direction and inspiration.

[@maxsonthonax1020]

Indeed so.

[@MJ98774]

+1 on that Kenny K solo. I never heard of him until I watched your band do it. Now? Your version, Kenny's different versions and three other guys who play Stings version are part of my daily listening/watching routine. All of them are addicting....I cant stop watching/studying them. Thanks for all you do! You and Willie Myette's free content is better than a lot of paid courses out there....both of you are excellent players/teachers!

[@watchaddicts1213]

You know…many people say that Gardening is a rewarding hobby!

[@misterpigman]

It is. ❤ I started with tritone substitutions, then ended with different kinds of chili plants and 7 chickens. Music and gardening is a perfect combination. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@blkrbbt]

I love you Matt. Im studying music because of your videos. Just bought the long video...

[@Studio55DavidV]

Funny how isolated, some of these licks sound like something that could be in a horror score but in context with the music it’s some of the most funky stuff ever 😂🙌🏽 🔥

[@MsWonderlicious]

This is wonderful- taking us all to the next level of the piano ladder. Your love of keyboards is infectious! 🙏

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks!

[@von_Apa]

Wow! ❤ The First time I want to pick up knowledge like this! The way you do it makes it so easy to understand. Thank you so much for your sharing! You are not only a fantastic artist you are also a super teacher!

[@arthurphoenixmusic]

Matt you're awesome! Clearly full of kindness and generosity for your fellow musicians, thank you

[@JeffPalmer83]

Great licks! My only suggestion would be that I would find these patterns a lot easier to conceptualize if you were showing them in terms of intervals or numeric scale tones instead of the specific notes. Still, really appreciate and enjoy content like this. Thank you for making and sharing it!!

[@winip9261]

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Thank you

[@Williamk492]

You have an amazing jazzy vibe in your style. Thanks for the lesson 👍🏻

[@joneliassen5549]

Having a day off from work tomorrow and now I know what I’m gonna do with that free time! Appreciate it, Matt!

[@laurasongsandsuch.6567]

I love this video...the sounds, colors, encouraging advice...everything!

[@DerrickMckenzieOfficial]

Maaaate what a great video you opened my eyes to just how the whole scale thing works!! Thanks for the wonderful explanation I love this bro 💯💯🙏🏾🙏🏾👍🏾👍🏾😃

[@DrUlrichSelz]

WOW! What a great video! Thanks so much!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Glad you liked it!

[@irenah613]

Tasty and helpful as always. I haven't seen any of the comments break down what's happening in the final lick in the video, which may be helpful for transposition. If the line sounds way more interesting and complex than the natural minor mode, it's because it is! The left hand lead notes are walking up the Ab natural minor scale just as Matt says. (Well, pretty much...the very first note in the LH is the major 7th, so it starts with a melodic minor vibe, but from that point on the left hand walks straight up the natural minor scale.) The trickier bit is what's happening in the right hand, which doesn't stick to any one diatonic scale. In fact the rh shifts through several Ab modes--even getting the Lydian 4th in there towards the end. The rh thumb is ascending the natural minor scale degrees as Matt says, and the other two fingers are simply building second inversion major triads off of those notes. Jazz players would say this is "constant structure" rather than diatonic. The theory may be a little nerdy, but I was fumbling trying to transpose that lick until I sorted it out.

[@104fingers]

Kenny Kirkland/Bring on the Night were huge reasons I wanted to be a musician! I’m stuck at work, so ima gonna go watch/listen to “Bring on the Night” while I’m coding and I’ll be back to you when I get behind my piano simulator tonight. Chick Corea, before he passed started a teaching series of videos during covid. Solidified his legacy in my mind as you are doing today. BTW: my first band was a total love affair with Jamiroquai. We covered, and reworked songs to sound like you guys. I was on keys!

[@peterevans8598]

Love it! Thanks Matt!

[@pilotdrift05]

You’re a true inspiration!

[@tomkey1637]

Without being too theoretical: the first lick could also be called "C altered scale" (C Db Eb E Gb Ab Bb -> root, b9, #9, major third, #11, b13, b7) Great ideas Matt - chears!

[@kzeich]

Lol yes. I think of it like this, the altered scale is the same as the lydian dominant scale a tritone away

[@MrSoulfree77]

Wow...thank you for breaking this down

[@michaelyoutubestuff2434]

Thank you Matt for all you do!! On your example, "Another Diminished lick" the example does not do the "all the same phrase", moved down in min3rds. You kinda mix up the intervals a bit, and not really diminished, but you are still moving them down in min3rds. Just in case anyone else is confused. Very cool sounding though!

[@PurpleTonalCentral27]

thank you! you are a brilliant teacher! already used your ideas in my recent recording and it works wonderful! please keep doing videos like this, it really makes sense. for sure there are tons of such a lesson online, but not with such a delicious taste and such a lovely presentation! :) 🍀

[@JimmyCaswell]

Thanks Matt. Will give these a whirl. Especially no5 and the diminished. J

[@AlexanderNagel]

Great stuff! 10:35 ... if lick 1 is A Bb D C#, lick 2 is F# G B A# then lick 3 should be D# E G# G (not D# E A G#) and lick 4 should be C Db F E (instead of C Db Gb F). Anyway, sounds good the way you play it though ;)

[@ryanbiscoglia7074]

This is SOOO helpful. Thank you SO much!

[@matthewhutchinson7366]

Thank you for this cool and generous video lesson. Always look forward to whatever you want to share.

[@neilloughran4437]

Brilliant video Matt... that "out" sound is so prevalent across modern music. I've tried to transcribe a few bits of solos over the last few decades (off the top of my head Chick Corea, Kenny Barron, Joanne Grauer, Rob Franken and even Toby Smith's live solo on Space Cowboy from an ITV broadcase in 1994 or so!) and I tend to just try and grab the concept rather than play verbatim... throwing in all these licks with different rhythmic feels, different keys, up/down, forwards/backwards takes a lot of time but is so rewarding... especially getting to a point where you don't have to think about all the fingering/technical aspects.... still getting there 30-40 years later... Was very surprised you're a self taught player btw! Great stuff...

[@etpslick100]

Wow! Even as a bassist who loves the Rhodes and plays keys on occasions, this definitely will open my mind to a lot of ideas! Thanks Matt. 😌🎹🎶❤️👍🏾

[@davidburne9477]

Looking forward to seeing Jamiroquai at Harvest Rock in Adelaide this October.

[@ajotech]

Wow that’s amazing! Thank you for sharing Matt, definitely will be supporting your work.

[@joshbottz]

Thank you so much for sharing these! Super valuable content.

[@justin.johnson]

"Emergency on planet earth is what we got" Thanks Matt as always ❤

[@eduardog8758]

Like always fantastic thanks from México

[@MrRIROCH]

Thanks for being so generous man !

[@Indianabones007]

Instant buy for me, thanks Matt! Asked before about sheet music for your lessons as videos are too fast for my old brain but the midi files and the slowed down verion are perfect and will help aa lot.

[@danielortizdecaracas]

Beloved master mr Matt you re the best

[@syariefsynth]

Thank you so much...very good tutorial❤😍👍👍

[@Byron101_]

I really love this tutorial - please more!! ❤

[@rushcoilpdx]

Dude you're just the best. Always inspirational.

[@russellyoung6498]

Brilliant Matt, thank you.

[@orpheuscreativeco9236]

Thank so much Matt! ✌️✨ Brilliant 🙌 I really appreciate your positivity, always cheers me up and gives me hope for humanity 👍

[@ruudvincent6078]

Thanks a lot for this. As a autodidact player it’s still usefully these videos. What’s really interesting for me is left hand jazz chords, or a certain base chord where you can solo on instead of basic A or C. Always try to filter it out of your helpful videos.

[@andyandtheotherone]

This is brilliant. So good to have some really great licks broken down and explained so nicely.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks mate

[@clauscanstein]

Thanks a lot for this nice little inspiration - will try 'em immediately. ❤ Best from Hamburg…!

[@robertdepiano]

Thank you Matt ❤

[@meh9045]

Lovely! Thanks for this!

[@adamploof3528]

That first half of the first lick, the F#7b5 chord -- another way of thinking about that is that it's the melodic minor scale in C#. For jazz players, a lot of people would look at that lick and be thinking of it as an altered dominant scale in C. The altered dominant scale being the 7th mode of the melodic minor scale. That sounds like a mouthful I know, but it's actually a simplification in some ways. Instead of thinking "play a dominant scale with a flat 5 up a tritone from the root", you can just keep it all in C -- play a C altered scale back into a C minor pentatonic.

[@WESSERPARAQUAT]

CLASS Player Matt!

[@joseluismadridandino9098]

That's very good. Do You have the partituras? You are the Best.

[@philippezsiga1125]

Just seen it now !!! I Was so busy …. I Was waiting for long time for a new “” licks “” video. Thank you so much Matt. Cheers philippe from France

[@philippezsiga1125]

And i am going to rush to have the midifile instead of killing my eyes with slow motion video to see your fingering like in the first videos!!! Thank u so much for everything. Take care of u, always.

[@johnpapamichail5284]

Matt you are one of the best 👌

[@SugarSugar75]

Such great insight you are willing to share. Really appreciate your playing style and your approach to teaching. 5 ⭐️.

[@AURELIOPENNA]

This is a great material thanks a lot!

[@B3-R]

Thanks, very interesting licks

[@MrYboxuitg]

Thanks for this!!!!

[@anandgodane8022]

Thank you so much sir ❤️

[@Geepstar]

I always thought of you as a funky soul player. Jazz suits you great! Thanks Matt.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Yea funk and soul def is my main thing!

[@donato77]

All fantastic as usual. At the end of the day, you should be leading your own modern jazz band.

[@EduardoSposito-e4y]

Great Matt!!!!!

[@odradek5857]

Amazing! Love you, man!

[@konradbuschhuter5942]

Good content always, thanks for sharing!

[@WESSERPARAQUAT]

La Luna sounds like No1 Material to my ears! :))

[@peterbrazier4370]

Good job really useful thanks so much 😎

[@djtomt]

So great!!

[@davidmccall4776]

Thanks Matt, I'm really enjoying your videos and learning quite a lot from them. Are you familiar with the Chuck Leavell organ solo in Sea Level's "Grand Larceny?" If not, I'd love for you to listen to it and perhaps do a video about it, if it interests you. Thanks. 🎹🎹🎹👍

[@schirmerchristophe671]

the first lick is also the third degree of the C# melodic minor (C#M7#5). So over a minor7 chord we can play a half tone higher, a minor melodic scale...😊

[@TheKeyboardChronicles]

Amazing amazing work as always, thanks Matt!

[@EduardoSposito-e4y]

Thanks a lot

[@seatyourself7082]

I love that title

[@dmcgwhisper5945]

Thank you!!!!

[@dukeofanchor]

Fantastic stuff

[@lundsweden]

Funking hell, those licks gonna make me sound like a real keyboard player 😅

[@jon_gee]

Love ya Matt!!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@gbcraw]

So nice!

[@vitaminfian]

Top, top guy. ❤️

[@marcuspatzer2392]

Very good Video Matt ❤ Warmest Regards my Friend 😊 Marcus 🕊️🎹🙋‍♂️

[@MJ98774]

Also, could you do an analysis of Jorge Dalto's solo on "Affirmation?" There are a lot of guys covering it, but your explanation of how it all ties together would be great. TY!

[@neilloughran4437]

That's a great solo.... I believe there are videos on youtube already on that... or at least there were.

[@ASDPOWER]

love your videos

[@Alfred_English]

intro gave me a Poo Poo La La jumpscare. brilliant track, hadn't listened to it in years

[@marcelvdberg4140]

thanks alot❤❤❤❤❤

[@SkillipEvolver]

Ah it makes sense now! I mean -- sort of 😆 that solo in the sting song is great. Funny enough I was just listening to LaLuna on my ride home 🏍️ it's a great track with a nice movement to it. I really like the chord progression as it takes you from a kind of 'doubting' feeling, to a 'reconsidering' feeling (the way the chords change). ---i think I could've put that better! But hopefully I make sense!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Perfect!

[@larrbaII]

Nice matt.

[@christianschilk]

Bought it! Warm thanks. Tutorial Idea (...Wish 🤭): "Turnarounds and Passing Chords by MJ" 😋

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Great suggestion!

[@Reg-Edit]

Killing it 🎹🖐❤️

[@BenD_Bass]

How do you feel about the internet funk movement? I personally love it, I'm a bass player. I love the sound of electric piano and funk guitar. Vulfpeck is what started it for me

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Yeah I like it

[@MrKeys57]

oh! i am such an "ol dog" i could never learn this! - though its very nice to watch and listen to your vids! cheers from Sweden, Levi

[@Bashanvibe]

I need this

[@zzush]

Great video Matt ❤, i guess the first lick is actually based on C Altered scale?

[@FelixSunMusic]

THANK YOUUUUUUU

[@redmusichouse]

Thanks for these great licks, Matt! Just wondering what that piano sound is you’re using. It sounds really good!! Is it from the Montage?

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Yea it’s a patch I made using the internal samples

[@su4691]

What are the drums? Sounds really nice!!!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

They are a loop from splice

[@jacobsorensen9394]

Amazing licks - great for inspiration! I really like the "MJ beauty Piano" sound on your montage. Is that based on internal samples from Yamaha, or was it done by sampling other instruments? It can be a bit tricky to find good sounds for the Montage and MODX keyboards.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

It’s based on internal samples. Great sounds are in there sometimes you have to dig a little!

[@jacobsorensen9394]

@@MattJohnsonJamiroquai an idea for a new video could be "Setting up your Montage or MODX for funk" :). Tweaking the internal sounds for Rhodes, Clavinet, B3 and piano + 1-2 good solo leads. Thanks for really nice videos!

[@104fingers]

For God’s sake, I need you guys to come to Vegas. I’ll buy a whole row of seats!

[@kzeich]

Great lesson Matt, how do you resolve lick number two? If you start on A let's say.

[@kzeich]

I think I've answered my own question please correct me somebody if I'm wrong. Riff number two, started on Note A: the four dominant chords that would work over that riff are A7 C7 Eb7 or F#7

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

I think it so depends on the musical situation. That’s why these licks have to be played and played until you can make your own sense of them

[@miladydewinter8551]

I hope I can sound like a clever clogs with these excellent licks

[@henriquematias1986]

What’s the keyboard being used in the video? ( thanks a lot for your amazing content )

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Yamaha Montage