Modernize Your Solos with THIS Interval:

There’s a lot of talk about “playing outside the chord changes” to get a more modern sound in your solos.

But the truth is, you can play lines that are completely diatonic (all notes “in key”) and still sound super modern by using particular intervals.

Take a look at this old school bop line:

It's got that classic sound from the 1940’s and 1950’s. And what is the primary interval used?

The third.

Does that mean thirds can’t sound modern? Of course not – but it may require that you go outside the scale to get that edgier sound you’re after.

Now, let’s set that third aside and focus on its next door neighbor: the fourth.

Have a look at this line:

Super hip! There’s something harmonically ambiguous about fourths that gives them that floaty, hard-to-pin-down, modern flavor.

The same is true for suspended chords: they’re inherently unresolved because the fourth is “suspended” above the third. (We'll get more into sus chords in another email.)

So, if you want your solos to sound more modern and hip, try working some extra fourths into your lines. You don't even need to go outside the key.

And if you want a slew of other soloing ideas, be sure to check out Sick Licks – my brand new, six-book series for improvisers who want to build up their soloing vocabulary over the most popular chord progression in jazz music: the ii - V - I.

Each book focuses on a particular style (Classic, Blues, and Modern) and a specific skill level (beginner and intermediate/advanced).

To learn all about Sick Licks, hear demos, and discover how you can super charge your improvised solos with the power of a strong jazz vocabulary, click the link below (and be sure to enter code: SICK20 at checkout to save 20% on your order):

https://go.jeffschneidermusic.com/sick-licks

Happy Shedding,

Jeff