The topics in this section are mostly concerned with common but cool ways that players throughout all of the American styles play with the musical resources that are available. Some are very definite ways to do things, as say the half step lead in idea, others are less definitive, such as forward motion, but potentially important for the well rounded, creative artist. These topics are basically ways to view and manipulate our musical resources they know no definite stylistic bounds and are in some cases totally essential for the emerging creative artist. Remember, ya heard it here first. Just kidding. Here are the topics with a brief description of their content. Reference texts.
| back / middle / front of the beat | simply looks at how different players work the groove. |
| common tones | the idea of using one pitch to link two or more chords together. |
| double Two / Five | using the ideas of John Coltrane to increase the challenge and intensity of the common Two / Five / One cadential motion. |
| forward motion | a rhythmic concept that helps drive a players line forward as well as making the bar lines go away. |
| guide tone lines | creating very simple lines that help outline the chord qualities within a chord progression. |
| half step lead in | examines the simple but oh so essential blues and jazz harmonic motion. |
| pedal tones | discusses both the lower and inverted pedals within the American styles. |
| soloing over changes | basic ideas for creating diatonic melodic ideas within a set of written chord changes. |
| voice leading | examines the idea of voices as we move from one chord to another. |
| writing tunes | basic ways to begin writing one's own tunes for fun and performance in each of the popular American styles. |
| melodic motions / devices | the various ways we identify the motion of pitch to pitch within melodic line. |
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