In this jam we will jam over a simple C blues. Even though the performance window has closed, you can still practice the jam and watch other students' performances.

In this lesson you'll learn how to use double-stops in your improvisation. Double stops create a lot of nice tension in your solo.

By playing a song in more than one style, you can create some really fun arrangements and bring some sparkle to your song arrangements.

Now that you’ve learned how to build a funk groove using just 2 chords and examined the role of each instrument in the rhythm section, it’s time to learn to solo over the funk groove! In this companion lesson to “Building a Funk Groove,” we will teach you 7 practice steps for gaining confidence, developing fluidity, and improving your soloing abilities using just one scale! These 7 steps can be applied to your practice in all genres of music.

In this lesson, we will teach you how to play two classic funk-party Michael Jackson tunes – “Shake Your Body Down to the Ground” and “The Way You Make Me Feel.” Students will learn how to play these great keyboard-centric grooves and will learn the finer points of funk rhythm-reading and counting (which draws heavily on 16th-note rhythms). You will learn the importance of transposition and will show you how to think about the chords in a way that makes transposition much easier to practice. In addition, you’ll get a total of 4 jam tracks!

In this lesson, we will show you how to play the piano-based funk groove that makes up Earth Wind & Fire’s classic funk-party hit “September.” You will learn the chords and specific voicings, as well as the left-hand bassline, that make up this groove, and we will show you how to practice establishing the groove using your metronome and the 2 provided jam tracks.

This is an instantly recognized funky party tune that you will want to have in your repertoire. In this lesson, you will learn how to play this song on an organ patch and teach you all the chords necessary to play this Stevie Wonder hit. In addition, we will demonstrate the traditional and alternate chord voicings that you can use during your own performances and will break down the three sections that make up the entirety of this song, demonstrating how easy it is to have the entire song memorized.

Part 2 of Funk Reading.

In this lesson, you will be introduced to four rhythmic values (quarter, 8th, triplet, and 16th notes) and will work through various exercises of increasing difficulty. In the final part of this lesson, you will learn a concept known as “polyrhythms” and will show you a great exercise that will get you thinking (and moving) like a drummer.

Picking up where Part I left off, this lesson will continue to examine “sound families” that a synth player may commonly use in his/her playing, as well as a couple “licks and tricks” that work particularly well on synths. You will learn the importance of experimenting with various sounds, and listening so as to be able to quickly identify sounds that you hear and find them on your synth.

In this lesson, you will learn some of the common aspects of playing a synthesizer using the Yamaha Motif ES6, a very frequently encountered and popular synth. We will discuss the differences of playing a piano as opposed to a synth, the features which are unique to synth playing, and some of the various “sound families” with which synth players should be familiar. A practice plan is included as well!

In this lesson you will be shown 6 different funky chord progressions, each 2-4 measures in length in varying keys. In each groove, the instructor will highlight 5 various points: (1) How to build the chords; (2) How to understand the rhythm and work with the metronome; (3) How to play along with the provided jam track; (4) Variations of the chords and progression for further exploration; and (5) Scales that you can use for soloing over the progression.

Oftentimes funk tunes are built on the traditional 12-bar blues form. The elements which transform a tune from a swing-blues to a funk-blues are usually things like groove, instrumentation, and comping rhythms. In this lesson, we will teach you a powerfully effective yet simple blues-funk comping groove. In addition, you will also learn to add a left hand baseline, a funky fill, and even a bonus chapter which discusses a commonly-encountered funk voicing for dominant chords.

Have you ever wanted to groove right along with the most classic clavinet hooks on some of the greatest funk tunes of all-time, but had trouble capturing that elusive sound? In this lesson, we will explain (1) why that sound is so difficult to capture, (2) the sounds he uses on his keyboard to replicate those classic clav patches and (3) how to play these awesome, essential funk grooves using a step-by-step process. And you’ll also get 6 great play-along jam tracks as part of the lesson.

This lesson puts you IN THE STUDIO! You’ve just been asked to play on a recording session which will feature a new smooth jazz/funk song entitled “Downtown Funk.” The producer has sent you the sheet music and the track in advance of the gig. You will learn all of the necessary preparation: understanding how to read the chart and why it is so different from reading classical music; how to work and count through difficult rhythms; how to interpret and build great-sounding chords; how to practice the tune; scales you can use to solo over the chords; how to select your sounds and what is meant by the expression “splitting your keyboard.” This lesson is packed with in-depth explanations and has everything you need to get ready to jam along with this great track!

In this lesson, we will examine and discuss the concept of upbeats and downbeats. Then, students will work on a variety of rhythmic exercises using a drum track, eventually learning to play a simple chord progression where the focus is on rhythm-reading. Lastly, students will be introduced to a “rhythm chart,” and you will learn what it is, how to read it, and why it is used.

In this lesson you will learn 5 scales that are essential when learning how to solo over a funk groove. Each chapter will present a new scale and will examine how the scale is constructed, relevant music theory information, the chords over which each scale can be used, and demonstrations of each scale using a jam track (which is also provided). Scales to be discussed include pentatonic, blues, mixolydian, dorian, and lydian dominant.

In this lesson, we will continue teaching funk licks #6-10, this time splitting the Yamaha Motif to feature two different sounds in each hand. These licks get slightly more advanced but are still built over the Bb-7 to Eb7 chord progression (ii – V progression), meaning that you can use these licks in all styles of music.

In this lesson, we will use the Yamaha Motif synth to teach you funk licks #1-5 which you can practice and use in your playing. Each lick is meant to highlight a different concept, including pentatonic scales, blues scales, quartal voicings, “outside” playing, chromatic approach, etc. You’ll also get 2 excellent jam tracks to use in your practice. And the best part is that since these licks are built over a “ii – V” progression, you’ll be able to use them in all different styles of music – jazz, rock, funk, pop, etc.

Many funk grooves are based on simply 2-4 measures and contain only a few chords. These short passages can make up entire sections of grooving and soloing. In this lesson, we will show you how to build an entire funk groove using only 2 measures and 2 chords. What’s best is that you will learn to build the groove one instrument at a time, examining the drum part, bass part, and clarinet part. You’ll get a bunch of jam tracks so that you can listen, analyze, and learn each individual part in isolation, and get a comprehensive understanding of how the parts fit and work together.

Are you interested in writing or arranging music? Are you interested in understanding why certain chords “work” and sound so cool? Then this is the lesson for you. In this lesson, we will show you 7 different ways to resolve to a C major chord, a particularly valuable skill for anyone who wants to take command of the music they’re playing and unlock all of the creative possibilities. In fact, with all the different variations we will show you, you will learn more than 10 different chord progressions, all of which will bring you to C major.

You'll learn how to create and use double-stops in your improvisation to get a funky sound. You'll also learn how to create a super funky bassline to improvise over.

Learn how to improvise over "The Chicken" with these exercises along with a written-out solo.

"The Chicken" or simply "Chicken" is an instrumental funk tune composed by Pee Wee Ellis that was the B-side to James Brown's 1969 single "The Popcorn". Jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius also performed this song and we will learn it step-by-step.

Jimmy Smith helped popularize the Hammond B-3 organ, creating a link between jazz and 1960s soul music. Learn how to create his signature sound in this lesson.

If you love Blues piano, this is the course for you. In this course, we are going to spend 8 weeks covering different blues styles and progressions. I’ll show you how to improvise over each style and give you the tricks that I use to effectively get that “grit” and blues piano player sound. Even though this is a 101 course, I would suggest that you have at least (1) year of study under your belt before beginning this class or you’ve successfully completed the Beginning Jazz/Blues Improvisation course.

In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to come up with cool, funky and interesting chord progressions on the spot. We're not going to be using traditional chord progressions, so these chords will add a very unique flavor to your playing.

In this song by Joe Zawinul, we are going to learn the song step-by-step while also learning some improvisation and groove techniques in the latter half of the lesson.

In this lesson we are going to focus on how to better coordinate your two hands at the piano. If you've said: "I can't play hands together!" Well, this lesson is for you. You will learn several techniques that will help to improve your coordination. We are going to use several Blues riffs as examples so you'll get both better coordination and some cool Blues licks too!

This Meter's tune is a great song to help round-out both organ players and pianists alike who want to play a bassline groove while improvising in the right hand. Some important scale techniques are discussed in this lesson which benefit both pianists and organists. This lesson is categorized under improvisation because of the valuable improvisation techniques covered in the second-half of the lesson.

In this lesson we will continue to build upon our grooves with 3 new grooves. We will also expand our progression and talk about how to combine all of these concepts into an improvisation. We will also cover effects and processing like phasers, chorus and wah.

In this second part of "Use Me" we will talk about how to create some interesting improvisation ideas using different scales and arpeggios. Using some simple concepts, we can get some really cool sounds that will "perk up" your improvisation. We will also talk about taking your improvisation "outside."

In this first lesson, we will cover some basic funky grooves. The goal of this lesson is to keep you grooving with both hands. We will cover a dozen pattern variations that you can make you own unique combinations. These "basics" will prepare you for part 2. In part 2 will dive into elongating the progressions, creating a more advanced harmony and I will use the Nord Electro.

In this lesson we are going to cover some very hot rock solo licks and grooves. The ideas in this lesson will turn heads when you start to solo. We will cover double-stops and other improvisation techniques, but you will also learn about sextuplets and how to create some smoking grooves using this rhythm.

In this original song (in 3 sections) I will show you how to create FULL chord voicings while also creating a progression with motion using tri-tone substitutions and other techniques. The sound of this song will appeal to many of you, especially if you like that "smooth jazz" contemporary sound. In this lesson I am using a Nord Electro keyboard which has very nice electric piano sounds. At the end of the lesson, I spend time on improvisation over the C section, giving you more techniques to use in your soloing.

In this lesson, we are covering how to gain more fluidity in your playing and soloing. We will cover some unique exercises that will spur new ideas in your soloing while also improving your technique. These exercises work well over Funk styles, but can be applied to other styles as well. We will also talk about target-note soloing in which a target note becomes your goal and other notes are arbitrary.

In this Joe Cocker version of “Feelin’ Alright,” I will show you how to play the grooves of the song and alter those grooves to create your own sound. We will also cover some of the original keyboardist, Artie Butler’s, licks for improvisation. If you like a funky piano sound, this is a great lesson for you.

In this lesson, we will be covering fast funk grooves. More importantly, we will discuss how to create a groove between you and one other instrument. Often, we find ourselves in "non-traditional" situations like piano and drums only. In this lesson, I'll show you how to create a 'simple' groove, how to put it together in sections, how to do some groove improvisation and use outside chords to create an interesting sound.

In this 2 part lesson we will be working through the groove for Bill Withers Use Me. In part 1 we will cover the different keyboard licks and variations. We will discuss the minor pentatonic and how to create interesting improvisation sequences and also talk about different chord voicings for the organ.

In this lesson we are going to cover the analysis of I Can't Get Started, learn the groove for Bill Wither's Use Me, play some Reggae grooves and learn a basic stride piano exercise. Yeah, we got a lot to cover!

This is a classic funky tune with a great piano groove. In this lesson, I'll teach you the groove, how to alter it and also how to add some improvisation. We will also discuss inside/outside soloing techniques.

In this advanced lesson, we will use concepts from volumes 1-3 to create some advanced improvisation using key centers, quartals and different voicing techniques.

We will begin this lesson learning all of the parts of this funky tune. We will also dive into minor diatonic harmony, discuss quartal accompaniment techniques in minor, work on pentatonic improvisation and create note-groupings for solos to stretch over the beat.

Learn how to play this killer groove and bassline. I cover all the sections of the song step-by-step. We then move into improvisation and I will show you which scales to use for improvisation. Backing tracks are included to make it easier to practice.

Learn how to improvise over Herbie Hancock's classic tune "Chameleon". The exercises presented in this lesson are a great way to get your hands playing in sync, especially over a syncopated bass line like Chameleon.

Learn how to play Billy Prestons "Will It Go Round in Circles" with each section broken down. You'll also learn about scales chords, how to create a bassline along with licks to improvise with.

Learn 8 different Blues accompaniment patterns and turnarounds. We cover different styles like New Orleans, Country, Boogie and Funk. You will also learn how to apply these patterns to your own playing.

Learn how to move beyond a basic chord groove by adding neighbor chords, chordal scales and more. Sus4 chords and slash chords are also covered. We will also discuss improvisation using chords and the bebop scale.

Learn how to create some funky piano grooves using different 16th-note rhythms, chord progressions and shifting accents.

This lesson (perfect for ALL styles, not just funk) will teach you several different scales, fills and runs. I will show you both the notes AND how to create your own fills and runs using your rhythmic vocabulary.