Smooth Jazz Exercise – mDecks Music
Step through a smooth-jazz solo development that uses a single motive and multiple modal, rhythmic, and textural techniques.
This lesson breaks down a short smooth-jazz solo, demonstrating how a single C Lydian motive is iterated and modalized across chords using modal scales, upper-structure and pentatonic approaches, rhythmic displacement, grid shifts, accents, and harmonizing with fourths. Clear measure-by-measure examples show how to adapt the motive to different chords (e.g., D Ionian, F Lydian, Bb Ionian) and how to employ techniques like iii/vi minor pentatonics, Dorian usage, upper-structure triads and quartal voicings, and triplet vs. 16th-note grids. Includes guidance on using grace notes, accents for polyrhythms/hemiolas, and where to find the PDF and backing track to practice along.
Related Lessons
