Unlocking 'The Girl from Ipanema': Upper Structure Triads & Superimposition
To advance as a jazz guitarist, you must break the habit of chasing roots. In complex tunes like The Girl from Ipanema, the key to fluid soloing isn't a new scale—it's Superimposition. Discover how to float simple "Upper Structure Triads" over complex chords to create that sophisticated, modern jazz sound without over-thinking.
Deconstructing Harmony: A Functional Analysis of 'Blue Bossa' with Upper-Structure Triads
Upper-structure triads let you create rich, modern sounds over simple chords. By reinterpreting Cm7–Fm7 or Dm7b5–G7–Cm through superstructures, the fretboard becomes a logical map of colors, not isolated shapes. This post breaks down Blue Bossa using real functional UST flow.
Beyond Chord-Tone Soloing: A Pianistic Approach to Jazz Guitar Improvisation
Most guitarists learn to “outline chord tones” — a method borrowed from monophonic instruments. But jazz guitar is polyphonic. By thinking like a pianist, we can merge voicing and improvisation into one language. This article explores how four-part harmony, voice leading, and upper-structure triads can transform your playing forever.
Deconstructing John Scofield's Outside Lines: Chromatic Displacement & Functional Resolution
The 'outside' playing of a master like John Scofield is often misunderstood. It's not a random spray of dissonant notes but rather an artful and calculated act of 'Chromatic Displacement' followed by a 'Functional Resolution.' This advanced concept goes beyond simply shifting a scale up a half-step; it involves temporarily moving an entire harmonic structure into a non-tonic space before flawlessly returning it to the gravitational pull of the tonic center.