Best approach: Target notes on a II V I - Jazz Guitar Lesson

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Target notes are one of the best ways to approach soloing over changing harmony and to have melody lines that flow naturally from one chord to the next. In this lesson I am going to go over how you can use target notes when you are improvising over a II V I in the key of C major.
I will demonstrate how you construct lines or licks with target notes and how you choose target notes for jazz chords in this typical chord progression
Other lessons on the II V I progression:
• Soloing over a II V I ...
Lessons on improvising with arpeggios:
• Blue Bossa - Soloing w...
You can download a PDF and read the article on my blog via this link:
jenslarsen.nl/target-notes-ii-...
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25 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 94

@blaine393 5 лет назад

I play metal and rock primarily, but these lessons of yours are the best instruction on RU-vid and the info is applicable to any genre. The target note chord tone soloing is really eye opening to truly play over the changes and improve my soloing, songwriting, and improvisation. I cant thank you enough.

@RustReaver4D1 4 года назад

Although I don't play jazz, I've learnt a lot from your lessons in relation to soloing in general. I like your explanation on why it's better to target the 3rd and 5th rather than the root (since the bass is already holding it down). It's something that I hope to incorporate more into my playing. Thank you for the lesson!

@petermccaffrey806 5 месяцев назад

Extremely helpful. I am a newbie jazz player, and always wondered why my target notes did not sound right.

@JensLarsen 5 месяцев назад

Great that it was helpful!

@ivansanchez1710 4 года назад

Great lesson Jens. Thank you so much!!

@hearpalhere Год назад

Great playing examples in these older videos Jens! I love it when you include little sections of you playing (in addition to your actual lesson).

@finnheine5045 4 года назад

THIS LESSON IS AMAZING!!!!! Thank you so much! I have learned how to use all the things im theoretically working on!!! :))))

@josephmac4654 8 лет назад

Just wanted to say that you make such great content. A lot of wisdom to be gleaned from your videos. You have certainly helped my playing. Thank you!

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

Thank you Joseph! If you want to you can always help me by sharing my videos on Facebook or twitter :)

@A22by7 7 лет назад

I can't thank you enough for these lessons, Jens. The depth of your explanations really motivates me to learn more every single day. Thank you!

@JensLarsen 7 лет назад

It's really great to hear that you cna put the videos to use! :) If you want to help me then you can share one of my videos and help me spread the word with your recommendation 😊 That's a huge help for me!

@A22by7 7 лет назад

Yes! Your channel is definitely one of the first recommendations I have for people! :)

@JensLarsen 7 лет назад

Thanks! :)

@JensLarsen 4 года назад

@@satchrules101 Yes, start with learning how to do that

@Nick-je8bq 8 лет назад

Great, specialy information about how to practice!

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

You're welcome! Glad you liked it!

@patbreacadh 5 лет назад

Great lesson, and nice lines. Thank you!

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Thank you, Pat 🙂👍

@edpavy2618 4 года назад

Another excellent lesson Jens. Thanks for this one.

@JensLarsen 4 года назад

Glad you like it, Ed.

@guitarwallie4999 8 лет назад

Nice suggestions! Thanks for sharing.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

You're very welcome!

@michaelb.4210 5 лет назад

Amazing. Thank you!

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Thank you, Michael! This is indeed one of the most powerful ways of making lines that there is. Just ask Bach 😄

@gman2point0 7 лет назад

solid channel from what I've seen so far I just purchased a guitar method book as well as a Jazz Harmony book. I've been dipping with Jazz a bit the past 2 years but I never really got around to practicing perhaps more technically "basic"/ fundamental things. All the things you said make sense to me and it's nice to see/hear what I'm about to practice on in action. Kudos, sir!

@JensLarsen 7 лет назад

You're very welcome Gregory! Glad you found the video useful!

@AndyBaylor 8 лет назад

Excellent! Thank you very much.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

You're very welcome Andy!

@inafern 8 лет назад

thanks a lot for this, really good

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

+Indran Fernando You're very welcome!

@smoochjazz4033 6 лет назад

Really clear lesson Jens, I heard it at the podcast from Brent Vaartstra which I follow for almost a year now and was pleasantly suprised to hear you in his podcast! Will browse for more in your RU-vid, also useful for saxofonists;-)

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

Glad you like it! Most jazz is really applicable to all instruments I guess 🙂

@tecnolover2642 5 лет назад

Fantastic lesson. Its good to see i am on the right track. I have also noticed that i love resolving on the 3rd or 5th. Ive found resolving on the 7th seems to need something else and doesnt sound complete. I usually end up finishing it on the 5th just below. I think the tip to create a tool box of lines over the Dm that end in B to be great advice. I like to loop a Dm vamp backing track to do this. Thanks!

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Sounds like a solid idea! :) It's good to have a vocabulary of solutions for certain smaller progressions.

@user-iu2sp3vc2y 5 лет назад

Thanks you from the lessons máster 👏 👏👏👏👏👏👏👌 excelente

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

You're very welcome! 🙂

@335gerard 8 лет назад

Merci beaucoup Jens. Les arpèges représentent beaucoup de travail, mais ils sont très important dans l'improvisation.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

They are indeed a lot of work but also very very important! Merci Gerard!

@cesarlima88 5 лет назад

thanks

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

You're very welcome! I am glad you like it! 🙂

@urbachd 6 лет назад

This could be helpful to others: practice thinking ahead to the target note on the next chord. You've implied it in your videos, but making it explicit has been helpful to me. I heard Hank Jones say in an interview that he was always thinking ahead while he was playing, about what he was going to do in the next few bars. That's hard to do, but this is a way I am trying to start doing it.

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

Thanks Dan! I do think that it is extremely useful if not just necessary to think ahead, and target notes is the best way to learn it that I have found 🙂

@guillecaminer 6 лет назад

Another great video to help making musical lines out of the arpeggios. What would you recommend as a next step without going into altered dominants? Using/hitting extensions on the chords? Mixing scale lines with the arpeggios? Do you have a lesson for this next step...? Thank you!

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

Thank you Guillermo! I would indeed suggest incorporating the rest of the scale. Maybe check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-83A3pnJlpjk.html

@guillecaminer 6 лет назад

Thank you! Haven't seen that one! The video about chromatic passing tones is a good next candidate also. Will continue on that road. Many thanks again!

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

Great Guillermo! Good luck with it!

@Buleq147 6 лет назад

Jens, you've said that the root note is not much of a target note in 251 progression, and I agree. But also I'm strongly oposed to the judgement that root is not important in an improv. For example in blues or especially in Bill Frisell's playing I've noticed that he often plays the root note as an ending of the phrase, which comes from american folk music I believe. By the way I love how he combines different approaches like playing really simple stuff, with root notes et cetera, and in the next bar some bebop for example. What are your thoughts on this Jens?

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

What is and what isn't suitable as a target note is very context dependent, so if you don't play bebop then the root can be quite acceptable. Just ask Pharrell or Taylor Swift 🙂

@TheSlaSh1411 8 лет назад

Hi Lars, ever thought about doing a video (if you haven't already) on enclosures and their application in soloing? Just an idea.

@TheSlaSh1411 8 лет назад

*Jens, not Lars. My mistake hahaha

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

No worries I did some lessons on chromatic passing notes which would be what you call enclosures right? I think part 2 and 3 are about enclosures :)

@GiovanniBottaMuteWinter 5 лет назад

Do you know or use hexatonic (not hexatonal) scales? I learned about them from Randy Vincent’s Line Games and I find them very useful. One of your examples uses the Dm7 hexatonic scale (Dorian without the 6th).

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Well, I guess Hexatonic scales are essentially triad pairs, so I do use them but never really as a scale 🙂

@scottmagri6306 5 лет назад

I am a beginner Jazz guitarist. I am overwhelming myself with too many videos/exercises. What should I should start off with, focus on? Simply practicing ii-V-I arpeggio patterns over a Cmaj7 backing track? Please advise step one for jazz guitar.Thank you. Love your videos.

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Thanks Scott! Start with this: Learn your major scales and diatonic arpeggios. You should indeed work on the II V I in different keys as an exercise And also try to start learning simple songs like Blue Bossa or Cantaloupe Island. Does that help?

@scottmagri6306 5 лет назад

thanks. Concerning the arpeggios, which positions/patterns should I focus on in the beginning? There are so many.

@JensLarsen 5 лет назад

Practice them in the scales not in positions. You want to see them in the context where you need them. Look up the videos I did on Technique or the really old one on Diatonic Arpeggios :)

@scottmagri6306 5 лет назад

Thank you sir!

@UCDSMX 4 года назад

@@JensLarsen it does help a bunch. Thank you!

@renatosantos23 8 лет назад

I suck at improve, straigh up suck. Even though i understand the theory clearly. If i can sit down and approach the backing track very slowly, i can usually come up with some that i enjoy, But if u say Yo lets improv over "Insert Progression", my brain goes totally blank. (assuming that we not going to pentatonic all the way through"). Anyways godd lesson as always.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

Thank you! Improvisation is also a skill that you need to work at and get used to but if you want to and stay with it I am sure you'll get there!

@fredericlinden 2 года назад

When I win the lottery, as a thank you, I'll offer you one of the Godin Guitars 5th Avenue models :)

@crazyb3fan 8 лет назад

Jens - Hi! I need to really dig in with my II-V study in both major and minor to improve my vocabulary in this essential element of jazz improv. Is there a particular book/series of lessons you use to teach your students in this area? - Thanks, Mike

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

Hi Mike! No not really. They pretty much get the information that I go over in this lesson and then I tell them to practice and also write down lines to help them develop their melodies and play the harmony in the right way. We then go over what they write. Most of the time I don't tell them to write only II V lines, but also solos on songs that they have to be able to play (slowly at least). In my experience improvising good lines come from practising the process of making lines and composition works as a great tool for that.

@crazyb3fan 8 лет назад

No shortcuts then!! :-) Thanks for the advice Jens.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

Not really. But you should really give the writing down lines a shot! It works wonders!

@crazyb3fan 8 лет назад

Thanks, I am going to do it.

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

Mike Baratta If you want some comments or suggestions then mail me a few!

@x2mars 3 года назад

Thanks. So, are the melodies written using target 🎯 notes? Hmm , I think I can’t check this out myself! Thanks again

@JensLarsen 3 года назад

That depends on which melodies, but if you check with Bebop Themes or solos then you should be able to see how that works in the style. You can also see in other, less busy, melodies like Fly Me To The Moon or You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

@opiekundps8806 8 лет назад

Once, when I still had a guitar and I play solos someone pointed out to me that all my solos notes are too concentrated I meant about too small intervals Could you prepare licks also with wide intervals in examples ? PS. Regarding suggestions about which You mentioned at the end of video,hmm... gladly I'd listen to something about composition and arrangement,about rhythm guitar,background music/backing tracks . Something about making music in selected style/genre

@JensLarsen 8 лет назад

If you have a look through the lessons on quartal harmony in solos, drop2 voicings as arpeggios and shell voicings as arpeggios you will probably get some ideas for lines with large intervals. I also already did quite a few lessons on rhythm that you can check. For the rest I think your suggestions are not really stuff that fits the channel too well?

@cosmoduemila 4 года назад

Hi Jens, When the 2-5 lasts only one measure I find impossible to think and develop a musical phrase with guide tones with 2 seconds and 4 notes available. What would you recommend? Thank you so much for you time.

@JensLarsen 4 года назад

Slow it down, compose examples and practice so that you get blocks you can fit together. If you analyze Joe Pass or John Coltrane solos it is also very clearly how they do that.

@DWScores 2 года назад

@@JensLarsen Maybe think of the whole bar as just one V chord? Instead of II V? Would you recommend to do that or not? Thanks for the awsome content Jens!

@JensLarsen 2 года назад

@@DWScores Yes, that can work, but very often that gives you really weird chord progressions that are hard to play because they don't make any sense. If you reduce Em7 A7 Dm7 G7 to A7 to G7 then that is really odd and not what you hear. For that A7 you want to play A7(b9) but that clashes with Em7 (and Em7 is anyway the more important chord in this context so you should leave out the A7 instead). To be honest, this way of thinking gives you as many problems as it gives you solutions, and you anyway need to learn to navigate progressions that change every half bar.

@DWScores 2 года назад

@@JensLarsen Makes a lot of sense, thanks for the quick reply!

@kidpoker007 6 лет назад

This is one of my biggest issues and I think it has to do with what beat I hit the target notes..

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

In the beginning you want to hit clear target notes on the 1 when the chord changes :) It's a very good skill to get into your playing!

@dry509 2 года назад

What if there is a melody like in a jazz standard? Would this target note concept still apply?

@JensLarsen 2 года назад

Yes, it will still work 🙂

@frankykurnia650 3 года назад

helloo, why in G7 chord have an" A "note? the formula of g7 isG,B,D,F right?

@JensLarsen 3 года назад

In jazz, the one playing the chords is free to interpret the chord symbol and add the extensions and alterations that fit how he or she is playing. For that reason, I usually try to stick with the chord type and not specify the extensions like 9 or b9. Does that help?

@frankykurnia650 3 года назад

@@JensLarsen thank you, thats very helpful

@dinger7608 4 года назад

Target notes are which? Do you mean the first note on the chord change?

@JensLarsen 4 года назад

Maybe it is easier for you to check out the article? jenslarsen.nl/target-notes-ii-v-2/

@dinger7608 4 года назад

@@JensLarsen Well, that's also what the article says.

@JensLarsen 4 года назад

What does the article say? you original comment is a bit hard to understand :)

@kidpoker007 6 лет назад

Its so annoying because I should be so much better at Jazz improv yet I never seem to improve where I actually sound like a Jazz guitarist, at this point I don't know what the issue is anymore

@JensLarsen 6 лет назад

You probably should not think about how good you should be? That usually doesn't make sense anyway... I guess the best you can do is record yourself, find one thing that you can identify that needs improvement and then work on that. Judging yourself by your ideals and non specific goals will only demotivate you completely. The best i can offer is to stick with it and try to have fun on the journey!