DC jazz guitarist Steve Herberman

Please contact me at steve@reachmusicjazz.com or 240-461-3946 regarding private lessons and workshops/clinics at your school or University.

What is an online lesson like?
You can watch two free video samples to get an idea.
Clip #1 Clip #2

The Diminished Scale In Improvisation

The diminished scale is perhaps the most fun and challenging scale used in improvising adding spice and a modern vibe to melodic lines.
Gain a thorough understanding of the diminished scale through 12 pages of exercises and discussion in this in-depth 90-minute masterclass. Harmonizing any of the 3 symmetrical diminished scales will yield 16 different triads, and 16 seventh chords! This class looks at many of these possibilities in close detail.

Jim Hall’s “Careful”
Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” similar to Wes Montgomery’s classic version
Single note and chordal resolution exercises
Intervallic studies
The dominant/diminished connection
Classic sequences and patterns
Chord/Scale Visualization techniques
Triad usage and arpeggios
Diminished chord functions/substitutions
Memorization techniques

Fewer scales are as much fun and rewarding as the diminished. Get control of this valuable improvisation tool and enjoy the results!

Chord-Melody 101/201

Chord-Melody 101/201: Making Great Sounding Arrangements with Block Chords. With TAB and standard notation.

You already know a handful of cool sounding voicings but chord-melody arrangements may still be tough. Ever listen to Wes Montgomery’s few unaccompanied chord solos and marvel at how beautiful they are in their simplicity yet they sound so incredible? You may recognize every chord shape Wes is playing, (mostly drop 2 and drop 3 inversions) but how did he arrange it to be so musically satisfying? I’ll offer my insight to this important question and others, recorded live so that questions can be asked at anytime during the recording!

Using the tunes “The Days Of Wine and Roses” and Horace Silver’s “Peace” we’ll compare a variety of choruses on my arrangements included in the class materials (in TAB and/or chord diagram form as well as standard notation.) We’ll look deeply into arranging chord solos that use common chord forms but incorporate some very important musical devices and theory/harmonic principles. Some of these include phrasing (rubato and tempo), the many types of chord substitution principles; introducing color tones or extensions to common chord shapes, changing chord qualities, approach chords, tritone subs, line clichés, and more. Simple yet effective harmonic devices will be shared, the ones you hear the greats use; stock chordal phrases and the more creative ones, along with the theory behind what makes them work. Often simple chromatic motion within a chord form can go a long way in creating interest when the melody is at rest. At times the music may call for dense chords, or inversely, sustained chords with melody notes played over top. We’ll also examine some simple types of single note fills that can be incorporated into an arrangement. If arranging chord-melody has been slow going, I hope you’ll join me for an insightful look into what makes a simple chord solo work.

james seaberry (Wednesday, 15 July 2009)
Rating:*****
I was concerned that there might not be enough material here to be worthwhile; I play out and about a lot, in 3 different groups and solo,not a pro, but still somewhat competent, and this was supposed to be "basic" level, but I have to say, that it's still something for every level with this class as well as Mr. Herberman's others. I have not gone wrong with one of his classes yet.

With TAB and standard notation.
Quartal harmony can really spice up ones comping and soloing bringing them into the modern realm. Being well-versed in quartal shapes and appropriate fingering and picking techniques can help intervallic soloing come out naturally in one’s playing.
This class is a continuation of the earlier masterclass “Exploring the Chord/Single Note Connection.” Picking up where that class left off we’ll delve into the world of quartal harmony applied to tunes such as Inner Urge, Freedom Jazz Dance and Maiden Voyage. Memorizing the quartal shapes, practicing them in chord scales and applying them to modal playing as well as denser harmonic changes can unlock interesting comping and soloing possibilities in the modern style. By practicing the fingered exercises that accompany this video class, the mechanisms will be in place for improvising naturally in an intervallic manner. Once the chord shapes are mastered in various keys we’ll add in scale tones and approach note patterns for inside/outside effects through single note soloing. Also included in the written material is an intervallic-style solo on Inner Urge that draws from the quartal voicings and mixes in plenty of chromaticism.
We’ll take a detailed look at left hand fingerings approaches such as finger alternation and finger “rolling.” This will help give the intervallic lines clarity and definition. Right hand techniques will also be addressed to include both pickstyle and fingerstyle technique. Expand your quartal chord knowledge while enhancing your single note vocabulary with this fun and detailed class on intervallic playing!

james seaberry (Thursday, 07 May 2009)
Rating:*****
I must say that this concept is not new to me, having absorbed much of Joe Diorio's work in the past, as well as others, but Mr. Herberman has done it again; this is a fresh, practical, clear approach with a lot of ways of re-thinking things I thought I was already fairly well versed on. That's as good as it gets.

Comping Concepts Part 3: Rootless Voicings and Chord Substitution - Often guitarists will reach for chord ‘grips’ that have roots in the bass, sometimes out of habit. This can be effective when playing without a bass player, playing Freddie Green style rhythm guitar or Latin-style comping. On the other hand, it can be limiting in other contexts when a freer more harmonically rich approach is desired.
Rootless chord voicings, voice leading, and chord substitutions over standard tunes and modern jazz compositions will be the focus in this masterclass. Master compers like Jim Hall and Ed Bickert love to play clusters to get a more pianist sound adding interest to their voicings. We’ll examine many multi-use voicings that can get a lot of mileage in comping. Concepts outlined will include adding open strings to voicings, quartal voicings, and a variety of interesting comping rhythms. Some of the techniques used by Jim Hall and Ed Bickert will be included in the written examples that accompany this masterclass. In order to freely use the upper structures of chords and substitutions, the chord theory has to be solid. We’ll get deep into the theory and discuss the reasoning behind substitutions that work. See what techniques are favored by these master players and learn to comp more creatively and confidently with rhythmic freedom.

james seaberry (Tuesday, 10 March 2009)
Rating: *****
Once again, the ugliness of Work prevented me from attending live, but I just finished watching this class; I don't know how he comes up with these original and thought-provoking ideas. There are others here that deal with this subject as well, by Lorne Lofsky and Sid Jacobs especially, but this one is still different than those: not better or worse, just a different take. The notation is especially handy for slow learners like me. I hope to have some surprises in store tomorrow at my regular Wednesday gig. Thanks again, Mr. H.

Developing A Personal Practice Routine

Practice is always changing and evolving. One key is to let the actual music be the guide keeping practicing fun, interesting and most importantly, practical. Different types of tunes (tempos, key signatures, harmonic rhythm, time signatures, etc.) place certain demands on one’s technique, knowledge of theory and aural abilities. With all that there is to practice, often working on a limited practice schedule, it can easily be overwhelming! In this class important core principles are identified and each player, after honest self-evaluation, can “laser in” on areas that are weak or strengths can be identified and built upon. This class is a survey of practical exercises that can be paired down to the essential tools that will benefit a player beginning from where they are presently to any point along their musical journey. From transcribing one phrase at a time of a classic solo to voice-leading arpeggios in 8th notes this class will be comprehensive in its scope. Learn how to practice away from the instrument using visualization, chord spelling and pitch axis exercises. From working on your time feel to sightreading from a fakebook to basic time management skills this will be an information-packed session that will help you focus on getting more out of your practice time.

Erik Schlosser (Tuesday, 24 February 2009)
Rating:*****

Wow, wow, and wow again! All of the info that Steve covers on how to approach practicing is great. I've been using many of these strategies for years. For me, however, the problem hasn't been "how" to practice but "what" to practice. Luckily, Steve covers that as well!

Steve has essentially created a comprehensive curriculum for learning the fundamentals of the guitar AND learning jazz tunes. Never before have I seen it all presented so logically and in a clear order. Any player, at any level, should scan through Steve's "levels" and identify those things they have mastered and things they they may have skipped along the way. It is an eye-opening experience and will help put the playing continuum in a clear perspective.

Dave Mosick (Thursday, 05 February 2009)
Rating: *****
I am constantly amazed at how deeply Steve has studied and mastered the techniques used by the great jazz guitarists like Joe Pass , GeorgeVan Epps , and Lenny breau. His musicianship, originality, and endless knowledge of the history of jazz guitar is truly inspiring.

David Gitlen (Saturday, 31 January 2009)
Rating: *****
Great class !!! As usual Steve has taken a complex subject and given a clear presentation as to how best structure a practiceroutine. This material works for all levelsand for those of us with limited time topractice. Thanks Steve. Looking forward to the next one.

Jeff Stocks (Sunday, 25 January 2009)
Rating: *****
A topic that is rarely discussed, but critically important. Information is so readily available these days that it can be difficult to really figure out how to go beyond 'a mile wide and an inch deep'. Steve shares a mountain of practical advice on breaking down a range of material into a formalized practice structure. The lesson comes with several pages of suggestions, tips, etc that can be overlayed on any level of player and can really be helpful in determining things you could work on and HOW to work on them. I am looking forward to looking at my own practice life and seeing ways I can apply the material Steve presents. Excellent job, as usual Steve!

Wes Montgomery, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, and Louis Armstrong were true masters of the art of melodic embellishment. In this class we’ll look at the techniques utilized by these jazz greats and others who excelled at melodic invention on the popular songs of the day.
Developing strong skills in melodic embellishment is one of the most important ways to truly connect with a song. It is also very effective as a springboard for improvisation while still maintaining the essence of the song. Topics that will be addressed will be guide tone lines, countermelodies, leading improvised lines into melody notes or chord tones, approach note patterns with target tones and upper and lower neighbor tones, ornamentation, “musical asides”, rhythmic displacement, and more. Common standard tunes will be used with pages of written examples outlining different types of melodic embellishment principles. Many of the techniques discussed in the class are also applicable to improvised single note soloing where target tones or goal notes are employed. At the end of the class these principles will be demonstrated in a polyphonic manner using 2 and 3 note structures where melodic embellishment meets modern harmony.

Dave Mosick (Monday, 12 January 2009)
Rating: *****
Steve does a wonderful job of explaining and demonstrating the many facets of this very important and and rarely discussed topic. It is rare to find someone who can play as well as steve and also have the ability to really teach the material in an organized and analytical manner. His theoretical explanations are all clearly born out of years of transcribing and studying the great masters, and never over complicate the music.

In this second class on comping we’ll look at ballads and jazz waltzes and the types of comping that work well for each. Tunes will include My Romance, In A Sentimental Mood, Emily and West Coat Blues. On ballads, chordal fills will be demonstrated along with the integration of single notes and double stops in appropriate places backing the melody. Voice leading with usage of upper structure triads and passing chords will be shown using both rootless voicings and conventional drop 2 and drop 3 shapes. On jazz waltzes we’ll add aspects of rhythmic displacement and the use of half notes to create “over the bar line” phrasing. Also we’ll continue with essential tone comping and expanding the voicings to include extra notes. Some of the phrases that are included in the written examples are reminiscent of Ed Bickert and Jim Hall’s comping. Having a clear idea of voice leading through chord changes along with rhythmic diversity and swing, will make comping more effective, creative and fun!

Martin Blanes (Friday, 12 December 2008)
Rating: *****
Wow! If you are bored of the way you comp this is really your class! Also it is if you have felt envy of this beautiful compings piano players do. It helps lots to scape from the "grip system sindrome" guitar players use to fall in. Very clearly and neatingly written examples. It is like fresh air to my playing ;)

James Seaberry (Monday, 17 November 2008)
Rating: *****
There aren't enough stars there for this class!! such great material so well presented, I just finished it, and I can't recommend it enough. I now have a ring binder of nothing but Mike's Masterclass material, and that, plus the stuff from David Oakes/Jimmy Wyble gives me all I need to get the ideas I have had but did not know how to express.

Improvising in the chord melody style can be taken to new heights when inner lines are employed that are musical and played with finesse. This class will deal specifically with inner lines, or lines that are played between a melody note and a bass note. The melody and bass notes are important providing the necessary framework for solo chord melody playing. As an alternative to the common chord form approach to chord soloing we’ll examine how to make something unique and musical happen between the bass and melody. The inner line concept can be a satisfying way of personalizing one’s chord soloing. Often the success of a good inner line depends upon choosing a good melodic line that resolves well and having a good flexible technique to make the line seamless, maintaining the independence of the two parts. A flexible technique can be achieved by practicing the studies set forth in this class so that true improvisation in this style can happen naturally. Using principles that George Van Eps outlines in his harmonic mechanisms books some of the lines will be given a bebop/hardbop update and I’ll demonstrate the types of fingerings employed to make these lines happen between 2 outside sustained notes. The class should make it possible for the player to improvise more interesting arrangements in the chord melody style. Be prepared for a true left hand finger workout leading to much greater finger independence!

Nico Sabatini (Saturday, 21 March 2009)
Rating:*****
Excellent. This material is very much in the contrapuntal vein that characterizes Steve's style and ties in well with his classes on the Van Eps concepts and Contrapuntal Improvisation. As always, the class comes with abundance of materials in the form of 3 pages of simple examples, based mostly on playing an interval (10th or 12th) often with mid and ring finger, then weaving a line with index and pinky (!). In addition to that, there is a beautiful Arrangement of Stella in this style. As always with Steve, you get well prepared material, clear explanations and first rate playing. It's all very demanding on the left hand, but very, very rewarding!

Martin Blanes (Friday, 12 December 2008)
Rating: *****
Amazing masterclass! it´s full of usefull information. The arrangement on "Stella by Starlight" is breathtakingly beautiful and also plays a lot of different ways to approach it. Also, there is a lot of written examples that you really can use adn shows real situations to play them in a context! Anyway you can´t miss him playing "Darn that Dream" in al lot of different ways! i´ve learn lot from this lesson and there is still a huge lot for me to learn from it. Really useful for the solo guitarist!! The arrangement of "Stella" is already on my repertoire with great success! don´t miss it

James Seaberry (Friday, 26 September 2008)
Rating: *****
This is the logical next step in an amazing series of classes from Mr. Herberman. His instruction has helped me in the last couple of years to almost completely turn my playing around into what I had been searching for since I -don't-know-when.

Jeff Stocks (Monday, 22 September 2008)
Rating: *****
Easily one of Steve's most direct and impacting classes. This stuff isn't easy, but Steve helps break down the idea of inner lines into playable bits and pieces. His arrangement of Stella is breathtaking and will be on my music stand for weeks to come. You could easily use it as a thesis for this type of playing! Thanks again Mike and Steve for doing a great service to jazzers everywhere!

Playing fingerstyle on an electric guitar or steel string acoustic can be a very different experience than on a classical guitar. If you use nails you need to keep them in prime condition and steel strings can sure be tough on nails! In this class I’ll demonstrate which techniques have personally worked for me though years of experimentation in various playing situations. The material presented is also applicable to acoustic steel string guitarists and the jazz nylon string player.
For most guitarists playing single note lines on an electric is frustrating because it’s hard to equal the tone, conviction and swing of an expertly flat-picked line. But it can be done and can often give a fuller sound than a flatpick possibly with more tonal variation and nuances. The class will address many issues: principals in achieving a full sound before plugging into an amp, ideal free stroke angles, muting techniques, all things nail; nail lengths, nail shapes, filing etc, left hand slurs, right hand one finger sweeps, discussion of string gauges and types, alternating index and middle, alternating index and ring, using the same finger to play 2 and 3 consecutive notes between slurs, pattern picking, and more. Written examples accompany the video that further clarify the right hand fingerstyle picking techniques applied to distinct musical phrases. In the examples the left hand notation is also given to show the optimal positions that make the lines swing, project and yield a horn-like phrasing and articulation that can only occur when both hands are in sync and balanced. Fingerstyle guitar can add another dimension to your electric playing by expanding the variety of textures and adding counterpoint much more easily. Join me for a fun and informative class on fingerstyle electric guitar techniques.

Tal Michles (Tuesday, 10 March 2009)
Rating: *****
This is a great lesson for everyone intrested in exploring the texture and sound you can get with your fingers. Steve shares his thoughts and techniques that helped him in his research and will help yours. A great guitarist who's also a great musician and teacher. Tal M., Israel

Creating memorable melodies can be challenging, especially in the midst of an improvised solo. In this class we’ll examine a wide array of great melodies and see what makes them eminently sing-able and memorable. The makings of a great melody involve the balancing of the three elements of music: harmony, rhythm and melody. By studying a wide variety of melodies of the master American popular song composers and jazz improvisers, I’ll illustrate the concepts behind what make these phrases work. Once these devices are explored they can translate into the creation of consistently strong and swinging melodies. Concepts will include: weaving guide tone lines into a melody, melodic and rhythmic repetition, scale and arpeggio usage, line contours, rhythmic displacement, phrase length considerations, how to build lines that swing, creating lines from chord extensions and melodic embellishment. Also I’ll demonstrate chord visualization as an aid to see the melodic/harmonic connection on the guitar fingerboard. Using existing melodies as a springboard for your improvisations can be invaluable and there will be written examples of all of these as well as video demonstrations. Get ready for a fun and meaningful study of melody.

Student Reviews

James Seaberry (Monday, 25 August 2008)
Rating: *****
This class approaches a subject you will surely have seen in other lessons and classes, but this approach is pretty different, and I found this to be a highly rewarding class. As usual with Mr. Herberman, good materials and very good presentation.

We all know how important fundamentals are. But are they mastered to the point that they can be called upon at any instant during performance? For instance when a guitarist comps, he/she must be able to put any note of their choosing on the top of their voicing quickly and accurately. Without knowing at least the common chord voicings in all of their inversions one’s comping may fall short of the mark. When soloing, having complete command of chord scales and arpeggios in a variety of positions is crucial. Getting serious about really knowing one’s fundamentals allows the musician to focus on the business at hand: music making.

I often ask students how well they know triads. The answer I typically receive is “sure I know those.” But can they be played quickly and accurately in all inversions on all adjacent string sets? Very seldom in my teaching experience. It’s an easy enough gap to fill along with possible other deficits in a player’s mastery of the fingerboard. Next we'll review all of the inversions of the "Freddie Greene" voicings of all chord qualities and there will be examples of how to apply them to tunes. Seventh chords on all adjacent string sets will be reviewed and plugged into tunes such as Wes Montgomery's "Cariba". Other exercises will include minor 6th diminished chord and arpeggio studies a la Barry Harris and will conclude with a chord inversion system featuring many non-adjacent string chords, a more advanced system that show all voicing possibilities of seventh chords. Grand arpeggios (R,3,5,7,9,11,13) studies will also be addressed.

All common scales in five positions (Berklee method) including interval exercises and arpeggio studies will be covered. To really know a scale is to be able to play it in any sequence of intervals, for example a C real melodic minor scale in diatonic 5ths. Having one's fundamentals in check will provide a solid foundation needed for improvisation. This class should be helpful for players on all levels, filling in any gaps allowing the player to better play what they hear.

Erik Schlosser (Wednesday, 10 December 2008)
Rating: *****
This class is highly recommended! If you've been playing for a while don't be turned off by the word "fundamentals". This is not a class for those just getting into playing (although it could be useful for them as well). Steve lays out all of those basic details about the instrument that are quite easy to overlook when one is more concerned about getting a repertoire down or working on improvisational concepts. This class will help with both of these things as it will open up the neck of the guitar, and force you to explore the nooks and crannies of the axe that you have been neglecting. The 12 pages of content are very comprehensive. Steve's teaching style is detailed and methodical, but also gives the student a lot of freedom from personal exploration.

Although utilized for many years in jazz and other styles, odd meters has become an essential part of today’s jazz. The uses of odd meters are many: As a phrasing device enabling a player to solo and comp over the bar line in 4/4 time. As an effect to utilize in one’s original compositions and to create fresh arrangements of standards and much more!
Once the 5/4 and 7/4 common rhythmic patterns are examined and practiced, soloing and comping can feel as natural as it does in 4/4.

In this masterclass we’ll be looking at the many useful rhythmic patterns in odd meters and applying them to 4/4 tunes as well as standards arranged in 5/4 and 7/4. Pairing these rhythmic concepts with melodic/harmonic concepts will be stressed to enable the musician to more rapidly integrate odd meters on their instrument. An example of this would be arpeggiating diatonic 9th chords in an even stream of 8th notes. The 9th chords contain 5 notes that will give a 5/8 phrasing to the line. Take one triad and its neighboring diatonic7th chord and you have 7 notes that will yield 7/8 phrasing. This is one of many exercises that will be in the written examples accompanying the class. Other examples will include:

Applying odd meters to solo guitar, arranging standards in odd meter, pattern picking odd meters, comping and soloing with odd meters and more.

Take your playing into the future with rhythmic assuredness and confidence!

James Seaberry (Monday, 31 March 2008)
Rating: *****
I was not able to attend live, but it did not matter; so well organized and clearly explained, I missed nothing and had no questions. Now, just get to work!!!!

Nakarin Teerapenun (Saturday, 29 March 2008)
Rating: *****
Excellent. Easy to follow. Very well-thought out. The examples given are very good and doable.
N.Teerapenun [ Bangkok, Thailand ]

In this class standards such as Stella By Starlight, In A Mellotone and Confirmation are used to demonstrate a variety of comping concepts applied to many different group formats a guitarist will find themselves playing in.
Concepts include:
Essential tone (shell voicings), guide tone lines, pedal points, muti-use voicings (including rootless voicings), common tone, chromatic and stepwise voice-leading, Freddie Greene style, walking bass/comp, "over the barline"
comping thru use of hemiolas, rhythmic "snare drum" comping, leaving space for a soloist while giving the soloist a solid "cushion"and overall techniques to help make a rhythm section swing.

Formats that will be discussed include:
Guitar trio (guitar, bass and drums) two guitars, guitar/bass duo, guitar with horn, guitar/voice, guitar/piano and even comping for yourself while you are soloing.

Nico Sabatini (Saturday, 21 March 2009)
Rating: *****
The outstanding quality (and quantity!) of the materials and the clarity of presentation make this class incredibly valuable. The seven page handout contains a wide variety of examples of different comping styles, from Freddie Green style to Stride, to building unusual voicings 'on the fly' with the Lenny Breau approach (developed further in another of Steve's classes). As always, great playing and tons of musical common sense from Steve make this (and the other classes in the Comping series) unmissable.

Nelson Riveros (Monday, 28 January 2008)
Rating: *****
Steve Herberman's class was full of wonderful and useful information. I learned about comping for different musically situations. I studied with many 'named' players in NYC and I could never get them to teach me how to comp. I would ask and they would either be very vague or would say it cannot be taught, you have to go out and see how guys do it. I wasn't paying them to tell me that. The printed materials were a great plus and enabled me to following the video much easier. I can use this information and adapt it to many tunes. Looking forward to other classes by Steve.

Harmonically rich single note lines are embedded in many chord forms!
Certain chord forms can be arpeggiated to yield beautiful single note lines and then connected to make satisfying musical phrases. In this masterclass we'll examine the shapes that translate best in making interesting single note lines. All string sets will be covered over the entire fretboard using every chord quality. This practice helps the guitarist see the fretboard as "one big position" while giving important visual landmarks for both chordal and single note playing. The deeper a player gets into voice leading chords the easier it is to make strong harmonic connections via single note lines.

The other side of the coin is what I refer to as "Gradual Chords". "Gradual Chords" often begin as a scalar single note line that builds as string crossing occurs. Each time a new string is employed a note gets added from the previous string. The evolution of the chord begins with single notes becoming two notes sustained below a melody line. Then it becomes three notes sustained below a melody until we run out of fingers! So we arrive at a four note chord beginning modestly as single note run. Open strings can always be added to get further interesting results.

Both of these techniques can dramatically affect the way a guitarist looks at music. The wall comes down between chords and single note lines so that the improviser can move freely and naturally between the two so that they really become one entity. As always there are many pages of written examples that accompany each class.

Student Reviews:

Adam Fluger (Saturday, 26 January 2008)
Rating: *****
This class provides extremely useful and creative concepts. The concepts are clearly explained and demonstrated by Steve in the class. Steve also provides a considerable amount of written material, which will keep you motivated to practice for months!

James Seaberry (Friday, 04 January 2008)
Rating: *****
This is the ideal basis for attaining the style of modern players like Lenny Breau, Lorne Lofsky, Ed Bickert, Bruce Saunders, Adam Rogers, guys that incorporate a lot of chord fragments into their lines. I once had a teacher who made me play something, and at ANY random point, would yell, "STOP!!! Play the chord you're over NOW!!!" For single-note players, this course is the way to visualize that.

Brandon Foster (Tuesday, 12 February 2008)
Rating:*****
Great Video and a Great Lesson! It's basically a system of organizing great sounding arpeggiated chord shapes over standard progressions. First half focuses on ii V's with some REALLY GREAT voice leading and extensive use of the Altered scale. IT really makes those colors easy to obtain all around the neck and gives you some great chord subs. IT can go even deeper if you look at all the other possible uses of the melodic minor over dominant chords.

Great Extensive PDF files with some great exercises.

The lesson also dives into passing tones based on the shapes and the diminished sound over dominant chords. And something I think sounds like a pedal steel guitar technique...but it is using standard chord shapes and playing in a legato fashion to incorporate single note lines into full ringing chords. Very Frisellian.

Great lesson and better teacher.

Jeff Stocks (Tuesday, 29 January 2008)
Rating: *****
Another challenging but extremely useful lesson from Steve. I found this one to be a great way to expand both my chordal and melodic vocabulary. After working through the material, I noticed I 'saw' harmony on the neck better, and as a result, saw more improvisational possibilities. The class material is not easy, but I found it all playable and adaptable to my style and was fun to pop over tunes. The 'gradual' chords section was an eye-opener. I am still trying to get the concept down, but it is intriguing. Steve shows great ease in teaching and makes the material seems 'reachable', even to those who don't possess his level of fluency. Highly recommended to those wanting to 'see' harmony/melody on the neck better.

Buy This Lesson

Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell are two guitarists that loved to imitate a horn section with chordal riff figures. Wes used them in his solos and while he comped, even while a pianist was comping along to a soloist. Often overlooked by guitarists, riff figures are an important part of jazz history rooted in the blues, making the music swing hard. So much of Wes Montgomery's style comes from riffs in octaves and chords sometimes straight from big bands like Basie and Hampton. In this Master Class I'll go over many of these swinging riff figures and shout choruses and adapt them for guitar.

These are deceptive animals in that they sound easy but are often very hard to negotiate in a chordal style. For example, many figures are quite syncopated and the chord changes occur in what seem like unusual places.

Many times call and response type of motifs are employed to create very interesting solos and comping, with good use of space. This is important work for the jazz guitarist that often gets ignored. For the guitarist who is looking to improve his or her time feel and play compelling chordal motifs created by the swing masters, this class is for you!

James Seaberry (Thursday, 31 January 2008)
Rating:*****
This is a great subject, and well prepared. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants to get into chord-melody playing while integrating other techniques. Last night, the piano player in my group could not make our weekly gig, leaving me as the comping instrument; I found myself using these lines all night long!!!! they work as solo comping just as well as they would with a piano hogging up all the space.

The chord changes to "I Got Rhythm" are required study for any jazz musician. Hundreds of tunes are fashioned after the Gershwin standard as well as the most popular turnarounds using the one-six-two-five progression and its substitutions. In this class I'll outline many of the useful soloing concepts including reharmonization, guide-tone lines, arpeggio usage, chord scales and motivic development using arpeggios and scales. Other topics will include reducing the changes down to basic cadences such as five to one and four minor to one as well as running the changes playing off of each chord. Learn simple and effective tricks to making the changes and handling up-tempo playing. This will be packed full of information that can be applied quickly. If rhythm changes have always been hard to handle or if you are just in need of some new ideas then this class is for you!

Student Reviews:

Timothy Allred (Tuesday, 13 November 2007)
Rating: *****
Another outstanding class from Steve Herberman. As we all know, two cornerstones of a jazz players vocabulary are the Blues and Rhythm Changes. Steve gives several logical and practical approaches to navigating Rhythm. As always his presentation is well-organized, thorough, and information-packed. Everything is well-explained and eminently musical. Like all of Steve's classes, this is highly recommended.

Philip DeMario (Wednesday, 05 March 2008)
Rating: *****
Steve is an excellent teacher and always provides tons of ideas and alternative approaches to explore. This class is very practical and full of immediately useful material. I found it valuable to hear, firsthand, how a pro like Steve thinks about and expands upon fundamental concepts like the Rhythm Changes progression.

Steve will take you through the process of learning new tunes with an emphasis on hearing the melody and changes and how they fit together. A step by step method, thorough to the point of reaching a deep understanding of the tune at hand. Transposition will be made much easier after following logical steps including singing, root motion, chord functions, guide tone lines, logical fingerings, a variety of chord/melody concepts and much more. When tunes are internalized in this way, long term memorization will be possible with greater flexibility. Expand your repertoire while maximizing your practice time!

Student Reviews:

Motion and Chord Voicings - Part II

George Van Eps used to say that "Guitarists put too damn many notes in their chords." In this class we'll heed the maestro's advice and examine 10th intervals with a moving inner line. Also, we'll look at other intervals such as 6th's and 12th's with inner line motion and apply these to a progression. Exercises outlining these principles will be provided, allowing you to become more familiar with the techniques necessary to play these smoothly. It's a refreshing approach to enhance your chord melody playing.

Student Reviews:

Motion and Chord Voicings - Part I

Joe Pass always talked about the importance of motion as it pertains to solo guitar. In this Master Class, Steve illustrates techniques to create motion using common chord forms. You and he will begin with triads and create lines in parallel and contrary motion while maintaining some common chord tones. After examining many kinds of voice motion within one chord, you'll apply these concepts to a progression. This is in essence what the George Van Eps volumes were all about: looking at chords as several voices forging ahead over time to arrive at familiar destinations along the way. You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover many new shapes getting from one chord form to another by sending the voices in motion. Steve will also show the application of these principles over familiar standard tunes. You will never look at those chord forms the same way!

Student Reviews:

Timothy Allred (Monday, 30 April 2007)
Rating: *****
Another dynamic solo guitar lesson from Steve Herberman. He has assimilated the stylistic and technical contributions of George Van Eps, Lenny Breau and others and presents them in clear, logical fashion. These concepts when practiced will ignite a fire under your chord-melody playing. As always, Steve is very well organized and the lesson is packed with information, including ideas on how to practice this approach. Not to to mention his incomparably beautiful playing of standards such as Here's that Rainy Day and Street of Dreams. Another essential for the aspiring solo-jazz-guitarist.

Harmonized Triads and Seventh Chords of the Melodic Minor Scale

Harmonized triads and seventh chords of the Melodic Minor scale and their practical applications over altered dominants and two-five-ones.
Take your comping and chord soloing to the next level by utilizing the harmonized Melodic Minor scale. In this class you'll receive examples to practice resolving altered dominant sounds through the use of these rich chordal textures. Many of these chord forms are familiar to many guitarists though we'll be stringing together chords to create a refreshing chain of altered dominant sounds and lead them to satisfying resolutions. This really breaks a player out of habitual chord patterns and licks to create fresh and interesting new patterns. The goal of this class is to firmly establish this concept in your ears and mind and, most importantly, to get it under your fingers so it becomes second nature!

Nico Sabatini (Thursday, 26 March 2009)
Rating: *****
Brilliant. Once again Steve manages, in just 90 minutes, to unlock a whole world of sounds that will keep you thinking, hearing, practicing and improvising for years. Shame that the title might suggest some sort of dry presentation. Far from it, Steve's clear explanation and extremely musical examples (7 pages of them!) clearly show the harmonic potential of the Melodic Minor scale within the context of II V I progressions and simple cadences. Steve's application of these principles never sounds contrived, thanks to a very musical sense of voiceleading you'd normally expect from the most accomplished piano players, but rarely hear from guitarists.
As always, the material presented can easily be connected with Steve's other classes (how about applying Van Eps' triad motion studies to run Inner Lines inside the Triads from the Mel Minor?). And also, although the materials are presented within the context of straight ahead ii v cadences, the material breathes new life when applied to more contemporary ECM-inspired tunes where you have to figure out something to play over 8 bars of C#Maj7#5 or B/G. Thank you Steve!

Contrapuntal Improvisation

This Saturday morning class on Contrapuntal Improvisation for pickstyle and fingerstyle guitar will be live from the IAJE in NYC. A refreshing alternative to block chord soloing, Steve will show you techniques to expand your playing into 2 and 3 part multi-line improvisation. Written examples will begin with the basic principles of contrapuntal playing and progress towards melding single note lines seamlessly into modern chordal structures. Add these vital and flexible concepts into stream of consciousness improvising. This type of playing sounds great in a bass/guitar duo or guitar/bass/drums trio. Break out of those chord boxes and let your creativity flow! All examples are written for 6 string guitar and are easily adaptable to 7 string guitar.

Nico Sabatini (Saturday, 21 March 2009)
Rating: *****
This is a mind-expanding class. There are 6 pages of written examples, many based on the same sample tune approached with different types of counter melodies. Also very helpful and inspiring are the many beautifully improvised and clearly explained examples. Several devices are discussed like improvising against chromatic cliche-lines like Root-7-b7-6 etc or 5-#5-6 and playing arpeggio-based countermelodies against a held note. This class, in conjunction with Steve's Van Eps-Style classes and the Inner Line class, represented a bit of a breakthrough for me and are revolutionizing the way I play and approach the instrument, from trying to combine chords and melodies, to juggling independent lines inside an organic improvised arrangement. Superb stuff!

Jeff Stocks (Sunday, 27 January 2008)
Rating: *****
I have several classes from Mike's offering, including half a dozen of Steve's and I feel this class is easily his most engaging, interesting, and for me, useful. After watching the lesson and studying the material, I felt like I had seen/heard something on the instrument I didn't know existed prior. Hearing the lines and counter-lines was truly like an epiphany. The class is well-presented (as always w/ Steve), easy to follow, great examples which can be played quickly to gain confidence, and extremely 'usable' in real world jazz settings. Steve is a huge asset to Mike's roster and this class is a great example why. Be prepared to be challenged!

Jeff Stocks, Kansas City, MO

7-String Jazz Guitar for All Levels

7-String Jazz Guitar for all levels will cover a wide range of topics for the 7-string player. From foundational exercises in chord playing, to single note solo lines employing the low A-string, to comping and arranging (and even composing on the 7-string.) Exercises will be given that illustrate inner line motion within a 7-string voicing as well as motion from chord to chord. Questions from participants in the masterclass always lead the discussion/demonstration to interesting places and are welcomed at any time during the class! Get the concepts in mind that you'll need to take your 7-string playing to the next level.

Chord melody arranging & soloing inspired by George Van Eps

Utilizing ideas for voice motion and chord substitution inspired by George van Eps, Steve will take the often played "Autumn Leaves" and send out a chord melody arrangement in the Van Eps style. Discussions of techniques used and full explanations of the entire arrangement will be given.As usual all questions will be answered on the spot! To encourage early registration Steve will include a bonus arrangement of "Autumn Leaves" arranged in 2 part counterpoint that will demonstrate soloing above a half note bassline and also a melody line. The former helps deal with the question "After I play the head, now what?" Improvising chord melody can be one of the most gratifying of endeavors. It kept George Van Eps playing steadily into his 80's!

Student Reviews:

Nico Sabatini (Sunday, 22 March 2009)
Rating:*****
Invaluable to anyone interested not just in solo guitar, but also counterpoint and arranging, this class is superb. The very well prepared (as always with Steve) materials consist of:
1) Melody + Bass arrangement of Autumn Leaves; 2) One chorus of Solo + Bassline; 3) An absolutely stunning chord melody arrangement packed with contrapuntal ideas, inner lines, and lots of wonderful arranging devices that are guaranteed to improve your writing as much as your playing.

I found the approach of nailing the tune and the bassline first, improvising new fingerings all the time is essential to gain the confidence to elaborate your improvised arrangement all over the range of the instrument. Then the ideas contained in the Chord melody are so far reaching that can keep you practising (and writing) for years to come. I guarantee that next time you write a big band arrangement you will be thanking Steve Herberman... I know I will!

Timothy Allred (Tuesday, 28 November 2006)
Rating: *****
Essential for aspiring solo guitarists. Steve gives a thorough and detailed explanation of the style of George Van Eps, one of the acknowledged masters of the genre. Learn how to approach the guitar more as a "lap piano".

Practical Application of the
George Van Eps Triad Motion Studies

I often get requests to demonstrate how Van Eps' triad studies in Harmonic Mechanism's can be applied to comping and soloing as well as chord/melody. In this masterclass we'll see how his multi-line triadic approach can add depth and interest to triads and upper structure triads. If you've never worked through Van Eps' books than this class could be a real eye-opener. If you've checked out Harmonic Mechanisms and need a fresh look at how to put the concepts into practical use over tunes than don't miss this masterclass!

Nico Sabatini (Saturday, 21 March 2009)
Rating: *****
Excellent material form Steve once again! The class revolves around a 32 bar study based on I got Rhythm, in which Steve has packed in an incredible amount of Triad motion ideas. Each 'chord' has activity in the top, middle and lower lines, open and close triads, interesting chromatic movements pivoted on a single note (once again top, mid or lower). The handouts are rich in examples that still keep me practising, even many weeks after purchasing the class. Any of the triad-motion 'licks' contained here can be practiced in different inversions, string sets, open and close position and taken through chord progressions, played as single notes... always inspiring new ideas and and strengthening your sense of voiceleading... I finally see the point of those Van Eps books! Thank you Steve.

Lenny Breau Style: How to comp while soloing

Breau's use of 2 and 3 note comping chords while he played melodies was a big leap forward for guitarists. Learn the techniques Lenny used to achieve this swinging jazz piano sound and play some of his favorite phrases and comping.

Student Reviews:

Nico Sabatini (Saturday, 21 March 2009)
Rating: *****
Another inspiring class from Steve. Packed with clear and musical examples and a practical approach that got me using this technique straight away. The benefits of this approach go well beyond the skill of accompanying yourself, as it is extremely useful for building voicings that, having 3 and 7 at the bottom, will support well any extension. This technique comes up time and time again in Steve's classes (and his playing), for example in his comping in 4/4 class, when he talks about building voicings 'on the fly' by adding to the 3&7 block. Highly recommended!

Lindsey Blair (Friday, 18 April 2008)
Rating: *****
I was aware of the idea of voicing partial chords on the lower strings while soloing on the higher strings, but this class really got me started on using his concept RIGHT AWAY! What seemed nearly impossible is now a regular part of my playing style.

For a free download of some of my lesson material on contrapuntal jazz guitar, click here.