Session 2: Riffs and a “Lady Be Good” Solo, Part 1: Riffs and Blues

from: Intro to Jazz Violin with Aaron Weinstein

This lesson is part of the course Intro to Jazz Violin with Aaron Weinstein.

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Learn to play jazz violin from the ground up with acclaimed violinist and mandolinist Aaron Weinstein, who teaches you pre-composed solos for eight jazz and swing classics based on improvisation devices like melodic variation, repeating motives, using harmonic entry points, and more. Includes rhythm tracks, analysis of each solo, rephrasing suggestions, and more. Appropriate for mandolinists as well as fiddlers.

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Session 1: “Honeysuckle Rose”

In this video, Aaron walks you through the solo for “Honeysuckle Rose” and explains what he’s doing in each phrase.

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The Intro to Jazz Violin Subscription Includes:

Eight one-hour lessons
Pre-composed solos for eight jazz and swing classics, including “Honeysuckle Rose,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and more
Solos that focus on one device used for improvising, including using melody as an improv tool, finding motives, arpeggios, harmonic entry points, and more.
Melodic analysis and suggestions for rephrasing and variation
High-quality video recordings of each session, posted on Peghead Nation within a week of each session, so you can review what you've learned and revisit them after the workshop has concluded
Play-Along audio tracks for each song
Notation of each solo along with analysis of the solo and rephrasing ideas
Mandolin tab for mandolin students

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Session 2: Riffs and a “Lady Be Good” Solo

Session 2: Riffs and a “Lady Be Good” Solo, Part 1: Riffs and Blues

Session 2: Riffs and a “Lady Be Good” Solo, Part 2: Solo

Session 2: Riffs and a “Lady Be Good” Solo, Part 1: Riffs and Blues

In the second session of Intro to Jazz Violin, Aaron focuses on riffs—what they are and how to pull from a song’s melody to create them. He also takes a look at the blues—not the form but the sound and how to inject it into a solo. You’ll also learn a solo to the beloved Gershwin song “Lady be Good” that uses all the ideas you’ve just learned. In this video, Aaron talks about riffs and the blues.

Here are links to recordings Aaron played during the workshop.

Jumping at the Woodside

Swingtime in the Rockies

A Smooth One

Basie at Newport: “One O’ Clock Jump” (from 6:25)

Stuff Smith: “Bugle Call Blues”

Download the notation for the lesson, as well as a lead sheet to “Lady Be Good,” mandolin tab, and Play-Along Track MP3s, below.

“Lady be Good” Notation Downloadable PDF (Available to subscribers)

“Lady be Good” Lead Sheet Downloadable PDF (Available to subscribers)

“Lady be Good” Mandolin Tab Downloadable PDF (Available to subscribers)

“Lady be Good” Play-Along Track MP3: Slow (Available to subscribers)

“Lady be Good” Play-Along Track MP3: Faster (Available to subscribers)