Soloing Techniques - Licks, Riffs, Runs, Improvisational Lessons for Jazz Piano Scales

Urban Soloing Techniques Volume I is an amazing improvisational soloing DVD for gospel, neo soul, jazz, and R&B styles. You are probably sick of playing the same chords and doing the same few runs and tricks that you find so mundane. Well, now you will be able to spice up your playing with an arsenal of solos, licks, tricks, runs, riffs, and "phat" improvisational techniques. Urban Soloing Techniques Volume I is slated for the beginner to intermediate keyboard player. We will teach you the basics of soloing as it relates to scales, grace notes, arpeggios, fingering techniques, and ear training. Most importantly, we are giving you all of the important tools that you can use in today's music, which will keep you contemporary and not "old-school" sounding. Many of the licks and tricks are taken from very popular gospel runs and jazz improvisational riffs that you hear in your favorite jazz and gospel artists. Look no further! This is the DVD you need to FINALLY phatten up your playing and take your chops to a whole other level.

In my opinion, I think this is probably the most feature packed DVD I have made. It even rivals the Urban Worship Xtreme, because there are even more movements, in addition to Ricky Draper and the double MIDI view.

On this disc, I take a lot of time building the foundation for my solos and my sound. It’s kind of like a quick crash course into soloing. The premise behind the urban sound lies in the blues scale. So, I go over the blues scales briefly, but get you started immediately into the movements. The Chapters in Disc 1 consist of the following:

1.Scales and Fingering
a. Major Scales
b. Blues Scales
2. Whole Note Scales over Chords
3. Spanish Scales
4. Soloing Chords
5. Grace Notes
6. Soling and Runs (Shed Session)

It is a really quick introduction, but I teach it in such a way that you can pick it up. Chances are you already know how to play chords and you have some what of a little understanding of scales. So once you see how easy it is as I teach the major principles, then you will pick it up fast.

Ricky Draper
Ricky Draper goes over scales, yet again and modes. He shows you proper fingering and what scales to play over chords. Ricky Draper gives you a more theoretical approach for those of you who want a more theoretical approach to scales. You will have your hands full with all of the theory that goes with this section:
1. Major Scale
2. Minor Scale
3. Blues Scale
4. Pentatonic Scale
5. Whole Note Scale
6. Different Soloing Modes

Jamal Intimate Shed
After the DVD was finished, I sat up at night and was not 100% satisfied with everything. I definitely brought the points home to the intermediate players, but my heart went out to the beginner. So I went back in the studio with no drummer, no bass player, no other keyboard player and I sat down as if I were talking to a beginner. I talked about my struggles and what I did when I learned how to play. I gave very secret information on my struggles and how I conquered them. I show very important practicing techniques I use, but more importantly I show you firsthand my mess-ups. I learn an actual solo movement on the spot to show you how I actually practice and struggle as well. You will get a chance to see my soloing regime and all of its gory mess-ups. Then you will see how you progress further with developing solos and the mindset behind practice. It is very intense and serious, but it will give you invaluable and never-seen-before footage of an actual practice and struggle session with Jamal. In seeing this, it will also allow you to develop your own practice techniques as you use some of my secret tricks to learning difficult solos on the spot.

Documentation:
1. Sheet Music
2. MIDI files
3. EXTRA documentation (See Bonus Section)