Jazz Trumpet Licks

One of the things Miles Davis is known for is coming up with the bouncy pattern. Miles Davis used different variations of this pattern in a lot of the trumpet solos he played. The bouncy pattern is a very easy lick to memorize because it is based off of chromatics. No matter what note you start on its the same pattern over and over again based off the chromatic scale.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize the Miles Davis bouncy pattern in 12 keys:

Since this is a chromatic lick, you’ll only need to learn it in one key depending on which note you start on. Just remember that the lick is going down in half steps with a half step between each half step. I also encourage you to mess around with the pattern and come up with some ideas of your own with this lick.

A guitar player I used to work with showed me this easy ii V7 I lick.  The lick is based off the major 7th of the I chord, this is how I remember the lick.

Here is a sound sample of the lick played on trumpet:

How to memorize this ii V7 I lick in 12 keys:

The easiest way to memorize the ii V7 I lick in 12 keys is to first know that the lick starts on the major 7th of the I chord (it’s also best to think in C major throughout the entire lick). Then you go up the chromatic scale to D or the 9th. Next you go down the major 7th arpeggio until you land on the major 7th.

After you hit the 3rd of the V7 chord it goes up diminished for 3 notes then one whole step until you get the b6 (b9 if thinking in the V7 chord). Finally, the lick finishes by ending the major and landing on the 3rd of the I chord.

I know this seems like a lot of steps, that is why it’s pretty much easier to think of the whole lick in C major. Like any lick or pattern, you’ll eventually develop a feel for it and not have to think about it anymore.