Jazz Trumpet Licks

Here’s a neat sounding turnaround Jazz lick that leans on the b9 when it’s on the V7 chord. The b9 is what makes the lick sound really cool because it makes the pattern want to go towards the next chord change.

Here is a sound sample on trumpet:

How to memorize this turnaround in 12 keys:

First know that it is a iii VI ii V7 I turnaround (3, 6, 2, 5, 1). In other words, it’s a ii V7 up a whole step, then a ii V7 I pattern in the tonic key. Very easy to get used to and it’s used in a whole lot of Jazz charts. If you’ve already worked a lot on various ii V7 I patterns, this Jazz lick will be very easy for you to get down.

Here is my take on it in a snap shot, starts on the 5th of the iii chord and is a minor arpeggio to the 3rd of the VI chord, up to the b9 and down the scale to the minor 3rd of ii chord, then do a turn on the b7th to the 3rd of the V7 chord up to the b9 and down the scale to the III of the I chord.

You’re obviously not going to think about all of this while playing the lick. You’ll mainly just want to mess around with your ii V7 I Jazz patterns and you’ll be able to come up with some really nice turnarounds on your own.

Here is a pretty easy whole tone pattern you can use during solo breaks, at the end of Jazz tunes, or pretty much anywhere your mind can hear a good place to put it. It is simply augmented triads going down in whole steps. As simple as that sounds, the actual Jazz lick itself sounds great.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize this whole tone pattern in 12 keys:

Since this Jazz pattern is a whole tone pattern, you will only need to memorize the lick in 2 keys because it repeats itself no matter what note you start on. What this whole tone pattern does is starts on the 5th scale degree of the augmented triad, goes down the triad (3 notes), then repeats the process down a whole step each time. That’s all there is to it.

Mess around with it a little bit and you’ll have this whole tone pattern in your arsenal of Jazz licks in no time at all.

I know you’re going to laugh at how simple this fourth pattern is. Simply going up in half steps with a fourth in between doesn’t sound too difficult. The reason I posted this fourth pattern as a Jazz lick is because it really can come in handy over modal tunes and Dominant chords that last awhile and you want to take your Jazz solo outside a little bit.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to learn this fourth pattern in 12 keys:

Since this Jazz lick goes up chromatically, you’ll really only have to learn it once. Just know that the pattern is up a fourth from the first note you start on, then up a half step from the first note you started on. The Jazz lick simply repeats this same pattern over and over again.

The cool thing you can do with this fourth pattern is mess around with it rhythm wise. Find and create different variations of this chromatic fourth pattern that you like best. Since this is music, there are no limits on what creative 4th pattern variations you can come up with.

I can’t remember where I got this whole tone pattern from, but the Jazz lick sounds cool to play so I wanted to share it with you. The lick was a little tricky for me to get down on trumpet because of the fingering it requires. I hope the lick is a lot easier for you to learn than it was for me. If anything, you can use this whole tone pattern as a good trumpet fingering exercise.

Here is a sound sample on played on trumpet:

How to memorize this Jazz lick in 12 keys:

This Jazz lick is a whole tone lick so you’ll “technically” only need to learn it twice. When I think of executing this Jazz pattern, I think in a combination of going down the augmented triad from the note I start on. In the above example you’ll start on the 3rd of the C augmented triad. So you’re in second inversion because the 5th is the bottom note.

If you look at the example above, the first note of each measure is part of the augmented triad you are thinking in. If you’re not familiar or comfortable playing augmented triads, a good exercise is to just go up and down each augmented triad going up in whole steps, half steps, and alternating in between them until you really have a good feel for them.

So, as you can see the whole tone pattern simply repeats itself over and over again going down the augmented triad. The pattern you’re repeating is ( 3 1 2 3 Aug triad down). Thats it, or at least that is how I memorized the lick. You may find a more comfortable way. Whatever works for you!

I heard Tom Harrell play this Jazz lick, but I can’t remember where from. It’s a pretty easy Jazz lick to learn in 12 keys and to incorporate into your Jazz improv playing. I hope you enjoy and use the Jazz lick just as much as I do.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize the Jazz lick in 12 keys:

I think bebop scale when I play this lick. I don’t care whether or not I’m playing it over a ii V7 I or not. The Jazz lick fits over a lot of different chords. Know that the lick starts on the tonic of the bebop scale you’re on, a 5th above the ending I chord (in the above example it’s G). Go down to the b7th, then up the bebop scale to the 2nd, next go up a minor 3rd to C, then down bebop scale. Continue down the bebop scale without the major 7th until you land on a chord tone of the I chord. Which in the above example is the 3rd of C.

I also added the b9 on the V7 chord, which in my opinion sounds a whole lot cooler than just playing a regular 9 on the V7 chord. What do you think?