Jazz Trumpet Licks

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?

This Jazz trumpet solo of Freddie Hubbard is really great. Very melodic and builds very nicely. The tune Open Sesame, from the album Open Sesame, switches back and forth between G minor and C minor (I think – let me know by commenting). Lots of cool minor Jazz licks to take advantage of in this Freddie Hubbard trumpet solo. Of course Freddie Hubbard nails all the chord changes in this great Jazz solo as well!

**Note: Audio has been removed from this post.

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I heard Tom Harrell play this Jazz lick in the beginning of his trumpet solo on Scrapple From the Apple off his Moon Alley album. This lick doesn’t necessarily have to be played over a ii V7 I, it can be played over a regular major chord as well. It’s a very scale like Jazz lick so it’s easy to play on trumpet.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize this Jazz lick in 12 keys:

Like I said before, since this Jazz lick is very scale like, it lays very nicely on the trumpet. You can either think of the lick as a G bebop scale lick with a raised 4th, or a C major lick with a b9 (or raised tonic). I prefer to think of it as a C major lick with a b9 in it.

If you prefer memorizing the lick in major think of starting on the 5th of whatever key you’re in, then play the major scale up to the 4th, then go down to the b9, up to the 3rd, and finally finish the scale out landing on the 3rd of the I chord.

If you prefer memorizing the lick thinking in dominant then just know that you’ll start on the tonic of whatever dominant scale you’re starting on, go up the scale to the b7, down to the #4, up a minor 3rd from that, then just finish out the dominant scale down landing on a chord tone of the I chord.

Feel free to embellish on the lick and make it your own.

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This bebop lick goes up in ascending 3rds through the bebop scale. It is kind of like one of those basic exercises you’ve learned out the of the Arbans book. The only difference is that there is a half step between each ascending 3rd. I apologize in the video I said the Jazz lick goes up in major 3rds, but as you can see the lick really goes up in major and minor 3rds.

I got this lick from The Be Boppers Method Book Volume I for B flat Instruments with CD by Wendell Harrison. This is a great book full of good bebop exercises and patterns to work on.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to learn this bebop pattern in 12 keys:

The lick just goes up in major and minor 3rds up the bebop scale. Try the bebop lick without the half steps in between the 3rds first. Then just add the half steps. If you are already familiar with all your bebop scales, this should be a pretty easy bebop lick to incorporate into your bag of licks.

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Here is a whole tone lick I heard Dexter Gordon play. I can’t remember what album it was off of though.

Here is a sample played on trumpet:

How to learn the lick in 12 keys:

Know that this lick is a whole tone pattern and you are just going down the whole tone scale. Notice that the first note of every pair of four eighth notes is a whole step apart. Also notice that each eighth note is a minor 3rd apart. That is the easiest way to learn this lick in 12 keys. So this lick uses minor 3rds going down in whole steps.