Jazz Trumpet Licks

This is part of where the Bebop style of Jazz came from. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie helped revolutionize the Jazz world with their new style of bebop. Take a historical trip back to 1952 enjoy some great Jazz music. Charlie Parker sounded great in the Jazz video, but Dizzy Gillespie was definitely more melodic in his trumpet playing. In my opinion, most of the time less notes and more simplicity always pleases the crowds more.

This recording took place before Dizzy Gillespie decided to bend his trumpet bell up closer to his ear. Unfortunately, the video was removed from YouTube.

Video removed

Wynton Marsalis takes a really expressive trumpet solo over Caravan after doing a good interpretation of the head using a cup mute. This Jazz trumpet solo of Wynton Marsalis took place back in 1988. It’s a live trumpet solo which makes it even cooler. Wynton Marsalis also uses a little bit of circular breathing in the Jazz video.

Video was removed from YouTube, so enjoy some of his other music.

I got this diminished pattern from a Bobby Shew Jazz book. I can’t remember the name of it though. I do remember that the Jazz book was about different Jazz technical studies, etc…  Anyway, here’s the Jazz lick.

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

How to memorize the diminished lick in 12 keys:

Since this is a diminished pattern, you’ll only need to memorize it in 3 keys depending on which note you start on.  The first part of this Jazz lick is really easy to remember because it simply goes up the diminished scale. Then the Jazz lick ends with a half step below each minor 3rd going down the diminished triad. The lick ends on a minor 3rd above C in the provided example.