Jazz Trumpet Licks

This whole tone pattern alternates between 4ths and whole steps going down. Because this Jazz whole tone pattern alternates between 4ths and whole steps, you won’t be able to stay in one whole tone key.

Hear a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize this lick in 12 keys:

Once again since this is a whole tone pattern, you will only need to learn this lick in two keys depending on which note you start on. From whatever note you decide to start on, just remember this simple formula:

Fourth, whole step, fourth, whole step, etc…

It’s that easy. You can play as much as the pattern as you’d like. It’s completely up to you. The whole tone pattern above sounds good over Dominant chords and modal tunes.

Here is a ii V7 I lick you can play where you will think in harmonic minor for the beginning of the lick and use a minor arpeggio at the end of the lick.  I got this lick listening to Tom Harrell. I believe I got this lick from one of Tom Harrell’s April Mist trumpet solos.

Here is a sound sample played on trumpet:

How to memorize this lick in 12 keys:

You pretty much need to think in minor for this ii V7 I lick. You can see that we start on the tonic of whatever ii chord we start on and go up the minor scale to the 5th go to the minor 3rd back down to the raised 7th (harmonic minor) up to the 2nd. Then you just go down the Bb Major scale (no longer thinking in minor) until you hit the 3rd of the I chord. Once you hit the I of the one chord, it is just a simple D minor arpeggio up to the 7th from there. You can end or continue this lick however you would like to.

Tom Harrell is one of my favorite jazz trumpeters ever. These two Jazz trumpet solos are a big reason why. Tom Harrell has a really nice trumpet sound and Jazz style on these two solos. I would consider Tom Harrell to be an aggressive trumpet player. That’s just my opinion though.

The first April Mist trumpet solo is on the recording Playing with Fire – Bobby Shew Quintet. There are really a lot of great licks you can get from this Jazz solo. I could listen to this trumpet solo all day and not get tired of it. I like this Jazz solo better than the next one. I’ll let you decide which one you like better (feel free to comment on this post).

Tom Harrell takes a solo on April Mist again, but this time on a CD called Visions. Once again there are a lot of great licks to take advantage of in this Jazz trumpet solo. I think Tom Harrell plays a little bit more aggressive in this solo. Both Jazz solos are just awesome. Just like the first trumpet solo, I could list to this Tom Harrell trumpet solo all day long and never get tired of it.

Video removed