Jazz Trumpet Licks

Here is a fun Jazz trumpet video to take a look at. Arturo Sandoval is an amazing Jazz trumpet player and this video shows just that. The cool thing about Arturo Sandoval is that he is one of the few that has both Jazz chops and high note chops. One of my favorite CDs of Arturo Sandoval is The Very Best of Arturo Sandoval. Arturo Sandoval takes a really good ride on A Night in Tunisia on the CD.

Arturo Sandoval Performs a trumpet solo on A Night in Tunisia in London, 1989

Here is an easy bebop lick that you can play over a ii V7 I.

Here is a sound sample on trumpet:

How to memorize in 12 keys:

This lick is really easy to learn in 12 keys. Whatever note you start on is the bebop scale you will play. Know that the C bebop scale is a 5th above F Major . For example, if you have a ii V7 I in the key of G Major, what bebop scale would you play? The answer is the D bebop scale because D is a 5th above G.

You start on the tonic, go up to the 3rd, then do the bebop scale down to the 3rd again. When you hit the 3rd, just do a diminished arpeggio up to the b9 and then finish the bebop scale down landing on the 3rd of the I chord.

I can’t remember the name of the recording or the tune. But I do remember hearing Tom Harrell play this pentatonic pattern.

Here is a sound sample on trumpet:

Best way to learn in 12 keys:

Since this is a pentatonic lick, it’s a little harder to learn in a formula other than 1 2 3 5 6. Just knowing that you won’t be playing any other notes than 1 2 3 5 or 6 is the best way to learn pentatonics. For me pentatonics come easier by feel. You can accomplish getting a feel for pentatonics with repition. What’s that famous saying? Oh, I know, “Repition is the key to success”.