Jazz Explained is a podcast for musicians and serious listeners who want to go beyond the surface. Each episode breaks down the theory, technique, and history that shape jazz—from Coltrane changes to modern improvisation. Whether you're shedding in the practice room or just want to hear music with new ears, this is your backstage pass to understanding jazz from the inside out.
An introduction into Sheets Of Sound. The technique used by John Coltrane.The term was coined in 1958 by DownBeat magazine jazz critic Ira Gitler.
9 Feb 2026
Barry Harris - 6th Diminished Harmonic System
Starting from Barry Harris: Exploring the Diminished; Barry Harris Scales of Chords we will explore his system. While David Baker focuses on the Bebop Scale, Barry Harris offers a distinct, legendary harmonic approach that is essential to the bebop sound.
• Key Concepts discussed:
◦ The "Genealogy" of Chords: Harris's metaphor of the Chromatic scale as "God," the Whole Tone scales as "Man and Woman," and the Diminished chords as their "babies".
◦ The 6th Diminished Scale: Harris's view that chords come from scales, specifically the Major 6th Diminished and Minor 6th Diminished scales.
◦ Borrowed Notes: How to create movement ("motion") within a chord by borrowing notes from the related diminished chord,.
◦ The "Family" of Dominants: How four dominant 7th chords are derived from a single diminished chord.
3 Feb 2026
Jerry Coker – The Vocabulary of the Jazz Language
Key Concepts:
◦ The "Bebop Lick": Defining the specific melodic phrase (often 1-flat7-natural 7-1) prevalent in the era.
◦ Enclosure: The technique of surrounding a target note with chromatic neighbors.
◦ The "3 to b9" Device: A specific harmonic generalization technique used over dominant chords.◦ CESH: Explain "Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony," a method of moving a single voice within a static chord (e.g., Root to Major 7 to b7 to 6).
27 Jan 2026
The Bebop sound
What are the characteristics of Bebop? How to make a frase sound bebop?
19 Jan 2026
Five steps to master Jazz Standards
A list of steps to be able to master a jazz standard.
What do these words signify in this context?
Melody
Changes
Summary
Alternative voice leading
Sing/feel
Let`s discover it together
12 Jan 2026
Connecting Chord with Linear Harmony - Bert Ligon
In this episode we are analysing BErt Ligon`s book "Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony.
We are trying to find ways to solo and think like the masters.
Topics:
linear motion
voice leading
target notes
harmonic specificity
harmonic generalization
motivic development
superimposing harmony
patterns for ii V I
octave displacement
the "Round Midnight" outline
CESH
chromatic approaches and encirclements
borrowed tones
6 Jan 2026
Hal Galper`s Forward Motion
We will dive into Hal Galper`s book "Forward Motion"
Topics covered:
rhythmic adjustments
active/inactive elements
inner guide tone melody
harmonic forward motion
2 Jan 2026
David Baker - Bebop 3
Techniques for Learning and Utilizing Bebop Tunes
Topics covered:Contrafact
Tools to improviseSilent practice
Transcribing
Interchanging
24 Dec 2025
David Baker - Bebop 2
Patterns, Formulae and Other Linking Materials
Topics covered:
Chord Progressions ii-V-I and iii-vi-ii-V
Cycles, Turnbacks
Enclosures, Deflection
17 Dec 2025
David Baker - Bebop 1
An analysis of David Baker`s Bebop 1, the bebop Scales and other scales in common use.
Topics treated:The Historical and Theoretical Importance of BebopThe Two Primary Bebop ScalesEnclosure/Deflection
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