💡 10 Bebop Licks Every Improviser Needs!

This week’s video is a continuation of a lesson I really enjoyed making—and one that seemed to resonate with a lot of players: 10 Must-Know Jazz Licks. This is Volume 2, and the goal is the same—give you clear, usable ideas that translate directly to the piano.

Each lick in this lesson is short and manageable, but there’s a lot packed into each one. We look at how the line relates to the harmony, where it wants to resolve, and how it functions over common situations like ii–V–I progressions, dominant chords, minor harmony, altered dominants, and major tonality. I also take these ideas through multiple keys so they start becoming real vocabulary rather than isolated shapes.

One of the most important parts of this lesson is learning how to connect small ideas into longer lines. Jazz improvisation isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about having a few solid ideas you can move, adapt, and combine. When you spend time with short phrases like these, things start to feel more musical and less overwhelming.

My encouragement with this video is to go slowly. Pick one lick. Take it through a few keys. Sit with it for a few days. Let it settle into your hands and ears. That kind of focused work adds up in powerful ways over time.

If you’re looking to build stronger jazz language and bring more clarity to your improvisation, I hope you find something useful here.