Exercise 1
What you are hearing is a gradual resolving of tensions. From far away (IIm7, the subdominant, Dm7 in the first bar) from the origin (Imaj7, the tonic, Cmaj7 in the second bar, that actually becomes a I6 after that), via the V7, the dominant (G7 in the first bar). Music is a tension game. All notes want to become the 1 of the I. The one of the tonic, the one of the key, the key note. Why? Because then all tensions are resolved. A tensionless peacefull state. All tones vibrating as one. Oh yes, music is a spiritual game as well.
Exercise 2
The relative 3’s and 7’s (sometimes major, sometimes minor, depending on the chord) of chords are very important in jazz harmonies. This exercises focusses on them.
Exercise 3
Quarter note triplets are less common and more difficult than eighth note triplets. But just as effective in creating rhythmic tensions!
Exercise 4
Classic jazz lines. Broken chords, the seperate notes of the chord, known as ‘arpeggios’. You could change the order of the notes at will to create alternatives.
Exercise 5
A rhythmic variation example.
