INTRODUCTION

In tandem to my professional career as a jazz composer and musician, for more than 20 years I have taught at music conservatories, academies of music, continuing education music programs, and I presented Masterclasses to students of all ages, with lessons in-person and more recently online.

My teaching methodology serves all levels, from beginner to expert, and is designed for the individual student’s needs by providing the necessary tools to develop their soloist’s potential. While it is easier for students who already have a foundation of music theory (reading, technique, solfeggio), in my teaching I encourage and promote the growth of my beginner students by integrating notions of  functional instrumental techniques, applied theory, and mnemonic techniques.

Each musician has his own approach to develop and apply improvisation techniques. Such preferences depend on the “forma mentis” that leads one to develop shortcuts and cognitive reductions in translating musical theory into an instinctive response. My teaching method increases the individual’s skills through the targeted practice of functional harmony. Since the assolo encyclopedia is so vast – with so many styles dictated by clichés and by “rules-not rules” – my teaching focuses on motivating students to learn a method, appreciate studying, and how and what to study.

My goal is to provide the necessary tools to recognize, code, process and learn what “we like to hear from other players”, in order not only to know how to reproduce it in the appropriate context but also to decontextualize it in a creative and personal way.

These days, the internet is full of excellent resources, tutorials, and online methods/masterclasses, some even by  esteemed colleagues of mine, who are a constant source of inspiration and motivation. Nevertheless, students may not know how to choose the right product, or may  expect that a course can teach them all they need, as a one-step solution. I help students in identifying what they are missing in their repertoire, and specifically how to study and learn the material.

(teaching material will be posted soon)

IMPROVISATION TOOLS

This series of videos started as a fun project on social media: a sequence of nutshell lessons in which I present topics succinctly. I analyze my solo improvisations (available in pdf) by highlighting and distinguishing various music elements which are interchangeable among different styles, and which build students’ foundations in music theory  and improvisation. Being aware of what one is playing is essential.
This page is continuously updated, so please stay tuned.
Have fun!
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#1 SOLO ANALYSIS

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#2 OUTSIDE THE CHORD CHANGES

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#3 SOLO ANALYSIS (alto version)

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#4 DOMINANT SCALES

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#5 SOLO ANALYSIS (tenor version)

Torna in alto