By Justin James
Licks are how jazz players learn the language — short phrases you steal, own, then bend into your own lines.
JazzValve Pro has 200+ hard bop licks with fingerings, tempo control and quartet playback.
JazzValve Pro
Hear 200+ hard bop licks →Learn five beginner-friendly blues riffs in written C, with B-flat trumpet fingerings, clear rhythms, and a short routine for turning scale notes into solos.
Match your Autumn Leaves chart to the right written key, check common valve fingerings, and build the melody one short phrase at a time.
Practice Blue Bossa in written D minor with transposed chord tones, simple arpeggios, and a guide-tone line that connects the changes.
Practice written Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 with connected arpeggios, half-step resolutions, and short hard bop phrases for B-flat trumpet.
Practice four short call-and-response riffs with written B-flat trumpet notes, valve fingerings, and a five-minute routine for inventing your own answers.
That B♭ over A7 needs somewhere to go. I'll walk you through three written D minor trumpet licks, with valve fingerings, clear rhythms, and room to hear each resolution.
Learn three short jazz lines with written-pitch notes, standard B-flat trumpet fingerings, and a practice plan that puts phrasing before speed.
Start with five jazz tunes that leave room to breathe. Here’s how I’d choose a version, check the written key, and practice the melody before chasing a solo.
Play three short jazz trumpet licks with written notes, valve fingerings, and clear rhythms. Then turn each phrase into a practical call-and-response exercise.
Play four short jazz trumpet riffs with written notes, precise valve fingerings, and simple rhythms. I’ll show you where to settle, swing, and leave space.
Start improvising over “So What” with original three-note phrases, written E Dorian fingerings, and a simple exercise for the bridge.
Play three original blues lines with clear rhythms and precise valve fingerings. Then hear how their endings fit a concert B-flat blues.
Play three original turnaround lines over Cmaj7–A7–Dm7–G7, with written B-flat trumpet notes, precise valve changes, and a practical swing routine.
Play three short riffs with written B-flat trumpet notes, valve fingerings, and clear rhythms. Then turn each phrase into a repeatable jazz exercise.
Start Taps on B-flat trumpet with four open-valve notes. Learn the written pitches, practise the opening, and build cleaner changes between harmonics.
Ready for more than the free tools?
JazzValve Pro — 200+ hard bop jazz licks →