By playing a G7 Shell (1,3,b7) and adding a triad over that basic structure, you can create a lot of harmonic voicings and melodic material.

I’m working on a big band pieces for large ensemble. Here’s the first one. ~Purchase my book: Modern Jazz Vocabulary Vol. 1~ ~Purchase my book: Modern Jazz Vocabulary Vol. 2~ ~Purchase the Blues in 12 Keys Play along~ ~Purchase Drum

Alto saxophonist Andy Ehling and I finished recording our 3rd album and are releasing the tracks one at a time over social media. We are joined by the same ensemble from the Reunion album; Leonard Thompson on piano, Brad Williams

This second track from the album “Ring” is dedicated to Rosa Luxemburg (1871 – 1919). Here are a few quotes from her speeches and writings that I found inspiring. “Only to the rude ear of one who is quite indifferent

Mind’s Ear pg.1 Mind’s Ear pg.2 This is a piece dedicated Bruce Adolphe’s book, “The Mind’s Ear”. This book is an excellent guide to improving your ability to “audiate” or hear music in your mind. This piece is loosely based

Azul is the 4th track from the album “Ring”. The piece is a simple blues waltz. The introduction and outro features three short melodic phrases written in rhythmic/melodic counterpoint. The chord progression is a slight variation of a standard blues.

Using only the 1,3,#11,7 Tetrad (or 4 note set) I’ve been using this 1, 3, #11, 7 Tetrad (4 note set) for years in both composition (voicings for big band or small group part writing) and as a group of

I wrote this piece specifically for this recording project. The dedication here is to the Enso Ring which is often seen in Japanese Zen. Ideally the Enso ring is painted by a Zen master while maintaining an empty state of

I composed this song in three for the recording date. The composition is two distinct melodic phrases set withing a simple harmonic progression. The solo sections are distinct and only reflect a simplified version of the harmony heard during the

This piece is based on a re-harmonization of the chord progression to Dave Brubeck’s song, “In Your Own Sweet Way”. I added an interlude of descending Sus Chords as an alternative solo section as well as simplifying the chord changes

The CD is pressed – here are all the tracks on one post. You can also listen to the whole album for free or buy it on Bandcamp here. Matt Otto: tenor sax.Andy Ehling: alto sax.Leonard Thompson: piano.Brad Williams: drums.Ben

I always enjoy writing contra-facts over chord progressions I like to improvise on. This is an easy one that is based on the Gigi Gryce’s song Minority. Gigi writes great tunes; always melodic and fun to blow on harmonically. I

Here’s a blues etude that uses some different 4 note cells (tetrads) and various scales. By writing an etude you can learn to hear melody that specifically reflects an underlying concept and later improvise using the concept alone. The original

Steve Cardenas, one of my favorite guitar players, taught me how to create a 7 note diminished scale. These scales work over Dominant b9 (half/whole) type diminished as well, but we’ll look at regular Diminished 7th in this example. There

Harmonic Major modes over 2-5-1 in Minor. I’ve been working on using the 7 modes of Harmonic Major over various chords as alternate scale choices. The example below uses two scales over a minor 2 – 5 – 1 –

This is an original composition of mine using a common writing tool. all the chords and melody to this piece come from one major scale.

I’ve been practicing a simple Major melody that uses both a diatonic enclosure of the 3rd and a descending diatonic 6th. The melody outlines the 3rd to the 5th of each of the 7 chords in the major scale. The

A warm up that activates both your ear and your sound. Trying to discover smarter ways to warm up and do ear training is often on my mind when teaching. Many students spend time doing long tones but still have

Covid19 has ended my gigging life for now and so I have more time to teach. Skype/Zoom/Hangouts are great ways to both teach and learn from the comfort of your own home. I charge 30$ for a 30 minute lesson

I wrote a short original piece for my friend and Marimba player Michael Compitello. Mike is an amazing musician whom I’ve had the honor of working with at KU. This is a duo piece which is a study in cycle 5 motion using minor harmony.

Two of my friends, Peter Schlamb and Matt Villinger, mentioned working on Blues for Alice by Charlie Parker during Covid. They’ve been playing it through the keys, one key per week, really trying to get it down. I thought I’d

This is a simple educational play along – blues in all 12 keys – swing at 144 bpm

This new CD features some of my favorite musicians playing seven of my original compositions. Each track has a different configuration of players. You can get the CD on Band Camp here. . Alliance by Matt Otto . . .

Lessons Select Category -Lesson 01: Spread Triads -Lesson 02: Diatonic 4ths -Lesson 03: Rhythm Changes -Lesson 04: Cycle Melody -Lesson 05: 13th Arpeggios -Lesson 06: Minor ii-V-i -Lesson 07: C7 using Maj7#5 -Lesson 08: ii-V using triads -Lesson 09: Arpeggio Voicing -Lesson 10: Whole Tone -Lesson 11: Major b13 b9 -Lesson 12: Embellished Triad -Lesson 126: Practice PDFs -Lesson 13: Lydian in 5ths -Lesson 14: Dim Melody -Lesson 15: Pedals and Drones -Lesson 16: Long Tones -Lesson 17: Intervallic Melody -Lesson 18: Long Tones 2 -Lesson 19: Maj #9 #11 Melody -Lesson 20: V7 to i using -3rds -Lesson 21: V7 w Chromatic -Lesson 22: ii V I w Chromatic -Lesson 23: Harmonic Maj -Lesson 24: Major Melody -Lesson 25: 13(#11) Displaced -Lesson 26: Relative Pitch -Lesson 27: 4ths over Maj7 -Lesson 28: My Shining Hour -Lesson 29: #5 #9 #11 -Lesson 30: Sing and Play -Lesson 31: Bach sing-play -Lesson 32: Bach minor V7 – i -Lesson 33: Groupings -Lesson 34: Altered Scale -Lesson 35: ii V Harm Minor -Lesson 36: ii-V-i Harm.Min 2 -Lesson 37: Singing Modes -Lesson 38: 1st Inv Triads -Lesson 39: Bach Cello Suite -Lesson 40: HW Diminished -Lesson 41: Shell + Tension -Lesson 42: Synthetic Scale -Lesson 43: Dimished -Lesson 44: Simple ii V7 -Lesson 45: Bird Line -Lesson 46: Alt Dom Melody -Lesson 47: Dizzys Bebop -Lesson 48: -7b5 -Lesson 49: 7sus4 -Lesson 50: Wide Intervals -Lesson 51: Maj #5 Melody -Lesson 52: Enclosures -Lesson 53: Pentatonic -Lesson 54: Triad w Neighbors -Lesson 55: ii V7#5 i dim -Lesson 56: Giant Steps -Lesson 57: Scale Routine -Lesson 58: Triad Diminished -Lesson 59: Spread Tritone -Lesson 60: Diatonic Sequence -Lesson 61: Drop 2 Voicing -Lesson 62: Master Class -Lesson 63: 9 and b9 on V7 -Lesson 64: Book ii V7 I -Lesson 65: Stage Fright -Lesson 66: Minor Major -Lesson 67: min triad add 9 -Lesson 68: -7b5 nat9 nat 13 -Lesson 69: A Major -Lesson 70: Aug Melody -Lesson 71:E Modal Melody -Lesson 72: 3 Note Cell -Lesson 73: Cycle Wheel pt. 1 -Lesson 74: Cycle Wheel pt.2 -Lesson 75: Cycle Wheel pt.3 -Lesson 76: 30 Day Challenge -Lesson 77: Triadic Blues -Lesson 78: 8th Note Feel -Lesson 79: Broken Arpeggio -Lesson 80: Triplets in 4 -Lesson 81: Well You Needn’t -Lesson 82: Maj7#5 Pentatonic -Lesson 83: No Tongue -Lesson 85: Intervallic Ideas -Lesson 86: Bird Line 2 -Lesson 87: ii V Melody -Lesson 88: Bach Theme -Lesson 89: Altered 2 -Lesson 90: Blues Tina Brooks -Lesson 91: Yusef Lateef Scale -Lesson 92: The 3rd and 5th -Lesson 93: Scale Pattern -Lesson 94: 7Alt Monk -Lesson 95: Random Chords -Lesson 96: Aug Scale Study -Lesson 97: Bergonzi -Lesson 98: Trumbauer -Lesson 99: 4 Note Cell -Lesson 100: Triads -Lesson 101: Lydian b13 Cycle 5 -Lesson 102: Triplets in 5 -Lesson 103: -7b5 Chords -Lesson 104: Modes Harmonic Minor -Lesson 105: Tetrad 9 -Lesson 106: Maj7 – Altered -Lesson 107: Car Practice -Lesson 108: Stardust -Lesson 109: Relax -Lesson 110: Posture -Lesson 110b: Repetition -Lesson 111: Maj Triads 2nd Inv -Lesson 112: C7 Pentatonic -Lesson 113: Diatonic Triads -Lesson 114: 5/8 Over 4/4 -Lesson 115: Modes of Mel Min -Lesson 116: 4 Half Diminished Modes -Lesson 117: Major 9 #5 -Lesson 118: All Intervals -Lesson 119: Relative Pitch -Lesson 120: Singing/Tapping -Lesson 121: I’m A Fool To Want You -Lesson 122: Triplets Grouped in 5 -Lesson 123: Ear Warm Up -Lesson 124: Shell + triad -Lesson 125: Blues for Alice

Books Select Category -Modern Jazz Vocab. Vol. 1 -Modern Jazz Vocab. Vol. 2 -Lessons 1 -22 Spiral Bound Play Along CD in 7/4 -Modern Jazz Vocab. Vol. 3 Major Triad Mastery Video Series -Tetrads Vol.1 Triad 9

Play Alongs and Drones Select Category Play Along Drum and Bass ~Drum and Bass Dom 7th Drones Arco Bass Blues in 12 keys

Albums and Recordings Select Category La Commune Music of Tom Waits 3-ish “BaoBab” Joe-Less Shoe Anima Broken Waltz Lost and Found 3-ish “Events” Joeless Shoe Midsole Soliloquy Reunion Iberica Original Recorded Music Tecumseh Roza Roza Mind’s Ear Ring Azul Ring Q Trio Alliance CD Red Returning Double EP Gig w John Stowell Gig w Erik Jekabson Gig w Alan Ferber

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You Stepped Out of a Dream https://www.mattotto.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/You-Stepped-Out-of-a-Dream.mp3