Playing on the Changes: B-flat Trumpet & Clarinet Book & DVD

Mintzer's approach to teaching chord changes through composed etudes gives your students a bridge between listening and improvising that most jazz curricula skip. The progression from major 7th through altered dominants and tritone substitutions follows a logical harmonic arc rather than arbitrary difficulty levels, and the written solos model the exact phrasing and contour choices that make changes sound musical rather than theoretical.

Each etude balances written jazz phrasing with singable contours that feel natural rather than academic. Moving through all 12 keys means familiarity with major tonalities and the distinctive color of jazz chords across the full trumpet or clarinet range, creating the sensation of gradually seeing the entire jazz harmonic landscape come into focus.

Jazz trumpet and clarinet players at the high school advanced or college jazz ensemble level who are ready to move beyond head-solos-head and need systematic preparation for improvising over standards. Musicians aiming for jazz combos, small ensemble auditions, or who simply want to understand how professionals navigate harmony will find both the composed etudes and the playalong setup essential.

• Sing the melody first without the changes in mind, then sing it again while listening to the chord progression. This embeds Mintzer's compositional logic into your ear before picking up the horn.
• Use the TNT 2 software to isolate the rhythm section and remove Mintzer's saxophone part, then record yourself playing the etude. Listen back immediately to hear how your phrasing and note choices sit against the harmonic framework.
• Slow the tempo down by 15-20 beats per minute when first learning an etude. Accuracy with the changes at a relaxed tempo builds confidence faster than struggling at full speed.
• Study the rhythmic patterns within each etude. Notice where Mintzer lands on chord tones and where he approaches from above or below. These patterns become tools for your own improvisation on the same changes.

Assign one etude per week as part of a jazz improvisation curriculum, working through the chord qualities in the order presented. Use the playalong tracks in sectionals or private lessons to reinforce listening skills and harmonic awareness alongside ensemble rehearsal, or extract etudes for jazz combo coaching where two to three musicians can perform them as written solos over a rhythm section.

• Navigating major 7th, minor 7th, and dominant 7th chord qualities by ear and reading
• Distinguishing and improvising over Mixolydian, altered dominant, and half-whole diminished harmonic contexts
• Reading and performing tritone substitutions and recognizing them in standard repertoire
• Phrasing jazz melodies with idiomatic note placement and rhythm
• Transposition across all 12 keys without relying on concert pitch reading alone