Running the Changes by Mike Steinel | Definitive Jazz Improvisation Guide for All Instruments | Book with Online Audio Tracks | Chord Changes Soloing Theory Scales Harmonic Concepts and Practice

Running the Changes: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Improvisation for All Instruments by jazz educator, performer, arranger, composer, and author Mike Steinel is a comprehensive resource for musicians and vocalists seeking a deeper understanding of improvisation over chord changes. Covering essential concepts used throughout modern jazz, this book presents a structured approach that combines theory, analysis, listening, and practical application across a wide range of instruments and voice.Designed for use in personal practice, music education, ensemble preparation, and performance settings, the book includes online audio tracks that place improvisational concepts into a musical context. The accompanying materials feature play-along tracks covering major ensemble parts, along with charts for C, Bb, Eb, and bass clef instruments and lead sheets for vocalists, allowing musicians to apply ideas directly in practice and performance.The content explores a broad range of jazz improvisation topics, including melodic paraphrase and quotation, riff development, basic chord theory, ornamentation, chord-tone soloing, scalar and modal approaches, bebop scales, color tones, altered harmonies, pentatonic and hexatonic scale concepts, and triad pair applications. Steinel also examines the history and practice of jazz improvisation from the post-bebop era to the present, connecting foundational concepts with contemporary musical language.Readers gain insight into how jazz improvisers construct melodic ideas, navigate harmonic movement, and develop personal expression within a variety of jazz settings. The included audio content encourages active participation while reinforcing concepts presented throughout the text. By examining both historical and contemporary improvisational approaches, the book offers a broad perspective on the language of jazz. Read more