BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
5677 / 18210 · Workshop 40 — “The Sidewinder”: Hard Bop Groove, Dominant-Blues Harmony, Riff Layering, and How to Make a Vamp Feel Like a Full Arrangement← prev⊞ allnext →

40.8Level 2 — establish a head riff

Choose a simple pitch cell:

C-E♭-E-G

C-E♭-E-G

This gives:

root

blue ♭3

major 3rd

A classic blues-inflected dominant-tonic gesture.

Set it to a memorable rhythm.

Repeat exactly.