Your Students Don’t Need More Random Scale Advice

Many students are introduced to improvisation with one sentence:

“Use this scale over these chords.”

That might be technically correct, but it rarely solves the real problem.

Students still ask:

• What do I actually play?
• How do I make it sound like music?
• How do I stop running scales?
• How do I know where my line is going?
• How do I solo without freezing?

That is where Jazz Targeting comes in.

Jazz Targeting teaches students to stop guessing and start aiming.

Instead of treating improvisation as random notes or memorized licks, students learn to create phrases with direction by choosing musical targets and using practical tools to get there.

A Practical Improvisation Curriculum for Busy Band Directors

Jazz Targeting for Band Directors is designed to help you teach improvisation in clear, manageable steps.

You do not need to turn every rehearsal into a jazz theory class.

You do not need to explain every possible scale choice.

You do not need to be the strongest improviser in the room.

You need a system your students can understand, practice, and apply.

This course gives you that system.

What Makes Jazz Targeting Different?

Many improvisation resources start with scales, modes, and chord-scale theory.

Jazz Targeting starts with a simpler musical question:

“Where is the line going?”

Students learn to choose target notes and build phrases that resolve intentionally.

This helps them develop:

• clearer phrase endings
• stronger melodic direction
• better time feel
• more confidence
• more purposeful note choices
• a deeper understanding of tension and resolution
• a practical way to apply jazz vocabulary

The goal is not to create students who merely know scales.

The goal is to create students who can build musical ideas.

Built for Real Teaching Situations

This is not just a collection of improvisation videos.

This course is designed to help directors actually teach the material.

You’ll receive:

• step-by-step lesson sequences
• student worksheets
• classroom slide decks
• downloadable PDFs
• practice assignments
• playing exercises
• assessment rubric
• rehearsal-ready activities
• director-friendly explanations
• pacing ideas for different teaching situations

Use it in:

• jazz ensemble rehearsal
• combo coaching
• private lessons
• improvisation units
• sectionals
• independent student study
• festival preparation
• summer camps or workshops

This Course Is For You If…

This course is a good fit if you are a band director who:

• wants students to improvise with more confidence
• needs a clearer way to teach jazz soloing
• does not want to rely only on “use this scale”
• wants practical rehearsal-ready materials
• teaches students who freeze during solos
• has students who run scales but do not create phrases
• wants a sequential improvisation curriculum
• wants students to understand tension and resolution
• wants to help students develop their own voice

This Course Is Also Helpful For…

• private lesson teachers
• jazz combo directors
• college music education students
• community ensemble directors
• beginning improvisers
• intermediate improvisers who want more direction
• advanced students looking for a targeting-based practice system

What Students Will Be Able to Do

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand improvisation as intentional musical choice
• identify target notes in key areas and chords
• create phrases that resolve clearly
• use pentatonic, chromatic, rhythmic, blues, minor, diminished, and altered tools
• analyze etudes and transcriptions through targeting
• adapt musical ideas instead of only copying them
• practice in multiple keys and tempos
• create more confident, melodic solos

Why Band Directors Like This Approach

Jazz Targeting gives directors a clear way to talk about improvisation without overwhelming students.

Instead of saying:

“Just use this scale.”

You can say:

“Choose your target. Now build a phrase that lands there.”

That one shift gives students a goal.

It also gives you something to teach, hear, and assess.

Pricing

Monthly Access

$39/month

A flexible option for directors who want to start using the curriculum right away.

Includes access to the full Jazz Targeting for Band Directors course and all included materials.

Annual Access - Best Value

$349/year

Save $119 compared with monthly billing.

Best for directors who want to use the curriculum across the full school year, revisit materials, and build Jazz Targeting into their long-term ensemble instruction.

Which Plan Should I Choose?

Choose Monthly Access if you want to try the course and begin using it with your students immediately.

Choose Annual Access if you want the best value and plan to use the materials throughout the school year.

Most directors will get the most value from the annual plan.

A Better Way to Teach Improvisation

Your students do not need to wait until they know every scale before they can start improvising.

They need a musical destination.

They need clear tools.

They need guided practice.

They need to hear when a phrase resolves.

They need a system that helps them make musical choices with purpose.

That is what Jazz Targeting provides.

Start Teaching Improvisation with More Confidence

Give your students a practical way to create solos that sound intentional, melodic, and connected to the music.