A Mini Lesson from Jimmy Wyble

By David Oakes

A note from David Oakes: This is some material of Jimmy’s that he taught at Musician’s
Institute in 2008. These ideas evolved into an introduction to Etude #7 from “The Art of Two
Line Improvisation” book. Jimmy always regarded those etudes as works in progress and always
looking for ways to improve on them. I will present this material in the same way that Jimmy
presented it in his lectures. This lesson might also shed some light on the lesson presented by
Nick Fox.
Thanks and as always – enjoy!
David Oakes
March 2010

Let’s start with a first inversion C major triad voiced on the top three strings at the 8th fret.
Notice the fingering. It is a little awkward but it will make more sense as we move forward.

  
8’ 5 R
3

4 1 2

Now, let’s lower the fifth degree on the 2nd string.

  
7’ b5

R
3

4 1 2

A Mini Lesson on Moving Voices by Jimmy Wyble written by David Oakes 1

Copyright © David Oakes 2010 - All Rights Reserved
Now, add the b9 note in the bass on the 6th string with your 3rd finger. Then, let’s move the b9
interval to the 5th string and play the b5 in the bass.

   
7’ b5 b5
7’
R R
b9 3 b5 3

3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2

We will now change chords to a F13 shape. The b5 on the 5th string will move down one fret to
the root of the F chord. The 3rd string note “E” will move down ½ step to an Eb. The 2nd string
note will move up one fret to a “G”. The top voice will move up two frets to the note “D”. Your
voicing for the F13 chord is Root, b7, 9th, 13th.

 
8’ R b7 9

13

1 2 3 4

A Mini Lesson on Moving Voices by Jimmy Wyble written by David Oakes

 Copyright © David Oakes 2010 - All Rights Reserved
 This idea is moved down in whole steps following the dominant cycle. The bass line will vary
a bit on the Db13 chord with the b5 in the bass “G”. This is followed by a ascending Abma13
chord scale voiced Root, 7th, 3rd and 13.

The last chord is a C7(#9,b5) voiced: Root, b5, 3rd, #9. Segue right into etude 7.

AbMa13 Bbmi7 Cmi7(#5) C7(#9,b5)

       
4’ 1 6’ 1 2 3 8’ 1 2 3 8’ 1
2 3 4 2 3
4 4
4

C7(b 5,b 9) b7(b 5,b 9) b13 b7(b 5,b 9) b13

«Ü«« àn «««˙ B Ü «
« «
« ««« à««˙«
Ü
F13 E A D

_ ˙
« _ « b «
˙ à _ ˙
«
b b b 3 Œ Öàb˙_«˙« á Œ̇ áÜ _«˙˙« Œ n _««˙«˙Ö Œ áÜ_««˙˙« Œ n bb _˙««˙«˙ Ö Œ _«˙« á
& b 4 b˙» bœ»»» l Ö »»
l========================== l à nœ» l Ö ˙» l à nœ» l ˙» b˙«Ü =l
á »» » Ö _»œ»» á n_»˙» á »» »» Ö _»œ»» á n_
_»˙»» á »» Ö »» _
_»œ» Ö
5
» »
6 5 5

à_««ˆ« «««
6 6
6

Abmaj B bm « « « b
«« « «
Cmi #
«« « « _« «
C b #

bb b b á ««ˆ« Ü ««« à «ˆ« «««« ««ˆ« ««« á ««ˆ« «««ˆÜ« à «ˆ« ««««ˆ« ««ˆ« «««ˆ« á «ˆ« Ü «««ˆ« à _ˆ« «««ˆ« «ˆ« «««ˆ« nˆá«« Ü«««« _«««« «ˆ« ««««
13 13 7( 5) 7( 5, 9)

& ˆ« ˆ«
l========================== ˆ« l _ l . l . bˆ« ˆ« ˆ«=l l
_
Ö _»˙»» . Ö ˙
»
»» . Ö _
˙
»
»» Ö _
˙
»
»» 5
6 6 6

b13 b b13
6

Begin Etude 7: « « «
« «
«««á «««
bb b b Üàá _«˙«˙.«˙« .. Ö œ»à à Ö àá n˙««˙.« .
Fm7 B Em A 7

b˙. «
˙ . à ˆ«ˆ« Œ Œ
Ü à à Ö á
& Ö œ»»» »œ»» »» œ»»» œ»»» l Ö _J»œ n_»œÜ _»œá nœJ»» Ö l Ö œ»» . bœJ»»» »œ»» œ»» l _ _ _»œà Ö _=
l========================== »œ»» ”
»» »» »» » » » Ö _»œ»» Ü n_œ»»» »»
5
5 5
6 6

A Lesson on Moving Voices written by Nick Fox

Copyright © Nick Fox 2010 - All Rights Reserved