This tune is a timeless standard by Stevie Wonder which is still played frequently by soul, R&B, pop, and jazz musicians. It is in a style of its own, but borrows elements of from the 12/8 ‘triplet’ shuffle, certain elements of jazz harmonic motion, and classic pentatonic language built into the framework of the tune. This combination of elements makes it a perfect thorough case-study for beginning and intermediate students of improvisation. In the below video series, Christian will walk through many methods for approaching this tune and applying both fundamentals and style to it.
“Isn’t She Lovely” – Reference video
Watch Christian’s solo on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”
Exercises on “Isn’t She Lovely” Part 1
Playing the melody, Pentatonic scale, Playing the tune, Chord progression
Please download the backing track from here. (MP3)
Exercises on “Isn’t She Lovely” Part 2
Playing the chords, More about scales, Blues scales
Exercises on “Isn’t She Lovely” Part 3
Patterns, “Sweet notes”, Upper extensions, More about chord scales