Stan Getz's Lick on "Pennies from Heaven" | Licks from the Source, Vol. 4

Why this lick

Stan Getz's solo on "Pennies from Heaven," from the album Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio, is full of long, flowing eighth-note lines. This lick comes from his solo (1:44 to 1:50 on the recording) and runs over Dmin7, G7, Gmin7, C7, and F6. It's built from descending triads in the F major scale, which makes it easy to hear and remember, and surprisingly flexible.

The original lick

Here's what Stan is doing:

• Over Dmin7: after a short pickup, the line climbs from C to D and D♯, a chromatic approach into E at the start of the next bar.

• Over G7, Gmin7, and C7: Stan outlines a series of descending triads from the F major scale, all in 1st inversion, starting on the 3rd of each: C major, B♭ major, A minor, G minor, and F major. Then he outlines C7 from its 5th (5, 7, 3, so 2nd inversion), which sets up the resolution.

• Into F6: the line finally resolves to F major.

Because the triads all come from the F major scale, the line works over the whole progression without needing to change for each chord.

The tab shows one way to play it, but the lick can be played in a few different positions on the neck. Try finding it in other spots, and use whichever fingering feels most natural to you.

Three ways to stretch it

Once you know the original, you can bend it to fit other situations. The notation above includes three variations.

1. Over a static C7. Stan's lick played over a single C7 chord. Since the line comes from the F major scale, which has the same notes as C Mixolydian, it fits a static C7 with no changes.

2. Over B♭7♯11. Stan's lick slightly modified to fit a B♭7♯11 chord. The A naturals become A♭, the 7th of B♭7, giving the line a Lydian dominant sound.

3. Over a static D7sus4. Stan's lick played over a D7sus4 chord, a great way to use it over a suspended sound.

How to practice it

1. Listen first. Try singing along with the recording before playing it on your instrument. Then you can pick up the guitar and sing while you play it.

2. Learn it slowly. You can start by practicing it under tempo, then bringing it up to speed.

3. Take it through all 12 keys. Or, at least find a 2nd or 3rd position to play it on the guitar.

4. Use it in tunes. Find spots in a standard you're working on with ii-V-I's or static dominant chords, and drop the lick in.

5. Make it yours. You can tweak a few notes or rhythms, or find some new harmonies to play it over. Try to make it sound like something you'd naturally play yourself.

In the video, I play through the original lick and each variation, and talk about how I'd use them in my own playing.