CONNECTING
THE DOTS

A DISCOVERY OF IMPROVISATION!

Connecting The Dots (CTD) is a fun and effective series of progressive exercises that will get musicians of any level improvising immediately! The program allows aspiring soloists to quickly develop vocabulary, understand voice leading, and successfully navigate chord changes. And the best part? It’s so simple you can get started today!

Powerful features include:

· Play-along backing tracks

· Call & response exercises

· Progress tracker

· 169 exercises in all 12 keys

· Range specific transpositions for 11 instruments

· Tempo and zoom controls

· Integration with iReal Pro

Learn improvisation the same way you learn a language - in small, understandable pieces. Ideal for students and educators alike, Connecting The Dots (CTD) uses call and response exercises which utilize the “bones” of the chords - the arpeggio notes - to help you understand how the vertical chords and horizontal melodies relate in music.

CTD teaches voice leading principles and how to apply them to chord progressions. The exercises are organized into three sections: One Chord, Two Chord and Twelve Bar Blues. They demonstrate simple voice leading from the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of one chord to another, using seventh chords and their inversions. Simple tunes and improvisations by Jeff using the material presented are featured at the end of each section.

The app includes range specific transpositions in all 12 keys for tenor, alto & baritone sax, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, bass, piano, vibes & guitar. All exercises have an iReal Pro backing track, the user can play along with the in-app audio or open the backing track in iReal Pro with one tap.

Learn from the best! Play along with Jeff Coffin, creator of Connecting The Dots. Jeff is is a globally recognized saxophonist, composer, educator, and is a member of the legendary U.S. rock group, Dave Matthews Band. You may also know him from his 14 years, and 3 Grammy Awards, with the genre-defying Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. Jeff fronts numerous groups when not touring with DMB and has released 15+ solo CD's on Ear Up Records.

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Ben Winkelman is a jazz pianist and composer living in New York City, whose music has been described by Downbeat as “one big, interconnected thing of beauty”. His writing explores diverse musical interests filtered through a jazz perspective: Afro-Cuban, gospel and classical music, with a focus on Latin rhythms in odd meters. 

Ben has released five trio albums to wide acclaim: his second, The Spanish Tinge, won the AIR Award for Best Independent Jazz Release; his first was nominated for an Australian Jazz Bell Award; and his third and fourth albums were nominated for AIR Awards. His work has been supported by grants from the Australia Council and other arts organizations, and he was a finalist in the Australian National Jazz Awards. He has toured in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

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“An educator asked me during a clinic presentation what information I wish I had when I was first learning about improvisation…I told him, ‘Everything in the Connecting The Dots app’. I feel this information and these exercises connect and clarify so many elements dealing with the fundamentals of improvisation. I created this easy to use app to help players of all genres & styles, classical players, jazz players, rock players, novices, educators, weekend warriors, soloists, ensembles, etc… Anyone can use this and they WILL benefit from it. Everyone can improvise!!” - Jeff Coffin

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Connecting The Dots app is owned by Jeff Coffin LLC, based in Nashville, USA, and was built by Ben Winkelman in consultation with Massimo Biolcati, based in New York, USA. © 2021 Jeff Coffin
App icon by the amazing Morgan Slone

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For support, contact alex@jeffcoffin.com