The Language of Improvisation |
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| Jazz as Language Is a jazz solo related to speech? Yes, according to Jeff Ellwood: click here Some teachers, like Italian jazz pianist Andrea Pozza, maintain that we tell a story with our solo, and the story is the chord progression: click here Even though the story is fixed by the chord progression, there are many ways we can change the way we describe that chord progression. It's the same with language: we can describe the same series of events in different ways, with very different vocabulary. In musical terms, the vocabulary corresponds to musical phrases, and these phrases should describe the chord progression, which means playing the chord tones (mainly the 3rds and 7ths) at the right time. Here is a musical example: So learning musical vocabulary is very important. In the words of Bruce Harris: click here Make sure the vocabulary describes the chords of the tune. Otherwise it is like scrambling the words in a sentence: On the other hand, the correct placement of phrases sounds like this: Lack of a rich vocabulary could lead to situations like this: Little to no vocabulary: Maybe the improviser has one or two motifs which he or she uses over and over. This lack or variety is the equivalent of repeating yourself: Here is an interesting illustration by Charlotte Wassy of how a solo can tell a story in a very linguistically graphic way:
Rhythm There is also a rhythmic consideration. All your notes should fall on a clear beat. Failing to do this makes the solo sound awkward. Here is a verbal equivalent: Always practice every musical motif or phrase with a good time feel. Practice swinging with a metronome, the iReal, or over the original recording. Barry Harris frequently intersperses his solos with single note rhythmic pattern: click here and click here. Here is an example of how piano, bass and drums combine in a perfect rhythmic driving force: click here. Here is another example of a swinging trio. This is what jazz musicians call "pocket": click here. Furthermore, you should be able to swing your vocabulary (however limited) by yourself: you shouldn't rely on the drums or the bass to swing. Here is an example of a piano swinging by itself (but this applies to any instrument): click here. While phrase complexity can be variable, the rhythmic delivery is not negotiable if you want to play authentic jazz. Remember the statement "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing". This holds especially true when you solo. Learning to swing can only be learned by playing along with the masters. You can start by practicing to solo over a Frank Sinatra track from the album Sinatra and Swingin' Brass: click here. Unfortunately, an inexperienced drummer can completely destroy a solo, by killing the swing feel, obliterating articulation and preventing proper breathing between phrases. Their responsibility is to make the solo sound smooth, and in the style that is being performed. In the worse case scenario, where the rhythm is awkward, and/or there are no chord tones, and/or there are no discernible phrases, this is what you would sound like verbally: How To Build Your Jazz Vocabulary Step 1: Educate yourself on the building blocks of improvisation, like major scales, dominant scales, harmonic minor scales, bebop scales, chord tones, guide tones (3rd and 7th), passing tones, approach (or leading) tones, enclosures (or surround notes), pivots. Use resources like the Jason Fabus worksheet, the John Walsh course, or the Barry Harris Institute of Jazz courses. Step 2: Before learning vocabulary it is important to decide what style you want to play in. I would suggest distinguishing between intervallic soloing (Modal) and chromatic (Bebop) soloing. There are other styles, like Ragtime, Blues, Traditional (or Stride), Swing and Free, but let's focus on these two major styles. Examples of Intervallic soloing : McCoy Tyner on What Is This Thing Called Love click here. Benito Gonzales on Giant Steps (composition that facilitates intervallic playing) click here. Will Fulkerson on Passion Dance:
Example of Chromatic soloing: Barry Harris on What Is This Thing Called Love click here. Conte Candoli on Owl Eyes (C blues) click here.
If you choose the intervallic approach (which is a little easier), you start with a single motif and transpose it to the different chord-scales (i.e. modes) in the tune, with minor rhythmic modifications. Gary Burton describes the process like this: click here. If you choose the chromatic approach, you should start by learning phrases. Identify a player that you really like, preferably a great master. Recognize the masterfully crafted lines and emulate the ones you find most desirable. Find or create a transcription and isolate individual phrases, like this. Then copy some of these phrases. How do you know what phrases to prioritize? Cross-reference solos to find salient or most frequently used phrases. For example, comparing I'll Remember April with No Name Blues. see here
What to avoid when learning to solo: Some musicians can create an interesting solo by virtue of their originality, creativity and verve, and can get away with not playing standard language just by being rhythmically daring. Listen to this example by Bob Boguslaw: Step 3: Learn how to order your growing vocabulary in a logical and beautiful way. In the words of Eric Alexander click here. Tone Your tone is a very important part of how you present yourself as a soloist. Follow Sherman Irby's advice on developing a good tone: click here or here And by the way, intonation is not an opinion. Being in tune produces harmony, resonance, and a sense of unity with the other instruments in the band. Whatever solo you attempt, try to make your sound beautiful, not screeching: click here Embellishments Some Psychological Considerations Conclusion So if we agree that a solo tells a story within the framework of chords changes, then each improviser must decide what kind of story he/she wants to tell over those chords: lyrical, pensive, cautious, virtuosic, motif-oriented, phrase-oriented, pentatonic-oriented, rhythmic, bluesy, chromatic, quote-oriented, chord substitution-oriented, etc. |
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