Why is it important to know how to construct a jazz solo?
The answer is: you want to communicate something clear to the listener, with musical grammar that is consistent, flowing and captivating. Just like language, every good sentence has logically connected ideas.
Ask yourself what you want to communicate to the listener. Is it relaxation, excitement, order, angularity, sincopation, simplicity, bluesiness, be-boppiness, virtuosity, song quotes?
Just like building a house, you must decide what style it will be in modern, bungalow, mobile home, apartment, ranch, castle...)
STEP 1: Get a firm grasp of the chord sequence. Clearly identify the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of each chord, since these may be good starting points for your phrases, as well as notes to hit on the downbeat of a chord change.
WARNING!
The blues is particularly difficult to play on since there are so many chord variants to choose from.
As your skills and taste evolve, you will target "pretty" notes that are NOT the root, 3rd, 5th or 7th. For example, the 11th on a minor chord; the #9 on a dominant; the #4 on a major chord.
Arpeggiate chords
You must have knowledge of the tools for building the house
STEP 2: Decide on whether you solo will be based on motivic variation, vertical development or horizontal development. As you gain command of each approach, you can combine the techniques.
Motivic Variation: Start with a 2-note motif starting on the third and on a strong beat (1 or 3). Repeat the motif in the subequent chords of the song. Then introduce variations by displacing the starting point of each motif and creating rhythmic variety.
Here is an example of how a simple motif can be varied:
As your motifs become longer, your variations will become small embellishments (acciaccaturas, triplets, 16th note triplets, etc.)
Here is an example of embellishments of a long phrase:
Vertical Development. Improvise exclusively on chord tones, using permutations and rhythmic variety to create interest. You can start with simple arpeggios on each chord, starting on different chord tones. Use pivoting to creat rhythmic accents.
Horizontal Development. Improvise exclusively on chord scales. Try to create long, smooth lines that slide smoothly from one chord to the next. Use the Barry Harris scale rules to practice dominant and major scales.
Play a 2 note motif.
Play bebop scales (with extra note for always landing on the down beat)
STEP 3: Decide how many choruses of solo you will play, and then decide how your tension gradient will be. Tension can be created by playing faster phrases, as well as climbing up the register, as well as playing substitute (i.e more tense) chords, as well as changing the rhythm. A common strategy is to build tension to a climax at the end of the first chorus.
Sometimes you will simply play a "train-of-thought" solo, with no clear climax or change of intensity. These solos are fine too, as long as you have interesting phrases.
Here are some of the "big picture" concepts to consider when you plan your solo:
Practice playing in a higher octave; practice making the rhythm more choppy; practice playing 16th note runs; practice playing on the tritone
You must have an architectural plan (or blueprint) for constructing the house
STEP 4: Build up your vocabulary. Use phrase books, like this one by guitarist and educator Brent Vaarstra, OR extract phrases from solos by jazz masters, like these extracted from the Sonny Rollins below:
Learn licks out of lick encyclopedias
You need materials to build your house: bricks, wood, glass, cement)
STEP 5
Everyone should have 5 favorite solos.
Mine are:
1) Dexter Gordon's solo on Herbie Hancock's song Driftin'
Memorize your 5 favorite solos, and play them with the record, slowed down if necessary.
Analyse the chord structure the solo is built on (STEP 1). For example, the solo by Conte Candoli is based on the blues form # 9 (see above).
Determine which technique is being applied (Conte Candoli uses both horizontal and vertical development)(STEP 2). Notice that Conte plays just 2 choruses, with no specific climax. It's a "train-of-thought" solo (STEP 3). You will absorb the vocabulary of you favorite solos subconsciously (STEP 4).
As you play your solo, you can quote licks that you have practiced, and gradually find ways to string them together in a unique way dictated by your taste and skill level.