Jazz Festivals » Jazz Improvisation

Learn Jazz Improvisation With Chord Exercises

admin2 — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:09:55 +0000

If you’d like to learn jazz improvisation, or learn to improvise in general, you’ve come to the right place!

Jazz improvisation is often viewed as the hardest part of learning jazz. The masters have left behind many tips and exercises though. Unfortunately people often hear these tips but never act upon them. So please take action on these tips to “learn jazz”.

When you have a song you’d like to improvise on, follow these preparatory exercises.

1. Listen listen listen! Buy CDs and vinyl records and listen to the jazz masters. Get as many versions of the song as you can.

2. Find sheet music (chord changes are the important thing). Try memorizing the changes, and just go through them in your head.

3. Figure out what the chord is for each chord change. Finding the chord and scale of each change will help you learn to improvise.

4. Once you know the chord, run up the chord 1-3-5-7 in eight notes over the change.

5. Then do 1-3-5-9. These steps may seem silly, but it will help you learn jazz, learn jazz improvisation, and learn to improvise.

6. Try both step 4 and 5 backwards. Go 7-5-3-1 and 9-5-3-1.

7. Then invert the chord as many ways as you like. Go 3-5-7-1, 5-7-1-3, 7-1-3-5, 3-1-5-7, etc. etc. Do every possible combination.

That’s a lot of work right there. And these are just preparatory exercises. And of those exercises, these are just chords! We still have scales AND scale tones to worry about.

This seems like a lot of work, and it is. If you follow this, you will quickly learn jazz improvisation, and learn how to improvise.

By: Bobby Jackin

How to Use the Dorian Mode in Jazz Improvisation

admin2 — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:50:54 +0000

The Dorian mode is very important in jazz and deserves attention. Let’s figure out how to make a Dorian scale. There are two ways to think about this: the first way is to remember that Dorian is the 2nd note of a major scale, so if we find out the first note then we know what key signature we are in. For example: I want a G Dorian scale. I know that G is the 2nd note of some major scale. Let’s go back and look at our major scale from the first part of the book. 12345678.

If I put the note G under the number 2 (remember that we are trying to find G Dorian, the 2nd mode) I can now find out who 1 is. You can think of this is algebra, solving for 1. I will go down a whole step from G and find myself on F. Remember that there is one whole step in between the 1st and 2nd notes of a major scale. I now know that F major is the key I’m using. F major has one flat. Now, I will start on G, and play from G to G using the Key of F maj. In other words, I am in the key of F.

The other way to form a Dorian scale is to compare the Dorian to a major scale. You can see that the difference is the 3rd and the 7th notes. In Dorian the B becomes B flat, and the F sharp becomes F natural. In both cases the 3rd and the 7th are lowered

Can Your Trading and Investing Benefit From the Principles of Jazz Improvisation?

admin2 — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:34:44 +0000

The art of jazz improvisation can contribute a lot to trading and investing. These activities are fluid, not static. They experience ups and downs and quickly changing situations.

Trying to create a large set of rules to cover all possible market scenarios will drain your time, stifle your creativity, and cause your trading system to break down from too much “curve-fitting”.

Improvisation (improv for short) can be the answer. Contrary to what you might believe, this is not about just making up whatever you want. It’s about picking up small, simple patterns that recur in a fluid, chaotic situation. You take these patterns, or a simple set of rules, and stretch them to fit current conditions.

It’s about having a basic framework that enhances your ability to respond to the market – rather than hampering it.

When performing good improv, you neither feel like you have no idea what to do, nor do you feel like your hands are tied. When confronted with a crisis or new market situation, you are able to pull out a few ideas or principles from a previous trade, and then you feel free to modify them through your own creativity.

Good improv has the quality of less ego and more present moment awareness. If something isn’t working, you cut your losses without a fuss, and try something else. There is no anger, blame, or fear – the concentration is on understanding the current market, finding some advantage to exploit, and putting on an effective trade.

By: Praveen Puri

A Brief Introduction to Jazz Improvisation – Part 1

admin2 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:52:02 +0000

Many talented musicians seem to go pale when someone asks them to leave the music for a few moments and fill in those 4 bars with a bit of jazz improvisation. Some see it as a strange and uncharted land, full of weird things like Modes and Tritonal Substitutions. Don’t Panic! Although jazz theory can get become ‘involved’, a great deal of ‘good sounding stuff’ can be played or sung with understanding of just a few basic starting points. I have tried to distil some of these for you in this brief ‘Impro-Info-Pack’, which I hope you will find useful and enjoyable. After all, jazz improvisation should be satisfying and fun for all involved (that includes the audience!).

Encyclopaedia definition of Jazz:

“Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory and marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. It is characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. Jazz has been described as “America’s Classical Music,” and started in saloons throughout the nation.”

1. Have confidence!

Standing up to ‘do a solo’ can be daunting to say the least, especially when there’s an audience in front of you! However, standing up, not flinching on ‘duff’ notes and projecting your solo to the listener will give them a sense that you are playing for them – a musical ‘gift’ if you like. It adds to your enjoyment and confidence.

If you make a mistake – maybe a wrong note – use it! Slide confidently up to a ‘right’ note, for example! Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, as they are a very good way to learn new ideas

2. Know What You Want to Play

I once attended a jazz class held by an ace pianist. The problem was that all the improvisations he did seemed to be ‘pre-programmed’ in his fingers. There were set arpeggios, runs, twiddles… and it was nice but all rather mechanistic.

Improvising should be having an idea and then expressing it – communicating it – in the ‘language of music’. But, we need to have the idea before even beginning to try and make it into music! We need to have an input of ideas that sound good to us.

Listen

…to music…All types of music from Bach to Beatles, Van Halen to Van Morrison! Most of all, listen to the jazz/blues ‘Greats’ – folk like:

Louis Armstrong,

Sarah Vaughan,

Nina Simone,

Sonny Rollins,

Ella Fitzgerald,

Peggy Lee,

Bill Evans

Stan Getz,

Dizzy Gillespie

Duke Ellington

Ray Charles

Dave Brubeck

Chet Baker

Art Farmer

Freddy Hubbard

Stan Kenton

Herbie Hancock

Cannonball Adderley

Art Tatum

Billy Holiday

Monte Alexander

Louis Jordan

Glen Miller

Errol Garner

Frank Sinatra

Oscar Peterson

Dinah Washington

Gerry Mulligan

Miles Davis

Fats Waller

Stephane Grappelli

Zoot Sims

Charles Mingus

Count Basie

Billy Holiday

Ray Ellington

…to name but a few!!!

Sing Along

Whether in your room, in the shower or walking down the street (careful – not too loud!), sing the melody line that you’ve heard and copy the player’s/singer’s phrasing. Whistle it, tap the rhythm, go to sleep with it going round your head and wake up with it still going round in the morning (although this can get annoying!). The more you can ‘hear’ and reproduce others’ ideas, the more you’ll be able to use them in your jazz solos, tailoring them to what you personally would like to hear. This process happens at a subconscious level too – an effective way to learn a language is by copying others.

So, Know what you want to play by listening to loads of varied music – not only jazz, it could be any genre!!

This series is continued in Part 2…

By: Olly Wedgwood

Jazz Blues Guitar Lessons

admin2 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:33:59 +0000

The histories of jazz and blues have a lot in common. Both originated in the African-American communities at the beginning of the 20th century in the southern United States. Since then both evolved in similar manner developing with the music facilities and interactions with other art forms. Both are expressive music genres and focus on life processes and experiences. In terms of musical structure, jazz has significantly borrowed from the blues. The blues chord progressions have acted as a dominant platform for a lot of jazz improvisation. So, if you have developed curiosity to find out how the two relate musically, going for jazz blues guitar lessons will be great.

The understanding of jazz becomes significantly easier if one learns the basics of blues first. Two most commonly used scales in the blues music are the pentatonic scale and the Mixolydian scale – with the added blues notes. When someone refers to the blues scale, it normally means the pentatonic minor scale with a b5 (or blues) note. It is this blues note that creates a certain tension, which provides the “blues” touch the music.

Mastering these scales will prepare you to understand the foundations of jazz in a better way. The first step towards learning jazz will be to learn some new chords. The most common chords in jazz are the seventh chords rather than the basic minor or major chords. You will need to develop command over the five basic types of the seventh chords. Your jazz blues guitar lessons will teach you how to master them.

For playing solos, the basic guitar techniques are hammer-ons and pull-offs, bending strings, palm muting, etc. For jazz blues music, you will also learn how to mix scales; for example, the Mixolydian scale with the blues scale.

Practically all jazz guitarists have some blues in their repertoire. Over the period of time, many different sets of blues progressions have evolved – from the original blues to the modern variants such as bebop and Coltrane blues changes. Listening to both blues and jazz from different periods can provide you valuable insight about how artists have been improvising. This will also motivate you to think in terms of various elements of music and to use them to create good music.

The jazz blues interface offers you a tremendous opportunity to test your musical creativity. It also offers you a great channel to vent your feelings and emotions in melodious ways.

By: Paul Gian

How to Use Major Scales in Jazz Improvisation

admin2 — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:22:47 +0000

Major Scales and Harmony. One thing that can be confusing to beginning improvisers is how many different ways exist to write the same thing. When a composer wants you to play C major, any of the following can be used. C, CM, CMA, CMA7, C (followed by a triangle), CMaj. All of those can be followed by a 7, 9, 11, or 13. The number that follows means that you can play the chord up to the 7th or 9th or whatever number is there. Even if a chord doesn’t say Cmaj9, we can always play it up to the 9th. I will use in this article the symbol Cmaj7. This is pretty standard. When a composer puts Cmaj7 in a measure he intends that you improvise using sounds from a C major scale and chord.

If I play any note in the chord, you’ll notice that they all sound good. Some notes are more “colorful” and interesting than other notes. You’ll find that 1 is a very stable note, but also very boring. The same applies to the 3rd and the 5th. The notes that are more interesting are the 7th and the 9th. If you want to go even higher the 11th and the 13th are very colorful. Let’s talk about the 11th degree (the same as the 4th) for a minute. This particular note does not work well if you just play it and hold it out. The reason is a little confusing, but you can remember that it is because there is only 1/2 step between the 3rd and 4th notes. When they are played against each other, the sound is unsettled. If you are just playing a scale and play the 4th note, you won’t notice any problem because it is just a passing tone. If I land on the note and force it on you, your ear will disagree. The most common remedy to this problem is to raise the 4th (or 11th) up1/2 step. This is a #11 or #4 (sharp 11 or sharp 4) chord. Even though the sharp 11 it is not written in our chord symbol of Cmaj7 we can add it in.

So, I see the Cmaj7 and know that I can use the C major scale or the C major chord up to the 13th if I want (watch that 4 and 11)!

By: Pete Swiderski

How to Use Modes in Jazz Improvisation

admin2 — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:52:54 +0000

To form the modes, first we must have an understanding of the the major scale. If we number the notes 1 to 8, we can change the order we play them in by starting on a different note instead of 1. I can play the following combinations:

- 12345678
- 23456782
- 34567823
- 45678234
- 56782345
- 67823456
- 78234567

Basically I started the scale on 1 and returned to 1, then I started it on 2 and returned to 2, then on 3 and returned to 3 etc. In this way, all of the pitches had a chance to be the first note in the scale. If you look closely at the notes, you will see 7 different places we can start the scale, because there are 7 different pitches in the scale.

These different starting points are called MODES. There are 7 different modes, because there are 7 different notes in the major scale. Each of these modes has a name:

Mode 1= Ionian
Mode 2 = Dorian
Mode 3 = Phrygian
Mode 4 = Lydian
Mode 5 = Mixolydian
Mode 6 = Aeolian
Mode 7 = Locrian

If I compare this to a C major scale and play from C to C, I would call this MODE 1, or Ionian. Most people know this mode as major. If I start the scale on D, the second note, and play from D to D using the same notes as C major I will be playing MODE 2, or the Dorian mode. Start on the 3rd note (E) and go from E to E still using the same notes as C major, I’m playing Phrygian mode. You can repeat the process through all of the seven modes.

Since there are 12 major scales and each major scale has seven different modes we now have 84 different scales to worry about! The good news is that there are really only 12 major scales, and 84 different places to start them. By now you are probably thinking “why do I even need to know 7 different modes if the notes are all the same”? It is true that the notes are the same, but the difference is the chord.

By: Pete Swiderski

New Orleans Jazz – News and Views – Jim Robinson

admin2 — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:27:11 +0000

Nathan “Jim” Robinson – born December 25th 1892 at Deer Range Louisiana: died May 4th 1976 in New Orleans. Just a little bit of history to get this show on the road!

Jim studied guitar as a kid but took up trombone in the army in the First World War. He returned to New Orleans in 1919 and was good enough to join the Sam Morgan Band in which he was a fixture for a dozen years. He studied with Sunny Henry and worked with Lee Collins in the Gold Leaf Band.

He stayed active during the Depression, mainly with Avery “Kid” Howard and was a regular with the George Lewis Band.. Jim recorded with the Sam Morgan Band in the 1920’s, legendary recordings that have been re-issued many times. He was on the Kid Rena Decca sessions and is of course on most of Bill Russell’s Bunk Johnson recordings. One of the greatest Jazz Band recordings occurred at this time, with Bunk missing, Jim Robinson and George Lewis together with Baby Dodds, Slow Drag and Lawrence Marrero created the great anthem of New Orleans collective jazz improvisation. It’s yours to listen today on American Music AMCD 4. The tune is called “San Jacinto Stomp” – it’s my desert island disc – but more of that later. Now listen to “Ice Cream” with Jim giving it his all and again there are no solos, just jazz. It is on AMCD 2 and by the way, listen carefully to Baby Dodds on the drums.

Jim toured and recorded countless times with George Lewis and Kid Howard, and made some wonderful recordings under his own name on the Riverside label..This is a small part of Jim Robinson’s very busy music-filled life. I am not attempting a biography here, my main purpose is to get you to listen to”Big Jim” yourselves! Scathing critics in the mainstream and modern jazz fields have carped at the apparent simplicity of his style, “the agricultural trombone of Jim Robinson” said one critic in the Jazz Journal.

Having spent my life studying, playing, living and loving New Orleans Jazz, I can tell you that more trombone players have tried and given up in frustration trying to emulate the Jim Robinson style. I’m not talking about copying Jim note for note. No one would want to copy George Lewis, Jim Robinson, Bunk Johnson or Kid Howard. What we are looking for is the style -the purpose of the instrument in a jazz band playing in the New Orleans ensemble The above musicians actually created a style – yes – an original creation for us to listen to, enjoy and even emulate.

I can tell you that the thrill of playing and listening to a band in this style is for me “The meaning of life” The quest for the orgasmic wall of rhythmic sound that is not arranged and spontaneous ensemble improvisation is nirvana.

I suppose my desert island disc would be American Music AMCD 2 “When You and I were Young Maggie”

But I send you a warning – this music is addictive – beware! Wait a minute I have got another must-have! In 1963 Tom Bethel recorded Kid Howard at San Jacinto Hall in New Orleans with Kid Howard, Jim Robinson, George Lewis, George Guesnon, Slow Drag and Cie Frazier. It’s on GHB 23 – I’ve got to have that one with me! Look out – here comes another one Jim Robinson stars here on “Moonlight and Roses on GHB

By: Geoff Gilbert

How to Use the Diminished Scale in Jazz Improvisation

admin2 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:04:02 +0000

The diminished sound has long been a favorite of jazz players. A diminished scale has a very predictable and repeatable pattern. It is spelled half step/whole step/half/whole/half/whole etc. There are 12 dim scales that start with a 1/2 step, but you can imagine that with a pattern that is so repetitious, eventually you will start repeating yourself.

In reality there are only three. The following are the same: G Bb Db E. If I start anyone of these diminished scales I will notice that they are the same notes, just starting in different places (much like playing in modes). The next scales that are the same are: A C Eb F#. The last set that is the same is: B D F Ab. If a player learns G, A and B diminished scales, in reality they have learned all 12 scales. The trick is to play the correct one.

If a composer wants the diminished scale to be played, the symbol is G7b9. In a case like this, I would use the G dim. Scale. Note that I could also use the Bb, Db or E diminished scale since they are all identical.

The symbol G7b9 does not fully describe all of the notes that are in the chord symbol. In addition to having a b9, it also contains a #9 and a #4. You will also notice that it does not contain the natural 9. Keep in mind that the chord symbol is not necessarily the name of the scale I will use e.g. G7b9 doesn’t mean I play a G7b9 scale, but I use a diminished scale. So, if I see D7b9 I can play a D diminished scale starting with a 1/2 step.

The normal way to form a chord for any given scale is to take the 1 3 5 7 9 of the scale. With diminished scales it is slightly different. The basic chord for any diminished scale is formed in the following way: base the chord on the regular dominant 7th scale and spell it as 1 3 5 b7 b9.

Remember that the chord has a b7 because it is a dominant 7th. At this time we need to discover the other 12 diminished scales. ALL of our dim scales so far start with a 1/2 step. The other 12 start with a Whole step. As you may have figured out this brings our total number of them to 24; there are 12 that start with a whole step, and 12 that start with a half step. You may also have figured that there are still only three diminished scales. The chord symbol for a diminished scale starting with a whole step is G followed by a small circle. This is called fully diminished. The basic chord is 1 b3 b5 6 8. Notice that it is a stack of minor third intervals. This chord is NOT a dominant.

Now if I know a G diminished that starts with a 1/2 step, I really have learned the following scales: G, Bb, Db and E (all of these starting with a 1/2 step) and Ab, B, D and F (all of these starting with a whole step). I learn one and I know eight; eight for the price of 1! Now for the application of the diminished.. Any time I have a dominant 7th resolving up a 4th (down a 5th) to the one chord, I can replace the dominant with the diminished. For example: D-7 G7 Cmaj, becomes D-7 G7b9 Cmaj.

By: Pete Swiderski

Learn to Play Jazz Guitar

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:35:09 +0000

One of the reasons that people devote their time to learning the guitar is that they love the idea of making up their own songs and music. Simply by sitting down at an inspired moment, a guitarist might come up with a great song in only one session. Some guitar styles differ greatly from another, but it is by learning the jazz guitar that many musicians have experienced the liberty it brings. The deviations in styles that somehow hold to one rhythm and work together in the name of improvisation are why jazz musicians are said to be filled with “soul”.

When training your ear or your mind to learn how the jazz guitar fits into an entire ensemble of musicians, it is important to first know how jazz music works, at the root level. Much like an athlete prepares for a race, a jazz musician also prepares for a performance. The jazz musician needs to warm up, have an introduction, and be allowed to have some time to get used to the atmosphere of a place and an audience. Some musicians, however, especially those who have played a long time together will jump right into a tune without warming up, giving listeners an awakening into what’s about to take place.

A jazz guitarist in a band may or may not lead the group through a melody. Many jazz performances may not have a singer, but instead a trumpet, or some other horn instrument will take this lead. If a horn isn’t present in the ensemble, then the guitar or piano might work to lead a session. Since jazz music is made up of a band, each person in the band has a certain role to fill before they begin their improvisational role. The jazz guitar tends to hold the players together within a certain chord so that other band members can stick to what’s being played. A jazz guitarist in this role, will not necessarily strum a rhythm such as in other forms of music, but will instead move rhythmically with the rest of the players involved.

In the game of jazz music, improvisation is key. If you know how to play another instrument, learning the jazz guitar might be a little easier. And, if you love improvising on the piano, for example, then you might love it on the guitar. “Improv” as it is sometimes referred to, is one way music can be highly addictive and liberating. When that liberation happens with a group who is playing together, the soul and reaction from the audience involved can be magical. Overall, learning to play the jazz guitar will be rewarding on many levels. Learning to play the necessary chords and knowing when and how to strum to the rhythm of others in the group takes time and practice. Give yourself plenty of time and dedicate yourself to listening to and learning how jazz music works and you’ll be on your way to playing along with a jazz group in no time.

By: Rich Matthews