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A b lu e s-b a se d im p ro v isa tio n m e th o d fo r b eg in n in g in s tru m e n ta lis ts
Spitzer, Peter A., M.A.
San Jose State University, 1990
Copyright © 1990 by Spitzer, Peter A . All rights reserved.
U M I
300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106A BLUES-BASED IMPROVISATION METHOD FOR BEGINNING INSTRUMENTALISTS
A T hesis P resen ted to
T he F aculty of th e D epartm ent of M usic San Jo se S tate U niversity
In P artial Fulfillm ent
of th e R equirem ents for th e D egree M aster of A rts
By
P eter A. Spitzer N ovem ber, 1990
Um x.
i
Id
-Dwight Cannon
William Resch
ABSTRACT
A BLUES-BASED IMPROVISATION METHOD FOR BEGINNING INSTRUMENTALISTS
b y P eter A. Spitzer
T his stu d y co n sists of tw o parts: (a) an introductory essa y considering n in eteen p u b lish ed m ethods for teach in g m usical im provisation, b o th jazz an d classical, an d (b) a n original sequence of fifteen lesso n s, u sin g exercises an d tu n e s in various blu es, jazz, an d rock styles.
The lesso n s developed in th is project are divided into th re e ‘le v e ls.11 Level 1 is concerned w ith b asic orientation, approached th rou g h sim ple idiom atic w ritten exercises, call-response gam es, a n d im provisation in easy form ats. L evel 2 introduces theory concepts (blue n o tes, b lu es scales, chords, chord scales, an d form) in a w ay th a t is in ten d ed to b e clear, sim ple, an d participatory. In Level 3, five original an d stan d a rd p iec es in various blu es, jazz, an d rock sty les are p resen ted , a s vehicles for im provising. A n effort is m ad e throughout th e m ethod to m axim ize p articip atio n an d to em phasize th e precedence of creative im pulse over theory concepts.
P eter A. Spitzer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I INTRODUCTION ... 1
P urpose ... 2
Lim itations ... 3
M ethods P resen tly A vailable ... 4
H istorical O verview ... 4
E valuation of E xisting M ethods ... 6
G uidelines for a Successful B eginner’s M e th o d ... 18
G eneral C riteria ... 18
Specific Inform ation to Cover ... 19
E xplanation of L esson P l a n s ... 20
Levels ... 21
L essons ... 22
II BLUES AND JAZZ FOR BEGINNERS ... 29
TO THE STUDENT ... 30
LEVEL 1 - GETTING STARTED ... 31
LESSON 1 E asy B lues in G... 32
2 Im itation G am es ... 35
3 Im provising Your Own Solo ... 37 v
(continued)
CHAPTER PAGE
4 B lues in F ... 3 9 5 E xpressing Y o u rs e lf... 4 1
LEVEL 2 - CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVISING ... 43
LESSON 6 Blue N otes ... 4 4 7 B lues Scales ... 4 7 8 C hords an d "Duke’s Place" ... 52
9 A Full A rra n g e m e n t... 56
10 The Real T ruth ... 5 9 LEVEL 3 - SONGS AND STYLES ... 61
LESSON 11 Bo Diddley B eat ... 62 12 Chicago Style ... 64 13 "Now’s th e Time" ... 67 14 Slow Bb B lues ... 69 15 Jazz M ambo ... 72 16 T he N ext S t e p ... 7 4 GLOSSARY ... 75
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) CHAPTER PAGE TO THE TEACHER ... 77 III CONCLUSION ... 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 83 vii
INTRODUCTION
B eginning-level in stru m ental instruction, usu ally in grad es four to six, is th e first exp erience m any people have w ith "formal" m usical tr ain in g i t is a tim e w h en b a sic view points can b e formed, an d a ttitu d e s se t, concerning m usic an d th e m usical learning process.
M any w rite rs on m usic education have adv an ced th e id ea th a t
im provising c a n b e a n enjoyable an d useful p a rt of m usical education,1 and, increasingly, te a c h e rs are incorporating im provisation in to th eir curriculum s. In resp o n se to th is in te re st, a num ber of publications h av e ap p eared in th e la st half-century, w ritte n from b o th th e "non-jazz" an d th e "jazz" perspectives: m ethods, articles, books for tea ch ers, dissertations.
A t th e sam e tim e, jazz-b ased m aterials have found a secure p lace in th e m usic program s of A m erican public schools, esp ecially through th e w idening p o pularity of "stage bands" (now often called "jazz bands" or "lab bands") sin ce th e 1950s. T hese ensem bles, usually u sin g "big band"
in stru m en tatio n , a re now found in m any A m erican h ig h schools an d m iddle
^ e e , for exam ple, W ollner (1967), Schafer (1976), V illiam y an d Lee (1976), or Lanfer (1979).
schools. T he "stage ban d m ovem ent," b o th a sym ptom and a c a u se of rising in te re st in jazz, h elp ed create a n eed for in structio n al m ethods in
im provisation, sin ce th e jazz b an d literatu re, a n d indeed th e jaz z trad itio n , req uire th a t a t le a st som e play ers b e a b le to im provise solos.
D espite th e profusion of jazz-b ased m usic an d m ethods, an d th e w id esp read in te re st in introducing im provisation to beginners, few
im provisation m ethods are g eared to th e beginn in g in stru m en talist, an d none of th em seem s to adequately ta k e ad v an tag e of th e opportunity to offer a teach in g m ethod th a t w ould serve a s a n introduction to both im provisation an d th e blues/jazz/rock idiom.2 This th e sis is a ste p in th e d irectio n of filling th e n eed for such a m ethod.
P urpose
T he in te n t of th is project is to provide a workbook for in trod u cin g im provisation to th e beginner in a m anner th a t is easy, p leasu rab le, an d inform ative. N eeds of th e b eginning p lay er w ill b e evaluated, an d stre n g th s an d w eak n esses of previous m eth o d s considered, in an effort to form ulate a se rie s of le sso n s th a t w ill co n stitu te a successfu l beginner’s m ethod.
Im m ediate g o als of th e m ethod are to introduce beginning perform ance an d theory, to provide som e fam iliarity w ith th e blues/jazz/rock idiom , an d to
2T his stu d y w ill consider b lu es, rock, an d jazz as partially se p a ra te b u t largely overlapping "idioms." T aken to g e th e r th ey form a m ore g en eral b lu es/jazz/ro ck idiom; w ithin each are found various "styles."
h elp develop m usical technique an d und erstan d in g through im provisation. Beyond th e se are th e larger goals: to foster in th e stu d en t h igher lev els of self-expression, com m unication, confidence, aw aren ess of tradition, an d creativity.3
L im itations
T his th e sis to som e ex tent is b o th a research project and a creativ e w ork. A s research , it involves (a) exam ining existing literature, (b) finding u sab le com m on ran g es for beginners on various instrum ents, and
(c) evaluation of th e lesso n s developed, by field-testing w ith approxim ately fifty stu d e n ts, in b o th individual lesso n an d class settin g s. (H owever, no a tte m p t h a s b e e n m ade a t sta tistic a l evaluation.)4 As a creative project, th is th e sis en ta ils (a) developing guidelines for a n ew m ethod, (b) form ulating a series of lesso n s covering th e d esired m aterial, (c) w riting b lues m elodies an d "sam ple solos" appropriate for th e an ticip ated level of stu d en t, an d (d) placin g th is m aterial in a clear an d u sab le form at. The m ethod w as produced n o t only in concert key, b u t in Bb an d Eb tran spo sitio n s, n o t included here. Supplem entary m aterial for th e instructor w as also produced,
^ o r a d iscu ssio n of th e correspondence b etw een artistic im provisation and b asic creativity, se e N achm anovitch (1990).
4A ttem p ts a t sta tistic a l evaluation of th e effectiveness of jazz im provisation teach in g m ethods are found in th e d isserta tio n s by B um sed (1978) an d D am ron (1973).
4 an d is found a t th e en d of th e m ethod. This w orkbook is in ten d ed prim arily for u se b y young b eginners (g rad es four to eight), under a te ach e r’s
guidance, in eith er an individual lesso n or classroom situation. Secondarily, it could b e useful to ad u lt beg in n ers a s a self-tutor.
M ethods P resen tly A vailable H istorical O verview
Im provisation, or “th e creation of a m usical w ork . . . a s it is being perform ed,"5 is surely a p ractice "as old a s m usic itself."6 Throughout th e h isto ry of W estern "art m usic," im provisation h a s alw ays ex isted in som e form, horn th e im provised iubilus of early chant, to m odem avant-garde concert p ieces. Instruction books, from th e ten th -cen tu ry M usica enchiriadis to m odem w orks, docum ent th e evolving n atu re of "classical" im provisation.
T he developm ent of m usical notation, polyphony, and concert m usic w ere accom panied by a gradual, b u t increasing, sep aratio n of com poser and perform er. By th e tw en tie th century, perform ers rarely com posed or
5Im ogene H orsley, M ichael Collins, Eva Badura-Skoda, and D ennis Libby, 'Im provisation," in The N ew G rove D ictionary of M usic and M usicians, ed. Stanley Sadie (London: M acm illan, 1980), IX: 31.
®Emest T. Ferand, Im provisation in N ine C enturies of W estern M usic (Cologne: A m o Volk V erlag, 1961), p. 5.
surviving m ainly in th e trad itio n of church o rg an ists.7
The rise of b lu e s an d jazz a s com m ercial m usic, b eg in n in g in th e 1910s an d 1920s, occu rred w ith th e aid of pow erful n ew m edia: th e phonograph record an d radio. Though b lu es an d jazz u se d sta n d a rd
in stru m en ts an d stru ctu ral resources, th e origins an d ro ute to p opularity of th e se new g en res lay in a re a s culturally d istin ct from trad itio n al W estern art m usic. B ecause of th is cu ltural separatism , m aintained b y "serious"
m usicians’ n o n-acceptan ce of th e n ew g en res,8 b lu es an d jazz (and later, rock) developed a s idiom s largely sep a ra te an d d istin ct from W estern a rt m usic. In th e tw e n tie th century, blues, jazz, an d rock h ave b e e n th e strongholds of m usical im provisation in N orth A m erica.9 A w id esp read in te re st in learn in g to perform in th e se idiom s h a s b e e n an sw ered b y th e publication of m uch in stru ctio n al literature.
A tw en tieth -cen tu ry revival of im provisation in th e "non-jazz" W estern trad itio n m ay b e tra c e d in certain m usic educatio n m aterial, including th e w ork of Em ile Jaques-D alcroze (beginning c. 1910) an d C arl Orff (beginning c. 1924). In m ore re c e n t y ears, th is current h a s led to th e w ell-know n book
7H orsley e t al., p. 50.
®Graham Villiam y an d E d Lee, Po pM usic in School (Cam bridge: Cam bridge
U niversity P ress, 1976), p p . 33-47. BH orsley e t al., p. 51.
b y G ertrude Price W ollner (1963). Since th a t tim e, th e stu b b o rn exclusivity b e tw e e n th e "jazz” an d "non-jazz" w orlds m ay h ave b eg u n to b reak dow n, a s m ay b e seen in, for exam ple, th e approaches of Konowitz (1973) an d
H am aker e t al. (1979).
E valuation of E xisting M ethods
The focus of th is th e sis is on producing an optim ally effective im provisation m ethod for b eg in n ers, u sin g b lu es-b ased m aterials. In p rep aratio n for th is task , a num ber of m odem teach in g m eth od s w ere exam ined. M ost are w ithin th e 'jazz" tradition, th o u g h som e o th ers w ere considered. Follow ing is a chronological listin g of relev an t w orks, w ith a d escrip tio n of each, an d an evaluation of stre n g th s an d w eak n esses. T his is n o t a com prehensive listin g of m odem im provisation m ethods, b u t rep resen ts th o se w orks available a t th e tim e of th is w riting, e ith e r com m ercially or a t th e S an Jo se S tate U niversity library.
Im provisation in M usic. G ertrude Price W ollner (1963)
T his w ork, a m odem classic in th e non-jazz trad itio n , is in th e form at of a guide for teach ers. W ollner’s program b eg in s w ith rhythm stu d y via clapping and conducting exercises. N ext com e, in order: m elody-m aking, u sin g th e con cep ts of m elodic curves and m otives; scale reso u rces; u se of mood; e a r training; an d form study. A fter th is beginning, ra th e r free and unconventional for its tim e, th e book s e ttle s into stan d a rd chord stu d y an d
ch ap ters involve im provisation u sin g im agery, an d su g g estio n s for teach in g b eginning group im provisation.
W ollner’s book in co rpo rates m any valuable tech n iq u es. It is prim arily for p ian ists—n o t for young stu d e n ts, b u t for th eir tea ch ers. T he book
com pletely n eg lects jazz-related resou rces, though o ccasio nal lip service is p aid to th e discipline of jazz im provisation.
Im provising Jazz. Jerry Coker (1964)
Coker is one of th e handful of prolific w riters resp o n sib le for m uch of th e jazz im provisation in stru ction al m aterial produced from th e mid-1960s throu g h th e mid-1970s. This pioneering little book, still v alu ab le today, is aim ed a t th e college-level stu d en t. It le an s heavily on chord stu d ies, including also chord-related scales, u se of m otives, role of rhythm section players, an d th e concept of "sw ing.” B lues is considered a s a harm onic progression, an d is p re se n te d early on. O ther books b y C oker, especially P attern s for Jazz (1970), focus o n acquiring th e tech n ical to o ls for self-
expression b y practicin g m yriad p erm u tatio n s of scalar, chordal, an d m elodic figures, in all keys. T his approach, n ecessary for th e d ed ic a te d older stu d en t, h a s little value for o rienting an d m otivating th e young beginner.
8 P a tte rn s for Im provisation. Oliver N elson (1966)
In a b rief introduction, N elson s ta te s h is b asic prem ise: "as long as th e original p a tte rn is correct, any irregularities w hich m ight ap p ear in its seq u en ce are ju stified . . This w as th e first "patterns” book. It differs from Coker’s 1970 w ork in th a t p a tte rn s are p rese n te d m ore a s id eas th a n a s note-groups to b e exhaustively practiced. N elson’s p a tte rn s rang e from H anon-like diatonic p h rases, to b ebop m elodic lines, to tw elve-tone row s. M any of th e se p a tte rn s are in evidence in N elson’s ow n recorded saxophone solos. A gain, th e "perm utations" approach is inappropriate for beginners. H ow ever, N elson is also attem p tin g to com m unicate th e elem en ts of h is ow n jazz style. The "idea book” approach is one th a t could b e usefully a d ap te d for begin n ers.
A N ew A pproach to Jazz Im provisation. Jam ey A ebersold (1967-1990) A ebersold’s "new approach" is th e play-along record, w ith
accom panying booklet. A recorded rhythm section provides a background for stu d e n t ex ercises an d im provisations. W hile th is kind of accom panim en t is m ore realistic an d enjoyable th a n a m etronom e, it does have th e draw back of encouraging a n app roach to im provisation th a t is m echanical an d lacking th e elem en t of com m unication th a t is b asic to a "real" jazz group. A ebersold’s
“ Oliver N elson. P a ttern s for Im provisation (Los A ngeles: N oslen M usic, 1966), p. i.
m ethod h a s enjoyed g rea t su ccess an d popularity, an d h a s b een exten d ed to forty-five volum es a t th e tim e of th is w riting. Volum e 1 of th is se ries
em phasizes ex ercises u sin g dorian, m ajor an d m inor p entato n ic, an d chord- related p atte rn s, and p a tte rn s for n-V-I chord progressions. T he am ount of m aterial p resen te d in Volum e 1 is to o d en se for th e young beginner. Volume 2, Nothin* But Blues (1971), is m ore m anageable, u seful for younger stu d en ts if th ey are m otivated an d have a te a c h e r's help. This volum e approaches blues soloing through th e "blues scale" (l-b3-4-#4-5-b7-l) an d chord-related scales. R ecorded tu n e s include b lu es of various ty p es, including m in o r, slow and fast stan d ard sw ing, rock (minor), an d "Parker changes," in various keys. A n em phasis on dorian to n ality is evident. Volum e 3 w orks w ith th e n-V-I
progression, an d su b seq u en t volum es are nearly all concerned w ith
providing a recorded background for p racticin g "standards." T his rem arkable and very useful series is conspicuously m issing a volum e for young
beginners, in a clear an d sim ple form at.
A G uide to Im provisation. Jo h n La P orta (1968)
Tw elve lesso n s are p rese n te d in th is m ethod, w ith each lesso n broken into four p arts: "theory," "rhythm training," "instrum ental e a r training," and "performance." A n accom panying record is u se d for th e e a r train in g and perform ance sections. T he perform ance sectio n of e ach le sso n involves playing an original p iece b y La Porta, w ith sp ace for a n im provised solo. La
10 P orta u se s th e Bb m ajor p en tato n ic scale a s a sta rtin g point, ad din g th e blue n o te s h3 an d b7 in L esso n 2. He p laces im portance o n p ro p er jazz (sw ing) p hrasin g , an d u tilizes call-response ear training. L ater le sso n s involve playing in th e keys of Eb, F, an d C; w orking w ith th e co n cep t of m otivic developm ent; an d com m on-tone soloing. This m ethod is a m odel of good p acin g an d clear organization. Presum ably it w a s w ritte n for u se w ith college stu d e n ts (La P o rta is a cen tral figure a t th e Berklee C ollege of M usic, an d th e m ethod w as p u b lish ed b y Berklee P ress), b u t it could b e u se d w ith younger stu d e n ts. La P o rta's u se of th e m ajor p en tato n ic w ith ad d ed b3 and b7 is an idiosyncratic, b u t sen sib le, w ay to s e t p aram eters for soloing th a t reflect m ainstream p ractice w hile lim iting reso u rces so a s to provide security for th e stu d en t. T here is no m ention of any rhythm ic sty le ex cep t sw in g in th is m ethod.
T echniques of Im provisation: Vol. 1. D avid Baker (1968)
T his book is rep resen tativ e of th e m any pu b licatio ns b y Baker, one of th e m o st prolific au th o rs of in stru ctio nal m aterials for jazz im provisation. Baker u se s lydian-related sc a le s to g en erate p a tte rn s, to b e p racticed in all keys. Baker’s Im provisational P attern s: th e B lues (1980) b eg in s w ith an inform ative essay , follow ed by listin g s of b lu es chord progressions, original tu n e s by Baker, b lu e s p h rase s, b a ss lines, an d piano voicings. T hese books are overly tech n ical for th e beginner, b u t th e "idea book" con cept is, again, a
u sefu l one. A nother of Baker’s books, Jazz Im provisation (1983), is a
com pendium of p a tte rn s, tech n ical devices, an d good advice to th e relatively advanced im proviser. To b e useful to th e beginner, th e se co n cep ts w ould req u ire considerable distillation.
A dventures in Im provisation a t th e Keyboard. G lenn M ack (1970) K eyboard an d b an d in stru m ent pedagogy a re largely in d ep en d en t fields, for obvious reasons. Band in stru m en ts are n o t self-accom panying, and p ian o s are n o t u se d in school concert or m arching b ands. Instructional literatu re for keyboard im provisation is th u s n o t generally ap plicable to single-line in stru m en ts. M ack's book u se s a n ap p ro ach b uilt around fingering p a tte rn s an d rhythm ic figures. M odes, various p en tato n ic scales (black-key an d others), w hole-tone scales, an d re lated chords are p resen ted a s resou rces. A c h ap ter on 'b uild ing blocks" em p hasizes m otivic
developm ent an d phrasing. O ther su b jects covered are harm onizing a m elody an d im provising for dancers. No jazz m aterials w h atso ever are included.
M usic Im provisation a s a C lassroom M ethod. B ert Konowitz (1973) In th is book, p rese n te d a s a te a c h e r’s guide, Konowitz recognizes th re e "phases" of teaching: exploratory or "loosening up" activity, expanding skills, an d "developm ent and involvem ent." T h ese sta g e s are ap p lied to w orking w ith voice, instru m en ts, an d keyboard, in tu rn. Konowitz’ outlook
12 v alu es positive attitu d e form ation, th e expression of em otion, an d
im provisation a s its ow n rew ard, above building tech n ical facility. A lthough h e do es n o t sh o w a d eep concern w ith or u n d erstan d in g of jazz, h e does em ploy som e jazz-related resources. Konowitz h a s also au th o red tw o
beginning im provisation books for p ian ists, unavailable for th e p re se n t study.
Jazz E xpressions. Phil H ardym on (1975)
T hough p ackag ed a s a series of arrangem ents for beginning jazz band, H ardym on’s w ork, in th e h an d s of a com petent teach er, co n stitu tes a form of jazz im provisation m ethod. C harts include solo o pportunities, in w hich stu d e n ts are d irected to w ork w ith a few n o tes derived from a p en tato n ic scale ("solo-notes"). A ccom panying te ac h er’s m aterial su g g e sts call-response ex ercises a s ear-training an d a s a p rep aratio n for im provising. R anges are m oderate, an d n o n -stan d ard instru m en tatio n is m ade p o ssib le b y sim ple harm onizations an d p a rt doubling. T hese arran g em en ts are an outgrow th of H ardym on's "Berkeley Jazz Project” in th e Berkeley (California) p ublic schools, b eg in n in g in 1966, an d a re currently in w ide use. P ositive featu res include: (a) a n em p h asis on "doing” rath er th a n on theory, (b) a gradual, non
th re a ten in g introduction to im provisation, (c) playable ran g es for m iddle school stu d e n ts, an d (d) a form at su ite d to practical public school situations.
Blues an d th e B asics. Dominic S pera (1975)
T his booklet, w ith c a sse tte , is a b lu es-b ased im provisation m ethod aim ed a t younger stu d en ts. S pera’s approach is chord-oriented, utilizing a Bb b lu e s p rogression an d chord-related (m ixolydian an d m ajor p entatonic)
scales, w ith ad ded blue n o tes (b3, b5, an d b7). The "blues scale" a s a concept is avoided, though th e practical resu lt of adding b lu e n o tes to a m ajor p en tato n ic scale is a ty p e of blues scale. V isually, th e form at is som ew h at cluttered. W hile stro n g on ear training, theory, an d sw ing in terp retatio n , th is m ethod h a s som e draw backs: no b e a ts ex cep t sw ing, overem phasis on theory, an d m aterial too densely p resen ted .
B asic Rhythm s an d th e A rt of Jazz Im provising. Jo e T arto (1976) D esp ite its title, th is is n o t exactly an im provising m ethod, b u t rath er a collection of idiom atic m usical exam ples, particularly rhythm drills. Brief w ritten sectio n s on im provising an d on b lu es contain som e d eb atab le
sta te m e n ts (e.g., "when im provising m odem jazz in th e key of C th e follow ing re lated sc a le s C G an d F can all b e u sed w ith th e follow ing chords. C6, CMaj 7, C7, C9, C ll, an d C13 (sic]."11) This book is b e s t considered a s a collection of sw ing- an d dixieland-related exam ples.
“ Jo e Tarto, Basic Rhythm s an d th e A rt of Jazz Im provising (N ew York: C harles Colin, 1976), p. 26.
14 Im provisation S y lla b u s a n d G uide. E d ith H am aker,
C larice Lincoln, M arilynn Thalm an (1979)
This m ethod w a s produced b y th e M usic T eachers’ A ssociation of California, for u se w ith piano stu d en ts. The pro g ression of its le sso n s is in ten d ed to correspond to th e MTAC’s C ertificate of M erit program . The approach com bines th eo ry stu d y w ith im provising, also u sin g variations on folk tu n es, an d im agery. In a n effort to n o t n eg lect jazz elem ents, th is m ethod introd u ces chord ch arts an d b lu es early on. M elodic reso u rces for b lu es im provisations include m ajor pen tato n ic scales an d b lu e notes. B ecause of th e d en sity of m aterial, em p h asis on theory, an d len g th of th is m ethod, it w ould p ro bab ly succeed only w ith th o se few stu d e n ts w ho enjoy w orking w ith theory. T he m ethod is notew orthy b ecau se of th e au th o rs' sincere efforts to in co rpo rate jazz elem en ts into a m ethod produced by, an d for, te ach e rs w ho w ork m ostly in th e classical tradition.
"The Blues: A P ractical P roject for th e Classroom ," P iers S pencer T his essay , p u b lish ed a s a ch ap ter in Po p M usic in School (Vulliamy
and Lee, 1980), is a te a c h e r’s guide for a stru ctu red p resen tatio n of b lu es in th e classroom . S pencer b eg in s w ith riffs u sin g m ajor p en tato n ic a n d m in o r
p entatonic scales. C all-response gam es cen tered on rhythm (clapping or percussion) are ex te n d ed to creatin g rhythm ic resp o n ses, th e n m elodic respo n ses, to th e te a c h e r’s p h rases. Before proceeding to 12-bar b lu es, Spencer su g g e sts p lay ing arran g em en ts of Negro sp iritu als incorporating
sh o rt (2 -8 m easure) im provised sections. N ext, stu d e n ts are ask ed to liste n to an d w rite b lu es lyrics. Spencer th e n h a s th em ta k e a larg e ste p , to
exam ining th e 1 2-bar chord progression, an d finally d ire cts stu d e n ts to w rite th e ir ow n 12-bar b lu es m elodies. In its early sta g e s (riffs, im itation, first im provisation), Spencer’s curriculum m akes se n se for th e beginner, b u t th e p acin g an d con ten t of la te r activ ities (w ords, sp iritu als, chord study,
com position) are p erh ap s n o t a s p ertin en t to developing b e g in n in g s tu d e n ts ’ im provising skills. Spencer p o in ts o u t a relation sh ip b e tw e e n Orff
"Schulwerk" m ethods and h is ow n.
Everybody C an Plav th e Blues. Don H am ilton (1984)
B revity is a virtue of th is book. It co n sists of sev en p a g e s of te x t and four tu n e s to play (one of th e m is E llington’s "Duke’s Place," w ith o u t title or attribution). C all-response e a r tr aining is u sed a s a sta rtin g point, w ith a p ag e o n chords. T unes are p re se n te d in a lead -sh eet form at, w ith chords sp elled o u t on a staff below th e m elody, an d a b lu es scale show n a t th e to p of th e p a g e in th e key of th e tu n e . C larity of form at is th e book’s m ain stren g th ; incom pleteness is its m ain w eakn ess.
Jazz/R ock Trax. W ill Schm id (1985)
T he aim of th is m ethod is to introduce im provisation to th e young p layer b y u sin g a m odem b lu es-related idiom ("jazz/rock") exclusively. A c a s se tte ta p e contains perform ances of w ritten exam ples «nri recorded
backgrounds. All m aterial is straig h t-b eat rock, played o n th e ta p e by sy n th esizer an d grow l-tone saxophone. Im provisation is introduced by having th e stu d e n t experim ent first w ith four n o te s se le c te d from an F m inor p en tato n ic scale (C-Eb-F-Ab), over a recorded background, w ith lists of "solo licks" to u se a s id ea sources. Chord construction is avoided. A n explanation of ho w to co n stru ct pen tato n ic scales is given, b u t is som ew hat confusing; o therw ise, th e form at is quite clear an d w ell-considered. T his m ethod should b e p ractical to u se w ith th e beginner. H ow ever, it h a s inherent w eak n esses: (a) sw ing, or any other b e a t th a n w h at m ight b e called disco- funk rock, is n o t m entioned, (b) although m inor p en tato n ic n o te s are u sed over m inor an d dom inant chords, th e re is no m ention of b lu e n o tes or b lu es scales, (c) no atten tio n is p aid to tradition, an d (d) im provisation is ta u g h t as a m onochrom atic product, to b e tu rn e d on or off w ith o u t reference to th e m elody or ch aracter of th e tune. Indeed, th e m ethod d o es n o t u se tu n e s as vehicles, b u t ra th er u se s chord progressions. T his m ethod com es very close to b ein g a good one by virtue of its form at, pacing, an d practicality, b u t th e se q u alities com e a t th e co st of d isregarding som e im p ortan t elem ents of jazz.
Leamin* th e Blues. Jo se p h Lilore (1986)
A s is th e c a se w ith th e previous work, th is book h a s a unique m ixture of p ositiv e a n d neg ativ e asp ects. H ere, trad itio n is resp ected ; th e book
includes a sh o rt h istory of b lu es (its accuracy is another question), an d a listin g of "great b lu es 8313818" a s recom m ended listening. Soloing is appro ached th ro u g h a b lu es scale (l-b3-3-4-5-b7-1). The form at is m ostly clear, including su ccinct an d u seful w ords of advice. The key of Bb is explored first; chord ch arts for b lu es in all o th er keys are included later. E ach of th e se ch arts b e a rs a n o te on "suggested style" (latin, reggae, etc.), b u t co n tain s n eith er m usic p e rtin e n t to th a t sty le (melody or rhythm ), nor explanation of th a t style.
O ther W orks
T he follow ing te x ts w ere also exam ined, b u t w ere n o t considered ap plicable to th e p re se n t stu dy b ecau se of th eir level of com plexity: Jazz Im provisation. Jo h n M ehegan (four vols., 1959-1965).
The E ncyclopedia of B asic Harm ony and Theory A pplied tn Trrmrnv-i ggtion on All In stru m en ts. Dick G rove (1971).
P entatonic S cales for Jazz Im provisation. Ram on Ricker (1975).
Im provising an d A rranging on th e Keyboard. Jam e s O estereich an d Earl P ennington (1981).
The 21st C entury W av to N ew Sounds. Rudolf Schram m and D oug Freuler (1981).
T he B asic E lem ents of Jazz. Jim Progris (1986). C reative Jazz Im provisation. S cott Reeves (1989).
18 G uidelines for a Successful
B eginner’s M ethod G eneral C riteria
The n in eteen m ethods review ed above all have th e sam e goal: to develop th e stu d e n t’s skill in im provised m usical self-expression. H ow ever, th e m eans em ployed vary considerably. Basic elem en ts of th e n in eteen approaches include (a) theory instruction, (b) ear train in g activities,
(c) exercises for tech n ical developm ent, (d) vehicles for im provisation, an d (e) exercises an d advice aim ed a t developing im agination a n d a positive attitu d e. T hese elem ents, not m utually exclusive, are em p h asized to a g reater or le sse r d eg ree by each of th e m ethods. To b e optim ally effective, a n ew m ethod for b eg in n ers w ould b alance th ese elem en ts in a w ay th a t w ould en h ance th e effectiveness of all of them .
For teach in g begin n ers, a special balance is required. By far, th e m ost im portant elem en t for beg in n ers is developm ent of a po sitiv e attitu d e.
A ctivities m u st se n d th e underlying m essag e, “A nyone can do th is. It is easy an d fun." B ecause b lu es is a pervasive influence in m odem po p u lar m usic, b lu es-b ased m aterial is ideal for developing m otivation. S tu d en ts perceive th e idiom a s enjoyable an d relevant. A b lu es-b ased im provisation m ethod h a s a m otivational adv an tag e inherent in its nature.
To encourage a positive attitu d e in th e beginning stu d e n t, early su ccess is essen tial. This can b e achieved by p articipatory activ ities in
carefully ch o sen form ats, a t gradually in creasin g levels of difficulty. By m axim izing playing tim e, tech n ical developm ent can b e p u rsu ed
sim ultaneously w ith o th er activ ities. C all-response gam es are a com m only- u se d an d effective w ay to appro ach ear training. Even theory co n cep ts can b e approach ed th ro u gh p articip ato ry activity.
Theory is th e m o st problem atic elem ent. Ideally, theory facilitates u nderstanding. Too often, how ever, ed u cato rs over-em phasize th eo ry in th eir p resen tatio n s, an d th ereb y d isto rt its significance. N ot only d o es th is error le a d to an incorrect an d sterile view of m usic, b u t if can alienate th e averag e stu d en t, w ho is generally n o t m entally d isp o sed or equipped to w ork w ith th eo retic al concepts, or to u n d erstan d th e ir relevance. In a book for
beg in n ers, theory co n cep ts should b e red u ced to sim plicity.
Specific Inform ation to Cover
D raw ing from th e positive featu res of ex istin g m ethods, an d
considering th e n eed s of b eginning stu d e n ts a s d iscu ssed above, c e rtain specific featu res em erge a s d esirab le for inclusion in a new b e g in n e r's m ethod:
1. A m axim um of p articip ato ry activity.
2. A bro ad sam pling of different sty les w ith in th e idiom , including various "beats" (not ju s t sw ing or rock).
20 3. E ssen tial theory con cepts (blue n o tes, b lu es-related scales, chords, form) p re se n te d w ith clarity an d sim plicity.
4. T echnique p re se n te d a s su b serv ien t to expression. 5. T radition tre a te d w ith resp ect, a s a b a se to b u ild on.
6. C all-response gam es, a s ear train in g an d a s p rep aratio n for im provising.
7. A level of difficulty app ro priate for th e in ten d ed audience. 8. W ell-w ritten, idiom atic ("funky") exam ples an d vehicles for im provisation.
9. A gentle, n on-threatening introduction to first im provising efforts, aim ed a t g u aran teein g early su ccess.
10. A clear form at, giving each "elem ent" a b alan ced em phasis.
11. A n o rientation th a t d o es n o t exclude o th er ty p e s of m usic—th a t is, th e skills acquired b y th e stu d en t should b e ex ten d ab le into other idiom s.
E xplanation of L esson P lans
The booklet com prising C hapter 33 of th is th e sis, B lues and Jazz for B eginners, is th e re su lt of an effort to im plem ent th e above guidelines in an effective se rie s of lesso n s. Follow ing is a n ex p lanation of th e reasoning th a t led to th e specific co n ten t and order of lesso n plans.
L evels
F ifteen lesso n s, grouped into th re e lev els," w ere produced. Level 1 (L essons 1-5) u se s four-bar riffs, w ith a background of stan d a rd 1 2-bar blues su p plied b y te a c h e r or c a sse tte ta p e, to orient th e stu d e n t an d to introduce b asic concepts. Prim ary em ph asis is p laced on particip atio n , an d theory co n cep ts are dow nplayed. The m ain in te n t h ere is to g en erate an early feeling of com fort. To th is end, ran g es are narrow ; re p e a te d four-bar riffs are used; soloing is approached carefully. Im provisation is p re se n te d a s a m atter of w orking w ith m elody, rhythm , an d m ood. T he introduction of scale an d chord app ro ach es is p u t off until L evel 2.
Level 2 (L essons 6-9) p re se n ts b asic theory concepts: blue notes, scales, chords, an d how th e se elem ents in te rrelate w ith m elody an d w ith each other. Theory is a d elicate subject: th e stu d e n t w ould b e ill-served by a com plete avoidance of chord-building or b lu es scales, y e t th e se to p ics can easily com e acro ss a s dry an d boring. In addition, th eo retical stru ctu res should n o t b e p resen ted to b eg in ners a s th e la s t w ord in how m usic (especially im provisation) is organized. Therefore, th e s e co ncep ts are only p u rsu ed to th e ex te n t th a t th ey w ill aid th e stu d e n t’s perform ance and com prehension. "Sample solos” are u sed m ore extensively in Level 2 (in Level 1, th e riff-tune m elodies serv ed th e sam e p u rp oses). T hese exercises provide: (a) exam ples of th e ap plication of co n cep ts b ein g d iscu ssed , (b) a p articip ato ry a sp e c t to w orking w ith theory, (c) p ractice in readin g idiom atic
22 m usic, an d (d) m en tal in p u t of idiom atic m usical id eas, for la te r u se in
im provising.
Level 3 (L essons 10-15) co n sists of a series of tu n e s w ritte n in
different b lu es-related styles. This sectio n is in ten d ed to provide vehicles for im provisation u sin g co n cep ts learn ed in Levels 1 an d 2, w hile conveying a se n se of th e w ide an d rich trad itio n s asso ciated w ith b lu es, jazz, an d rock. It is n o t m ean t a s a com prehensive catalog of styles. R anges an d gen eral difficulty are in creased som ew hat.
A final ch ap ter, T h e N ext Step," su g g e sts d irections for continued study, an d a glossary for stu d e n ts e n d s th e m ethod. A th ree-p ag e sectio n of advice to oth er te a c h e rs w ho m ight u se th e m ethod is included, follow ing th e glossary.
L essons L esson 1 - E asy B lues in G
T he p u rp o se of th is lesso n is b asic orientation. R ange is m inim al, u sin g only th re e n o te s (G, F, an d D, or 1, b7, an d 5, in G). T his ran g e w as arrived a t by com paring sta n d a rd b a n d m ethods for various in stru m en ts; it is w ith in th e overlap of ran g es a t th e p o in t w here eig h th n o te s are introduced. A ccom panim ent b y a tea ch er (or recording) is assum ed. S ubjects include concept of sw in g b eat; exam ples in straig h t an d sw ing, a t various tem pos; an d th e b a sic co n cep t of arrangem ent.
T his is a particip ato ry activity serving b o th a s ea r train in g an d a s a p rep aratio n for first solos. In fact, call-respo n se gam es p re se n t th e b asic elem en ts of im provisational soloing (pre-hearing; production of im agined sound), ex cep t th a t th e decisions concerning n o te an d rhythm choice are left to th e instructor. A creative teach e r could u se th e se gam es also to p re se n t con cep ts of developm ent an d variation, in th e p h rases chosen for im itation. Like th e sam p le solos, th is activity serv es a s in p u t of idiom atic m aterial for later stu d e n t u se. O ne further a sp e c t of valu e in p rep arin g th e stu d e n t for soloing: im itatio n gam es com pletely b y p ass th e p rin ted page.
L esson 3 - Im provising Your Own Solo
Im itation g am es are ex tend ed to "trading fours" w ith th e te a c h e r or w ith an o th er stu d en t, still u sin g only th re e n o tes, th e n to playing a 1 2-bar chorus. M otivic playing, w ith id eas derived from th e m elody, is p re se n te d as good im provisational tech niq u e. A sam ple solo is provided for illustration, for read in g p ractice, an d a s a n id ea source.
L esson 4 - B lues in F
R ange is ex ten d ed slightly; a n ew key is introduced. A three-n o te concept u sin g 1, h3, b7 is em ployed for exam ples. The la s t tw o exam ples ad d scale s te p s 5 an d i f 7. P ractice w ith soloing from th e m elody is continued.
24 L esson 5 - E xpressing Y ourself
To com plete Level 1 a s a b asic o rientation section, additional m eans of exp ressio n are explored. S tud en ts are ask ed to se le c t a n earlier ex ercise and to play solos u sin g different m oods, n o te d en sities, an d lev els of volum e. The in te n t h ere is to e sta b lish em otion an d te x tu re along w ith m elody an d rhythm a s b a sic elem en ts in im provising. Scale an d chord co n cep ts (to follow) m ay th e n b e s e e n in proper perspective: a s tech n ical m ean s to th e m ore b asic en d of expression, not a s an sw ers in them selves.
L esson 6 - Blue N otes
T his lesso n b eg in s Level 2, in w hich e sse n tia l theo ry co n cep ts are p resen ted . Blue n o tes are p resen ted a s th e lo w ered 3, 5, a n d 7 of a key. Illu stratio n s show b lu e n o te s ag ain st C, F, an d G m ajor scales. This
p rep a res th e ground for L esso n 8, a b lu es in C u sin g C7, F7, an d G7 chords. Thinking of n o te s a s re la te d to a m ajor scale, u sin g nu m b ered scale ste p s, is a n in teg ral p a rt of th is lesson. The id ea of b en d in g n o tes (a co n cep t related to "blue notes") is p resen ted .
L esson 7 - B lues Scales
T hree of th e sca le s m o st commonly en co u n tered in jazz im provisation m ethods are show n h ere in th e key of F. T hree are u se d b o th in order to ed u cate th e stu d e n t an d to avoid em phasizing any one of th e th re e scales. All th re e sc a le s w ill “sound" ag ain st d o m in a n t, chords o n I, IV , an d V . The
stu d e n t is asked to w rite th e se scales o u t in C an d G. A sam ple solo is given th a t u se s id e a s rela te d to th e se scales. T his exam ple is w ritte n in changing scale areas; th e pu rp o se is to show th a t scales a re only one of m any organizing forces. The prim ary tech n iq ue of organization in th is and o th er sam ple solos is ex ten sio n an d expansion of m elodic-rhythm ic m otives.
L esso n 8 - Chords an d "Duke’s Place"
S tudents are show n ho w to build dom inant chords b y u sin g s te p s 1, 3, 5, b7 of a m ajor scale. Several goals are accom plished here: (a) chord
building is introduced, (b) chords are p re sen ted a s re lated to scales, a useful p ersp ectiv e for th e im proviser, an d (c) dom inant (m ixolydian) scales are introduced. The stu d e n t is now equipped w ith b lu e note, scalar, an d chordal con cep ts, app lied in C, F, an d G. This should provide a stro n g background for d ealing w ith "Duke’s Place," a b lu es in C by Duke Ellington. U sing th is tu n e provides a reference to jazz history an d te a c h e s stu d e n ts a p iece th a t is co n sid ered stan d ard repertoire.
L esso n 9 - A Full A rrangem ent
T raditional ro les of in stru m en ts in a jazz en sem b le are d iscu ssed . A ty p ical jazz com bo arran g em en t form at is ap p lied to "Duke’s Place."
26 L esson 10 - The R eal T ruth
U sing a sh o rt idiom atic p h rase a s an exam ple, th e p o in t is m ade th a t th e p h rase could b e ex p lain ed theo retically several different w ays, b u t th a t th e "real truth" is th a t it is a p h ra se in a m usical language. T his is an explicit sta te m e n t of th e su b serv ien ce of th eory to expression. W hile stu d e n ts m u st b e given a w orking know ledge of theory con cep ts, th ey should develop a natu ral, intuitiv e appro ach to im provising th a t u se s theory concepts m ore a s too ls for u n d erstan d in g th a n a s prim ary d ev ices of m usical organization. T his lesso n concludes Level 2, th e section m ean t a s a practical introduction to e ssen tial th eo ry concepts. Six item s of advice for im provising are added here.
L esson 31 - Bo D iddlev B eat
L essons 11-15 co n stitu te vehicles for practicing im provisation; no n ew theory con cepts are p re se n te d in Level 3 ex cep t th o se en cou n tered in
playing th e tu n es, w hich are w ritte n in various styles. The p iece in th is lesso n u se s a rhythm ic p a tte rn found in m any 1950s rhythm a n d b lu es (early rock) tu n es. A lthough th e m elody u se s six teen th n o tes, th e ran g e should b e easy, an d chords for soloing a re virtually th e sam e a s th o se for "Duke's Place."
L esson 12 - Chicago Stvle
The key of G is re-introduced; chords include G7, C7, a n d (for th e first tim e) D7. T he p iece is w ritte n in one of th e "Chicago" sty le s asso c iated w ith M uddy W aters, H ow lin’ Wolf, etc.
L esson 13 - N ow 's th e Tim e
T his is an oth er p iece in th e stan d ard jazz repertoire, providing th e opportunity to introduce th e "bebop” style an d an a ltern ate stan d a rd b lu es chord p attern . The key of F, already fam iliar to th e stu d e n t, is used; one n ew chord is introduced (G-7).
L esso n 14 - Slow B lues in Bb
The m elody of th is p iece u se s som e very trad itio n al p h rases, an d th e chords are in a trad itio n al, b u t slightly m ore difficult, progression. N ew chords include Eb7, C-7, A7, an d Ab7 (the la s t tw o chords are optional). The tem po should b e com fortably slow . This key is, of course, com m only u se d for in stru m en tal b lues. I t w as n o t included earlier in th is m eth o d b eca u se th e narrow ran g e chosen a s a sta rtin g b a sis seem ed to tra n sla te b e tte r into th e keys of G an d F. Theory co n cep ts in C led n atu rally to "Duke’s Place" (in
C, an d u sin g C7, F7 an d G7 chords). N evertheless, Bb an d F a re th e m ost com m only-encountered keys for b lu es in m ainstream jazz.
28 L esson 15 - Jazz M amho
W hile n o t exactly a b lu es form, m am hn w a s se le c te d a s th e sty le for th e la s t p iece, for several reasons: (a) b ecau se b lu e n o tes, esp ecially b7, are
a p a rt of th is style, (b) b ecau se la tin " sty les are frequently u se d b y jazz players, (c) to convey th e id ea th a t im provisers can function in a variety of idiom s, an d (d) to u se another organizing fram ew ork b e sid e s 1 2-bar blues, nam ely layered rhythm s.
The N ext Step
For th e stu d e n t in te re ste d in further developing im provising skills and know ledge of th e idiom , th is ch ap ter provides su g g estio n s for d irectio ns of future study, an d p artin g w ords of advice.
TO THE STUDENT
Blues, jazz, an d rock are different sty les of m usic th a t h ave a lo t in common. T here are even different kinds of b lu es (country b lu es, Chicago blues, etc.), jazz (big band, bebop, fusion, etc.), rock (1950s rock, heavy m etal, etc.). O ther re lated sty les include rhythm an d b lu es, soul, funk an d rap. But all of th e se ty p e s of m usic have som ething in common: th ey all depend very m uch on "blues" sounds, an d th ey all u s e im provisation.
In th is book you w ill learn w h at th e se b lu es so u n d s are, and how to u se them to m ake u p your ow n m usic (or "improvise"). T his book is in ten d ed to b e easy to u se an d fun to play, an d w ill help you to u n d erstan d how th is so rt of m usic is p u t togeth er. H ave fun, an d b e creative!
LEVEL 1
GETTING STARTED
You could th in k of b lu es, jazz, an d rock a s m usical lan g u ag es th a t are closely related . To le arn th e s e lang u ag es, you sh ould w ork on b o th reading an d exp ressin g yourself—in th is case, w ith n o tes an d p h rases rath er th a n w ords an d sen ten ces.
T his section w ill in tro d u ce you to b lu es, jazz, an d rock th rough reading, im itating, an d im provising.
32 LESSON 1
E asy B lues in G
In th is lesso n , you w ill play som e easy b lu es u sin g 4-m easure "riffs" as m elodies (a riff is a short, rep eatin g m usical idea).
A ll of th e s e riffs are in th e key of G. This m ean s th a t G is th e hom e n o te, or "tonic."
F irst, p lay Exam ple 1 b y itself. N ext, liste n carefully w hile th e rhythm se ctio n (teach er or recording) p lay s a 12-bar blues. T his is th e kind of background w e w ill vise th roughout th is book.
E xam ple 1
3x
N ow play Exam ple 1 th re e tim es, w hile th e rhythm sectio n p lay s a b lu es background. T his w ill m ake a b lu es m elody, or "head." Try th is sev eral tim es.
N ote: "Swing" b e a t m ean s th a t every p air of eig h th n o te s is played long/short, like th is:
II r ir ir ir ill
Som etim es sw ing b e a t is w ritten
J7 3
in ste a d ofI""J
th o u g h it really sounds closer to m . In th is book, w e w ill say "rock1 w hen w e m ean straig h t (regular) eig h ths.N ow play e ach of th e follow ing 4-bar riffs:
E xam ple 2
Exam ple 3
3*
( c t l & t x )34 Exam ple 4
Exam ple 6
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You can m ake a sh o rt arrangem ent out of an y of th e s e m elodies by p u ttin g a 1 2-m easure solo in th e m iddle, w ith th e h e a d a t th e beginning and th e end. For now , le t th e te ach e r play a sim ple solo, or h ave th e rhythm sectio n fill th e m iddle 12 b ars. L esson 3 w ill show you ho w to m a k e up your ow n b lu es solos.
LESSON 2
Im itation G am es
T hese e ar train in g gam es w ill h elp you to know your in stru m en t, and to th in k m usically. The id ea is th a t th e lead er (teacher) m ak es u p a m usical idea, an d th e c la ss im itates it a s exactly a s possible. S tart w ith ju s t th e n o te G, in an y rhythm , for one m easure, like th is:
Exam ple 7
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_____________A s you g e t b e tte r a t th is gam e, ad d th e n o tes F a n d D; th e n try tw o- m easu re p h rases. For exam ple.
You can p ractice th is gam e o n your ow n w ith ju s t tw o stu d en ts, tak in g tu rn s a s lead er an d im itator.
Try playing a t different tem p os, an d w ith different b e a ts (rock or sw ing). Keep th e rhythm steady!
Im provising Your O w n Solo
To w arm u p for th is lesso n , h ere is a different version of th e im itation gam e, called "trading fours." T he tea ch er w ill play a four-bar p h rase, u sin g G, F, a n d D. T his tim e, stu d e n ts w ill an sw er individually, n o t by im itating, b u t w ith four m easu res of anything else th ey feel like playing, u sin g any rhythm th a t com es to mind.
W hen you feel com fortable trad in g fours, pick one of th e riffs from L esso n 1 to u se a s a "head.” P lay th e m elody (repeatin g th e riff th re e tim es) over a 1 2-bar b lu es background, b u t th is tim e continue by making u p sh o rt solos, still u sin g th e n o tes G, F, an d D. E ach stu d e n t should try to fill up 12 m easu res.
Your solo should fit w ith th e tu n e you are playing. O ne w ay to do th is is to s ta rt w ith a n id ea from th e head. For exam ple, h ere is a 12-bar solo th a t could go w ith th e first tu n e in L esson 1:
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In th e sp ace provided below , w rite a few id ea s th a t you m ight w an t to u se in a solo for Exam ple 4.
LESSON 4
B lues in F
N ext, try th e s e riffs in th e key of F. Play each one a s a tu n e, w ith th e h e a d a t th e beginning an d end, an d solos in th e m iddle. B ase your solos on id e a s from th e m elody. Exam ple 9 3 * Exam ple 10 Exam ple 11 trS iS iu # _________________________________ ^
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Exam ple 13
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C hoose one of th e riffs from L esson 4 to u se a s a head. For th is lesso n , you w ill play it a s a com plete tu n e (head-solos-head), a s many
different w av s a s p o ssib le.
H ere are som e variatio n s to try:
1. U se a different b eat.
2. Play w ith different em otions: angry, peaceful, nervous, friendly, etc. 3. Soft or loud.
4. F a s t or slow .
5. Solos w ith lo ts of silence. 6. Solos w ith lo ts of n o tes.
7. A ny com bination of th e above.
A fter you h av e p lay ed th e tu n e a s m any w ay s a s p o ssib le, decide w hich variatio ns "fit th e tu n e best" (or ju st, "which w ay you like most"). Then play it one m ore tim e th a t w ay.
42 In th e m usical language, th e re are m any different w ays to ex p ress yourself. M usicians should explore all kinds of expression. T his is one of th e m ost im portant lesso n s in th is book!
LEVEL 2
CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVISING
T here are th re e b asic ap pro aches to im provising th a t a re o ften u se d by b lu es, jazz, an d rock m usicians:
1. Play off th e m elody (you have already tried this);
2. B ase your id eas on a scale th a t relates to th e piece; an d /o r 3. U se n o tes from th e chords in th e accom panim ent.
In th is section, w e w ill explore th e "scale" an d "chord" appro aches. You w ill learn w h at th e se scales an d chords are, an d how to u s e them .
LESSON 6
44
Blue N otes
W hat m akes m usic sound "bluesy” or "funky?" P art of th e reaso n is th a t b lu es, jazz, an d rock often u se "blue notes." Blue n o tes a re th e flat 3, 5, an d 7 of a key.
H ere are th e b lu e n o tes in th e key of C, w ith a C m ajor scale for com parison.
C m ajor scale:
H ere are th e b lu e n o tes in G, w ith a G m ajor scale for com parison. Go b ack to L esso n 1 an d circle all th e b lu e n o tes.
Blue n o te s in C:
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Blue n o tes in G: Vp— feg : W -V3 K *7A nd b elo w is th e sam e thing, in th e key of F. Go b ack to L esso n 4 an d circle all th e b lu e n o tes.
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Blue n o te s in F: T * b o 1 W b3 j r z r46 You ca n g e t a bluesy feeling in a solo by "bending” n o tes. T his m eans b ittin g th em low in pitch, th e n brin gin g th em up to norm al p itch . T his is especially effective w ith th e th ird scale ste p (see below ). B ent n o te s are show n like th is:
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Play th e follow ing exam ple:
Exam ple 14 (in F)
LESSON 7
B lues Scales
To g e t a bluesy sound, m usicians often b a se solos on scales th a t include blue notes. T hree of th e m ost popular of th e se are show n below in th e key of F, w ith an F m ajor scale for com parison. Play each scale through several tim es, up and dow n, to check its sound.
F m inor pentatonic:
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F blues:
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F major:
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To m ake su re you u n d e rsta n d how th e se scales w ork, w rite o u t th e following:
C m inor pentatonic:
C blues:
C dorian:
G m inor pentatonic:
G blues:
G dorian:
N ow p lay Exam ple 9 again a s a n arran g em en t (head-solos-head), w ith solos b a se d on one or m ore of th e se scales.
50 Exam ple 9
You should also play thro ug h th e sam ple solo below , w hich could go w ith Exam ple 9.
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LESSON 8
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C hords an d “D uke's Place*
The chords in th e b lu es accom panim ents you h av e u se d so far are all b u ilt th e sam e w ay. T his ty p e of chord is called a "dom inant seventh" (or "dominant") chord. P lay th e se chords:
You w ill often se e chords w ritten th is way:
Of course, only in stru m en ts like piano or g u itar ca n actually p lay a ll th e n o tes a t th e sam e tim e.
Chords an d sc ale s are closely related . You can build an y dom inant chord by im agining a m ajor scale b u ilt on th e nam ed no te, lo w erin g th e sev en th step , th e n leaving out every o th er note:
"D uke's Place," by D uke E llington (a fam ous jazz p ian ist, com poser, and b an d leader), is a p ie c e th a t u se s only d o m in a n t, chords: C7, F7, an d G7.
Try playing it, w ith solos b a se d on th e chords in th e accom panim ent, or on th e sc a le s th a t go w ith th em (th is kind of scale, like m ajor b u t w ith a b7, is called a "dom inant" or "mixolydian" scale).
You w ill have to k eep your p lace an d change chords a t th e rig h t tim e!
P lay th ro u g h th e sam p le solo for an exam ple of how to u se th e chord to n e s an d dom inant scales.
54 D u k e ' S P l a c e
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Sam ple solo for "Duke’s Place," u sin g chord to n e s an d dom inant scales:
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LESSON 9
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A Full A rrangem ent
N ext, w e w ill p lay "Duke’s Place" a s a full arrangem ent. Traditionally, e a c h in stru m en t p lays a certain role in th is sty le (“sw in g jazz,” w h ich sta rte d in th e 1920s):
M elody in stru m en ts (clarinet, trom bone, flute, etc.): Play th e m elody, m aybe w ith harm ony n o te s added.
R hvthm sectio n :
Piano or guitar: Play chords u sin g sh o rt rhythm ic figures in sw in g b e a t (th is is called "comping").
Bass: Play stea d y q u arter n o tes (th is is a "walking” pattern). Drums: K eep a stea d y sw in g b eat.
All in stru m en ts: M ay play solos.
Try th is arrangem ent: H ead (all in unison)
H ead (add rhythm section, harm ony p arts) Solos (any approach)
Trade fours
H ead (including rhythm sectio n , harm ony p arts)
For ad d ed in te re st, try having p lay ers w ho are n o t soloing play background riffs during solos. H ere is one exam ple; you can m ake u p other riffs on your own:
Exam ple 17
H arm ony n o te s for th e h e a d are show n below . A s you ca n see, th ey form p a rt of th e chord, p laced b elo w th e m elody note:
58 Exam ple 18
Duke’s Place
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Look a t th e follow ing phrase, from th e very first le sso n in th is book:
W here d id it com e from? From a chord? From a scale? A ctually, you could explain it several w ays:
1. P art of a G m inor p en tato nic scale. 2. P art of a G b lu es scale.
3. P art of a G dom inant scale. 4. P art of a G dorian scale. 5. P art of a G7 chord.
B ut th e re a l tru th is sim ply th a t it is a p h rase in th e m usical language w e call b lu es (or jazz, or rock). Theory ex ists to explain m usic. M usic com es first, n o t theory.
H ere is som e m ore advice for im provising:
60
1. P ractice im provising, by yourself or w ith others. You can do th is w ith your instrum ent, w ith your voice, or in your head.
2. Keep your e a rs open. You can g et m usical id eas from th e sounds around you. In a group, th is m eans listen in g to th e other players an d fitting your id e as to theirs.
3. Don’t b e afraid of m istakes. J u s t "go for it."
4. Rem em ber th a t in tere stin g rhythm ic id e as are a t le a st a s im portant a s m elodic ideas.
5. W hen you are im provising, le t your solo tak e its ow n direction. You don’t n e ed to stick to one s e t of n otes, u n less th a t is th e sound you w ant. A ny n o te can b e m ade to sound "right," b y th e w ay it is used.
6. Don’t forget th e value of u sin g em otion or m ood in your playing.
LEVELS
SONGS AND STYLES
In th is group of lesso n s, you w ill b e able to try im provising on songs th a t u se som e of th e im portant sty les of blues, rock, a n d jazz. T h ese are sty les th a t a m odem m usician should b e aw are of.
You w ill b e ab le to try o u t id eas th a t you have already learn ed —for exam ple, im provising w ith id e as from th e m elody, different scales, or b e n t n o tes.
LESSON 11
62
Bo D iddley B eat
T his b lu e s u se s a rhythm th a t is found in q u ite a few 1950s rock so n g s, an d is still popular today. It is u su ally called a "Bo Diddley" b e a t b e c a u se a "rhythm an d blues" sin g er an d g u ita rist nicknam ed "Bo Diddley" (Elias M cD aniels) u se d it in so m any of h is songs.
The b e a t go es like this:
T his b e a t is k e p t b y th e drum s, an d g u itar or piano.
N otice th a t th e chords are a stan d a rd b lu es p ro g ression in C, alm ost exactly like "Duke’s Place." Play it w ith a b a sic arrangem ent (head tw ice, solos, h ead , coda). T his is a good song for a drum solo.
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C hicago Style
"Chicago blues" is a sty le th a t developed w h en m any b lu e s a rtis ts m oved from th e South to C hicago, an d b eg an playing th eir m usic o n electric guitar an d b ass. T he rhythm p a tte rn in th is tu n e is ju st one of th e b e a ts th a t is u sed in Chicago b lu es.
T his style h a s b e e n a heavy influence on rock m usic, an d w a s a t its stro n g est from th e la te 1940s th rough th e 1960s. Fam ous "Chicago blues" m usicians include M uddy W aters (McKinley M organfield) a n d H ow lin' W olf (C hester Burnett).
C h i c a g o S t y l e /? d m
