Bert Ligon Practicing Jazz

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PRACTICING JAZZ

How to prepare for improvisation (defined as “To do or perform (something) without prior preparation or practice”) At all stages add to your vocabulary from transcribed excerpts. Analyze the excerpts/determine applications/change,

develop & personalize

I. MELODY

Practice the melody of a tune until you have it memorized

Improvise around the melody using common embellishment devices

II. HARMONY

A. TRIADS FOR GENERALIZATION

1. Basic arpeggios & broken chords All major triads, all minor triads.

Practice all major around the circle/all minor around the circle Practice in relative pairs—C/Am, F/Dm, etc.—Around the circle 2. Apply neighbor tone patterns to triads

Apply to two notes at a time/three notes at a time/full range Practice LT, UNT, groupings,

3. Blues scale ideas Major & minor

B. SPECIFIC

Begin with SMALL SECTIONS of tunes (ii7—V7 & iiø7—V7) 1. Play one pitch (3rd) per chord

2. Precede 3rds with UNT (usually the 7th of previous chord) 3. Use outlines to connect all chords

4. Apply specific developmental devices to outlines. Practice for all ii7—V7 & iiø7—V7 with different harmonic rhythms. Practice one key at a time. Practice all major keys around the circle. Practice all minor keys around the circle. Combine major and relative minor and practice around the circle.

5. Ideas to embellish the lines include: NT & PT patterns, Chromatic approaches, CESH, Pitch & Rhythmic displacement, Borrowed tones, 3-5-7-9 arpeggios with or without 8va displacement, Arpeggio tones (leaps, pivot or bouncing tones), delayed or anticipated resolutions.

6. Practice connecting chords in a progression using 3-5-7-9 arpeggios. Practice pairs of chords first, before trying the entire phrase.

7. Apply specific lines to specific places in tunes. WORK THE ENTIRE PIECE

1. Decide what triads work where for generalization 2. Find GTs lines

3. Write out 5 pages (minimum) of outlines connecting entire form. Practice until perfect without reference to page

4. Practice combinations of outlines

5. write out agendas—improvise following agendas

(2)

PRACTICING JAZZ

How to prepare for improvisation (defined as “To do or perform (something) without prior preparation or practice”) At all stages add to your vocabulary from transcribed excerpts. Analyze the excerpts/determine applications/change,

develop & personalize

I. MELODY

Practice the melody of a tune until you have it memorized

Improvise around the melody using common embellishment devices

II. HARMONY

A. TRIADS FOR GENERALIZATION

1. Basic arpeggios & broken chords All major triads, all minor triads.

Practice all major around the circle/all minor around the circle Practice in relative pairs—C/Am, F/Dm, etc.—Around the circle

& c œ œ ˙

œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œœœœœ

œ œ œœ

œœœœœœœœ

œœœœ œ

&

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ

_{œ œ œ œ œ œ}

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

_{œ œ œ œ œ œ œ}

2. Apply neighbor tone patterns to triads First line of KOKO solo:

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œn œ œ œ

jœ

Fragments from KOKO:

& œ œ œ œ ˙

œ# œ œ œ ˙

œ# œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œŒ œ#œœœœœŒ œ#œ œ œœœŒ

Fragments from KOKO into longer line:

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& œ# œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ

Apply to two notes at a time/three notes at a time/full range Practice LT, UNT, groupings,

& Ó ‰ jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# ˙ ‰ Jœ œ

œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# œn œ œ œ œ ˙

& Ó ‰ jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# ˙ ‰ Jœ œ

œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# œ œn œ œ œ œ ˙

& ‰ jœ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ# œ

œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ# œn œ œ œ œ Ó

Triad with UNTs

& ˙

˙

_˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Triad with UNT Triad with LTs

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Alternating NTs applied to broken chord pattern:

&

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙

_˙

Ó Œ ‰ J

œ œ œœœœ

_{œ# œ œ œ œ#œœœ œ œ œ œ}

3. Blues scale ideas Major & minor

& ˙ œ œ w

œ œ œ# œ œ œ

œ

.˙ Œ ˙ ˙

.˙ Œ œ œœœœ œ#œ .˙ Œ

& œ# œ œ œ œ œb œn œ

∑

œb œ œ œ œb œ œb œ œb œ œb œ Ó

Ornithology Triad idea #1 Transposed to Relative minor

& œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó

Ornithology Triad idea #2 Transposed to Relative minor

& Ó

Œ ‰ J

œ œ œ ‰

_Jœ

œ œ# œ œ Ó

Œ ‰ J

œb œ œb ‰

_Jœ

œ œ œ œ

Ornithology Triad idea #2 applied to inversion Transposed to Relative minor

& Ó

Œ ‰ J

œ œ œ

‰ Jœ

œ œ# œ œ Ó Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ ‰

_Jœ

œ œ# œ œ

Ornithology Triad idea #2 applied to inversion Transposed to Relative minor

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B. SPECIFIC

Begin with SMALL SECTIONS of tunes (ii7—V7 & iiø7—V7) 1. Play one pitch (3rd) per chord

2. Precede 3rds with UNT (usually the 7th of previous chord)

&

w

D m7

w

G7

w

Cmaj7

Ó

Œ œ

.˙

œ

Dm7

.˙

œ

G7

.˙

_Œ

Cmaj7

3. Use outlines to connect all chords

&

œ œ œ œ

D m7

œ œ œ œ

G7

.˙

Œ

Cmaj7

œ œ œ

œ

.˙

Œ

Cmaj7

4. Apply specific developmental devices to outlines. Practice for all ii7—V7 & iiø7—V7 with different harmonic rhythms. Practice one key at a time. Practice all major keys around the circle. Practice all minor keys around the circle. Combine major and relative minor and practice around the circle.

5. Ideas to embellish the lines include: NT & PT patterns, Chromatic approaches, CESH, Pitch & Rhythmic displacement, Borrowed tones, 3-5-7-9 arpeggios with or without 8va displacement, Arpeggio tones (leaps, pivot or bouncing tones), delayed or anticipated resolutions.

6. Practice connecting chords in a progression using 3-5-7-9 arpeggios. Practice pairs of chords first, before trying the entire phrase.

7. Apply specific lines to specific places in tunes.

&

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ

D m7

œ œ œ œ# œ œb œ

G7

œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ# œ

Cmaj7

œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ

& œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ

D m7

œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ

G7

œ œ œ# œ œ œ#

Cmaj7

œ œ œ œ œ Œ

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&

œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

D m7

œ# œ œn œ# œ œ œ

œ

G7

œ# œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ

Cmaj7

∑

WORK THE ENTIRE PIECE

1. Decide what triads work where for generalization 2. Find GTs lines

3. Write out 5 pages (minimum) of outlines connecting entire form. Practice until perfect without reference to page

4. Practice combinations of outlines

5. write out agendas—improvise following agendas

6. write out agendas—write out composed solos following agendas SOLO with AGENDA

ÿ

Triad with NTs Outline No. 3

& ‰ Jœ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ

C

œ œ œb œ œ œ œ#

Dm7 G7

.œ

jœ Œ ‰ œ œb

Cmaj7

œ

œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ

Dm7 G7 Guide tones:

& œ ‰

jœ œ œb œ œ#

C C7

œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ

F

w

C

Ó

_{Œ œ œ#}

D m7 G7

ÿ

3rds/Outline No. 1 Outline No. 3

& œ œ œ œ# œb œ œ

C A7

œ œ œ# œ œb œ œ

Dm7 G7

œ œ Œ Œ ‰ œ œ#

Cmaj7

œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ#

D m7 G7 Bluesy/Triadic

& œ œ#

œ œ œ œ œ œ

3

œ

C C7

œb œ œ œ œ œ œb œ

F

œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ

C

∑

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Ÿ

Outline No. 2 Outline No. 3

& œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ

B m7

œ# œ œ œ œ# œ ‰

jœ#

E7

œ œn œ# œ œ œ œ# œ

Em7

œ œn œ œ œ# Œ

A7

Sequence from above:

Outline No. 2 Outline No. 3

& ‰ jœ œ# œ œ œ œ œ

Am7

œ œ œ œ# Œ ‰

jœ#

D 7

œ œ œn œ œ# œ

Dm7

œ œn œ œ# œ œ

Œ

G7

ÿ

Minor Blues Idea:

& œ œb œ œ œ œ#

C A7

œ œn œb œ œ œ œ

D m7 G7

.œ

jœ#

jœ Ó

Cmaj7

Ó

_{‰ jœ œ# œ}

D m7 G7

KOKO idea follows GTs Diatonic triads

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ#

C C7

œ œ ‰ jœ œb œ# œ œ

F

œ œ œ œ œ œ

C