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Overview

Method Instructor: E-Mail:Phone:

OverviewTo connect aural training or feeling with an ability to play the instrument to fluently improvise in a Jazz setting.

Feel the Music! Think Musically!

GoalsTo develop discipline, consistency and concentration in the following areas:

Scales

Chords/Harmony

Tunes/Standards

Ear Training

Solo Transcription

Rhythm

RequirementsUnderstanding the slow approach. The idea that all aspects must be absorbed deeply with an attention to detail resulting in deliberate, systematic progress.

1. perfecting our physical approach2. absorbing the language of music3. developing our ears4. practicing improvisation5. looking within

EvaluationBased on an established performance rubric

Course Name 1

Scales

Method Instructor: E-Mail:Phone:

OverviewTo develop the ability to perform Major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales in all forms as part of developing a linear improvised line based on chord/scale theory. (see examples 1.1 – 1.11)

Goals1. Learn and internalize Major, melodic minor and harmonic

minor scales in all 12 keys2. Perform these scales in quarter notes, eighth notes,

triplets and sixteenth notes with inflections from the bottom of the instrument to the top (usually resulting in 2 octave studies)

3. Perform all of the above with the metronome starting at quarter note equals 40, moving up a click at a time to quarter note equals 80.

RequirementsAll examples throughout are to be practiced with a metronome to develop proper time feel. Students are to progress and develop fluency in all 12 keys.

EvaluationBased on a standard performance rubric

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1. SCALES:

1.1 Play major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales as follows: o Week one: Metronome set at 60 Up and down two octaves in straight eighth notes without repeating the top note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically

Weeks two through seven: follow the same progression, except increase the metronome setting by three beats each week (i.e., 63, 66, etc. up to 80)

1.2 After completing 1.1, then play major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales as follows: o Week one:

Metronome set at 60 Up and down two octaves in alternating inflected eighth notes without repeating the top

note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically

Weeks two through seven: follow the same progression, except increase the metronome setting by three beats each week (i.e., 63, 66, etc. up to 80)


Metronome set at 50 Ascending scales in triplets with the accent on the first note of each. Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically

Each subsequent week: follow the same progression, except increase the metronome setting by three beats (i.e., 53, 56, etc. up to 80)


Metronome set at 50 Ascending scales in triplets with the accent on the second note of each. Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically


1.5 After completing 1.4, then play major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales as follows:

o Week one: Metronome set at 50 Ascending scales in triplets with the accent on the third note of each. Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically


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Metronome set at 50 Ascending scales in "inflected" triplets alternating accents on each triplet note (i.e., accent on

the first and third note of the first triplet and then on the second note of the second triplet) Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically



Metronome set at 50 Ascending scales in triplets alternating accents on each chromatic key change, as follows:

accent on the first triplet note for the first key; accent on the second triplet note for the second key; accent on the third triplet note for the third key; inflected triplets for the fourth key, as in 1.6; then repeat the pattern

Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically Each subsequent week: follow the same progression, except increase the metronome setting by

three beats (i.e., 53, 56, etc. up to 80)


Metronome set at 40 Up and down two octaves in straight sixteenth notes without repeating the top note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically



Metronome set at 40 Up and down two octaves in straight sixteenth notes, but imagine the metronome is hitting the

second sixteenth note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically




third sixteenth note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically



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fourth sixteenth note Do all 12 keys by moving up chromatically


Harmony/Chords

Method Instructor: E-Mail: Phone:

Course Name 5

OverviewTo develop an understanding of harmony as applied to the instrument to create an improvised line in a melodic, linear fashion based on chord/scale theory. (see examples 2.1 – 2.7)

GoalsStudents will be expected to perform triads, 7th, 9th and 13th chords in open and closed positions, as well as all inversions with appropriate, altered extensions.

Students will work on grouping exercises and creating harmonic shapes.

All exercises start on the lowest chord tone and progress through the full range of the instrument (usually resulting in two octave studies).

Students will also study the use of triton substitution and other forms including superimposition.

RequirementsStudents will practice studies on chords and inversions with various groupings in all 12 keys over the full range of the instrument.


2. Harmony/Chords

2.1 Play all of the following forms of chords in root position (F is used as an example): F6, Fm6, Fdim7, FMaj7, FM7bS, Fm7, Fm7bS, Fm(Maj7), F7, F7bS, F7#S, F#S(Maj7) After playing all of these, move up chromatically through all twelve root positions.

2.2 Same as 2.1, except play the first inversion of each chord form.

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2.3 Same as 2.1, except play the second inversion of each chord form.

2.4 Same as 2.1, except play the third inversion of each chord form.

2.5 Play all inversions of each of the chord forms in 2.1 in sequence.

2.6 Play all of the following modes in root position and all inversions in all 12 keys in

Major:

Maj7, min7, min7, Maj7, Dom7, min7, half diminished7, Maj7

Melodic Minor

minor Maj7, min7, aug Maj7, dom7, dom7, half dim7, half dim7, min Maj7

Harmonic Minor

min Maj7, half dim7, aug7, min7, dom7, Maj7, diminished7, min Maj7

2.7 Play chord formations found below in all 12 keys for Major (the same formations may be used for minor by flatting the 3rd and 7th)

1 3 51 2 3 51 3 5 61 2 3 5 61 3 5 71 2 3 5 71 3 5 6 71 3 5 6 11 3 5 6 91 3 5 7 91 3 7 91 3 61 5 101 5 7 101 7 10

Dominant Chord Formations (3 groupings)

1 3 5 b7 91 3 b5 b7 91 3 #5 b7 91 3 5 b7 b91 3 b5 b7 b9

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1 3 5 b7 +91 3 b5 b7 +91 3 5 b7 101 5 b7 101 b5 b7 10

1 2 3 5 b71 2 3 b5 b71 2 3 +5 b71 b2 3 5 b71 b2 3 b5 b71 b2 3 +5 b71 +2 3 5 b71 +2 3 b5 b71 +2 3 +5 b7

1 b2 4 5 11 b2 3 5 11 b2 3 b5 11 b2 3 +5 11 4 5 b7 11 3 b5 b7 1

Tunes/Standards

Course Name 8


OverviewTo develop a linear approach to improvisation, standards are the vehicle to be used to incorporate all musical elements. (see examples 3.1 – 3.16)

Goals1. Melodies to be performed straight, without inflection or

ornamentation with a metronome starting at quarter note = 60 and moving up incrementally to appropriate performance tempo

2. Once melodies are produced musically and songlike in this manner, then the student may begin to incorporate inflection to give feeling to the melody (i.e.: Billie Holiday)

3. Previous scale and chord studies will be utilized over the progression of the standard compositions to approach chords in a linear fashion (guide tones) as chord lines or chord sequences.

4. The student will be assigned pre-determined routines with which to practice specific elements of improvisation

RequirementsFour work tunes will be assigned at any one time to meet the goals as stated above


3. TUNES

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First a word about tune selection - the Teacher and Student will select four standards to use as “work tunes”. The four should be made up of 2 medium tempo swing tunes, 1 up tempo and 1 ballad.

For Example: All the Things You Are You Go to My HeadAll of Me Stella, By StarlightThere Will Never Be Another You Out of NowhereBody and Soul Embraceable You

In this method these four tunes will be with the student for an extended period of time before the selection is made of another set of tunes. As you go through all of the routines it becomes clear that you must continually find new material and new ways of navigating the chord changes without repeating yourself. This is important for the following reasons:

1. What you derive from the continued practice of these four tunes and the searching for new and fresh improvisatory material to play, it is interchangeable with all of the many other tunes you will be playing at this same time.

2. To place this in historical perspective, let’s examine the bands of Miles Davis from approximately 1956 to 1969 where Miles basic songbook was primarily the same for all of these years, through all of the personnel changes, not to mention all of the stylistic changes as well. Miles saying, “You practice on the bandstand” forced not only himself, but all the members of his bands through these years to continually develop new material to play night in and night out. When you listen to these bands chronologically it is astounding to hear the freshness in all of their playing as though they were playing these tunes for the first time.

This is the essence that is first and foremost the act of improvisation at the highest level that one must always strive for.

3.1 Play only the melody of four tunes with the metronome set at 60.

3.2 Play only the chords of the same four tunes with the metronome set at 60. Use whatever chord inversions are necessary for proper voice leading.

3.3 Play chord scales for every chord in a tune. Out of tempo One octave for each chord scale Ascending and descending. Don't repeat the top note.

3.4 With the metronome set at 60, play three bars of a tune's melody, then improvise the next five bars in quarter notes using only scale tones.

3.5 Same as 3.4, except improvise with eighth notes.

3.6 Same as 3.5, except use inflected eighth notes.

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3.7 Same as 3.5, except use inflected triplets.

3.8 Same as 3.5, except improvise with sixteenth notes.

3.9 Same as 3.5, except use triplets and accent the first triplet.

3.10 Same as 3.5, except use triplets and accent the second triplet.

3.11 Same as 3.5, except use triplets and accent the third triplet.

3.12 It is important to state that the first playing of all tunes is done in a very straight fashion with no infection or any added notes. Eventually, the student will begin to add inflection to the melody using Billie Holiday as the model

3.13 Along with playing these melodies on your instrument, the student is also instructed to learn the words and sing the melodies as well in the same straight fashion before adding inflections again listening the to stylings of Billie Holiday.

Additional Routines

3.14 Starting with the metronome at quarter note equals 60, play two choruses of continuos half notes. The metronome can be moved up by 3 clicks up to quarter note equals 80 each week as in previous studies.

Then do the same, two full choruses playing continuous quarter notes following the same instructions with the metronome as previously stated.

Finally, the same using continuous eighth notes and eventually to continuos triplets over two choruses.

3.15 Over two choruses, improvise following this pattern of bars in which to improvise and bars in which to rest (the idea in this routine is to break down the four and/or eight measure phrase, to blur the bar lines, to be able to start and stop anywhere within the progression).

Throughout the two choruses play for 21/2 to 3 bars, rest for two measures and play for four bars, rest for one and then start the pattern again. If you look at this as an entire phrase and in thinking of a 32 bar song form, the first phrase would end on bar 2 of the second A section. The next phrase would begin on bar three to bar 3 of the bridge and so on.

3.16 The final routine presented here shows a series of rhythms and areas of rest that must be incorporated throughout the two choruses of the improvised solo. You may use the rhythm in anyway that you choose within your melodic line, but you must use the entire routine at some point in the two choruses. For example (any order or amount of choices can work):

Course Name 11

triplets(inflect 1st & 3rd) eight notes eighths (accent 2)

eighth notes triplets (accent the 2nd) triplets (accent 3rd)

rest quarter notes quarter notes

quarter notes triplets (accent the 3rd note) sixteenth notes

triplets (accent 1st) rest triplets (accent 2nd)

half notes triplets (accent the 1st) half notes

sixteenth notes half notes rest

eighth notes (inflect 2nd) eighth notes (inflect the 2nd) eighth notes

triplets (accent the 2nd note) sixteenth notes eighths (accent 1st)

All of these routines are designed to place the student “in a box” with parameters to be incorporated within their improvisations. These are not meant to be used during an actual solo opportunities; however once the student is removed from the “box”, the freedom with which to improvise is greatly expanded as though a weight were removed from their shoulders. It allows the improviser the freedom to utilize all of their tools while constructing an improvised line.

Ear Training

Course Name 12


OverviewEar training as applied to the instrument, including the study of modes and chord/scale theory of major, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales, as well as intervals within and out of the octave. (see examples 4.1 – 4.6)

GoalsEar training to be focused on intervals, triads, 7th, 9th and 13th chords in all open and closed inversions (in and out of the octave). Additional focus will be on the modes of major, melodic and harmonic minor scales.

RequirementsPractice of the following chords with inversions and scale studies over the full range of the instrument.


Course Name 13

4. EAR TRAINING

4.1 Students will begin singing all of the intervals within the octave, ascending and descending, first with the piano. (major, minor, dominant, augmented, diminished)

4.2 Next, the student will sing all of the intervals, again ascending and descending, within the octave after receiving the first note only.

4.3 Students will also be expected to identify all intervals played from the piano both melodically and harmonically.

4.4 The student will then be instructed to pull pitches on their own with no assistance from the piano after being told to sing either high or low and then sing the assigned interval ascending and descending within the octave.

4.5 Students will then follow the same approach and sing/identify all of the intervals above the octave to the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th

4.6 Next, students will sing all forms of the triad and 7th chords starting in root position and then moving through all of the inversions. The same format will follow as explained above in 4.1 - 4.4 including having students identify the triad and chords as played from the piano both melodically and harmonically. (Major, minor, minor - major 7, dominant, augmented, diminished with alterations - b9, #9, +11(b5), +5, b13)

Transcription

Course Name 14

MethodInstructor: E-Mail: [email protected]: 917.658.6432

OverviewStudents will examine, analyze and perform, through repeated listening (normal speed and ½ speed recordings) both through singing and on their instrument a series of transcriptions by established artists. The purpose is to internalize the musical language and expression of major Jazz soloists, including phrasing, rhythm and time. (see examples 5.1 – 5.7)

GoalsStudents will be assigned or select a solo by a major Jazz voice and through repeated listening will begin the process of singing the solo (phrase and breath as one) listen for sound and reproduce inflections. Hear the soloist, move to hearing the rhythm section, eventually singing away from the recording.

Do the same on your instrument. Listen to the soloist and reproduce their sound, phrasing, articulation, inflections. Also play away from the recording with a metronome. Once again, when you begin to hear the rhythm section you are now hearing what the soloist heard.

Final steps, away from the instrument, begin to now write out the solo. Check rhythms.

Requirements

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With the teacher, the student will select an artist to study. A selection of four solos by that artist will be chosen for study following the steps above for each solo. (see examples)

Evaluation5. TRANSCRIPTION

Transcribing and working through an improvised solo by a master is one of the most valuable tools for learning the craft of improvisation. Through transcription one can study the theory behind the solo - note choice, linear movement (guide tones), chord/scale connections, musicality including breathing, phrasing, dynamics, rhythm, articulation and in a Jazz context sound and inflection to name but a few.

One solo could take months to come to a conclusion; however the benefit of this process is that the solo becomes so fully realized, deep inside of you.

5.1 Once a solo has been selected to work on the first step is to sing the solo away from your instrument and do not write it down. A valuable tool to assist in hearing all aspects of the solo is to purchase a device that will slow down the recording such as “the Amazing Slow Downer” which drops the pitch one octave, but maintains the actual range of the original recording. This allows the student to match pitch, employ the nuance of the soloists inflection, articulation and sound. Eventually the student would move the solo up in speed maintaining what they had learned at the slower tempo finally performing it at the original recording speed.

5.2 The indication that you were ready to move on was that the student was beginning to not focus so much on the soloist, but was now able to hear the rhythm section. The student is now hearing what the soloist heard as they improvised.

5.3 Now the student begins to learn the solo on their instrument. Again by ear. Do not write it out. The student will learn that after all of the attention to singing it and in getting it deep inside of themselves, they are able to transfer rather easily from their singing to their instrument. Although, it will become essential again to slow the tempo down and work on producing what you had done with your voice now on the instrument. As before, the student will gradually move the tempo back to the original recording speed.

5.4 As the student once again begins to transition their hearing from the soloist to the rhythm section it will soon be time to move to the next step.

5.5 The next aspect of transcription is to both sing and play the solo away from the recording with a metronome. The idea is to have the student feel comfortable enough that at first they can still hear the soloist and rhythm section in their head as they play.

5.6 Up to this point, the entire process has been accomplished totally by ear. For the final part of the transcription process we come to the actual writing out of the solo. This is to be done away from the instrument. The goal is to hear the solo in one’s head and then to reproduce it from pencil to paper. The musical element that the student will stress in this assignment is their ability to work out the rhythms to the lines that the soloist utilized. This can sometimes be more difficult than

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imagined, but analyzing the rhythmic aspects of the solo is that piece that brings in interest, that ties it all together.

5.7 It is best to first choose an artist and then three to four of their solos to gain an understanding of this artist tendencies as a soloist. An example of some artists and their transcribed solos that I studied with Joe Solomon in chronological order (although starting with Billie Holiday and Lester Young) and that are a must for all students regardless of instrument are:

Billie Holiday I Hear MusicAll of MeYou Go to My HeadEasy Living

Lester Young Lady Be GoodLester Leaps InTickle ToeBroadway

Louis Armstrong Potato Head BluesStruttin’ With Some BarbecueHotter Than ThatWest End Blues

Bix Beiderbecke Sweet SueI’m Coming VirginiaSingin’ the Blues

Roy Eldridge Rockin’ ChairSkylarkBody and Soul

Fats Navarro Good BaitNostalgiaAnthropology

Our Delight

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MethodOverviewTo comprehend the ability to perform polyrhythmic figures and motifs as part of the development toward linear improvisation all the while using a metronome to develop time (in the words of Lennie Tristano – “Put every note right in there.”) (see examples 6.1 – 6.2

Goals1. Creating the focus to perform

the following melodic fragments over 4/4 time: 2/4, ¾, 5/4 and 7/4

2. To develop the ability to incorporate polyrhythmic figures in 3/8, 5/8, 7/8 while in 4/4 time

3. Create the ability to perform any rhythmic variation at any time within the stated progression (i.e.: quarter, half, triplets, sixteenth notes, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, etc…)

RequirementsAll examples throughout are to be performed with a metronome to

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develop proper time feel starting at the slowest notch possible and moving the tempo up a click at a time as progress warrants.


6. RHYTHM

Time and the metronome - it is important to start slow, the slowest possible and then move up a click (maybe two, but no more than three clicks) from, for example quarter note equals 60 to quarter note equals 80. Many of Lennie Tristano’s students referred to the same phrase he would often repeat, to “put every note right in there.”

We will look at two examples on how rhythm was utilized during improvisations - poly-rhythmic figures and melodic fragments.

6.1 Polyrhythmic figures was a means of grouping melodic patterns against the 4/4 time by playing, for example three against the four or five against the four as shown in the examples below:

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With the rhythm section maintaining the strict 4/4 time, polyrhythmic figures gave the feeling of the soloist superimposing different time signatures within the linear line. As above, a feeing of superimposing 3/4 or 5/4 against the 4/4 time.

6.2 Melodic fragments were short phrases played on top of the quarter note that subdivided the quarter note into groupings of 3’s or 5’s for example. See below…

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MethodOverviewThe final elements involve:

7.1 Visualization, Practicing Without

7.2 Relaxation and Posture

7.3 Playing Sessions

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7.4 Think Musically

In Conclusion…

Other methods are as follows:

7.1 Visualisation

There are moments during the day when through visualization practice can occur. The idea of practicing without (without your instrument; however seeing and feeling your instrument through your mind’s eye).

This is a time when student’s can practice their scales, chord formations, tunes, ear training including the singing of transcribed solos, etc…

This was not to take the place of practicing, but to enhance it by focusing your mind and when you returned to your instrument there would be the feeling of forward motion.

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7.2 Relaxation

In order to be able to bring forth spontaneous improvisation, it is essential that the player feels relaxed and in the moment to hear what the rhythm section is playing and what is being heard inside for the player to reproduce on their instrument.

7.3 Playing Sessions

There is no substitute for playing with other musicians, to bring out in the session the material you have been focusing on in practice.

7.4 Think Musically

Every time you play, regardless of what you are playing, it is to be performed as musically as possible.

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