Tonic System of Improv?

[petepachio]

hey guys..Ive heard the term 'tonic system' of improvising in various articles and websites..yet...Nobody really seems to explain it? Does anybody know what it is? And where I can find more info about it? Thanks

[cosmic gumbo]

I subscribe to the gin and tonic system of improvisation. While the tonic is very important, the 5th of gin is what really makes you sound better.

[FatJeff]

Originally Posted by petepachio

hey guys..Ive heard the term 'tonic system' of improvising in various articles and websites..yet...Nobody really seems to explain it? Does anybody know what it is? And where I can find more info about it? Thanks

It sounds like the "key center" approach. You basically find the "key of the moment" by analyzing the chords, and how they relate to a particular major key. Then you start improvising over those chords and let your ear guide you, taking care to outline the underlying harmony with appropriate chord tones. The key center will probably change at some point during the tune (this is particularly true of standards), at which time you switch to the new "key of the moment."

You need to understand basic major-scale harmony to make sense out of it. It is how Jimmy Bruno teaches improvisation and it's also a large part of how I approach it. It's pretty effective.

You might want to read this article:

Modal vs. key center approach - Jazz Bulletin Board