The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    This is what's preventing me from improvising in a more free way at this point.
    By chord material I mean all the things you practice to play over a given type of chord. Scales, patterns, licks, arpeggios, broken chords and things you drive from them. Say over ii, Dorian bebop scale licks, minor 6 arpeggio, minor 9 arpeggio starting from the 3rd and so forth.
    Next thing to practice is to connect these material over a progression as chords change. For example target the 3rd of the next chord, connect it with the 7th of the current if the progression is going up a fourth etc. (Obviously there are also other options)
    What I have trouble with at this stage of my development is doing this in a none pre-planned fashion.
    I can target individual chord tones. But doing so during a fast changing bebop standard would be too much thinking. The other option is to think in terms of short progressions, 6 going to 1, 2 going to 5, and practice material in 2-3 chord chunks that occur frequently. But then I am only delaying the inevitable also this might get too much like building a lick library. (may be that's not a bad thing.)
    Any suggestions? How much conscious attention do you pay to chord changes during performances?

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  3. #2

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    I'd advise slowing right down

    Take a standard progression you like

    Hear a line / idea you like in your head
    Sing it out loud ....
    Find it on the guitar
    Repeat

    Do it as s l o w as you need to go

    The speed will come by itself through repetition

    PS yes I do think of the changes whilst performing

  4. #3

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    Hey Tal175...
    I can think or not think... but that's my nature, how I like to play.

    Generally what soloing comes down to is as you seem to understand is target notes with reference to a chord(s). Note to note also works... but generally there is harmony implied.

    With practice of targeting different chord tones or extensions of chords, you begin to hear and develop licks that represent that target note.

    Different style create different licks. The best way to approach developing these skills is to start with one chord vamps and practice connecting target notes with different types of filler material. Scales, arps any pattern... and rhythmic patterns.

    Ex. Play 4 bars phrase... target different notes of Gmaj7 and extensions through the first 3 bars and then play a V7 chord on the fourth bar to help create shape to the 4 bar phrase. You can use any V7 chord... sus altered what ever you want. Try IV chords for the 4th bar.

    So if your using the V7 chord... you would be playing tonic functional lines through the first 3 bars and the a Dominant line on bar 4 .
    On of the very standard and basic types of melodic relationship. If you use the IV chord your would be using Tonic to Sub dominant, the basic foundation for Blues.

    So Then play Gma7 to Gma6 for the first 3 bars.... then D7#9 for bar 4
    Then Gma7 to Cma7 to Gma7 then D7#9 on bar 4

    Anyway go through this approach with all Diatonic chords, Gmaj7, A-7, B-7, Cma7, D7, E-7 F#-7b5... one chord at a time

    Then start using two chords, then three then 4 etc... Basically what your learning to do is play melodically through basic jazz Chord Patterns. And your learning how to shape lines, the space. Three bars of something then a different type of chord to create movement.

    No one starts learning with long extended complicated chord patterns or tunes first. If you can't play on one chord pattern... your not going to be able to play on multi chord patterns.

    Many young player tend to think that being able to spell changes is soloing... its not, your playing what's already implied. Chords create different relationships between notes, and change the reference on any note. There are many ways to improvise... melodic development of simple idea through embellishment, mechanical development, rhythm etc... I personally like melodic ideas that somewhat hold their own because they imply harmonic movement and rhythmic spatial organization... they groove, they naturally have a beginning and end, they repeat with variation if one chooses..

    Generally back at the one chord stage... still try and have a flow or groove.... rhythmic ideas can help with basic shape. One bar of this and then one bar of that...call and answer etc. As one becomes comfortable and develops more language, (your licks... the way you want to shape or frame a target note)... you become better at connecting licks or ideas. Then when you see changes... your not looking for notes and how to connect them...your deciding and looking for different style licks that feel right for the context your performing in.

    If you need more just ask...

  5. #4

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    I have nothing to offer other than to empathize. The whole process feels backwards to me. I think of melody as the essence of music. The harmony to me must flow from the melody to serve the melody.

    So now the harmony is fixed and defines what you play and you are supposed to fit a new melody to it. It almost always sounds contrived if I play specifically to the changes. But if I don't, I will inevitably lead the melody somewhere the harmony doesn't support.

    I play my best when I don't think about the chords and focus on creating an engaging melody. If I'm in the zone I seem to naturally go places that work with the changes. Of course this is with years of scale/arpeggio work. Mostly though I invariably get tripped up by the changes if I don't think about those concepts of target tones/chord tones/arpeggios/etc.

    The answer I suppose is another 30 years of practicing these robotic, non-musical, overly cerebral lines over changes until they are so innate I can do them without conscious thought and actually focus on just building a beautiful line.

    Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

  6. #5

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    Yea the melody is everything , but so is the harmony. Without that harmonic Referene the melody is just random notes. I was under the impression tal175 was having problems soloing. While playing melodies all the time is cool, everything gets robotic...God not that same old melody again , sometimes improve involves creating new interaction with changes...generally the changes also involve improv
    there are a million +1 approaches to create melodic lines that have something for someone...but being able to solo over, under etc... How ever you want to approach playing changes... Is part of playing jazz.

    generally. The rest of the band should also be interacting and reacting to the solist playing or comping for a soloist also should be improvised. We're not backing tracts.

    Generally most players have have problems soloing through tunes ...because they have some technical problems with their playing, lack of understanding musical form and spatial aspects...or general understanding of what approach they're using to play. The approach of pounding the tunes over and over without some type of approach etc... takes years and doesn't always work. You can only play what you have memorized...and when you don't play all the time, it's hard to remember everything.

    where as if you pick up an organized approach for playing within typical tune forms and basic chord pattern understandings....you'll be able play what you might not have played before, or be able to interact with the music as compared to playing the obvious.

    And even vent more important ...you'll be able to be in the moment, or zone, but also be in the future and past.

    It doesn't take that long when your organized and practice the required skills

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Hey Tal175...
    I can think or not think... but that's my nature, how I like to play.

    Generally what soloing comes down to is as you seem to understand is target notes with reference to a chord(s). Note to note also works... but generally there is harmony implied.

    With practice of targeting different chord tones or extensions of chords, you begin to hear and develop licks that represent that target note.

    Different style create different licks. The best way to approach developing these skills is to start with one chord vamps and practice connecting target notes with different types of filler material. Scales, arps any pattern... and rhythmic patterns.

    Ex. Play 4 bars phrase... target different notes of Gmaj7 and extensions through the first 3 bars and then play a V7 chord on the fourth bar to help create shape to the 4 bar phrase. You can use any V7 chord... sus altered what ever you want. Try IV chords for the 4th bar.

    So if your using the V7 chord... you would be playing tonic functional lines through the first 3 bars and the a Dominant line on bar 4 .
    On of the very standard and basic types of melodic relationship. If you use the IV chord your would be using Tonic to Sub dominant, the basic foundation for Blues.

    So Then play Gma7 to Gma6 for the first 3 bars.... then D7#9 for bar 4
    Then Gma7 to Cma7 to Gma7 then D7#9 on bar 4

    Anyway go through this approach with all Diatonic chords, Gmaj7, A-7, B-7, Cma7, D7, E-7 F#-7b5... one chord at a time

    Then start using two chords, then three then 4 etc... Basically what your learning to do is play melodically through basic jazz Chord Patterns. And your learning how to shape lines, the space. Three bars of something then a different type of chord to create movement.

    No one starts learning with long extended complicated chord patterns or tunes first. If you can't play on one chord pattern... your not going to be able to play on multi chord patterns.

    Many young player tend to think that being able to spell changes is soloing... its not, your playing what's already implied. Chords create different relationships between notes, and change the reference on any note. There are many ways to improvise... melodic development of simple idea through embellishment, mechanical development, rhythm etc... I personally like melodic ideas that somewhat hold their own because they imply harmonic movement and rhythmic spatial organization... they groove, they naturally have a beginning and end, they repeat with variation if one chooses..

    Generally back at the one chord stage... still try and have a flow or groove.... rhythmic ideas can help with basic shape. One bar of this and then one bar of that...call and answer etc. As one becomes comfortable and develops more language, (your licks... the way you want to shape or frame a target note)... you become better at connecting licks or ideas. Then when you see changes... your not looking for notes and how to connect them...your deciding and looking for different style licks that feel right for the context your performing in.

    If you need more just ask...
    Thanks Reg for the detailed response. This was actually very helpful. I'm one of those people you mention in your post who tries to take on entire songs and plays the changes over full choruses too soon. Practicing on one or few chords initially is a very powerful idea. I think heard about it before but when you hear millions of practice ideas sometimes it's easy to overlook the really good ones that are the missing pieces in your development. I think that's really gonna change how I practice for the next while.
    Just to clarify though, the method you're suggesting is to start with one chord initially, say Gmaj7 and connect lets say F# to B. That is start the bar with F# and aim at B at the & of 4. Anything goes in between (patterns, scales, licks). Then do 3 bars of Gmaj7. F# to B in the first bar, second bar B again and aim D at the & of 4 and so forth.
    Then add the 4th chord 5th(say) using the same method. Is that right?

    Edited an oversight (see below): F -> F#
    Last edited by Tal_175; 01-04-2018 at 01:26 PM.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    This is what's preventing me from improvising in a more free way at this point.
    By chord material I mean all the things you practice to play over a given type of chord. Scales, patterns, licks, arpeggios, broken chords and things you drive from them. Say over ii, Dorian bebop scale licks, minor 6 arpeggio, minor 9 arpeggio starting from the 3rd and so forth.
    Any suggestions? How much conscious attention do you pay to chord changes during performances?
    I'm not clear whether you are happy with your ability to improvise on a slower tune that you know well. Is this a speed issue or a connecting-the-scales issue?

    If you can do it on a slow tune, then the issue is adapting to high tempo. One thing to do is to tap your foot at half speed - half notes - (which may make you feel more relaxed). Then, try to find a way through the harmony that doesn't require a new scale every beat or so.

    So, for example, Rhythm changes have two chords per bar and are played very fast. One thing you can try is to simple play on the major scale of the key. Usually Bb. You can play on it for 8 bars. You may not like all the notes, so adjust a few until you're happy. Another technique is to play a short phrase, just a couple of beats. Then move that melodic shape around. These techniques may make the song seem slower.

    If you can't solo even on a slow tune, practice beginning each scale on a note which is a half or whole step away from where you left off on the previous scale.

    Also, strum the chords and scat sing. Find those lines on the guitar.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    I'm not clear whether you are happy with your ability to improvise on a slower tune that you know well. Is this a speed issue or a connecting-the-scales issue?
    On slower tunes I can target chord tones but with conscious afford. Or I can not think but then I am mostly floating over the changes. I have rock blues background and I am only learning jazz in the past 2 years in an progressively increasing dedication. So I am definitely not very experienced in this yet.
    I get that it's not necessary nor desirable to outline changes for every single chord but I want that to be a choice not limitation.
    So the area I was seeking help was finding out ways I can practice connecting chords that would improve my ability to hear and play lines that achieve that. I want to be able to play lines by just being "aware" of the next chord and not by specifically aiming for say, the "A" on the 5th string in a given context. On that note (no pun intended ) I found Reg's suggestion quite compelling.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    Thanks Reg for the detailed response. This was actually very helpful. I'm one of those people you mention in your post who tries to take on entire songs and plays the changes over full choruses too soon. Practicing on one or few chords initially is a very powerful idea. I think heard about it before but when you hear millions of practice ideas sometimes it's easy to overlook the really good ones that are the missing pieces in your development. I think that's really gonna change how I practice for the next while.
    Just to clarify though, the method you're suggesting is to start with one chord initially, say Gmaj7 and connect lets say F to B. That is start the bar with F and aim at B at the & of 4. Anything goes in between (patterns, scales, licks). Then do 3 bars of Gmaj7. F to B in the first bar, second bar B again and aim D at the & of 4 and so forth.
    Then add the 4th chord 5th(say) using the same method. Is that right?
    ... Do you mean F# on the Gmaj7...

    Big picture.... 4 bars. Gmaj7 for three bars and use D7 on 4th bar . Create repeating pattern with harmony.

    / Gmaj7 / Gmaj7 / Gmaj7 / D7 / Maybe / Gmaj7 / Gmaj6 / Gmaj7 / D7#9 / ( old MB)

    Use different melodic ideas to imply the chords.

    The goal is to start developing melodic ideas, Licks that imply Chords. And then instead of connecting single notes, your start connecting those licks that imply chords.

    There is no difference between connecting single notes or connecting pre conceived note patterns that imply
    chords. It's just expanding your vocabulary.

    Anyway... after going through this process with all chords and chord patterns.... the speed will slow down, you'll see and feel the music in longer segments and be able to see and hear ahead. The tempos will not feel too fast.

    Once the tempos become easier, you can start the creative process etc...

    Generally playing slow teaches one to play slow. There's a difference between slowing things down to learn or get fingering together etc...
    Feel free to ask for more details...

  11. #10

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    I found that the key is anticipating changes. Meaning not doing it "real time" but in advance. So instead targeting the notes you're currently at, target those that are gonna come in next changes. This may sound like trying to be clever (I'm not an advanced player at all) but actually is how it should work eventually. This the mindset or .. whatever you wan't to call it.. that helped me putting some sense into my own soloing. I think the biggest help for me was to forget about the guitar for a while and just scat along the backing track until the changes are hm.. in the "emotional memory". Hm, it's kinda different feel and view to a tune then.

    Well, this is not a "do this and you prevail" kind of advice. Just a thing that may help you a bit there. Worth a try.

  12. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    ... Do you mean F# on the Gmaj7...
    Yes, I meant F#. I seem to habitually think of G as the mixolidian chord in examples I'll edit it to not confuse other readers.

    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    / Gmaj7 / Gmaj7 / Gmaj7 / D7 / Maybe / Gmaj7 / Gmaj6 / Gmaj7 / D7#9 / ( old MB)
    Does "old MB" refer to Mickey Baker? I recently discovered the book. I am going through it right now. Best book ever (I have many). I am alternating between the chord and solo sections of the book though despite his stern remarks against it. For a while it felt like he was gonna come out of the page and hit me with a ruler but I'm sticking with it (if you read the book you might now what I mean).


    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Anyway... after going through this process with all chords and chord patterns.... the speed will slow down, you'll see and feel the music in longer segments and be able to see and hear ahead. The tempos will not feel too fast.
    Very accurate way of describing progress.
    Thanks again for your time.

  13. #12

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    Oh. I just remembered something. When I was still in school and studied jazz standards on piano (against my will) for grades - I noticed it was damn easy to learn chords on left hand and the right hand is just gonna "break up" the same notes into soloing. It took about 20 seconds to start playing "a chord-note-solo" on piano when the left hand knew the chords well enough. Unlike on guitar. Cuz on guitar the physical lines are all imagined and there is no physical grip to support the image.. Something like that. Not an expert but just had this experience piano vs. guitar chord-note-solo..

    So, often is suggested to sing the bass note(s) and then play chord notes as solo. Which is a fine exercise for sure. But I got it a bit better when played simple bass notes with 1 finger and soloed with the 3 free fingers. It's not as good as that time with the piano but at least somewhat easier than singing the bass and targeting chord notes..

    I assumed playing fast wasn't a technical issue for OP and hence it might be a memory problem.

    ---
    Again, not a pro here.

  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by emanresu

    So, often is suggested to sing the bass note(s) and then play chord notes as solo. Which is a fine exercise for sure. But I got it a bit better when played simple bass notes with 1 finger and soloed with the 3 free fingers. It's not as good as that time with the piano but at least somewhat easier than singing the bass and targeting chord notes..
    I sometimes sing the base lines over backing track to get a feel for the harmonic motion. I haven't soloed while singing the root. I'll definitely try it.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    On slower tunes I can target chord tones but with conscious afford. Or I can not think but then I am mostly floating over the changes. I have rock blues background and I am only learning jazz in the past 2 years in an progressively increasing dedication. So I am definitely not very experienced in this yet.
    I get that it's not necessary nor desirable to outline changes for every single chord but I want that to be a choice not limitation.
    So the area I was seeking help was finding out ways I can practice connecting chords that would improve my ability to hear and play lines that achieve that. I want to be able to play lines by just being "aware" of the next chord and not by specifically aiming for say, the "A" on the 5th string in a given context. On that note (no pun intended ) I found Reg's suggestion quite compelling.
    If I understand your issue, then the following may help.

    Pick a tune and figure out which scales you are going to use for each chord. Then start soloing, slowly. Your first few notes could be an arp or a melodic idea or an elaboration of the melody of the tune, or whatever.

    Then, when it's time to change chords -- start the next scale a half or whole step away from where you left off on the first scale. You may want to change the scale a beat or so before the actual chord change. This gives a sense of forward motion.

    The key is to smoothly change scales with no jumps. No jumping back to the root for each new scale, or anything like that.

    Figuring out a note to target can be a great idea and can free you up to play anything on your way to the target, but it is, perhaps, a more advanced technique. If you can already do the smooth scale-change thing, that might come next.

    Good luck!

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by rlrhett
    I have nothing to offer other than to empathize. The whole process feels backwards to me. I think of melody as the essence of music. The harmony to me must flow from the melody to serve the melody.
    You make a great point. When I first started playing rock music some 30 years ago, I would make melodies with a single 5 note scale. I had no problem doing that. Then when I decided I wanted to learn jazz music, about 95% +/- of what I found from expert instructors was to find your target notes. Once I found the target notes, nothing sounded good. Then everyone would say "well ya, you have to play a melody." HUH? When did we start doing that?

    I guess it goes back to transcribing. If you transcribe, you'll be fine. PS, if you do transcribe, slow down the song and listen to when the musician hits the note and when he releases the note; there is a lot going on at 50% that you don't notice at 100%.

  17. #16

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    Sometimes I think of it like being a chess player. You're in a certain position on the board. What are your possible moves? If you can see where you're going, then with practice you can see a path to get there.

    (I'm using "see" metaphorically, but early on it was a little more literal. I would look at the fretboard, and see where the possible target notes are, and then work on licks that get me there. Obviously the ear is king, and when you get more comfortable knowing the fretboard you don't use your eyes so much, but in the beginning, it can be kind of helpful.)

  18. #17

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    Yes Micky Baker... that was around when I was young. It had lots of holes but at least open some doors. Learned that if you can't comp... your usually a lousy soloist also. Maybe not to yourself... but check in with the rest of the band.

    Yea as said many times by many... it's not just one thing. The only thing I can say is I am a pro and have been for years... I can cover. there are always players that are better, but I don't get many complaints. I understand the band concept and always make the music better.

    I can entertain out front when asked to do so... and have no problem making the person out front sound great.

    I've had chops since I was a kid... Chops are not just for burning solos, they allow one to interact and help music groove and lock.

    99% of the difficulty of performing at the speed of Jazz is technical. Many guitarist appear to, to use an analogy with running, try to run backwards, or with some type of one left then three right steps and expect to be able to perform at fast tempos.

    Anyway I hope I can help. I started the practical standards thread years ago... which is a great place to practice performing tunes by posting examples of your playing, and get positive feed back. When you post visual examples... I can easily see simple physical technical issues.

    I'll start hanging around the thread again... most of the tunes haven't done much personally. If I understand correctly the tunes are pulled from typical must learn standards. Would be nice to also get back to tunes which help with technical aspect of playing... I think M-sters been organizing the thread lately. He's a great players, and does very professional job.... I think I'll get involved again, try and help expand the approach beyond just posting examples of playing the tunes.... work on how to perform technical issues etc... ( as long as M-ster doesn't mind, I better check first).

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by emanresu
    I found that the key is anticipating changes. Meaning not doing it "real time" but in advance. So instead targeting the notes you're currently at, target those that are gonna come in next changes. y.
    Yes ! that ... gives you time to think/feel ,
    more room to play with good time etc

    My fav Reg quote
    "If you're in the moment , you're late"

    Thats funny and true .... thanks Reg !

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    This is what's preventing me from improvising in a more free way at this point.
    By chord material I mean all the things you practice to play over a given type of chord. Scales, patterns, licks, arpeggios, broken chords and things you drive from them. Say over ii, Dorian bebop scale licks, minor 6 arpeggio, minor 9 arpeggio starting from the 3rd and so forth.
    Next thing to practice is to connect these material over a progression as chords change. For example target the 3rd of the next chord, connect it with the 7th of the current if the progression is going up a fourth etc. (Obviously there are also other options)
    What I have trouble with at this stage of my development is doing this in a none pre-planned fashion.
    I can target individual chord tones. But doing so during a fast changing bebop standard would be too much thinking. The other option is to think in terms of short progressions, 6 going to 1, 2 going to 5, and practice material in 2-3 chord chunks that occur frequently. But then I am only delaying the inevitable also this might get too much like building a lick library. (may be that's not a bad thing.)
    Any suggestions? How much conscious attention do you pay to chord changes during performances?
    I block things down into very simple elements and build up from there. Don't get confused by the surfact detail. For instance, rhythm changes:

    Bb | F7 | Bb | F7
    Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb | F7

    You don't play those changes that simply - you use subs etc, such as Dm on Bb, Cm7 or Ebmaj7 on F7 etc - but by breaking things down very simply conceptually I find it helps.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    I can target individual chord tones. But doing so during a fast changing bebop standard would be too much thinking...
    Yup. Way too much thinking and it will sound like way too much thinking. What you're describing is the frequent outcome of "chord-scale theory" even though it's not the intent of that approach. Jazz education is artificially complicated; jazz is not. Used to be that people learned to play on the bandstand and by playing along with records, absorbing the music organically. But we can't join a band and play 200 one nighters in a row any more, those options are gone, so we have to find a different way to get the knowledge. Those who are determined will get it.

    Think about what soloing is: it is creating a new melody for the song. That melody should have emotional weight and express something. Scales are not melodies. Scales just tell you where the notes within the key are from which you can choose. My own approach is to focus primarily on tonal centers when soloing.

    Think of Autumn Leaves in the Real Book; it's in 1 sharp throughout. But part of the time that's G major and part of the time it's E minor. They are relative major and minor to each other, but in jazz the E minor may also contain the large 7 (D#). So there is a difference in tonal center to respect when creating a new melody.

    Look at other tunes that cycle ii-V-I changes, say Dm7 - G7 - C then Cmin7 F7 - Bb then Bbmin7 - Eb7 - Ab for example. Lots of jazz tunes do that. Rather than processing each chord as it comes, instead I am thinking C, then Bb then Ab in terms of how I organize harmonically- not over chords but within tonal centers of the moment. Since we're playing jazz, each of those scales has 12 tones BTW. I depend on my ear to construct melodies, tension and release, resolution within each of those tonal centers and to create movement to the next tonal center. There are tunes, of course, which challenge this approach.

    When playing a chord solo I am playing the chords of the tune, primarily, dressed up with extensions and tensions that voice lead to the next chord. In those cases I am thinking quite explicitly of the chords.

    To think about chord progressions in a brutally reductionist fashion to simplify especially bebop and faster tempos, there are really primarily just two chords used in any key: I and V. This is the Joe Pass approach to harmonic theory that he used when constructing lines- basically thinking about the directionality of the chord.

    I = iii = vi
    V = ii = IV = vii

    [Look at the notes in each chord to see how that works, bearing in mind that in some cases the root is missing- for example, the iii is rootless I maj9 chord for which the bass player will provide the root. The vi is an inversion of the I6. For the V, the ii sounds pretty much the same as the V played as a 9th chord; the IV6 is an inversion of the ii; the vii is a a rootless V7b9.]

    This really lets you simplify. When Joe saw a ii-V-I what he saw was a V-I. If the progression was a iii-vi-ii-V-I, then what he saw was I-V-I.

    Ultimately the trick is to get the sounds in our ears and the means to make those sounds under our fingers so that we don't have to think about it- just play the sounds. Years ago I read an interview with Jeff Beck, who was asked what scales he uses. He replied "none- I just play the notes I want to hear." That's the goal.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    Yup. W
    I = iii = vi
    V = ii = IV = vii
    This is exactly the way Warren Nunes taught major scale harmony.

    He said there were two types of chords, "type one and type two".

    Iirc, at other times he said there were five sounds in jazz. Major, minor, melodic minor, diminished and whole tone.

    Before I ever heard of CST, I did it entirely this way -- tonal center, chord tones and ears. TBH, I still prefer it.

  23. #22

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    Chords with the F in and chords without (in C major)

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tal_175
    I sometimes sing the base lines over backing track to get a feel for the harmonic motion. I haven't soloed while singing the root. I'll definitely try it.
    2 suggestions then that seemed to have a good effect on myself. Might have been placebo though, you try
    1. Do it loud and try nailing perfect intonation if you can. Sing loud, play loud. Seemed to learn faster that way.
    2. Do not drag your voice. Dunno the right english words for it. Make a short rest before singing the next bass note even and try to hit it in the "bullseye" instantly.

  25. #24

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    Here’s a vid I did

  26. #25

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    why not thinking of just melody for a while... humming, singing, hearing and then playing...

    try original standards tunes...
    they usually have melodic phrases that go through many chords, they connect these chords melodically.. outline harmonic tensions and release...

    try other players's solos

    I just heard that Cannoball this morning... try the line from 0:55 to 0:59 at slow tempo...

    this line covers basically I-VI-II-V...

    see how the arps and embelishments follow each other...
    and where the accents fall...
    what are the extensions and alterations are...
    how he avoids resolutions .. I am not sure but I thinbk there's not a single chord tone (7th chord) on the 1st beat... so it's a vehicle to move the phrase one
    Also pharsing... these ascending and descending arps and appogiaturas weaving around the chord note avoiding it all the time...

    Good excercise could be breaking it up and resolving in the middle to chord tone. Or move it in another directiom