practicing application

[Jazzyteach65]

so I was watching this old Bill Evans interview:


YouTube - Bill Evans - The Creative Process and Self-Teaching

and maybe this subconciously effected my practice habits/mindframe but I have found myself building my vocabulary by taking a concept and work it through situations and changes, then document it in a journal and apply it again later.

Example: I wanted to work on enclosing and approaching tones, so I took a major and a minor triad and worked on approaching each chord tone from a chromatic note above, then from one below, then I started enclosing tones with multiple chormatics. Here's what happenned:
After working through enclosures, I took a few tunes and a Bb blues, and worked the chords out like this: the first chorus I approached target tones from one note above, then next chorus I did from a note below. The next chorus I enclosed one note above then one note below, the next chorus I did one note below then one above, the next chorus I worked two above one below ect so on.


Rather than take licks or generalize, and work them through changes, I have found that taking concepts or ideas, isolating them and then applying them to changes helps when working on line developement.


does anyone else do this?

[Jazzyteach65]

in other words, one concept at a time. I hate when "teachers" show licks and don't explain the concepts or ideas behind the licks, and how to use it in your own vocabulary

[Reg]

Hey jazzyteach65... yes, great approach. Although I tend to apply harmonic structure to notes, even when just a chromatic approach, I can't help but hear an implied or actual harmonic structure when I'm playing single note lines.
I'm not sure that's a good thing or bad thing, but I can explain what I'm playing aka, where the note or notes come from and how they function in context. I dig your approach and organizational process, very cool... Yea the journals, I have always keep them. As time goes by, it's cool to go back and check out earlier understanding etc... great post.. Thanks Reg

[Jazzyteach65]

Thanks Reg. What benifits do you personally get out of journals/ how do you use them?

[Jazzyteach65]

I did use harmonic structure when I worked these ideas out

[bako]

Originally Posted by Reg

Although I tend to apply harmonic structure to notes, even when just a chromatic approach, I can't help but hear an implied or actual harmonic structure when I'm playing single note lines.

Reg,

I think I understand. Just checking.

1. When each note is heard in a harmonic context, there is a family of additional notes available.
These can played or not.

2. Enclosure methodology- having principal notes surrounded by not fully defined auxiliary notes.

Jazzyteach65,

It was great to watch the Bill Evans interview again.

I am guilty of trying to solve the whole puzzle in a day, well maybe a week.
I would say that learning takes place but it is rarely as effective as delving deep into one subject at a time.
To date I have never kept a journal. It is amazing how easy it is to lose track of yesterdays profound discovery a gig or two later.
A journal would be helpful for sure.

At the moment I am playing a game with the 28 modes of major, harmonic major, melodic minor and harmonic minor.
I lined up the modes in parallel fashion from a common tone and improvise against a pedal tone.
Each mode has it's own set of I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII related harmonies. I am moving freely between these as if they are all part of the
same scale. Collectively it forms a somewhat organized version of the chromatic scale.

Thanks for the link and the timely journal reminder.

[Jazzyteach65]

Bako, You're welcome.

I know teachers like Jimmy Bruno are advocates of "one concept at a time." My teacher, legendary Joe Lano actually taught Bruno. Joe Lano once told me that back in Philly he and Trane (Joe's up there in age) as well as others went to this teacher who didn't play guitar, but was almost somewhat of a theorician (if that's a word.) He would write one measure assignments and guys would work on them for weeks. Now Joe can give me one thing to work on, tell me to work on it through all the keys, conform it to all situations, and it takes me a month to get it.

You'll begin to realize a lot of truths when you work on simple concepts for a long, intense session. John Abercrombie and Jake Hanlon (on his site) talk about this. Less is more is true. By contraction, more possibilities seep out

[Jazzyteach65]

Perhaps the greatest facet of improvised music, is that it's a lifelong process of growth, almost if not spiritual. One can spend a whole life learning and practicing new concepts, changing ideas, approaches and sound.

Vertical players can become horizontal ect. When you hear Coltrane at 22 vs at 32, his lines were very different becuase he was still "growing" (studying and applying new concepts)

I remember Emily Remler saying before she died, trying to approach fourths and ise them in her lines. Afew years back, Scott Henderson began using his whole fifths in blues thing.

I think it's the whole "never stop learning and growing until we die" concept

[Reg]

Hey Jazzyteach65 how goes... the main thing I get out of my journals and notes is compositional ideas... most of the theoretical material hasn't changed, so just memory aids or reference. A lot of jazz harmonic material wasn't and really still isn't that available, analysis of jazz tunes... I went through most of Shorter's tunes when I was young. Still use all my reference materials...Scales and all their modes, with functional analysis etc... common modal interchange usage. I have lots of binders... I use them for my gigs also, the binders, different binders... everybody has their interpretation and understanding of tunes.
Hey bako...enclosure methodology... not familiar with term, but makes since. To me the harmonic or vertical collection of notes are always fully defined, even when just implied. There usually are many choices, but usually context defines an obvious theoretical and analytical order of choices as well as audiological. The acoustics of our perception of sounds have very physical principles which have defined order of choices, kind of like the top 40 but not not by popular choice. It still comes down to how hip our ears are and what we like etc... I dig your games... very cool...
Great posts thanks Reg

[Reg]

Yea, music is very philosophical, at least our concept... an incredible journey... thanks Jazzyteach65 for great post..Reg

[Jazzyteach65]

Reg, are you talking about how mathematically, the Mjor Third, Minor sixth, minor third maj 6th intervals are the most "consonant" while moving to tritones and fourths are dissonant? Our ears do like easy catchy meoldies (like top 40) Someone can easily identify a catchy melody. I certainly do, that's probably why I like melodic cell players.

My journal I keep every day I break into parts; Technical progress
repetoire
vocab
application

and then projects, like walking basslines or chord melodies. I also take notes every day after every session as to what I have gained and learned, if it was a bad day or a good day. Then I also jot down notes to the recordings I have actively listened to, (a few tracks a day) what the players were doing, there treatment of the tune, ect. Then I write down my progress in ear-training software.

Some days, like most people, I have off days, other days I swing harder

[markerhodes]

Originally Posted by Jazzyteach65

I know teachers like Jimmy Bruno are advocates of "one concept at a . Less is more is true. By contraction, more possibilities seep out

That reminds of a line of Truman Capote's about Southern writing: "The narrower the focus, the sharper the vision."

[Reg]

Hew JT65... basically yes.. acoustic principles based on vibrations, "Acoustics of music" Bartholomew, " Guide to Musical Acoustics", Lowery. There are newer articles in music journals and periodicals. Pop is a scary word... but yea jazz has it's pop. Mannnnn your organized ....I really don't keep to much anymore... You have my respect... I gig pretty much every day or night... don't get to put in as much time practicing as like to. Always writing out charts when I have time,( from notes in journals). Your in a great direction, we should all learn from you... Thanks Reg

[Jazzyteach65]

Originally Posted by Reg

Hew JT65... basically yes.. acoustic principles based on vibrations, "Acoustics of music" Bartholomew, " Guide to Musical Acoustics", Lowery. There are newer articles in music journals and periodicals. Pop is a scary word... but yea jazz has it's pop. Mannnnn your organized ....I really don't keep to much anymore... You have my respect... I gig pretty much every day or night... don't get to put in as much time practicing as like to. Always writing out charts when I have time,( from notes in journals). Your in a great direction, we should all learn from you... Thanks Reg

Reg, thanks, but honestly, I've created my practice regimen from a lot of sources, ESPECIALLY peers on this site, my teachers and other players, as well as supplemental material.

The Jerry Coker "Patterns for Jazz" book is a bible to me, as it is what I am working out of. I reccomend books and methods like this that teach concepts, patterns and ideas rather than a book of transcriptions or licks from others.

Keep in mind I don't practice that much, just the things I've listed, as I have an unhealed torn rotator cuff in my left (fretting arm) shoulder (but healthcare is a whole nother issue