Question about modes/corresponding chords

[FatJeff]

OK, just keep me posted.

[derek]

i'll most certainly be looking for "lookovers" once it's done.

i have not looked into any ways of getting it published as of yet. It sort of needs to come out first, to see if it' even worth shopping around...I have some very strong opinions on jazz playing and pedagogy, but really no credentials other than that i'm a normal dude who's a teacher who can play jazz, and i think anyone else can too.

Self publishing is pretty popular these days, and there are a few companies what specialize in thise that do biz online.

[Sailor]

Mr. B. I probably write about music much better than I talk about it....can't wait to see an instructional book "written" correctly....as you know, there aren't many!!

Sailor

[brad4d8]

Another approach is to distill the melody of the song down to its essential tones, and use those as the basis for your improv. This is part of the method espoused by Ed Byrne's "Linear Jazz Improv" system (and Lee Konitz as well, as I recently found out: Lee Konitz 10-Step Method). In ATTYA, for example, you just have a single note per measure: Ab - Db - G - C - F - B - E. Target those notes while you noodle around by ear, and you might be surprised how good it can sound. This method works really well over standards and blues.

I was going to mention Lee in response to something in this thread. so this is a good post to respond to.
I studied improvisation with Lee for about a year in the early 70s, back when I was mostly an alto/soprano sax and flute player. He stressed learning the melody, and working from there. I don't know how much his ideas have evolved, but I think that because of the harmonic nature of the guitar, they would have to be adapted to a chordal approach or else used as a melodic only approach.
Brad

[gingerjazz]

good luck mr b

[timscarey]

So,
I'm the guy who learned via the Chord=Mode approach. i find it very usefull when playing tunes with tons of modal chord relationships... Like Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, Robert Glasper, etc.

The method I used (and I started early) was.

Preface. be able to name root and quality of any chord in any key by letter name (via a theory book or good teacher)

1. Triad arpeggios and how they fit into the key.

2.First 5 notes per chord function (I,V,IV, Ect..)

3. Seventh Chord Arpeggios

4. Modes

All while transcribing every time I practiced, it has been very good to me, and influenced my composition as well. I do teach this stuff to some of my students, but only the ones that ask about it. : )

[bifodus]

Mark Levine is very mode-oriented in his book entitled "The Jazz Theory Book," which I think is considered a classic. His argument is basically that chords are scales. That is, there's no distinction between the two. Occasionally there's an ambiguity such as D-7, but that ambiguity grants creative breathing room for the soloist.

This seems like a pretty accurate assessment, too. If you see a 13 chord, then the scale is entirely specified. G13 unambiguously refers to the G mixolydian scale (which is enharmonic with C Ionian, etc). So basically, scales are nothing more than extended arpeggios. Furthermore, it seems implicit in Levine's writing that solos sound much better when you're emphasizing chordal extensions rather than low-level chord tones (e.g., playing a 9th sounds more interesting than playing a 3rd, the latter of which will be played many times over by the accompaniment).


I'm far from being a pro jazz guitarist, so I'd like to hear what seasoned jazzers have to say about this, particularly the point about emphasizing extensions rather than notes within the triad.

[mr. beaumont]

it's funny, i have a contrasting methodology from mark, yet i really like his approach and writing.

i really think mark's perspective makes a lot of sense from two viewpoints--that of a piano player, and that of an advanced student on any instrument.

the piano is even more visual than the guitar in some ways, and because of the polyphony allotted by the nature of the instrument, it makes a lot of sense to blur the lines of "chord"and "scale" and think more along the lines of "tone pools." I think this can be a valuable approach to a student who has mastered the basics of a chord tone roadmap and is ready to move on from the inherent trappings that the basics will eventually lead to as their possibilities, and limitations, are realized.

[Sailor]

Wow! Now I'm really thinking!! I love the Bifodus response...it would seem to make sense to focus on chord tones that are not being played by all the accompaniment.

Then I read Mr B's response and my mind is blown...again. Please post some lessons Mr. B., or editorials.