The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #51

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    Good question! Here's one suggestion-no matter what level you are, do all you can to find somebody to play with. If it's someone with whom you share a need to improve, not only to run tunes, all the better.
    Take a phrase, a section of a tune, a vamp or a whole tune and really explore it with your duo partner and do it with something in mind. Work with free improv too, no tune necessarily in mind but total awareness of all that is going on between you two.
    There's something that comes from hearing your ideas bounced against and joining with another idea. There's something that comes from hearing somebody else's take on something you've been working on. And there's an instant awareness of what works and why. I really think it'll help you with your alone time practice too.
    Just a suggestion.
    David

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #52

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    In a nutshell, practicing improvisation for me is done that way :

    -Take a single chord or a chord progression
    -Transcribe a line that you like for that particular progression
    -Once you're comfortable playing that line all over the neck, modifiy it (here's how : http://jazzadvice.com/10-ways-to-make-a-line-your-own/). This is the most important part because this process is what allows you to develop your musical creativity.
    -Do the same while soloing

  4. #53

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    A good thing to do if one has never improvised is just sit down and improvise. Nothing going in the background, nothing to sync to, just you and your instrument. Make up stuff, listen how notes fit together.

    I believe it's is one of the most important things an improvisor can do.

  5. #54

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    Hello! I need one more advice. How to improvise over the only chord (major or minor). I have problems with that. Thank you.

  6. #55

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    If you have only one chord, it's modal.

  7. #56

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    Find the scale or mode that fits over that one chord and go crazy. If it's really a chord then you'll want to emphasize the 3rd and 7ths and other chord tones like the 9th, root and 5th, or surround them with enclosures. If it's actually modal it doesn't matter. Any note in the scale will work as well as any other.

  8. #57

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    What I find with all of my students who have a hard time learning to improvise is their own self imposed intimidation. They can't let go. You just have to jump in. Do it when no one is looking. Pretend you're a child. Allow yourself to sound terrible. Let go. Jump. The water's fine.

  9. #58

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    If you're looking for specific Books and/or Videos to work from... I'd say Jerry Bergonzi has really the best stuff out there teaching IMPROVISATION.


    http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Improvisation-Instruments-Bergonzi-volumes/dp/B00136F406

  10. #59

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    My advice is to just do it. However, don't just play anything. Start slow. Play 2 (Max 3) notes at a time and make sure that something rhythmic and melodic comes out. Repeat the same 2 note phrase at different positions on there neck. See what works and what doesn't. There is no magic.

  11. #60

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    Coming from a classical world, think of it this way: An improvisor is a composer. I don't mean this figuratively, I mean literally.
    If you want to improvise, know in your mind, attitude, practice and execution that you are a composer. Spend the first stages of this process defining what this means; what you can do, what the results will be. In some ways, coming from a classical background can give you a false sense of accomplishment, at least as a composer. You are used to being able to achieve playing results well beyond your own ability to imagine in composition. Not so with improvisation. That is the fallacy of thinking you can learn improvisation strictly from a source outside of yourself. That is why I told you to confront your own toolset with your instrument and build up your abilities from there.
    This is not a process of recreating a solo and calling it improvisation. Re read the contributions to this thread of yours with this in mind. This is very far from the world you are familiar with and every bit as challenging and satisfying, I assure you.
    Think of yourself as a composer now, and re-frame the things you need to work as such.
    David

  12. #61

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    To get started you have to allow yourself to sound awkward and bad. I'm sure you have very sophisticated tastes. You simply aren't going to sound like Wes Montgomery right out the gate. If you want to memorize a bunch of solos and do connect the dots ripping off, inserting random solos, good luck with that. That's also not easy. But you won't learn how to improvise. If you want a site that has a ton of transcriptions you can memorize to pass yourself off as an improvisor, that's not learning anything. You have to know your arpeggios and where the guide tones are. You have to know your scales, modes, enclosures. There's not a short cut. Unfortunately it's a process that takes years normally.
    Last edited by henryrobinett; 11-22-2013 at 04:05 PM.

  13. #62

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    Hello,

    My question is with approach to improvisation. I have started with arpeggiating over ii-V-I's. Rather then learning clumps of arpeggios I have put in the effort to learn the entire arpeggio over an octave. I figure that way I can reduce my core arpeggios down to 4 big blocks rather then a lot of little clusters.

    I have been focusing on resolving 7 - 3 and 9 - 5.

    This is working quite well for me, however I just want to make sure I'm going the right way about this. sometimes I feel like I could be thinking about too much at once however at the same time I have noticed myself getting a lot better with this approach.

    What would you recommend for me to do now?

    I have heard players like Robert Conti suggest learning a lot of licks and not thinking about it much, because the theory will become more obvious once you have learned the line. To be honest I haven't done much transcribing or learned many jazz lines at all yet.

    I was thinking Blue Bossa could be a good start but another quick question I have is how would you approach the 4 chord.

    Much appreciated,

    Andrew

  14. #63

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    Bert Ligon posits that the pitches in most mainstream jazz ii-V lines can be reduced to a handful of templates. They may be altered and extended in a number of ways but their essence remains. He calls them 'outlines' and they incorporate ascending arpeggios from the root and 3rd and a descending form from the 5th. Here's a lesson I made up taking his outlines and transforming them into longer phrases:

    How to practice guitar improvisation?-outlines1-jpgHow to practice guitar improvisation?-outlines2-jpgHow to practice guitar improvisation?-outlines3-jpg

    These are just suggestions. Mix and match the outlines and connectors in a modular fashion to create different phrases. Start transcribing some ii-Vs for yourself to see whether they conform to one of these templates and make up some of your own variations.

    As for "Blue Bossa", the iv chord (F-7) can be approached via its dominant (C7). It could then itself move up a fourth to create an unresolved ii-V (F-7 Bb7). So your opening bars would be |C-6 |C-6 C7b9 |F-7 |Bb7 |.

    I have lots of lesson material on "Blue Bossa", so feel free to shoot me any more questions either here or in my message box.
    Last edited by PMB; 07-11-2015 at 12:25 AM.

  15. #64

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    Great material above...

    So take Blue Bossa,

    Just for now... take the 1st four bars... C- for two bars and F- for two bars.

    So first the Cmin...So generally... the C-7 or C-6 is the I chord, the tonal center, and the F-7 (Bb7) is the IV- chord.

    So make a loop or just play chords and single melodic lines back and forth like call and answer. But now add a V chord to help imply the C- chord.. So the loop will be...

    C-9 ..../ G7b13.../ think of that as a vamp, a latin groove. So your creating a ..." I- to V7 " groove, both harmonically and rhythmically... a harmonic rhythm, a vamp, a groove .

    There are lots of ways to approach playing... creating relationships and developing them. The 1st would be pulling from C- as being from Aeolian or VI-, the relative minor of Eb major.

    The V7 chord could be from Harmonic Min. but that's pretty old school... so pull from G7alt. or the 7th degree or mode of Ab melodic minor.

    So there are you basic references for the 1st two bars... which now has become a vamp... C-9...to G7alt.

    So now fine some target noted you like for each chord, make it an eight bar phrase... C- to G7 4 times,
    the target note of each bar could be / ...G .../ F.../ D... / Eb.../ then D.../ Eb.../ F.../ F.../

    You can even just play those notes as lead lines... the notes on top of your chords.

    So that's one approach to developing solos... you have a target note and the connect those target notes with filler from the chords... what I generally do is have organization of the filler stuff, basically just melodic and rhythmic patterns that pull from the harmony, the chords. And I generally always start adding more chords, but you need to be able to imply the basic changes first...

    So take this same approach and apply it to the IV- chord... but instead of a I- V7 pattern... use standard II V pattern,
    so ...F-7 ..../ Bb7.../ again make a vamp, apply target notes for chords and develop lines...

    I'll check and see if I have any vids... or will try and make an example of the above..

    The approach is very similar to Bert's concept... but a different organization of where the notes are from. I always have melody and harmony related even with embellishments. And use different organization for creating sources for the embellishments... no right or wrong... but different.

  16. #65
    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    The approach is very similar to Bert's concept... but a different organization of where the notes are from. I always have melody and harmony related even with embellishments. And use different organization for creating sources for the embellishments... no right or wrong... but different.
    It's interesting. Now, I can't help seeing the dominant reference in the Ligon-type lines as well.

    The reg influence I guess.... :-)

  17. #66

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    Hey Matt... thanks... but the reference is, when you arrange charts for years, you don't really have a choice, you need organization for every attack. It's not like performing live where each performance is new or at least can be. It's more of a notated tradition like classical music... everything gets heard over and over, and you can hear what things actually are much easier... survival of the obvious.

    It also becomes another relationship that one can use and control to help create whatever your after. I'm a groove player so generally I use the relationship to reinforce harmonically what I want the feel and harmonic feel to be... and it can be almost camouflaged. Or something in that direction.

  18. #67

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    Hey Reg, I've noticed when checking out your approach to default scale/arpeggio/chord forms and harmonic/rhythmic implications of chord progressions that we think very alike on all this stuff (maybe it's all the composition and arranging I've done as well). The Ligon exercises are really just a first stage of giving basic contour to your lines. Then there's the whole question of superimposition etc. Some things work fine on the fly, e.g. F-7 - Bb7 is no problem as it's implying the relative major (Eb). Whereas I often like playing bars 9-12 as | Eb-7 | Ab7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb7 | to funk it up a bit and that's going to need attention.

  19. #68

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    Glad to have helped, Andrew. Another harmonic idea for the opening bars that works beautifully with the melody but is also a useful source for creating new lines is to employ so-called C.E.S.H (Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony):

    | C- C-maj7 | C-7 C-6 | Fm F-maj7 | F-7 F-6 |

    With a change of bass line, that becomes:

    | C- G7b13 | C-7 F9 | Fm C7b13 | F-7 Bb9 |

    I've basically taken Reg's I to V and ii to V grooves and harmonically compressed them. There's so much that can be done with this tune. I played over it last year for a couple of hours with Larry Koonse and we didn't exhaust the possibilities!

  20. #69

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    I've had a request for a PDF of the lesson above so here it is:
    Attached Images Attached Images

  21. #70

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    Quote Originally Posted by PMB
    Glad to have helped, Andrew. Another harmonic idea for the opening bars that works beautifully with the melody but is also a useful source for creating new lines is to employ so-called C.E.S.H (Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony):

    | C- C-maj7 | C-7 C-6 | Fm F-maj7 | F-7 F-6 |

    With a change of bass line, that becomes:

    | C- G7b13 | C-7 F9 | Fm C7b13 | F-7 Bb9 |

    I've basically taken Reg's I to V and ii to V grooves and harmonically compressed them. There's so much that can be done with this tune. I played over it last year for a couple of hours with Larry Koonse and we didn't exhaust the possibilities!

    Hey Paul... CESH... wow, now that's a mouth full. We do have very similar harmonic choices, that's cool. I tend to just call the changes a line cliche but I dig ... CESH... I'm stealing it... Of course that's the way we play all the time anyway, the static Harmony intervals just become shorter and shorter.

    I'm basically trying to help players develop what those CESH imply harmonically... what chord patterns are used to create grooves that imply tonal targets. Which leads to being able to somewhat connect the dotts... connect the chord pattern grooves to the point that they become a large or macro tonal target.... the tune. And then learn how to mix and match, or plug and play while comping... when needed or how one chooses to comp.... Which leads to improv... that's how I solo... I create relationships.... the chord patterns and what they imply and then develop the relationship...

    And of course there are many more possible levels of organization that can or can not also be going on.

    The trick is to get all the pieces internalized... to the point that it's just like playing one note after another. At least that's the goal.

    Yea, Blue Bossa's pretty beat up,but years ago I got the chance to play with Joe for some gigs, so all his music still has somewhat a place in my heart... I still dig Punjab, the Kicker etc...there always fun to play. Actually I'll try and play a few tonight... I'm just heading out...

    Keep posting material... it looks great... maybe even post some vids... not from your CDs etc... you know the good stuff
    This forums cool, need more thinkers etc...

  22. #71
    destinytot Guest
    C.E.S.H (Contrapuntal Elaboration of Static Harmony) - a mouthful, but it immediately makes sense. Thank you!

    PS The term evokes movie scores, with lush strings moving behind a single held note... or Wes playing Here's That Rainy Day
    Last edited by destinytot; 07-14-2015 at 08:56 AM. Reason: addition

  23. #72

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    Respect Reg! Absolutely love Joe Henderson's playing and composing (of course, Kenny Dorham wrote "Blue Bossa" but Joe got it out there first). "Black Narcissus" is a particular fave - great film as well. JH is a perfect example of someone who could mix up all sorts of rhythmic and harmonic ideas from phrase to phrase.

    I haven't posted any vids here but should do that soon as it's often easier to get something across that way.
    Last edited by PMB; 07-14-2015 at 09:40 AM.

  24. #73
    CESH - I always thought it was CHROMATIC embellishment of static harmony. That's how Jerry Coker uses it I think. Anyway, I googled it and apparently it's both in the way it's used Which I find a little irritating. :-)

    "Chromatic" seems to make more sense to my mind, assuming you're actually talking about one note moving against an otherwise static chord.

    Of course the other term probably better covers what you're doing in subbing harmony for that line cliché . I guess you could say you guys are subbing "contrapuntal embellishments" of the "chromatic embellishment of the (originally) static harmony".

    I know. Sorry. I need my 2nd cup of coffee. :-)

  25. #74

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    Quote Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher
    CESH - I always thought it was CHROMATIC embellishment of static harmony. That's how Jerry Coker uses it I think.
    That's how I learned it too. I think the standard example was "My Funny Valentine" (-though the same move is used in many tunes).

  26. #75

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    Hi Andrew

    The best lesson on this I saw was by Jimmy Bruno. In short ..you learn the Cmajor scale in the 7 positions across the neck. Then learn the modal arpeggios [ if in C learn Cmaj7, Dmi7, Emi7, Fmaj7 arpeggios etc].. Then play along with the backing track, making very simple melodic lines out of the arpeggios and add fragments of the major scale. Make sure you hit your target notes over each chord.. if in C ..you would play arpeggios Dm7, G7 ( or G13 or G9 or G11 ] resolving to Cmaj7.. the extra notes frm the scale use as ornament.. Play from each of the seven scale positons across the neck..repeat for each of the keys