Solos based on chord tones - looking for transcriptions

**fusionman** · 10-26-2016, 04:45 PM

I am writing my MA thesis on the importance of the chord tones in jazz improvisation. I would like to ask if anyone of you could give me good example of solo transcriptions based on chord tones (occurring at the strong beat of the bar). It would be great if the transcriptions are of the greats from be-bop/hard-bop era.

**christianm77** · 10-26-2016, 06:17 PM

My suggestion would be to grab the omnibook and a highlighter pen.

**ragman1** · 10-26-2016, 06:20 PM

Feel free to get angry, but are you sure this is a good idea for an MA thesis? I mean, without the chord tones what are you playing? You need at least some of them at least a lot of the time otherwise what does it sound like?

Do you play yourself? That would help. I think, if it was me, that there'd only be sufficient mileage in the subject if it was about the inclusion of non-chord tones, especially in jazz, bebop, etc. Otherwise everything's beautifully diatonic and sounds like folk music...

**KirkP** · 10-27-2016, 03:43 AM

Seems like any good solo will be "based on chord tones" if by that you mean employing chord tones (especially 3rds & 7ths) to imply harmony and you'll probably often find those on strong beats. Seems like you should choose some favorite classic solos and analyze how chord tones function in them

**ragman1** · 10-27-2016, 10:31 AM

But this isn't some school project, this is for an MA thesis!

Do you mean to say someone doing an MA thesis on jazz music can't get hold of transcriptions and have a look at them? And wouldn't have already done so? And only on chord tones?

I'm not sure the numbers are adding up here

**christianm77** · 10-27-2016, 11:04 AM

Yeah I've spent 20 years doing this shit. Can I get an MA? ;-)

**ragman1** · 10-27-2016, 11:59 AM

You can get a degree if you like. Quite cheap, too

It's a pretty good point really. I used to play with a bloke. We'd both played, studied, and taught, for maybe 30 years or more at the time. We were just saying that most professions only study for a few. They then go on to practice their craft respectably whereas us poor musos end up playing in some bar or other for peanuts.

**christianm77** · 10-27-2016, 01:03 PM

I should probably get some sort of MA or something. I feel like I've done the work.

I'm actually quite serious. My cellist buddy is threatening to do a PhD. I wouldn't mind getting into education and an academic qualification seems to be a requisite for higher education now.

**Hep To The Jive** · 10-27-2016, 01:15 PM

My MA never asked me 'bout chord tones, I gotta talk to her!

**christianm77** · 10-27-2016, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive

My MA never asked me 'bout chord tones, I gotta talk to her!

You are the winner of the internet today.

**pkirk** · 10-27-2016, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by fusionman

I am writing my MA thesis on the importance of the chord tones in jazz improvisation. I would like to ask if anyone of you could give me good example of solo transcriptions based on chord tones (occurring at the strong beat of the bar). It would be great if the transcriptions are of the greats from be-bop/hard-bop era.

Seems like you might want to refine your project a bit, or at least your question to this forum. Improvisation is spontaneous composition. There are probably a million books/theses on chord tones and composition. You could just take one and insert "spontaneous" before every occurrence of the word "composition".

Or maybe you are using the phrase "importance of chord tones in jazz improvisation" as synonymous with "frequency of occurrence chord tones in jazz improvisation"? That would be interesting. I'll guess that Armstrong used 40% chord tones, Parker used 20% chord tones, Ornette used 0% chord tones....

**AlsoRan** · 10-27-2016, 03:28 PM

Actually,

If he has $80.00 bucks or so, he could join Richie Zellon's Jazz Instruction Group and hear many solos/etudes that use chord tones exclusively, mainly chord tones of the Dominant 7 chord that are in the Mixolydian scale, Root, 3rd, 5th, 6th, b7, 9th, 11th, and 13s.

This would work if he is including the extensions of the chord.

**jordanklemons** · 10-27-2016, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by fusionman

I am writing my MA thesis on the importance of the chord tones in jazz improvisation. I would like to ask if anyone of you could give me good example of solo transcriptions based on chord tones (occurring at the strong beat of the bar). It would be great if the transcriptions are of the greats from be-bop/hard-bop era.

I personally liked the idea mentioned earlier about checking out the omnibook. That might be a good starting place. But really, I would think that just about any jazz solo you study will likely have chord tones all over the place... especially if you're focusing on just the strong downbeat of the measure. That's usually going to have a chord tone on it.

I'd also point out that different people definite chord tones slightly differently. Some feel it's just the 1-3-5-7 and that anything above that is not considered a chord tone, but instead an extension. For me, I consider almost anything to be a chord tone... even the upper extensions. I might avoid consider, say for example, the major 7 against a dominant7 chord. But the 13th is as much a chord tone to me as the root or the 3rd. Especially when you start getting into bop and more post-bop, modern stuff where the harmonies start to become richer and more dense.

I wrote out a bunch of etudes for myself at one point where I composed a stepwise moving melody that on the strongest beats of each measure following through the harmonic changes... and then I filled in the 8th notes between that 'guide tone line' with chromatic movement, approach notes, and arpeggios. Was a lot of fun. I absolutely included the upper extensions as chord tones and was still clearly able to hear the chord progressions in the lines. But this is something you might want to think about and/or talk about in your paper. How do you define the chord tones, how they've evolved over time, etc.

As far as refocusing the thesis itself... I'd leave that up to your advisor. If you're working on a masters in jazz, you'll almost certainly have a jazz musician professor who's advising you, and he will almost certainly have very strong opinions that he will share with you whether you're interested or not. If he thinks you need to focus down in a new or different direction, I'd consider it. If he doesn't think so, you probably don't need to worry. If this is a non-jazz specific degree, then you may not need to worry about making it at the same depth of a jazz-specific degree.

Another thought is maybe pick your favorite jazz musician(s) and analyze how he/she/they use chord tones in their compositions and improvisations. Do they emphasize mostly the lower structure notes (1-3-5-7)? Or do they utilize the upper structure 'extensions' as chord tones as well? Which do they use more of? Which beats do they tend to place these pitches on? That might be an interesting way not only to study the topic, but to really give you a very personal sense of understanding the topic from the standpoint of the players you already love. Just a thought. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out.

**christianm77** · 10-27-2016, 06:28 PM

One persons Cmin9 is another persons Ebmaj7 on a C bass, and so on.

**MarkRhodes** · 10-27-2016, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

My suggestion would be to grab the omnibook and a highlighter pen.

Once upon a time, "Omnibook" meant Charlie Parker---and I'm sure that's what Christian means here---but now there are omnibooks of solos by Miles, Coltrane, Joe Pass, Wynton Marsalis, and even Jimi Hendrix. No telling how many more will appear before the decade is out. (Chet Baker? Diz? Clifford Brown? Wes? Sonny Rollins?)

**christianm77** · 10-27-2016, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Once upon a time, "Omnibook" meant Charlie Parker---and I'm sure that's what Christian means here---but now there are omnibooks of solos by Miles, Coltrane, Joe Pass, Wynton Marsalis, and even Jimi Hendrix. No telling how many more will appear before the decade is out. (Chet Baker? Diz? Clifford Brown? Wes? Sonny Rollins?)

I think you're going to need a bigger highlighter pen.

**Larry Feldman** · 11-04-2016, 11:15 PM

Here is a good site.
Transcriptions – JAMIE BREIWICK

im looking at Miles solo on Freddie the Freeloader. He was playing around chord tones on that one. Also some Chet Baker solos. Good luck with this project.

**christianm77** · 11-05-2016, 08:56 AM

Louis frickin Armstrong.

**Guitarzen** · 11-06-2016, 04:31 PM

The title of this thread should be "looking for a transcription of a jazz solo not based on chord tones". Now that would be a challenge worthy of an M.A. in tomfoolery.