Applying music theory to imptovisation
Discussion
I'm a saxophonist myself, but I've been teaching improvisation for a while, and my personal take is this:
Really, really know your scales chord tones. This means knowing instantly which mode and 1-3-5-7-(9...) goes with which scale - as you sight read chord charts - see F#m7, fingers go straight to E major scale, "falling" onto F#, A, C#, E. Practice these chord tones and chord/scale relationships until they're really, properly second nature.
Then just play. Make a riff up that fits, repeat it... Twist it the third time because the chord has changed. Transpose parts of your phrase up or down as you improvise to form ascending/descending sequences... Learn that you really like the sound of 9th and 13ths over minor 7 chords and work some phrases around them. As to thought - I don't necessarily actively think about quite a few of the notes I play, I just play them.
One thing I do do is Focus on the "pivot notes", the notes that stick out as having changed from one chord to the next - e.g. using a G natural in a phrase during a bar of Em following an F#m in the previous bar where I'd played a G#... Or making use of the notes that you spot remaining constant from one chord to the next - the F natural between a Dm7 and a G7, or the C natural that falls nicely to a B natural in the same progression.
For my money, it's all about thinking melodically and creatively within (but sometimes outside) the constraints of the chord/scale tones.
Really, really know your scales chord tones. This means knowing instantly which mode and 1-3-5-7-(9...) goes with which scale - as you sight read chord charts - see F#m7, fingers go straight to E major scale, "falling" onto F#, A, C#, E. Practice these chord tones and chord/scale relationships until they're really, properly second nature.
Then just play. Make a riff up that fits, repeat it... Twist it the third time because the chord has changed. Transpose parts of your phrase up or down as you improvise to form ascending/descending sequences... Learn that you really like the sound of 9th and 13ths over minor 7 chords and work some phrases around them. As to thought - I don't necessarily actively think about quite a few of the notes I play, I just play them.
One thing I do do is Focus on the "pivot notes", the notes that stick out as having changed from one chord to the next - e.g. using a G natural in a phrase during a bar of Em following an F#m in the previous bar where I'd played a G#... Or making use of the notes that you spot remaining constant from one chord to the next - the F natural between a Dm7 and a G7, or the C natural that falls nicely to a B natural in the same progression.
For my money, it's all about thinking melodically and creatively within (but sometimes outside) the constraints of the chord/scale tones.
Edited by timbob on Saturday 31st January 14:54
rich83 said:
Try playing chords and singing over the top of it, up and down scales to start with (just hear them, you don't need to know what it is you are singing).
Rich that's a great piece of advice, thank you.Edited by rich83 on Friday 30th January 17:09
I can't sing in tune so I normally avoid it like the plague but I just strummed a few reasonably tricky jazz chords and warbled over them, transferring those notes to the fretboard immediately afterwards did send my fingers to patterns I wouldn't normally pick out. Really enlightening.
Top stuff.
Very interesting. Thank you GC, for the recommendation. I'm not aware of his work but will listen forthwith.
I'd like to get into a bit of jazz. In truth the appeal for me is more being able to self accompany on the guitar to standards/GAS type stuff, and part of that seems to include the little improvised melodic runs between shapes when you're playing a sort of blend of rhythm and lead.
My soloing tends to be all rock though, and I'm very old-skool in my tastes. I pretty much hate Steve Vai type jazz fusion stuff in my rock and ally favourite guitarists don't seem to play all that many notes, whatever that says about me!
I'd like to get into a bit of jazz. In truth the appeal for me is more being able to self accompany on the guitar to standards/GAS type stuff, and part of that seems to include the little improvised melodic runs between shapes when you're playing a sort of blend of rhythm and lead.
My soloing tends to be all rock though, and I'm very old-skool in my tastes. I pretty much hate Steve Vai type jazz fusion stuff in my rock and ally favourite guitarists don't seem to play all that many notes, whatever that says about me!
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