A Blues-based Improvisation Method for Beginning Instrumentalists

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A b lu es-b ased im p ro v isatio n m eth o d fo r b eg in n in g in stru m e n ta lists Spitzer, Peter A., M.A. San Jose State University, 1990

Copyright © 1990 by Spitzer, Peter A. All rights reserved.

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A BLUES-BASED IMPROVISATION METHOD FOR BEGINNING INSTRUMENTALISTS

A T hesis P resen ted to The Faculty of th e D epartm ent of M usic San Jo se S tate U niversity

In P artial Fulfillm ent of th e R equirem ents for th e D egree M aster of A rts

By P eter A. Spitzer Novem ber, 1990

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APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

Um x .

iI d

-

Dwight Cannon

William Resch

APPROVED FOR THE UNIVERSITY

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ABSTRACT A BLUES-BASED IMPROVISATION METHOD FOR BEGINNING INSTRUMENTALISTS by P eter A. Spitzer This study consists of tw o parts: (a) an introductory essay considering nin eteen p ublished m ethods for teaching m usical im provisation, both jazz and classical, an d (b) a n original sequence of fifteen lessons, u sin g exercises and tu n e s in various blues, jazz, and rock styles. The lesso n s developed in th is project are divided into th ree ‘le v e ls .11 Level 1 is concerned w ith b asic orientation, approached through sim ple idiom atic w ritten exercises, call-response gam es, an d im provisation in easy form ats. Level 2 introduces theory concepts (blue n o tes, blu es scales, chords, chord scales, and form) in a w ay th a t is in ten ded to b e clear, sim ple, and participatory. In Level 3, five original and stan d ard p ieces in various blues, jazz, an d rock sty les are p resented, a s vehicles for im provising. An effort is m ade throughout th e m ethod to m axim ize participation and to em phasize th e precedence of creative im pulse over theory concepts.

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©1990 P eter A. Spitzer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

iv

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I

PAGE

INTRODUCTION

....................................................................................

1

..............................................................................................

2

Lim itations .........................................................................................

3

M ethods P resently A vailable

........................................................

4

H istorical O verview ...................................................................

4

Evaluation of E xisting M ethods ..............................................

6

G uidelines for a Successful Beginner’s M e th o d ................................................................................................

18

G eneral C riteria ...........................................................................

18

Specific Inform ation to Cover ...................................................

19

E xplanation of L esson P l a n s ..........................................................

20

Levels ............................................................................................

21

L essons .........................................................................................

22

Purpose

II

BLUES AND JAZZ FOR BEGINNERS

................................................

29

TO THE STUDENT ...........................................................................

30

LEVEL 1 - GETTING STARTED

...................................................

31

1

E asy Blues in G....................................................................

32

2

Im itation G am es .................................................................

35

3

Im provising Your Own Solo ............................................

37

LESSON

v

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) CHAPTER

PAGE .................................................

4

Blues in F

5

E xpressing Y o u rs e lf...........................................................

41

LEVEL 2 - CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVISING ................................

43

39

LESSON ..........................................................................

44

.......................................................................

47

8

Chords and "Duke’s Place" ...............................................

52

9

A Full A rra n g e m e n t...........................................................

56

10

The Real T ruth

...................................................................

59

LEVEL 3 - SONGS AND STYLES ...................................................

61

6

Blue N otes

7

Blues Scales

LESSON .................................................................

62

......................................................................

64

11

Bo Diddley B eat

12

Chicago Style

13

"Now’s th e Time"

14

Slow Bb Blues

..............................................................

67

...................................................................

69

15

Jazz M ambo ........................................................................

72

16

The N ext S t e p .....................................................................

74

GLOSSARY .........................................................................................

75

vi

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

CHAPTER

PAGE ..........................................................................

77

CONCLUSION .........................................................................................

80

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................

83

TO THE TEACHER III

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

Beginning-level instrum ental instruction, usually in grades four to six, is th e first experience m any people have w ith "formal" m usical tr ain in g

i t is

a tim e w hen b asic view points can b e formed, and a ttitu d e s set, concerning m usic and th e m usical learning process. M any w riters on m usic education have advanced th e id ea th at im provising can b e an enjoyable and useful p art of m usical education ,1 and, increasingly, teach ers are incorporating im provisation into th eir curriculum s. In resp o n se to th is in terest, a num ber of publications h av e ap peared in th e la st half-century, w ritten from b o th th e "non-jazz" an d th e "jazz" perspectives: m ethods, articles, books for teach ers, dissertations. A t th e sam e tim e, jazz-based m aterials have found a secure place in th e m usic program s of A m erican public schools, esp ecially through th e w idening popularity of "stage bands" (now often called "jazz bands" or "lab bands") since th e 1950s. T hese ensem bles, usually u sin g "big band" instrum entation, are now found in m any Am erican h ig h schools and m iddle

^ e e , for exam ple, W ollner (1967), Schafer (1976), Villiam y and Lee (1976), or Lanfer (1979).

1

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schools. The "stage band m ovem ent," b o th a sym ptom and a cau se of rising in te re st in jazz, helped create a n eed for instructional m ethods in im provisation, since th e jazz b an d literatu re, an d indeed th e jazz tradition, require th a t a t le a st som e players b e ab le to im provise solos. D espite th e profusion of jazz-based m usic and m ethods, an d th e w idesp read in tere st in introducing im provisation to beginners, few im provisation m ethods are geared to th e beginning instrum entalist, an d none of them seem s to adequately tak e adv antage of th e opportunity to offer a teach in g m ethod th a t w ould serve a s an introduction to both im provisation and th e blues/jazz/rock idiom .2 This th e sis is a step in the direction of filling th e n eed for such a m ethod.

Purpose The in ten t of th is project is to provide a workbook for introducing im provisation to th e beginner in a m anner th a t is easy, pleasurable, and inform ative. N eeds of th e beginning player w ill b e evaluated, an d stren g th s and w eak n esses of previous m ethods considered, in an effort to form ulate a series of lesso n s th a t will co n stitu te a successful beginner’s m ethod. Im m ediate goals of th e m ethod are to introduce beginning perform ance an d theory, to provide som e fam iliarity w ith th e blues/jazz/rock idiom , an d to

2T his stu dy w ill consider b lues, rock, an d jazz as partially se p arate b u t largely overlapping "idioms." Taken to g eth er th ey form a m ore g eneral blues/jazz/rock idiom; w ithin each are found various "styles."

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3 help develop m usical technique and understanding through im provisation. Beyond th e se are th e larger goals: to foster in th e stu d en t higher levels of self-expression, com m unication, confidence, aw areness of tradition, and creativity .3

Lim itations T his th e sis to som e extent is b o th a research project and a creative work. A s research, it involves (a) exam ining existing literature, (b) finding u sable com m on rang es for beginners on various instrum ents, and (c) evaluation of th e lessons developed, by field-testing w ith approxim ately fifty stu d en ts, in b o th individual lesso n and class settings. (However, no attem p t h a s b een m ade a t statistical evaluation .)4 As a creative project, th is th e sis en tails (a) developing guidelines for a new m ethod, (b) form ulating a series of lesso n s covering th e desired m aterial, (c) w riting blues m elodies and "sam ple solos" appropriate for th e an ticipated level of student, an d (d) placing th is m aterial in a clear and u sab le format. The m ethod w as produced n o t only in concert key, b u t in Bb and Eb transpositions, not included here. Supplem entary m aterial for th e instructor w as also produced,

^ o r a d iscussion of th e correspondence betw een artistic im provisation and basic creativity, see N achm anovitch (1990). 4A ttem pts a t statistical evaluation of th e effectiveness of jazz im provisation teach in g m ethods are found in th e d issertatio n s by B um sed (1978) an d D am ron (1973).

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4 and is found a t th e en d of th e m ethod. This w orkbook is intended prim arily for u se by young beginners (grades four to eight), under a teach er’s guidance, in either an individual lesso n or classroom situation. Secondarily, it could b e useful to adult beginners a s a self-tutor.

M ethods P resently A vailable H istorical O verview Im provisation, or “th e creation of a m usical w ork . . . a s it is being perform ed ,"5 is surely a practice "as old a s m usic itself ."6 Throughout th e history of W estern "art music," im provisation h a s alw ays ex isted in som e form, horn th e im provised iubilus of early chant, to m odem avant-garde concert pieces. Instruction books, from th e tenth-century M usica enchiriadis to m odem w orks, docum ent th e evolving n atu re of "classical" im provisation. T he developm ent of m usical notation, polyphony, and concert m usic w ere accom panied by a gradual, b u t increasing, separation of com poser and perform er. By th e tw en tieth century, perform ers rarely com posed or

5Im ogene Horsley, M ichael Collins, Eva Badura-Skoda, and D ennis Libby, 'Im provisation," in The N ew Grove D ictionary of M usic and M usicians, ed. Stanley Sadie (London: M acmillan, 1980), IX: 31. ®Emest T. Ferand, Im provisation in Nine C enturies of W estern M usic (Cologne: A m o Volk Verlag, 1961), p. 5.

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im provised, an d im provisation had becom e a fairly eso teric discipline, surviving m ainly in th e trad itio n of church o rg an ists .7 The rise of b lu es an d jazz a s com m ercial m usic, beginning in th e 1910s and 1920s, occurred w ith th e aid of pow erful n ew m edia: th e phonograph record an d radio. Though b lues and jazz u sed stan d ard instrum ents and stru ctu ral resources, th e origins and route to popularity of th e se new g enres lay in areas culturally distinct from traditional W estern art m usic. B ecause of th is cultural separatism , m aintained by "serious" m usicians’ non-acceptance of th e new g en res ,8 b lu es an d jazz (and later, rock) developed a s idiom s largely sep arate and d istin ct from W estern art m usic. In th e tw e n tie th century, blues, jazz, an d rock have b een th e strongholds of m usical im provisation in N orth A m erica .9 A w id espread in te re st in learning to perform in th ese idiom s h as b een an sw ered by th e publication of m uch instructional literature. A tw entieth -century revival of im provisation in th e "non-jazz" W estern tradition m ay b e tra c e d in certain m usic education m aterial, including th e w ork of Emile Jaques-D alcroze (beginning c. 1910) and Carl Orff (beginning c. 1924). In m ore recen t y ears, th is current h a s led to th e w ell-know n book

7Horsley e t al., p. 50. ®Graham Villiamy an d E d Lee, P o p M usic in School (Cam bridge: Cam bridge U niversity P ress, 1976), pp. 33-47. BHorsley e t al., p. 51.

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by G ertrude Price W ollner (1963). Since th a t tim e, th e stu bb orn exclusivity b etw een th e "jazz” an d "non-jazz" w orlds m ay have b eg u n to b reak dow n, a s m ay b e seen in, for exam ple, th e approaches of Konowitz (1973) an d Ham aker e t al. (1979).

E valuation of Existing M ethods The focus of th is th e sis is on producing an optim ally effective im provisation m ethod for beginners, using b lu es-b ased m aterials. In preparation for th is task, a num ber of m odem teach in g m ethods w ere exam ined. M ost are w ithin th e 'jazz" tradition, though som e oth ers w ere considered. Follow ing is a chronological listin g of relev an t w orks, w ith a description of each, and an evaluation of stren g th s an d w eak n esses. This is n o t a com prehensive listin g of m odem im provisation m ethods, b u t rep resen ts th o se w orks available a t th e tim e of th is w riting, eith er com m ercially or a t th e San Jo se S tate U niversity library.

Im provisation in M usic. G ertrude Price W ollner (1963) This work, a m odem classic in th e non-jazz tradition, is in th e form at of a guide for teach ers. W ollner’s program begins w ith rhythm stu d y via clapping and conducting exercises. N ext com e, in order: m elody-m aking, u sin g th e concepts of m elodic curves and m otives; scale resources; u se of mood; ear training; an d form study. A fter th is beginning, rath er free and unconventional for its tim e, th e book se ttle s into stan d ard chord study and

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analysis of Bach and B eethoven p ieces for their "m usical logic." The closing ch ap ters involve im provisation u sin g im agery, an d su g g estio n s for teaching beginning group im provisation. W ollner’s book incorporates m any valuable tech n iq u es. It is prim arily for p ian ists—n o t for young stu d en ts, b u t for th eir teach ers. T he book com pletely n eg lects jazz-related resources, though occasional lip service is p aid to th e discipline of jazz im provisation.

Im provising Jazz. Jerry Coker (1964) Coker is one of th e handful of prolific w riters resp o n sib le for m uch of th e jazz im provisation instructional m aterial produced from th e mid-1960s through th e mid-1970s. This pioneering little book, still valuable today, is aim ed a t th e college-level stu d en t. It lean s heavily on chord stu d ies, including also chord-related scales, u se of m otives, role of rhythm section players, and th e concept of "sw ing.” B lues is considered a s a harm onic progression, an d is p resen ted early on. O ther books b y Coker, especially P attern s for Jazz (1970), focus o n acquiring th e tech nical to o ls for selfexpression by practicing m yriad perm utations of scalar, chordal, and m elodic figures, in all keys. This approach, n ecessary for th e d ed icated older student, h as little value for orienting an d m otivating th e young beginner.

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8 P attern s for Im provisation. Oliver N elson (1966) In a brief introduction, N elson sta te s h is b asic prem ise: "as long as th e original p a tte rn is correct, any irregularities w hich m ight ap pear in its sequence are justified . .

This w as th e first "patterns” book. It differs

from Coker’s 1970 w ork in th a t p attern s are p resen ted m ore a s id eas th a n as note-groups to b e exhaustively practiced. N elson’s p attern s range from Hanon-like diatonic p h rases, to bebop m elodic lines, to tw elve-tone row s. M any of th e se p attern s are in evidence in N elson’s ow n recorded saxophone solos. A gain, th e "perm utations" approach is inappropriate for beginners. How ever, N elson is also attem ptin g to com m unicate th e elem en ts of h is ow n jazz style. The "idea book” approach is one th a t could b e usefully ad ap ted for beginners.

A N ew A pproach to Jazz Im provisation. Jam ey A ebersold (1967-1990) A ebersold’s "new approach" is th e play-along record, w ith accom panying booklet. A recorded rhythm section provides a background for stu d en t exercises an d im provisations. While th is kind of accom panim en t is m ore realistic and enjoyable th a n a m etronom e, it does have th e draw back of encouraging an approach to im provisation th a t is m echanical and lacking th e elem ent of com m unication th a t is b asic to a "real" jazz group. A ebersold’s

“ Oliver N elson. P attern s for Im provisation (Los A ngeles: N oslen M usic, 1966), p. i.

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9 m ethod h as enjoyed g reat success an d popularity, an d h a s b een extended to forty-five volum es a t th e tim e of th is w riting. Volume 1 of th is series em phasizes exercises using dorian, m ajor an d m inor pentatonic, an d chordrelated p attern s, and p attern s for n-V-I chord progressions. The am ount of m aterial p resen ted in Volume 1 is too d en se for th e young beginner. Volume 2, Nothin* But Blues (1971), is m ore m anageable, useful for younger stu d en ts if they are m otivated and have a te a c h e r's help. This volum e approaches blues soloing through th e "blues scale" (l-b3-4-#4-5-b7-l) and chord-related scales. R ecorded tu n es include b lu es of various ty pes, including m in o r, slow and fast stan d ard sw ing, rock (minor), and "Parker changes," in various keys. An em phasis on dorian tonality is evident. Volume 3 w orks w ith th e n-V-I progression, and su b seq u en t volum es are nearly all concerned w ith providing a recorded background for practicing "standards." This rem arkable and very useful series is conspicuously m issing a volum e for young beginners, in a clear an d sim ple form at.

A G uide to Im provisation. Jo hn La P orta (1968) Tw elve lesso n s are p resen ted in th is m ethod, w ith each lesso n broken into four parts: "theory," "rhythm training," "instrum ental ear training," and "performance." A n accom panying record is u sed for th e ear training and perform ance sections. The perform ance section of each lesso n involves playing an original piece by La Porta, w ith sp ace for an im provised solo. La

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10 P orta u se s th e Bb m ajor pentatonic scale a s a startin g point, adding th e blue n o tes h3 and b7 in L esson 2. He places im portance on proper jazz (sw ing) phrasing, and utilizes call-response ear training. L ater lesso n s involve playing in th e keys of Eb, F, an d C; w orking w ith th e concept of m otivic developm ent; an d com m on-tone soloing. This m ethod is a m odel of good pacing and clear organization. Presum ably it w as w ritten for u se w ith college stu d en ts (La P orta is a central figure a t th e Berklee C ollege of M usic, and th e m ethod w as pu blished by Berklee P ress), b u t it could b e u sed w ith younger stu d en ts. La P o rta's u se of th e m ajor p entato nic w ith add ed b3 and b7 is an idiosyncratic, b u t sensible, w ay to s e t p aram eters for soloing th a t reflect m ainstream practice w hile lim iting resources so a s to provide security for th e stu d en t. T here is no m ention of any rhythm ic sty le except sw ing in th is m ethod.

T echniques of Im provisation: Vol. 1. D avid Baker (1968) This book is rep resen tativ e of th e m any publications by Baker, one of th e m ost prolific authors of instructional m aterials for jazz im provisation. Baker u se s lydian-related scales to gen erate p attern s, to b e practiced in all keys. Baker’s Im provisational P atterns: th e Blues (1980) b egin s w ith an inform ative essay, follow ed by listing s of b lues chord progressions, original tu n es by Baker, b lu es p h rases, b a ss lines, and piano voicings. T hese books are overly tech nical for th e beginner, b u t th e "idea book" concept is, again, a

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11 useful one. A nother of Baker’s books, Jazz Im provisation (1983), is a com pendium of p attern s, technical devices, and good advice to th e relatively advanced im proviser. To b e useful to th e beginner, th e se concepts w ould require considerable distillation.

A dventures in Im provisation a t th e Keyboard. G lenn M ack (1970) Keyboard an d band instrum ent pedagogy are largely independent fields, for obvious reasons. Band instru m ents are n o t self-accom panying, and pianos are not u sed in school concert or m arching bands. Instructional literatu re for keyboard im provisation is th u s n o t generally applicable to single-line instrum ents. M ack's book u se s a n approach built around fingering p a tte rn s and rhythm ic figures. M odes, various pentato nic scales (black-key and others), w hole-tone scales, and related chords are p resen ted a s resources. A ch ap ter on 'building blocks" em phasizes m otivic developm ent and phrasing. O ther su b jects covered are harm onizing a m elody an d im provising for dancers. No jazz m aterials w hatsoever are included.

M usic Im provisation a s a Classroom M ethod. Bert Konowitz (1973) In th is book, p resen ted a s a teach er’s guide, Konowitz recognizes th re e "phases" of teaching: exploratory or "loosening up" activity, expanding skills, an d "developm ent and involvem ent." T h ese sta g e s are applied to w orking w ith voice, instrum ents, and keyboard, in turn. Konowitz’ outlook

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12 values positive attitu d e form ation, th e expression of em otion, and im provisation a s its ow n rew ard, above building tech nical facility. A lthough h e does n o t show a d eep concern w ith or understanding of jazz, h e does em ploy som e jazz-related resources. Konowitz h a s also authored tw o beginning im provisation books for p ian ists, unavailable for th e p resen t study.

Jazz E xpressions. Phil H ardym on (1975) Though packaged a s a series of arrangem ents for beginning jazz band, Hardym on’s work, in th e han ds of a com petent teacher, co n stitu tes a form of jazz im provisation m ethod. C harts include solo opportunities, in w hich stu d en ts are d irected to w ork w ith a few n o tes derived from a pentatonic scale ("solo-notes"). A ccom panying teach er’s m aterial su g g ests call-response exercises a s ear-training an d a s a preparation for im provising. R anges are m oderate, an d non-standard instrum entation is m ade possib le by sim ple harm onizations an d p a rt doubling. T hese arrangem ents are an outgrow th of H ardym on's "Berkeley Jazz Project” in th e Berkeley (California) public schools, beginning in 1966, and are currently in w ide use. Positive features include: (a) an em phasis on "doing” rath er th a n on theory, (b) a gradual, non­ th reaten in g introduction to im provisation, (c) playable ran g es for m iddle school stu d en ts, an d (d) a form at su ited to practical public school situations.

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13 Blues and th e Basics. Dominic Spera (1975) T his booklet, w ith cassette, is a blues-based im provisation m ethod aim ed a t younger stud en ts. Spera’s approach is chord-oriented, utilizing a Bb b lu es progression and chord-related (mixolydian an d m ajor pentatonic) scales, w ith added blue n o tes (b3, b5, and b7). The "blues scale" a s a concept is avoided, though th e practical resu lt of adding blue n o tes to a m ajor pentaton ic scale is a ty pe of blues scale. Visually, th e form at is som ew hat cluttered. W hile strong on ear training, theory, an d sw ing interpretation, th is m ethod h as som e draw backs: no b e a ts excep t sw ing, overem phasis on theory, and m aterial too densely presen ted.

B asic Rhythm s and th e A rt of Jazz Im provising. Jo e T arto (1976) D espite its title, th is is not exactly an im provising m ethod, b u t rather a collection of idiom atic m usical exam ples, particularly rhythm drills. Brief w ritten sectio n s on im provising and on blues contain som e d eb atable statem en ts (e.g., "when im provising m odem jazz in th e key of C th e following related scales C G and F can all b e u sed w ith th e follow ing chords. C 6 , CMaj 7, C7, C9, C ll, and C13 (sic]."11) This book is b e s t considered a s a collection of sw ing- and dixieland-related exam ples.

“ Jo e Tarto, Basic Rhythm s and th e A rt of Jazz Im provising (New York: C harles Colin, 1976), p. 26.

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14 Im provisation S y llab u s a n d Guide. E dith H am aker, C larice Lincoln, M arilynn Thalm an (1979) This m ethod w as produced b y th e M usic T eachers’ A ssociation of California, for u se w ith piano stu d en ts. The progression of its lesso n s is intended to correspond to th e MTAC’s C ertificate of M erit program . The approach com bines theory study w ith im provising, also u sin g variations on folk tu n es, and im agery. In an effort to n o t neg lect jazz elem ents, th is m ethod introduces chord ch arts and b lues early on. M elodic resources for blues im provisations include m ajor pentatonic scales an d blue notes. B ecause of th e d en sity of m aterial, em phasis on theory, and len g th of th is m ethod, it w ould probably succeed only w ith th o se few stu d en ts w ho enjoy w orking w ith theory. T he m ethod is notew orthy becau se of th e auth ors' sincere efforts to incorporate jazz elem ents into a m ethod produced by, and for, teach ers w ho w ork m ostly in th e classical tradition.

"The Blues: A P ractical Project for th e Classroom," P iers Spencer This essay, p u b lish ed a s a ch ap ter in P o p M usic in School (Vulliamy and Lee, 1980), is a te a c h e r’s guide for a structured p resen tatio n of b lu es in th e classroom . S pencer b eg in s w ith riffs usin g m ajor pentato nic a n d m in o r pentatonic scales. C all-response gam es centered on rhythm (clapping or percussion) are ex ten d ed to creating rhythm ic resp o n ses, th e n m elodic responses, to th e te a c h e r’s ph rases. Before proceeding to 12-bar blues, Spencer su g g ests playing arrangem ents of Negro sp irituals incorporating

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15 sho rt (2 -8 m easure) im provised sections. N ext, stu d en ts are ask ed to listen to an d w rite b lu es lyrics. Spencer th e n h a s th em tak e a large step , to exam ining th e

1 2 -bar

chord progression, and finally d irects stu d en ts to w rite

th eir ow n 12-bar blues m elodies. In its early sta g e s (riffs, im itation, first im provisation), Spencer’s curriculum m akes se n se for th e beginner, b u t th e pacing an d content of later activ ities (w ords, spirituals, chord study, com position) are perh ap s n o t a s p ertin en t to developing b e g in n in g stu d e n ts’ im provising skills. Spencer p o in ts o u t a relationship b etw een Orff "Schulwerk" m ethods and h is own.

Everybody C an Plav th e Blues. Don H am ilton (1984) Brevity is a virtue of th is book. It consists of sev en p ag es of te x t and four tu n e s to play (one of th em is Ellington’s "Duke’s Place," w ithout title or attribution). C all-response ear training is u sed a s a startin g point, w ith a p ag e on chords. T unes are p resen ted in a lead -sh eet form at, w ith chords spelled o u t on a staff below th e m elody, and a b lu es scale show n a t th e to p of th e p ag e in th e key of th e tu n e. C larity of form at is th e book’s m ain strength; incom pleteness is its m ain w eakness.

Jazz/R ock Trax. W ill Schm id (1985) T he aim of th is m ethod is to introduce im provisation to th e young player b y using a m odem b lu es-related idiom ("jazz/rock") exclusively. A c a sse tte ta p e contains perform ances of w ritten exam ples «nri recorded

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backgrounds. All m aterial is straig h t-b eat rock, played on th e ta p e by synthesizer and grow l-tone saxophone. Im provisation is introduced by having th e stu d en t experim ent first w ith four n o tes selected from an F minor pentato nic scale (C-Eb-F-Ab), over a recorded background, w ith lists of "solo licks" to u se a s id ea sources. Chord construction is avoided. A n explanation of how to construct pentatonic scales is given, b u t is som ew hat confusing; otherw ise, th e form at is quite clear an d w ell-considered. This m ethod should b e practical to use w ith th e beginner. However, it h a s inherent w eaknesses: (a) sw ing, or any other b e a t th a n w h at m ight b e called discofunk rock, is n o t m entioned, (b) although m inor pentaton ic n o tes are u sed over m inor and dom inant chords, th ere is no m ention of blue n o tes or blues scales, (c) no atten tio n is p aid to tradition, an d (d) im provisation is tau g h t as a m onochrom atic product, to b e tu rn ed on or off w ith ou t reference to th e m elody or character of th e tune. Indeed, th e m ethod d o es n o t u se tu n es as vehicles, b u t rath er u ses chord progressions. T his m ethod com es very close to b eing a good one by virtue of its form at, pacing, an d practicality, but th e se q u alities com e a t th e co st of disregarding som e im portant elem ents of jazz.

Leamin* th e Blues. Jo sep h Lilore (1986) A s is th e case w ith th e previous work, th is book h a s a unique m ixture of positive an d negative asp ects. H ere, trad itio n is resp ected ; th e book

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17 includes a sh o rt history of b lu es (its accuracy is another question), an d a listing of "great b lu es 8313818" a s recom m ended listening. Soloing is approached through a b lu es scale (l-b3-3-4-5-b7-1). The form at is m ostly clear, including succinct an d useful w ords of advice. The key of Bb is explored first; chord ch arts for b lues in all other keys are included later. Each of th e se ch arts b ears a n ote on "suggested style" (latin, reggae, etc.), b u t contains n eith er m usic p ertin en t to th a t style (melody or rhythm ), nor explanation of th a t style.

O ther Works The follow ing te x ts w ere also exam ined, b u t w ere not considered applicable to th e p resen t study b ecause of th eir level of com plexity: Jazz Im provisation. John M ehegan (four vols., 1959-1965). The Encyclopedia of Basic Harm ony and Theory A pplied tn Trrmrnv-i ggtion on All Instrum ents. Dick G rove (1971). P entatonic S cales for Jazz Im provisation. Ramon Ricker (1975). Im provising an d A rranging on th e Keyboard. Jam es O estereich and Earl P ennington (1981). The 21st C entury W av to N ew Sounds. Rudolf Schram m and Doug Freuler (1981). T he Basic E lem ents of Jazz. Jim Progris (1986). C reative Jazz Im provisation. Scott Reeves (1989).

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18 G uidelines for a Successful Beginner’s M ethod G eneral C riteria The n in eteen m ethods review ed above all have th e sam e goal: to develop th e stu d en t’s skill in im provised m usical self-expression. However, th e m eans em ployed vary considerably. Basic elem ents of th e n in eteen approaches include (a) theory instruction, (b) ear training activities, (c) exercises for technical developm ent, (d) vehicles for im provisation, and (e) exercises and advice aim ed a t developing im agination an d a positive attitude. T hese elem ents, not m utually exclusive, are em phasized to a greater or lesser degree by each of th e m ethods. To b e optim ally effective, a new m ethod for beginners w ould balance th ese elem ents in a w ay th a t w ould enhance th e effectiveness of all of them . For teachin g beginners, a special balance is required. By far, th e m ost im portant elem ent for beginners is developm ent of a positive attitude. A ctivities m u st sen d th e underlying m essage, “Anyone can do this. It is easy and fun." B ecause b lu es is a pervasive influence in m odem popular m usic, blues-based m aterial is ideal for developing m otivation. S tudents perceive th e idiom a s enjoyable and relevant. A blues-based im provisation m ethod h as a m otivational advantage inherent in its nature. To encourage a positive attitu d e in th e beginning stu d en t, early success is essential. This can b e achieved by participatory activities in

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19 carefully chosen form ats, a t gradually increasing levels of difficulty. By m axim izing playing tim e, techn ical developm ent can b e pu rsued sim ultaneously w ith other activities. C all-response gam es are a commonlyu se d an d effective w ay to approach ear training. Even theory co n cep ts can b e approached through participatory activity. Theory is th e m ost problem atic elem ent. Ideally, theory facilitates understanding. Too often, how ever, educators over-em phasize th eo ry in th eir p resen tatio n s, and th ereb y d isto rt its significance. Not only do es th is error lead to an incorrect an d sterile view of m usic, b u t if can alienate th e average stu d en t, w ho is generally n o t m entally disposed or equipped to w ork w ith th eo retical concepts, or to u n d erstan d th eir relevance. In a book for beginners, theory concepts should b e reduced to sim plicity.

Specific Inform ation to Cover D raw ing from th e positive featu res of existing m ethods, an d considering th e n eed s of beginning stu d en ts a s discussed above, certain specific featu res em erge a s desirab le for inclusion in a new b eg in n er's m ethod: 1. A m axim um of participatory activity. 2. A broad sam pling of different sty les w ithin th e idiom, including various "beats" (not ju s t sw ing or rock).

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20 3. E ssen tial theory concepts (blue n otes, blu es-related scales, chords, form) p resen ted w ith clarity an d sim plicity. 4. Technique p resen ted a s subservient to expression. 5. T radition tre a te d w ith resp ect, a s a b ase to bu ild on. 6.

C all-response gam es, a s ear training and a s p reparation for

im provising. 7. A level of difficulty appropriate for th e in ten d ed audience. 8.

W ell-w ritten, idiom atic ("funky") exam ples an d vehicles for

im provisation. 9. A gentle, non-threatening introduction to first im provising efforts, aim ed a t guaranteeing early success. 10. A clear form at, giving each "element" a b alan ced em phasis. 11. A n orientation th a t does not exclude oth er ty p es of m usic—th a t is, th e skills acquired by th e stu d en t should b e extendable into other idiom s.

Explanation of L esson P lans The booklet com prising C hapter 33 of th is th e sis, Blues and Jazz for B eginners, is th e resu lt of an effort to im plem ent th e above guidelines in an effective series of lessons. Follow ing is an explanation of th e reasoning th a t led to th e specific content and order of lesso n plans.

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21 Levels F ifteen lesso ns, grouped into th re e levels," w ere produced. Level 1 (L essons 1-5) u se s four-bar riffs, w ith a background of stan d ard

1 2 -bar

blues

supplied by teach er or c a sse tte tap e, to orient th e stu d en t and to introduce b asic concepts. Prim ary em phasis is placed on participation, an d theory concepts are dow nplayed. The m ain in ten t h ere is to gen erate an early feeling of comfort. To th is end, ran ges are narrow ; rep eated four-bar riffs are used; soloing is approached carefully. Im provisation is p resen ted a s a m atter of w orking w ith m elody, rhythm , and mood. The introduction of scale an d chord approaches is p u t off until Level 2. Level 2 (Lessons 6-9) p resen ts b asic theory concepts: blue notes, scales, chords, an d how th e se elem ents in terrelate w ith m elody an d w ith each other. Theory is a delicate subject: th e stu d e n t w ould b e ill-served by a com plete avoidance of chord-building or blues scales, y et th e se topics can easily com e across a s dry an d boring. In addition, th eoretical structures should n o t b e p resen ted to beginners a s th e la st w ord in how m usic (especially im provisation) is organized. Therefore, th e se concepts are only pu rsu ed to th e ex ten t th a t th ey w ill aid th e stu d en t’s perform ance and com prehension. "Sample solos” are u sed m ore extensively in Level 2 (in Level 1, th e riff-tune m elodies served th e sam e purposes). T hese exercises provide: (a) exam ples of th e application of concepts b ein g discussed, (b) a participatory asp e c t to w orking w ith theory, (c) practice in reading idiom atic

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22 m usic, an d (d) m ental in pu t of idiom atic m usical ideas, for later u se in im provising. Level 3 (L essons 10-15) co n sists of a series of tu n e s w ritten in different b lues-related styles. This section is inten ded to provide vehicles for im provisation using concepts learn ed in Levels 1 an d 2, w hile conveying a sen se of th e w ide and rich tradition s associated w ith blues, jazz, an d rock. It is n o t m eant a s a com prehensive catalog of styles. R anges an d general difficulty are in creased som ew hat. A final chapter, T h e N ext Step," su g g ests directions for continued study, an d a glossary for stu d en ts en d s th e m ethod. A th ree-p ag e section of advice to other teach ers w ho m ight u se th e m ethod is included, follow ing th e glossary.

L essons L esson 1 - E asy B lues in G T he purpose of th is lesso n is basic orientation. R ange is m inim al, using only th re e n o tes (G, F, an d D, or 1, b7, an d 5, in G). T his range w as arrived a t by com paring stan d ard b an d m ethods for various instrum ents; it is w ithin th e overlap of ran g es a t th e point w here eighth n o tes are introduced. A ccom panim ent by a teach er (or recording) is assum ed. S ubjects include concept of sw ing b eat; exam ples in straig ht and sw ing, a t various tem pos; an d th e b asic concept of arrangem ent.

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L esson 2 - Im itation n a m e s This is a participatory activity serving b o th a s ear trainin g an d a s a preparation for first solos. In fact, call-response gam es p resen t th e b asic elem ents of im provisational soloing (pre-hearing; production of im agined sound), ex cep t th a t th e decisions concerning n o te and rhythm choice are left to th e instructor. A creative teach er could u se th e se gam es also to p resen t concepts of developm ent and variation, in th e p h rases chosen for im itation. Like th e sam ple solos, th is activity serves a s in p u t of idiom atic m aterial for later stu d en t u se. One further asp ect of value in preparing th e stu d e n t for soloing: im itation gam es com pletely b y p ass th e p rin ted page.

L esson 3 - Im provising Your Own Solo Im itation gam es are extended to "trading fours" w ith th e teach er or w ith another stu d en t, still using only th ree n o tes, th en to playing a

1 2 -bar

chorus. M otivic playing, w ith ideas derived from th e m elody, is p resen ted as good im provisational technique. A sam ple solo is provided for illustration, for reading practice, an d a s a n id ea source.

L esson 4 - B lues in F R ange is extended slightly; a n ew key is introduced. A three-note concept u sin g 1, h3, b7 is em ployed for exam ples. The la st tw o exam ples add scale ste p s 5 and i f 7. Practice w ith soloing from th e m elody is continued.

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24 L esson 5 - E xpressing Y ourself To com plete Level 1 a s a basic orientation section, additional m eans of expression are explored. S tudents are ask ed to select an earlier exercise and to play solos usin g different m oods, n ote d en sities, an d levels of volume. The in ten t h ere is to e sta b lish em otion and tex tu re along w ith m elody and rhythm a s b asic elem ents in im provising. Scale an d chord co n cep ts (to follow) m ay th e n b e se e n in proper perspective: a s techn ical m eans to th e m ore b asic en d of expression, not as an sw ers in them selves. L esson

6

- Blue N otes

This lesso n b egin s Level 2, in w hich essen tial theory co n cep ts are p resen ted . Blue n o tes are p resen ted a s th e low ered 3, 5, an d 7 of a key. Illustrations show blue n o tes ag ain st C, F, an d G m ajor scales. This p rep ares th e ground for L esson 8 , a b lu es in C u sin g C7, F7, an d G7 chords. Thinking of n o tes a s related to a m ajor scale, u sin g num bered scale step s, is an in tegral p a rt of th is lesson. The id ea of bend ing n o tes (a concept related to "blue notes") is p resented.

L esson 7 - B lues Scales T hree of th e scales m ost commonly encountered in jazz im provisation m ethods are show n h ere in th e key of F. T hree are u sed b o th in order to ed u cate th e stu d en t an d to avoid em phasizing any one of th e th re e scales. All th ree scales w ill “sound" ag ain st d o m in a n t, chords on I, IV , an d V. The

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25 stu d e n t is asked to w rite th e se scales out in C an d G. A sam ple solo is given th a t u ses id eas related to th e se scales. This exam ple is w ritten in changing scale areas; th e purpose is to show th a t scales are only one of m any organizing forces. The prim ary technique of organization in th is and oth er sam ple solos is extension and expansion of m elodic-rhythm ic m otives. L esson

8

- Chords an d "Duke’s Place"

Students are show n how to build dom inant chords b y using ste p s 1, 3, 5, b7 of a m ajor scale. Several goals are accom plished here: (a) chord building is introduced, (b) chords are p resen ted a s related to scales, a useful persp ectiv e for th e im proviser, an d (c) dom inant (mixolydian) scales are introduced. The stu d en t is now equipped w ith b lue note, scalar, an d chordal concepts, applied in C, F, an d G. This should provide a strong background for dealing w ith "Duke’s Place," a b lues in C by Duke Ellington. U sing th is tu n e provides a reference to jazz history an d te ach es stu d en ts a p iece th a t is considered stan d ard repertoire.

L esson 9 - A Full A rrangem ent T raditional roles of instru m ents in a jazz ensem ble are discussed. A typical jazz com bo arrangem ent form at is applied to "Duke’s Place."

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26 L esson 10 - The R eal T ruth U sing a sh o rt idiom atic p h rase a s an exam ple, th e p o in t is m ade th a t th e p h rase could b e explained theoretically several different w ays, b u t th a t th e "real truth" is th a t it is a p h rase in a m usical language. T his is an explicit statem en t of th e subservience of theory to expression. W hile stu d en ts m ust b e given a w orking know ledge of theory concepts, they should develop a natural, intuitive approach to im provising th a t u se s theory concepts m ore as tools for u nd erstanding th an a s prim ary devices of m usical organization. T his lesso n concludes Level 2, th e section m ean t a s a practical introduction to essen tial theory concepts. Six item s of advice for im provising are added here.

L esson 31 - Bo Diddlev B eat L essons 11-15 co n stitu te vehicles for practicing im provisation; no new theory concepts are p re se n te d in Level 3 except th o se encountered in playing th e tu n es, w hich are w ritten in various styles. The p iece in th is lesson u se s a rhythm ic p a tte rn found in m any 1950s rhythm an d b lues (early rock) tunes. A lthough th e m elody u se s six teen th notes, th e ran ge should b e easy, and chords for soloing are virtually th e sam e as th o se for "Duke's Place."

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27 L esson 12 - Chicago Stvle The key of G is re-introduced; chords include G7, C7, an d (for th e first tim e) D7. The piece is w ritten in one of th e "Chicago" sty les asso ciated w ith M uddy W aters, Howlin’ Wolf, etc.

L esson 13 - N ow 's th e Time This is another p iece in th e stan d ard jazz repertoire, providing th e opportunity to introduce th e "bebop” style an d an altern ate stan d ard blues chord pattern. The key of F, already fam iliar to th e stu d en t, is used; one new chord is introduced (G-7).

L esson 14 - Slow B lues in Bb The m elody of th is p iece u se s som e very traditional p h rases, and th e chords are in a traditional, b u t slightly m ore difficult, progression. N ew chords include Eb7, C-7, A7, an d Ab7 (the la st tw o chords are optional). The tem po should b e com fortably slow . This key is, of course, com m only u sed for instrum ental blues. It w as n o t included earlier in th is m ethod b ecau se th e narrow ran ge chosen a s a startin g b a sis seem ed to tra n sla te b e tte r into th e keys of G an d F. Theory concepts in C led naturally to "Duke’s Place" (in C, an d u sin g C7, F7 and G7 chords). N evertheless, Bb an d F are th e m ost com m only-encountered keys for b lu es in m ainstream jazz.

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28 L esson 15 - Jazz M amho W hile n o t exactly a b lues form, m am hn w as sele cted a s th e style for th e la s t piece, for several reasons: (a) b ecau se b lue n o tes, especially b7, are a p a rt of th is style, (b) b ecau se latin " sty les are frequently u sed b y jazz players, (c) to convey th e idea th a t im provisers can function in a variety of idiom s, an d (d) to u se another organizing fram ew ork b esid e s

1 2 -bar

blues,

nam ely layered rhythm s. The N ext Step For th e stu d en t in tere sted in further developing im provising skills and know ledge of th e idiom , th is chapter provides su g g estio n s for directions of future study, an d p artin g w ords of advice.

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CHAPTER n

BLUES AND JAZZ FOR BEGINNERS

29

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TO THE STUDENT

Blues, jazz, an d rock are different sty les of m usic th a t have a lo t in common. T here are even different kinds of b lues (country b lues, Chicago blues, etc.), jazz (big band, bebop, fusion, etc.), rock (1950s rock, heavy m etal, etc.). O ther related sty les include rhythm an d blues, soul, funk and rap. But all of th e se ty p es of m usic have som ething in common: th ey all depend very m uch on "blues" sounds, and th ey all u se im provisation.

In th is book you w ill learn w h at th e se blues sounds are, and how to u se them to m ake u p your ow n m usic (or "improvise"). This book is intend ed to b e easy to u se an d fun to play, and w ill help you to u n d erstan d how th is sort of m usic is p u t together. Have fun, an d b e creative!

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31 LEVEL 1 GETTING STARTED

You could think of b lu es, jazz, an d rock a s m usical lan g u ag es th a t are closely related. To learn th e s e languages, you should w ork on b o th reading and expressing yourself—in th is case, w ith n o tes an d p h rases rath er th an w ords and sentences.

T his section w ill introduce you to b lu es, jazz, an d rock through reading, im itating, an d im provising.

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32 LESSON 1

E asy B lues in G In th is lesson, you w ill play som e easy b lu es u sin g 4-m easure "riffs" as m elodies (a riff is a short, rep eatin g m usical idea).

All of th e se riffs are in th e key of G. This m eans th a t G is th e hom e note, or "tonic."

F irst, play Exam ple 1 by itself. N ext, liste n carefully w hile th e rhythm sectio n (teacher or recording) plays a 12-bar blues. T his is th e kind of background w e w ill vise throughout th is book.

Exam ple 1

3x

N ow play Exam ple 1 th re e tim es, w hile th e rhythm section plays a b lu es background. This w ill m ake a b lu es m elody, or "head." Try th is several tim es.

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33 Note: "Swing" b e a t m eans th a t every p air of eig h th n o tes is played long/short, like this:

II r ir ir ir ill Som etim es sw ing b e a t is w ritten though it really sounds closer to

m

J73

in stead of

I""J

. In th is book, w e w ill say

"rock 1 w hen w e m ean straig h t (regular) eighths.

Now play each of th e following 4-bar riffs:

Exam ple 2

Exam ple 3

3* ( c t l& tx)

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34 Exam ple 4

Exam ple

6

/7 s b v o * *

^c: J \ \

I

,

i

n p g ^ - .j 3 - ^ j

\-[

3x

- 1

You can m ake a short arrangem ent out of any of th e se m elodies by p u ttin g a

1 2 -m easure

solo in th e m iddle, w ith th e h ead a t th e beginning and

th e end. For now , le t th e teach er play a sim ple solo, or have th e rhythm section fill th e m iddle 12 bars. L esson 3 will show you how to m a k e up your ow n b lu es solos.

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35 LESSON 2

Im itation G am es T hese ear training gam es w ill help you to know your instrum ent, and to th ink m usically. The id ea is th a t th e lead er (teacher) m akes u p a m usical idea, an d th e class im itates it as exactly a s possible. S tart w ith ju s t th e note G, in any rhythm , for one m easure, like this:

Exam ple 7

e \* 4 J

\ tUu

\cM

"P

das _____________

A s you g e t b e tte r a t th is gam e, add th e n o tes F an d D; th e n try tw o-

m easure p h rases. For exam ple.

/f

\.uhtf

tltff

t'

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You can practice th is gam e on your ow n w ith ju s t tw o stu d en ts, taking tu rn s a s lead er an d im itator.

Try playing a t different tem pos, and w ith different b e a ts (rock or sw ing). Keep th e rhythm steady!

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LESSON 3

Im provising Your Own Solo

To w arm up for th is lesson, here is a different version of th e im itation gam e, called "trading fours." T he teach er w ill play a four-bar ph rase, using G, F, an d D. This tim e, stu d en ts w ill answ er individually, n o t by im itating, b u t w ith four m easures of anything else th ey feel like playing, usin g any rhythm th a t com es to mind.

W hen you feel com fortable trading fours, pick one of th e riffs from L esson 1 to u se a s a "head.” Play th e m elody (repeating th e riff th ree tim es) over a

1 2 -bar

b lu es background, b u t th is tim e continue by making up short

solos, still u sin g th e n o tes G, F, an d D. E ach stu d e n t should try to fill up 12 m easu res.

Your solo should fit w ith th e tu n e you are playing. O ne w ay to do th is is to s ta rt w ith an id ea from th e head. For exam ple, h ere is a 12-bar solo th a t could go w ith th e first tu n e in L esson 1:

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38 Exam ple

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In th e sp ace provided below , w rite a few id eas th a t you m ight w an t to u se in a solo for Exam ple 4.

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39 LESSON 4

Blues in F

N ext, try th e se riffs in th e key of F. Play each one a s a tu ne, w ith th e h ead a t th e beginning and end, and solos in th e m iddle. B ase your solos on id eas from th e m elody.

Exam ple 9

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Exam ple 10

Exam ple 11

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Exam ple 13

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LESSON 5

E xpressing Y ourself

C hoose one of th e riffs from L esson 4 to u se a s a head. For th is lesson, you w ill play it a s a com plete tu n e (head-solos-head), a s many different w avs a s p o ssib le.

H ere are som e variations to try:

1. U se a different b eat. 2. Play w ith different em otions: angry, peaceful, nervous, friendly, etc. 3. Soft or loud. 4. F a st or slow . 5. Solos w ith lo ts of silence. 6.

Solos w ith lo ts of notes.

7. A ny com bination of th e above.

A fter you have played th e tu n e a s m any w ays a s p ossible, decide w hich variations "fit th e tu n e best" (or ju st, "which w ay you like most"). Then play it one m ore tim e th a t w ay.

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42 In th e m usical language, th ere are m any different w ays to express yourself. M usicians should explore all kinds of expression. T his is one of th e m ost im portant lesso n s in th is book!

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43 LEVEL 2

CONCEPTS FOR IMPROVISING

T here are th re e b asic approaches to im provising th a t are often u sed by blues, jazz, an d rock m usicians:

1. Play off th e m elody (you have already tried this); 2. B ase your id eas on a scale th a t relates to th e piece; an d /o r 3. U se n o tes from th e chords in th e accom panim ent.

In th is section, w e w ill explore th e "scale" an d "chord" approaches. You w ill learn w h at th e se scales an d chords are, and how to u se them .

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44 LESSON 6

Blue N otes W hat m akes m usic sound "bluesy” or "funky?" P art of th e reaso n is th a t blues, jazz, an d rock often u se "blue notes." Blue n otes are th e flat 3, 5, an d 7 of a key.

H ere are th e b lu e notes in th e key of C, w ith a C m ajor scale for com parison. C m ajor scale:

Blue n o tes in C:

H ere are th e blu e n otes in G, w ith a G m ajor scale for com parison. Go back to L esson 1 an d circle all th e blue notes.

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G m ajor scale:

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Blue n o tes in G:

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A nd below is th e sam e thing, in th e key of F. Go back to L esson 4 and circle all th e blue notes.

F m ajor scale:

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Blue n o tes in F:

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46 You can g e t a bluesy feeling in a solo by "bending” n o tes. This m eans b ittin g th em low in pitch, th e n bringing them up to norm al pitch. This is especially effective w ith th e th ird scale ste p (see below ). B ent n o tes are show n like this:

m . Play th e following exam ple:

Exam ple 14 (in F)

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47 LESSON 7

B lues Scales To g e t a bluesy sound, m usicians often b ase solos on scales th a t include blue notes. T hree of th e m ost popular of th e se are show n below in th e key of F, w ith an F m ajor scale for com parison. Play each scale through several tim es, up and dow n, to check its sound.

F m inor pentatonic:

1

i n

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*7 t

F blues:

' ”

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F dorian:

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48 Com pare to:

F major:

% To m ake sure you u n d erstan d how th e se scales w ork, w rite o u t th e following: C m inor pentatonic:

C blues:

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49 C dorian:

G m inor pentatonic:

G blues:

G dorian:

Now play Exam ple 9 again a s an arrangem ent (head-solos-head), w ith solos b ased on one or m ore of th ese scales.

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50 Exam ple 9

You should also play through th e sam ple solo below , w hich could go w ith Exam ple 9.

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52 LESSON 8 C hords and “D uke's Place* The chords in th e b lu es accom panim ents you have u se d so far are all bu ilt th e sam e w ay. This ty p e of chord is called a "dom inant seventh" (or "dominant") chord. Play th e se chords:

You w ill often se e chords w ritten th is way:

Of course, only in stru m en ts like piano or guitar can actually p lay all th e n o tes a t th e sam e tim e.

Chords an d scales are closely related. You can build any dom inant chord by im agining a m ajor scale bu ilt on th e nam ed note, low ering th e seventh step , th e n leaving out every other note:

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53

"Duke's Place," by Duke Ellington (a fam ous jazz pian ist, com poser, and b an d leader), is a p iece th a t u se s only d o m in an t, chords: C7, F7, an d G7. Try playing it, w ith solos b a se d on th e chords in th e accom panim ent, or on th e scales th a t go w ith th em (this kind of scale, like m ajor b u t w ith a b7, is called a "dominant" or "mixolydian" scale).

You w ill have to keep your place and change chords a t th e right tim e!

Play thro ugh th e sam ple solo for an exam ple of how to u se th e chord to n es an d dom inant scales.

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55 Exam ple 16 Sam ple solo for "Duke’s Place," using chord to n es an d dom inant scales:

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56 LESSON 9

A Full A rrangem ent

Next, w e w ill play "Duke’s Place" a s a full arrangem ent. Traditionally, each in stru m en t plays a certain role in th is sty le (“sw ing jazz,” w hich sta rte d in th e 1920s):

M elody in stru m en ts (clarinet, trom bone, flute, etc.): Play th e melody, m aybe w ith harm ony n o tes added.

Rhvthm sectio n: Piano or guitar: Play chords u sing sho rt rhythm ic figures in sw ing b e a t (this is called "comping"). Bass: Play stead y quarter n o tes (this is a "walking” pattern). Drums: Keep a stead y sw ing b eat.

All in stru m en ts: M ay play solos.

Try th is arrangem ent: H ead (all in unison) H ead (add rhythm section, harm ony p arts) Solos (any approach)

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57 Trade fours H ead (including rhythm section, harm ony p arts)

For ad d ed in terest, try having players w ho are not soloing play background riffs during solos. H ere is one exam ple; you can m ake u p other riffs on your own:

Exam ple 17

Harm ony n o tes for th e h ead are show n below . A s you can see, they form p a rt of th e chord, p laced below th e m elody note:

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58 Exam ple 18

Duke’s Place

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LESSON 10

The R eal Truth

Look a t th e following phrase, from th e very first lesso n in th is book:

W here did it com e from? From a chord? From a scale? Actually, you could explain it several w ays:

1. P art of a G m inor pentatonic scale. 2. P art of a G b lu es scale. 3. P art of a G dom inant scale. 4. P art of a G dorian scale. 5. P art of a G7 chord.

But th e real tru th is sim ply th a t it is a phrase in th e m usical language w e call b lu es (or jazz, or rock). Theory exists to explain m usic. M usic com es first, n o t theory.

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60 H ere is som e m ore advice for im provising:

1. P ractice im provising, by yourself or w ith others. You can do th is w ith your instrum ent, w ith your voice, or in your head.

2. Keep your ears open. You can g et m usical ideas from th e sounds around you. In a group, th is m eans listening to th e other players and fitting your id eas to theirs.

3. Don’t b e afraid of m istakes. J u st "go for it."

4. Rem em ber th a t in terestin g rhythm ic id eas are a t least a s im portant a s m elodic ideas.

5. W hen you are im provising, le t your solo tak e its ow n direction. You don’t n eed to stick to one se t of notes, u n less th a t is th e sound you w ant. Any no te can b e m ade to sound "right," by th e w ay it is used.

6.

Don’t forget th e value of using em otion or m ood in your playing.

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61 LEVELS SONGS AND STYLES

In th is group of lesso n s, you w ill b e able to try im provising on songs th a t u se som e of th e im portant sty les of blues, rock, an d jazz. T hese are sty les th a t a m odem m usician should b e aw are of.

You w ill b e ab le to try out id eas th a t you have already learned—for exam ple, im provising w ith id eas from th e m elody, different scales, or b en t notes.

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62 LESSON 11

Bo D iddley B eat

T his b lu es u se s a rhythm th a t is found in q u ite a few 1950s rock songs, an d is still popular today. It is usually called a "Bo Diddley" b eat b ecau se a "rhythm an d blues" singer and g u itarist nicknam ed "Bo Diddley" (Elias M cDaniels) u se d it in so m any of h is songs.

The b e a t goes like this:

T his b e a t is k ep t b y th e drum s, and gu itar or piano.

N otice th a t th e chords are a stan d ard b lu es progression in C, alm ost exactly like "Duke’s Place." Play it w ith a b asic arrangem ent (head tw ice, solos, head , coda). T his is a good song for a drum solo.

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64 LESSON 12 Chicago Style "Chicago blues" is a sty le th a t developed w hen m any b lu es a rtists m oved from th e South to Chicago, and beg an playing th eir m usic on electric guitar an d b ass. The rhythm p attern in th is tu n e is ju st one of th e b e a ts th a t is u sed in Chicago blues.

This style h as b e e n a heavy influence on rock m usic, an d w a s a t its stro n g est from th e la te 1940s through th e 1960s. Fam ous "Chicago blues" m usicians include M uddy W aters (McKinley M organfield) an d H ow lin' Wolf (C hester Burnett).

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67 LESSON 13 "Now's th e Tune*

The ty p e of jazz th a t th is song rep resen ts is called "bebop,* an d w as developed in th e early 1940s by C harlie Parker, Dizzy G illespie, an d other m usicians, b a se d in N ew York. In th is style, solos are m ore com plex th a n in "swing," tem pos are often faster, an d certain n o tes are u sed m ore often (especially b5 and 2). Try to u se chords and related scales in your solo, rath er th a n ju s t th e F b lu es scales (use th ese, too).

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68 N o w 's t h e

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Then, after

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bars, add th e m elody, played by bom s (melody

instrum ents) and piano (sw itching from th e m ontuno to th e melody).

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to play an Ab under th e Db7 chord, in ste a d of a G.

Play solos over th e m ontuno, b a ss, an d drum p a rts (C dorian, b lu es, or m inor p en tato n ic scales are good here). If you like, m ake up riffs to ad d behind th e soloist.

To en d th e song, play th e head again, and sto p a t th e "fine.”

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74 LESSON 16 The N ext Step

If you enjoy im provising jazz, blues, an d rock, an d w an t to learn m ore, h ere are a few su g g estio n s for future projects:

1. "Jam" w ith other m usicians w henever you possib ly can. 2. L isten to recordings of g reat players like C harlie Parker, John C oltrane, M iles Davis, Louis A rm strong (jazz); Chuck Berry, Jim i Hendrix, Rolling S tones (rock); M uddy W aters, Howlin’ Wolf, B essie Sm ith (blues)—th e list goes on an d on. 3. Work w ith o th er teach in g m ethods, especially th e Jam ey A ebersold play-along series. 4. Go to live con certs of all kinds of m usic, to check out how th e "pros" play. 5. W rite your ow n tu n es. 6.

Be open-m inded. Try to play, and listen to, a s m any different kinds

of m usic a s possible.

Good luck, an d sta y funky!

T he End

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75 GLOSSARY

bebop (or bop): A style of jazz th a t started in th e early 1940s, in N ew York. bending notes: H itting n otes below pitch and th e n sliding u p to norm al pitch, a trick often u sed in blues. blues: A n A m erican form of m usic th a t is also an im portant p a rt of jazz and rock; also, a particular 1 2 -bar chord progression. blue notes: The flatted 3, 5, an d 7 of a scale. Bo Diddley beat: A particular b e a t found in m any rhythm an d b lu es an d rock tu n es. Chicago blues: A style developed in Chicago in th e 1940s u sin g electric instrum ents. chord: Several n o tes played a t th e sam e tim e. clave: A rhythm ic p attern u sed in Latin A m erican m usic. coda (-^-): A special section of m usic added to end a piece. dom inant chord: A chord bu ilt w ith scale ste p s 1, 3, 5, and b7. dom inant scale (or m ixolydian scale): A m ajor scale w ith a b7. fine: The en d of a piece (Italian for "finish"). funky: Very blues-like. groove: A sm ooth, in terestin g and satisfying rhythm . head: The m elody, played a t th e beginning and end of a song. horns: Jazz term for m elody instrum ents (like trom bone, saxophone, flute, etc.). im provise: To m ake up your ow n m usic a s you play, jam : Playing m usic w ith other people.

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76 jazz: A style of m usic th a t u ses im provisation and a b lu es-related m usical language; jazz h as developed m any styles over th e la st hundred years. m ambo: A style of m usic developed in Cuba in th e 1940s, u sin g a straigh t b e a t and som e elem ents of b lu es and jazz. m ontuno: A rep eated riff u se d in L atin A m erican m usic, usually played on piano. riff: A short, rep eatin g m usical idea. rock: A style of m usic th a t grew o u t of b lues in th e 1950s. rhythm section: In a band, th e b ass, drum s, piano, and/or guitar. scale: A concept th a t p u ts a group of n o tes in a straig h t line, going up from th e tonic note. solo: W hen one instrum ent plays a lead part, or plays alone. straig h t beat: A b e a t th a t u se s eigh th n o tes th a t have equ al value. M ost rock, classical, and South A m erican m usic u se s a straig h t b eat. sw ing beat: A b e a t th a t u ses eig hth n o tes th a t m ove in p airs of long and short notes. sw ing jazz: A style of jazz th a t developed in th e 1920s an d 1930s, often played by ’'big bands" of about fifteen instrum ents, including sections of trum pets, trom bones, saxophones, and a rhythm section. tem po: Speed of th e m usic. tonic: The hom e note. trad in g fours: A w ay of soloing in w hich m usicians tak e tu rn s im provising for four b ars each. w alking: A b a ss p attern u sed in sw ing an d bebop, w ith th e b a ss playing stead y quarter notes.

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77 TO THE TEACHER

The purpose of th is book is to provide w ritten m aterials, in a program m ed form at, th a t w ill b e useful in teaching im provisation to beginners on any instrum ent, in eith er private lesso n s or sm all classes. N aturally, you w ill a d a p t it to your ow n needs. The book itself w ill n o t do th e teaching, an d in fact it assu m es th e presence of a teach er a s bandleader, an d probably a s a p ian ist.

If you can ’t already play through a sim ple b lu es in G, F, or C, usin g dom inant chords, th is m ethod w ill provide you w ith th e opportunity to learn. Your in terp retatio n could b e a s sim ple as root position block chords, or it could u se a left-hand b a s s line an d b e tte r right-hand voicings, if ability perm its. You m ight w a n t to incorporate u se of a drum m achine, a sequencer for b a ss lines, or a recorded background a s teaching aids.

The m ethod assu m es th a t stu d en ts are beginning-level instru m entalists. If th is is indeed th e case, th en keyboard, guitar, and drum se t players could all u se th e sam e m elodic line m aterial a s everyone else, p erh ap s until chords are introduced in Level 2. If your rhythm section players are m ore advanced th an th is, th ey m ay b e in stru cted to play their

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78 traditional ensem ble roles a t a n earlier point. H ere are som e rem arks on b a ss an d drum p arts: B ass S tudents can b e assig n ed ensem ble p a rts fairly early on, if th ey seem ready. A w alking p a tte rn (for sw ing) can b e m ade out of eith er chord tones, or l-b7-5 (the n o tes u sed in L esson 1). Rock p a rts could b e rep eated blu es m elodic p attern s. B ass p a rts m ay b e covered by keyboard, electric or acoustic b ass, guitar, or even b a ss clarinet or tu b a; or th ey could b e left out entirely.

Drum s In th e ab sen ce of a tra p s e t player or drum m achine, th e b e a t (sw ing or straig h t eig h th n o tes) could b e kept on a cym bal or hi-hat alone. This concept, w ith appropriate accen t p attern s, w ill serve even on th e "Bo Diddley” (use six teen th notes) an d "Jazz Mambo" p ieces. To sim plify th ese, play accen ts (clave) only.

You (the teach er) should rem em ber th a t th e purpose of th is project is above all to build a positive attitu d e in stu d en ts to w ard th eir ow n creative efforts. All your com m ents on th eir im provising should b e positive, uncritical, and reinforcing. T he p oint is to develop th e creative process, not

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79 to w ork u p p ieces for a concert. If th is teach in g m ethod seem s to w ork for you, h ere are a few suggestions for augm enting or expanding it:

1. U se p lenty of call-response drills, a s in L esson 2. You m ake up th e drills, an d ad ju st th e level of difficulty a s necessary. 2. A pply th e concepts from L esson 5 in other p laces (em otion, density, dynam ics). 3. E xpand arrangem ents (im provise w ith form). 4. Bring in jazz stan d ard s (e.g., W aterm elon M an, Blue B ossa, Blue Monk, C antaloupe Island). 5. Bring in recordings of jazz, rock, blues, salsa, etc. This is p erhaps b e tte r done after stu d en ts have tried playing th e se tu n e s or styles. Take th e opportunity to say a few w ords about th e players, style, or history of th e recording.

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CHAPTER m

CONCLUSION

W estern m usic in th e tw en tieth century h a s seen a grow ing in te re st in th e art of im provisation. In th e "classical" tradition, th is art h ad b een allow ed to lap se nearly into extinction by th e early p a rt of th is century. It is now being revived in w ays th a t are pertin ent to b o th avant-garde an d historical styles. In th e jazz w orld, m usicians have becom e increasingly skillful in codifying an d articulating perform ance practices of th e g reat im provisers, for u se in teach ing future generations. This project rep resen ts an attem p t to fill a perceived g ap in available teaching m aterial: nam ely, th e lack of a b lu es-b ased im provisation m ethod for beginning in stru m en talists th a t p resen ts m usical elem ents in proper focus. The m ethod developed here stre sse s participation an d th e form ation of view points th a t m ight later prove valuable to th e stu d en t. U se of expression an d m usical intuition is em phasized, w hile theory co ncep ts are p resen ted a s tools for understanding rath er th an a s prim ary organizing concepts. This m ethod does n o t create new teaching techniques, b u t utilizes com ponents of proven efficacy. T hese include th e u se of b lu es m aterials to 80

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81 introduce th e blues/jazz/rock idiom an d im provisation; call-response drills; idiom atic w ritten exam ples; theory study; an d a careful, reinforcing approach th a t g en erates su ccess w ith first im provising efforts. W hat is n ew in th is w orkbook is th e sequence an d balance of th e se teach in g devices. In reality, teach in g "m ethods" ex ist n o t so m uch on p ap er a s in th e actual practice of th e p erso n s eng ag ed in teaching (or m ethod w riting). B lues and Jazz for B eginners is a w ritten m anifestation of th e p resen t author’s ow n m ethod, a t th e tim e of w riting. It w ill b ear continued and en d less revision. Its real u sefulness, it is hoped, w ill b e a s a visual aid for stu d en ts, to supplem ent th e auth or’s teaching; and p erh ap s a s a su g g ested sequence of activities for other teachers. B esides refinem ent of th e m ethod, th ere is th e p o ten tial for its expansion. Several directions are possible: (a) into a m ore com plete survey of blues, jazz, and rock sty les, (b) into a m ethod addressing know ledge of theory and developm ent of technique, and (c) into th e stud y of other idiom s, w ith a le ss ethnocentric focus (or b etter, w ith other ethnocentric focuses). The first of th e above p o ssib ilities could lead to a "kid’s fakebook," w ith playable versions of stan d ard an d original pieces, in various styles. The second possibility, theory an d technique, h as b een explored by a num ber of books already. The third, expansion into other cultural traditions, is perhaps th e area w ith th e g reatest potential, b o th for th e stu d en t an d for th e a rt of m usical im provisation.

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82 Jazz h as, b y its nature, defined itse lf a s a m usic th a t exploits a fusion of cultural resources. It b eg an a s a com bination of A frican and European elem ents; la te r developm ents incorporated Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, and Indian (A sian) m usical languages. M uch w ider expansions for th is im provisional idiom are clearly on th e w ay; th is is inevitable d ue to increasing cross-cultural aw aren ess via th e m ass m edia. T here is enough m usical culture on th is p lan et to keep m usicians sup plied w ith fresh input, for m ore th a n a few years to come.

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83 BIBLIOGRAPHY Abell, Alicia. A Survey of M ethods for T eaching Keyboard Im provisation. M aster’s th esis, San Jo se S tate U niversity, 1988. A ebersold, Jam ey. A N ew A pproach to Jazz Im provisation. 45 vols. N ew Albany, Indiana: author, 1967-1990. Baker, David. Jazz Im provisation. V an Nuys, California: Alfred, 1983. __________. Im provisational P atterns: th e B lues. N ew York: C harles Colin, 1980. __________. T echniques of Im provisation. Vol. I. Chicago: M aher, 1968. B um sed, C harles V. The D evelopm ent and Evaluation of an Introductory Jazz Im provisation Sequence for In term ediate B an d S tu d e n ts Doctoral dissertation, U niversity of Miami. A nn Arbor: U niversity Microfilms, 1978, no. 7901829. Coker, Jerry. Im provising Jazz. Englew ood Cliffs, N ew Jersey: PrenticeHall, 1964. __________; C am pbell, Gary; C asale, Jimmy; an d G reene, Jerry. P attern s for Jazz. Lebanon, Indiana: Studio P/R, 1970. Damron, B ert L. T he D evelopm ent and E valuation of a S elf-In stru ctio n al Sequence in Jazz Im provisation. D octoral dissertatio n, Florida S tate U niversity. A nn Arbor: U niversity M icrofilms, 1973. Ferand, E rn est T. Im provisation in N ine C enturies of W estern Mmsir Cologne: A m o Volk Verlag, 1961. Grove, Dick. The Encyclopedia of Basic Harm ony and Theory A pplied to Im provisation On All Instrum ents. 2 vols. Studio City, California: F irst Place M usic, 1971. H am aker, Edith; Lincoln, Clarice; and Thalm an, M arilynn. Im p ro v isatio n Syllabus an d G uide. M usic T eachers’ A ssociation of California, 1979. Ham ilton, Don. Everybody C an Plav th e B lues. H ialeah, Florida: Studio 224, 1984.

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H aidym on, Phil. Jazz E xpressions. Orinda, California: W ynn M usic, 1975. H orsley, Im ogene; Collins, M ichael; Badura-Skoda, Eva; an d Libby, Dennis. "Improvisation," in th e N ew Grove Dictionary of M usic an d M usicians. ed. Stanley Sadie. London: M acm illan, 1980. Konowitz, Bert. M usic Im provisation a s a Classroom M ethod. N ew York: Alfred, 1973. Lanfer, Helen. The M usic W ithin U s. H ebrew A rts M usic, 1979. La Porta, John. A Guide to Im provisation. Boston: B erklee P ress, 1968. Lilore, Joseph. Leamin* th e Blues. Secaucus, New Jersey: W arner Bros., 1986. M ack, Glen. A dventures in Im provisation a t th e Keyboard. Evanston, Illinois: Summy-Birchard, 1970. M ehegan, John. Jazz Im provisation. 4 vols. New York: W atson-G uptill, 1959-1965. N achm anovich, Stephen. F ree Plav: Im provisation in Life and A rt. Los A ngeles: Jerem y Tarcber, 1990. N elson, Oliver. P attern s for Im provisation. Los A ngeles: N oslen M usic, 1966. O estereich, Jam es, and Pennington, Earl. Im provising an d A rranging on th e Keyboard. Englew ood Cliffs, N ew Jersey: Prentice-H all, 1981. Progris, Jim . The Basic E lem ents of Jazz. Miami: Studio 224, 1986. R eeves, Scott D. C reative Jazz Im provisation. Englew ood Cliffs, N ew Jersey: Prentice-H all, 1989. Ricker, Ramon. P entatonic Scales for Jazz Im provisations. Lebanon, Indiana: Studio P/R, 1975. Schafer, R. M urray. C reative M usic Education. New York: Schirm er Books, 1976. Schmid, Will. Jazz/R ock Trax l . W inona, M innesota: H al Leonard, 1985.

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85 Schramm, Rudolf R. A., and Freuler, Doug. The 21st C entury W av to N ew Sounds. N ew York: C am erica M usic, 1981. Sloboda, Jo h n (ed.). G enerative P rocesses in M usic. Oxford: C larendon P ress, 1988. Spera, Dominic. B lues and th e B asics. W inona, M innesota: H al Leonard, 1975. Tarto, Joe. Basic R hythm s an d th e A rt of Jazz Im provisation. N ew York: C harles Colin, 1976. Vulliamy, G raham , an d Lee, Ed. P od M usic in School. C am bridge: U niversity P ress, 1976. W ollner, G ertrude Price. Im provisation in M usic. Boston: Bruce H um phries, 1963.

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