Piano Jazz Improvisation

Piano Jazz Improvisation

What is Jazz Improvisation? "Improvisation is the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune." - D C DowDell (jazz pianist) I believe one of the challenges that musicians face is how to improvise especially in the realm of jazz. The term jazz itself is so broad that I can make another website just by thinking of the word. Jazz can be learned much like a language. You can use scales, chords and rhythms specific to jazz. Once you are using them, your playing begins to sound like jazz. There are structures, patterns, formulas and great jazz masters for you to imitate or copy. In addition, there is your own creative explorations once you have some understanding of how to use the "grammar of jazz." It's even better if you have some classical background. You can start by learning the 12 bar blues structure, the blues scale, the related chords, basic swing rhythm and some simple jazz standard tunes like "C Jam Blues". Learn the other main structure of jazz - 32 bar song (AABA... example: Blue Moon, Once in a While, Take the A Train etc...) study the II-V-I progression and then improvise with others. Listen to the jazz standards of the 1930's to learn melodic improvisation, the 1940's to learn harmonic improvisation, the 1950's to learn modal improvisation (especially trumpeter Miles Davis' compositions "So What", "All Blues" etc...). Listen to all types of jazz (early jazz, big band and swing, bebop, cool jazz, funk, latin jazz, fusion, mainstream, free jazz or avant garde) and then gather up ideas, jazz phrases (riffs/licks/passages) that you can use to improve your chops. Practice them in twelve keys. Most jazz improvisation is based on chord progressions (the sequence of chords that harmonizes the melody) and the piano scales that corresponds to the piano chords. An improviser, when improvising over a Cm7 chord will normally play lines built from notes of the Cm7 scale. He will use syncopation, repetition, slurs, alternate notes or substitution to make interesting passages. Jazz players know the tunes that they are playing and the role of their instrument. Whether they are comping (another term for accompanying) or soloing. Here are some exercises or lessons/tips to help you in your jazz explorations:

THE II-V-I PROGRESSION This chord progression is widely used in any jazz repertoire. So, mastering these progression is an advantage and a must, not only to pianists but also to other jazz musicians. In the key of C, the II-V-I progression is Dm7-G7-CM7 or some piano players use CM7 add 9 (C,E,G,B,D) to add color to the chord. CHORD LEFT HAND

RIGHT HAND

SCALE

Dm7

D

D,F,A,C

D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D (D Dorian mode)

G7

G

D,F,G,A

G,A,B,C,D,E,F,G (G Mixolydian)

CM7

C

C,E,G,B or E,G,B,D

C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (C Ionian)

To make the progression a little bit more sophisticated, instead of just doing the normal Dm7G7-CM7 some players use Dm9-G13 -C add 9/6 CHORD LEFT HAND RIGHT HAND SCALE Dm9 D F,A,C,E or C,E,F,A D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D (D Dorian mode) G13

G

F,A,B,E or B,E,F,A G,A,B,C,D,E,F,G (G Mixolydian)

C 9/6

C

E,G,A,D or A,D,E,G

C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (C Ionian)

BLUES (a little blues piano lesson)

A lot of beginning jazz improvisors use the blues as a springboard to other types of jazz or jazz forms. The basic blues have an exact, predictable structure that is called the blues progression. It is the combination of three chords: I-IV-V (in the key of C, the chords would be - C,F and G; in the key of F, the chords would be - F,Bb and C). BASIC BLUES PROGRESSION (in the key of F): F-F-F-F Bb - Bb - F - F C - Bb - F - F (give one bar per chord) In the swing and bebop era, musicians began to make additions to this progression for wider range of scale possibilities and variations.

BLUES PROGRESSION - BEBOP ERA (in the key of F): F7 - Bb7 - F7 - F7 Bb7 - Bb7 - F7 - D7alt (D7 altered - can be D7b5 or D7#5) Gm7 - C7 - F7 - C7

MODERN BLUES PROGRESSION (in the key of F): F7 - Bb7 - F7 - Cm7,F7 Bb7 - Bdim - F7 - Am7b5,D7alt Gm7 - C7alt - F7,D7alt - Gm7,C7alt

Here are the BLUES SCALE (the essence of the blues) on the key of C: C Eb F F# G Bb C SCALE DEGREES: 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 1 The notes Eb and Bb are called "blue notes"

JAZZ IMPROVISATION TIPS SCALE AGAINST: MINOR CHORD - 1 tone up minor - 1 tone down major This means improvise using the scale of the next minor mode 1 whole step up from the minor chord you are improvising in or from a minor chord, use the major scale 1 whole step down against the minor chord. For example: You are improvising on Dm7 (the tonal center is C) instead of using the D dorian mode, use the scale of E Phrygian against the Dm7 chord or use the scale of C major (Ionian). TONIC MAJOR - 1/2 tone down minor 1 tone up minor Example:

On the chord CM7, try to arpeggiate Em7, Am7, Dm7 or Bm7 DOMINANT 7TH CHORD - 1 1/2 tone down major scale 1/2 tone up diminished scale THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS: Here is a diagram of the device that is used by a lot of musicians - the Circle of Fifths which are interval of perfect 5ths (dominants). You will notice that it's just like a clock and it resolves clockwise through the twelve keys.

If you play the chords clockwise, you are doing the cycle of 5ths and if you play them counterclockwise, it is the cycle of 4ths. Practice playing all the tonic chords (C,F,Bb,Eb,Ab,Db,Gb,B,E,A,D,G,C) and then all the dominants C7,F7,Bb7,Eb7,Ab7,Db7,Gb7,B7,E7,A7,D7,G7,C7) going clockwise. You can also try to create your own exercise using extended or altered chords (e.g. C13,F13,Bb13,etc...or C7+9,F7+9,Bb7+9,etc...) then try to do the same exercises counter-clockwise (e.g. C,G,D,A...etc.). Also in the diagram is the relative minor of each key.

PENTATONIC SCALE

A group of five note scales are called Pentatonic Scales. The two most commonly used are the major pentatonic scale and the minor pentatonic scale. On the key of C, the major pentatonic scale is C,D,E,G,A and the minor C,Eb,F,G,Bb. Here are some exercises to help you master the pentatonic scale with the correct fingering. First, play them in descending manner only and then ascending only and then ascending and descending.

KEY QUALITY FINGERING C Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 ) C#/Db Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 ) D

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

D#/Eb

Maj,Dom

(31321313212)

Min

(31421314212)

E

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

F

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

F#/Gb G

Maj,Dom

4(2132121321)

Min

4(3212132121)

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

G#/Ab Maj,Dom,Min 3 ( 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 2 ) A

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

A#/Bb Maj,Dom,Min ( 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 ) B

Maj,Dom,Min 4 ( 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 )

Maj - major Min - minor Dom - dominant

APPLICATION OF PENTATONIC SCALES

Using the II-V-I progression, play the chord on your left hand and the pentatonic scale on your right. On the example, on 3rd means start on the 3rd note of the scale (on Dm7, the 3rd should be F and the 4th note is G...etc...). TRANSPOSE TO 12 KEYS. Dm7

(on 3rd) F,G,A,C,D (on 4th) G,A,B,D,E

G7

(on root) G,A,B,D,E (on 7th) F,G,A,C,D (on 4th) C,D,E,G,A

CM7

(on root) C,D,E,G,A (on 5th) G,A,B,D,E (dom7 pentatonic) C,D,E,G,Bb