Creative Jazz Improvisation

Contents

 

Preface

 

PART 1: THE ART OF IMPROVISATION



 

Chapter 1: Practicing Jazz, Constructing Solos, Playing with Other Musicians, Creative Improvisation, Performance Anxiety, and Teaching Jazz

Practicing Jazz

Constructing Solos and Playing with Other Musicians

Creative Improvisation and Kenny Werner’s “Effortless Mastery”

Performance Anxiety

How to Teach Jazz Improvisation

 

Chapter 2: Essential Listening: Major Innovators, Important Contributors, and Women in Jazz

Major Innovators Who Changed the Direction of Jazz

Important Jazz Contributors

Women In Jazz

 

Chapter 3: Rhythm

Gaining Facility with Rhythm

Listening to Rhythms in Jazz Compositions

Max Roach’s Improvised Solo on “Blue Seven”

 

PART 2: DIATONIC CHORDS AND THE MODES IN THE MAJOR SCALE

 

Chapter 4: Major Scales and Major 7th Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Major Scales and Major 7th Chords

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Major 7th Chords

Louis Armstrong’s Improvised Solo on “Hotter Than That”

 

Chapter 5: Mixolydian and Bebop 7th Scales, and Dominant 7th Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Mixolydian and Bebop 7th Scales, and Dominant 7th Chords

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 7th Chords

Lester Young’s Improvised Solo on “Lester Leaps In”

 

Chapter 6: Dorian Scales and Minor 7th Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Dorian Scales and Minor 7th Chords

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Minor 7th Chords

Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “So What”

 

Chapter 7: The ii—V—I Progression

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with ii—V—I Progressions

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on ii—V or ii—V—I Progressions

Clifford Brown’s Improvised Solo on “Pent-Up House”

 

Chapter 8: Locrian and Aeolian Scales, and Minor ii7—V7—i Progressions

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Minor ii7—V7—i Progressions

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on ii7—V7b9—i

Progressions

Milt Jackson’s Improvised Solo on “Django”

 

Chapter 9: Lydian and Phrygian Scales, Major 7th b5 Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Lydian and Phrygian Scales

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Major 7b5 Chords and Lydian Scales, or i—bii Progressions and Phrygian Scales

Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “Solea”

 

PART 3: CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS, HARMONIC STRUCTURES, AND FORMS

 

Chapter 10: The Blues Scale, the Blues Form, and Chord Substitutions

The Blues Form

The Blues Scale

Chord Substitutions

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with the Basic Blues Progression

Gaining Facility with Blues Substitutions

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on the Blues Form

Charlie Parker’s Improvised Solo on “Now’s the Time”

 

Chapter 11: Sectional Forms and Rhythm Changes

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Rhythm Changes

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on “Rhythm Changes” and Through-Composed Forms

Charlie Parker’s Improvised Solo on “Shaw ’Nuff”

 

Chapter 12: Harmonic Structures and Coltrane Substitutions

Coltrane Substitutions

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Coltrane Substitutions

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Coltrane Substitutions

John Coltrane’s Improvised Solo on “Giant Steps”

 

Chapter 13: Free Forms

Gaining Facility with Free Improvisation

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Free Forms

Ornette Coleman’s Improvised Solo on “Congeniality”

 

PART 4: ALTERED CHORDS, DIMINISHED MODES, WHOLE-TONE AND HARMONIC MINOR SCALES, AND MELODIC MINOR MODES

 

Chapter 14: Diminished Scales, Diminished and Altered Dominant 7th Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Diminished Scales

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Altered Dominant or Fully-Diminished Chords

J. J. Johnson’s Improvised Solo on “Aquarius”

 

Chapter 15: Whole-Tone Scales and Augmented Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Whole-Tone Scales

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 9 s5 Chords or Whole-Tone Scales

Thelonious Monk’s Improvised Solo on “Evidence”

 

Chapter 16: Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales, Minor (Major 7th) Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Melodic Minor Scales and Minor (Major 7th) Chords

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Minor (Major 7th) Chords

Sonny Rollins’s Improvised Solo on “Airegin”

 

Chapter 17: Locrian s2 and Altered Scales, and Minor iiH7—V7—i Progressions

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Minor iiH7—V7—i Progressions

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Half-Diminished 7th and Altered Dominant Chords

Bill Evans’s Improvised Solo on “The Autumn Leaves”

 

Chapter 18: Lydian Augmented and Lydian Dominant Scales, and Major 7th s5 and Dominant 9th s11 Chords

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Lydian Augmented and Lydian Dominant Scales and Major 7th s5 and Dominant 9th s11 Chords

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 9th s11 or Major 7th s5 Chords

Sonny Rollins’s Improvised Solo on “Blue Seven”

 

PART 5: PENTATONIC SCALES AND INTERVALLIC IMPROVISATION

 

Chapter19: Pentatonic Scales

Theory/Ear Exercises

Gaining Facility with Major Pentatonic Scales

Gaining Facility with Minor and Dominant Pentatonic Scales

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Pentatonic Scales

Woody Shaw’s Improvised Solo on “Child’s Dance”

 

Chapter 20: Four-Note Groupings Derived from Pentatonic Scales

Gaining Facility with Four-Note Groupings

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Four-Note Groupings

Chick Corea’s Improvised Solo on “Matrix”

 

Chapter 21: Intervallic Improvisation

Gaining Facility with Intervallic Improvisation

Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Chromatic Intervals

Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “Petits Machins”

 

Appendix

I. Intervals

II. Modes in the Major Scale

III. Modes in the Melodic Minor Scale

IV. Diatonic 7th Chords in Major Keys

V. Diatonic 7th Chords in Minor Keys

VI. Chords and Their Relationship to Scales

VII. Upper Structure or “Slash” Chords

VIII. Resource List

Index