Re: Learning to improvise: methods

Bob Schwartz ( Bob_Schwartz@mindspring.com )
Fri, 23 May 1997 23:33:43 -0400

Further along the lines of what Reed has stated in some of his previous
posts, and a question raised by someone else about why there are no "old
masters" who teach improvisation other than by learning myriad scales,
consider the following quotes from Herb Ellis's Jazz Guitar Method:

"It is significantly easier to reference melodic ideas using shapes instead
of endless scale patterns, modes and arpeggios. This convenient and simple
approach allows players to sound more natural and musical. Unfortunately,
many aspiring guitarists devote too much time and energy practicing scales
in all position, including all of the unnecessary, awkward and impractical
fingerings. Not only is this an inefficient use of practice time, but it
usually results in solos that sound like somebody playing scales."

Amen!

--
Bob Schwartz


At 07:36 AM 5/23/97 -0700, you wrote:
>
>	The current discussion reminds me of a book that came across my
>desk a while ago called "Jazz Improv: how to play it and how to teach it"
>(Jimmy Amadie, 1990). I don't have it in front of me now, but, as I
>recall, the author was critical of what he characterized as the "modal
>approach" to teaching jazz improvisation--those books that tell you to
>play the Dorian mode on the ii-7, change to the Mixolydian on the V7, and
>then to the Ionian on the Imaj7 chord. They give several digital patterns
>to practice--1 2 3, 2 3 4, 3 4 5... and 1 3, 2 4, 3 5, 4 6, etc.--on each
>mode and urge one to practice them in all 12 keys. In later chapters (for
>"advanced"  students), they tell you to do the same exercises with
>diminished scales, whole tone scales, and modes of the harmonic minor. 
>
>	I (maybe it's just me) couldn't get very far with this approach.
>It was never clear to me how one progresses from playing these patterns to
>actually making music.  My improvisations sounded like arpeggios and
>digital patterns, not like melodies. That's why I was intrigued by
>Amadie's book (I haven't had time to work with it yet--been squandering
>all my time on family and career--but I have skimmed through it). Amadie
>claims that his method helps the student learn to improvise melodic lines
>by emphasizing the concept of "tension and resolution." If I recall
>correctly, he says the notes of the chord should be thought of as "target
>notes" and the other notes of the scale and the chromatic notes are the
>"active notes" that create tension. The musician's job is to create and
>resolve tension by moving from inactive tones to active and back. The book
>has exercises that demonstrate this technique. 
>  
>	I hope that brief summary is fair to the book. As I've said, I
>haven't worked through the book yet, so I don't know if it will actually
>help me. I just liked the idea that this book doesn't just say "these
>notes fit this chord," it claims to show how to use notes to create and
>resolve tension. I don't see this book on Reed's list of recommendations.
>I wonder if anyone has used this book, and if he/she could tell us it was
>helpful? 
>   
>Richard Cotenas
>Calif. State Univ., Sacramento 
>
>
>