Some Notes For The New Improviser

Jazz Improvisation Some Notes for the New Improviser
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Introduction

When asked what is jazz?, Louis Armstrong is reported to have replied if youve got to ask, youll
never know. Nobody is going to argue with Louis, but Mark Levine (the pianist and educator)
suggests that the voodoo, if there is any, is in the 1% inspiration that makes a great performer as
opposed to the 99% component, which can be learnt.

Improvisation is basically composition in performance within a harmonic and rhythmic (and probably
style) framework, agreed with your fellow participants. Like all composition, it requires attention to
melody, harmony, rhythm and rests (dont forget the rests). Because of its on the hoof nature, unlike
most art forms, it exposes the composers instant creativity (as well as his/her performance) to analysis,
with no chance to perfect it before delivery. As a result, it takes a bit of courage to participate.

The following notes summarise some of factors in improvising. As a summary, it is necessarily
incomplete and occasionally imprecise. The notes may introduce some new terms and ideas to you,
which you find a bit mystifying. But remember, in reality, the suggestions are only different ways to
organise your thoughts for improvisation. In the end it is still the same old 12 notes.

Western Music.

Firstly, lets take a quick overview of Western music. Western music, that is the musical evolution in
Europe and North America, as opposed to Chinese or Indian or other non-western areas, has a few
fundamental ingredients. It is conventionally built on major and minor scales and on a harmony
framework (chords) constructed by stacking notes on top of each other in intervals of major and/or
minor 3rds (an interval is the distance between the notes). The basic three-note chord is called a triad
but, in practice, a 4th note (major or minor 3rd above) is frequently added, with the option of further
additions, on top of the stack. The bottom note of the chord is called the root and example chords,
with C as the root, are shown in Fig. 1, together with their most common description in jazz notation.
(There are, notionally, some 60 chords for each note as a root but a few of the chords are seldom used.)

Our music is also key-based and we have been subjected to so much exposure, in the west, to key-based
harmony that the listener is aware of some home note or harmony, which will release musical tension
(usually an arrival at the tonic). As a result, all of us can sing a major scale but we find the music of
China and India unfamiliar and frequently unsatisfying.

When the harmony chord is built using the notes of one particular key, the chord is described as diatonic
to that key and Fig. 2 shows the diatonic, 4-note chords for the key of C major. Under each chord is the
common jazz description for each chord. The chords built on each degree of the scale, as the root, are
given Roman Numerals (C=I, D=II, E=III, F=IV etc) and, thus, the chord Dm7 is the II chord of the key
of C and G7 is the V chord of the key of C. Playing any of the diatonic chords in any order will make
the listener vaguely aware of the key of C but will also hint at the nearby keys of F and G.

However, there are 2 particular sequences, known as cadences, which define the key for the listener and,
when these cadences are played, the listener is strongly aware of their approach to the tonic I chord.
These 2 sequences are IV-V (Fmaj7 G7) or, more usually for the jazz player, II-V (Dm7 G7), since
the II chord is very similar to the IV chord. These cadences, followed by the I chord, are ubiquitous in
our music and awareness of them is a useful part of the improvisers tool-bag. (When the improviser
sees the pattern II-V-I in any key (e.g. Cm7 F7 B or Fm7 B 7 E ) he/she knows that the
improvisation over that sequence can use the notes of the tonic key. More of that, later).
_
Fig. 2 : 4-note chords diatonic to the key of C major
(I)
Cma'
(II)
Dm'
(III)
Em'
(IV)
Fma'
(V)
G'
(VI)
Am'
(VII)
Bm'''


Structuring the underlying harmony based on a stack of major and/or minor 3rds creates what we regard
as a concordant sound. When we play a note coincidentally with that harmony we are playing an
interval between our note and the constituent notes of the underlying harmony. We could stick to
diatonic intervals but melody and harmony played only on diatonic notes would be an unnecessary
restriction and composers add colour to their pieces by the introduction of non-diatonic (chromatic)
notes and harmonies. Thus, in addition to the diatonic intervals, we have chromatic intervals and the set,
with the note C as the reference, is shown in Fig. 3. The enharmonic intervals (i.e. sounding the same
but described differently are not shown). Intervals which span more than an octave, are sometimes
described as compound intervals (e.g. C to D plus an octave is called a compound 2nd) but the more
popular jazz descriptions are shown (e.g. C to D plus an octave is called a 9th). These compound
intervals are described using jazz vernacular, which tends to omit major, minor, diminished etc.

When we improvise, we generate a succession of these intervals related to the notes in the underlying
harmony. We want these intervals to be consonant (i.e. sound good) or, when they sound dissonant
(i.e. clash with the underlying harmony), to be at least something over which we have some control.
Before we look at that more closely, lets just review the framework in which we will be playing our
jazz.

The Performance Format

Historically, the format for playing jazz has been an ensemble rendition of a tune (sometimes called the
head and usually recognisable by the audience) followed by improvisations (solos) on the melody and
harmonies of the tune by some (all) members of the band. At the end of the solos, the ensemble tune is
repeated to finish. Like a lot of jazz terms, head has had different meanings (dont even ask about
jelly-roll and hot-tomato) and was originally short for a head-arrangement one that was conceived
in the heads of the participants and not written down. A lot of early bebop was recorded as head
arrangements and much has entered the jazz repertoire by patient transcription of the recordings.

The basic tunes give rise to the harmonic pattern, which may occupy 12 bars for a 12-bar blues or 32
bars for a standard. (A standard is a tune so popular and frequently played that everybody knows it.
A standard usually comprises two 8-bar melodies (A&B) which are played in the sequence AABA with B
being known as the middle eight, bridge or release.) Tunes of other harmonic lengths are not
excluded, of course. A complete statement of the underlying harmonic pattern is called a chorus (e.g.
12 bars or 32 bars) and a soloist will improvise one or more choruses. The harmony pattern will have
built-in cadences at the end of a chorus to return the soloist/band to the start of the harmony and these are
known as turn-arounds; often some variant of the II-V-I sequence.

Sometimes the choruses will be broken up by soloists playing 4 bars (or 2 or 8 etc) followed by another
soloist, so that the harmonic pattern is completed in these increments. This is particularly popular when
it is the drummers turn to solo, in that each melodic soloist swaps 4 bars (colloquially trading 4s) with
_
Fig. 3 : Intervals referred to C
Note that enharmonic intervals (i.e. intervals sounding the same but
written differently) are not shown. e.g C-F#, enharmonic to C-Gb, is an 'augmented 4th'.
Minor 2nd
,
Major 2nd
Minor 3rd
,
Major 3rd
Perfect 4th
Di mi ni shed 5th
,
Perfect 5th
Augmented 5th

_
Major 6th
Minor 7th
,
Major 7th
Perfect Octave
Minor 9th
,
+

'9th' Minor 10th
,
_

'10th'
'11th'

'Sharp 11th'
'12th'
,
'Flat 13th'
'13th'


the drummer. (Even though the accompaniment often stops during the drummers solo, the harmony is
deemed to have moved the appropriate number of bars so that the next soloist must pick up at the right
point in the harmony). These presentation deviations will be pre-agreed or may be communicated on the
bandstand, so it is useful for participants to pay attention.

Accompaniment to the solos is generally left to the rhythm section (piano, bass, drums and maybe guitar),
who lay down the beat and the harmony. Occasionally, however, the band might support the soloist
with a written or agreed backing figure or they might play a repeated melodic motif (known as a riff)
which drives the soloist both rhythmically and harmonically.

The above loose performance format is pretty much the same now as it ever was.

What do I do for a solo?

In early jazz, the improvisations might merely be embellishing the tune (with emphasis on syncopation)
and a few arpeggios on the underlying chords for good measure. Early on, however, the practitioners had
also recognised the harmonic possibilities of the blue notes in a scale (the blue notes are the flattened
3rd, flattened 5th and flattened 7th). The passage of time brought increased technical facility, more
sophisticated harmonies and rhythms and the jazz educators. Dwarfing the problems of rhythm and
rests, the minefield of what notes to play is what consumes the aspiring improviser.

The improviser can:

1) Solo by ear either knowing the chords or listening to the harmony (only recommended if youre
good at it not many people are).
2) Know the harmony and the embellishments that can be applied to the chords in the harmony
3) Know a selection of scales related to the harmony, which can provide a pool of notes.

The jazz educators decided that the best way to teach jazz improvisation was by reference to scale
options available against an underlying harmony (Option 3). However, according to Bird, who
said learn the changes, then forget them, the target is to be good at option 1)! And in the end, it is
probably technical mastery of your instrument and the ability to hear and play. We can regard option 3,
therefore, as the route to the nirvana of Birdland.

So, whats your current position? There you are, youve just played the head, hoping the band leader
didnt notice a couple of bum notes in your reading and its your turn to solo. You stand up and what
do you do? you flannel (OED: hot air, nonsense). You generate a flurry of notes searching for
some that fit what the rhythm section is playing. When you find them you play them louder until you
discover that the rhythm section have moved on and your contribution is now dissonant; this triggers
another flurry and search. You have a go at hinting at the head, throw in a snippet of Summertime
which always fits a minor chord and then treat the audience to the lick (a pre-practised difficult
phrase) that youve been working on for 4 weeks. You sit down, grateful that the ordeal is over until
your next attempt to do it by ear. Everyone flannels at some point in their career; some semi-pros
have been doing it for years, banking on braggadocio rather than consonance. Dont worry about it,
youve just constructed a solo and, although you wont make a living out of it, its your own artistic work
made with the tools you have available. All your musical friends will applaud your courage if not your
expertise and many in the audience wont have noticed.

O.K., but what notes could you have played? According to Band Leader Ed Harvey, the ABRSM
writer, arranger and educator, any one you choose. A tempting doctrine, but one that is fraught with
pitfalls. The problem is that the listener (and the player) will soon get bored with too much dissonance
so some of the notes might have to be used sparingly.

Lets have another look at Fig. 3, which shows us the intervals relative to C. If the note C is in the
underlying harmony, and we play any one (or more) of C and the 11 other possible notes in any octave,
we are playing one of the intervals shown in Fig. 3. The good news is that there is only one interval
that western ears find discordant and that is the minor 9th (Whenever you hear a discord in your
band, its 95% sure someone is playing an unscheduled minor 9th interval with another instrument). So,

against our harmony containing the note C, to be concordant we can play any note we like, as long as it
isn't the D an octave and a semit one above. Applying the same logic to the notes E and G, if they
were in the harmony, we would avoid playing F and A respectively. The notes C, E and G make up
the triadic chord C maj so if we see that chord in the harmony wed have to remember that we can play
any notes except D , F and A (leaving C, D, E , E, G , G, A, B , and B).

Lets look at the II chord in the scale of C; remember it was Dm7 comprising the notes D, F, A and C.
Avoiding minor 9ths in this harmony means that we cant play E , G , B and D (leaving the notes
C, D, E, F, G, A , A, B). Before your eyes blur over, lets just do the same thing with the V chord of C
i.e. G7 comprising G, B, D and F. Omitting the minor 9ths against this chord gives us available notes of
D , D, E, F, G, A, B , B. (There is a pattern beginning to emerge here but, for the moment, just be
aware of it. For example, you may have noticed that the 5 tones G, A, B, D, E are permitted notes on
all the 3 chords and we could also use the scale of C major on all 3, if we are careful with C and F.)

Having painted the minor 9th interval as the only joker in the pack, however, there are situations where
even that interval is harmonically acceptable. One nice exception is the dominant 7th chord, where the
harmonic content of the sound permits a minor 9th on the root. So we can add A to our available
notes against a G7 chord. (In general, in any chord the 2 most important constituents are the 3rd and the
7th and these dont respond easily to having a minor 9th placed on top of them.)

But there is even more relief in that a discord depends on where you put the dissonant note in a bar.
Ray Brown, bass player to Oscar Peterson among others, had a view that a bum note was only an
accidental in the wrong place. It is useful that a chromatic or discordant note on a weak beat in the bar
(usually 2 or 4 or the and beats) or perhaps used as a passing note between 2 concordant notes can
pass the listener by without too much disturbance. Also, if the player generates a repeated motif, at
different pitches, then the listener will begin to ignore the harmony and listen for the motif, permitting the
player to play outside the chords (a common jazz device). Again, the player could hold a discord
across the harmony waiting for following chords to render it concordant (like a suspension). So there
are situations where you can use any of the potential discords as long as you put them in the right place.

As an aside, before we leave the subject of dissonance, it is worthwhile mentioning that some authorities
regard the minor 9th interval as hard dissonance and characterise other dissonant intervals, such as the
minor 2nd and major 7th, as soft dissonance. However, the minor 2nd and major 7th are so
widespread in jazz that to classify them as dissonances to be avoided, would be unnecessarily severe.
Some mixes of soft dissonances e.g. two major 7ths in one chord (Cmaj7#9), might offend your ear, but
the choice is yours remember dissonance is great for building musical tension.

Scale Selection.

Looking at the previous section, it looks as if Ed Harvey is right; we can play any interval with just
maybe a bit of extra care in some places. But it would be useful if we tyros could know the right notes
before we have to consider making sure that the dissonant notes are in the appropriate places.

We could remember all those permitted tones for a particular chord as one pool of consonant notes.
Alternatively, we could learn that, for example, seeing a minor 7th chord meant that we could play any
note of the scale starting a tone below the root with the addition of the flattened 6th (see Dm7 above).
There are maybe other ways that we can commit the options to memory but the jazz educators came up
with the idea of developing scales and applying modes to enable us to link the harmony chord with a
pool of available notes for improvisation. In effect, you can forget the obscure explanations given
above as to why you choose some notes and not others and just concentrate on the following scales and
modes!

Why scales and modes? Well, firstly, it is a method where a selection of notes are related to the root of
the chord and its description (e.g. Cm7) and, like major or minor scales, can be drilled, thus
minimising the instantaneous thought process in improvising. (Bad news, these scales and modes get
added to your scale practice.) Secondly, the various scales and modes contribute a musical flavour to
the improvisation, like a major or minor key does. Thirdly, it works better, they say, to relate chords to
scales rather than harmony.


Lets remind ourselves of the permitted notes of our sample chords:

Cmaj permitted notes: C D E E G G A B B
Dm7 permitted notes: C D E F G A A B
G7 permitted notes: D D E E F G A A B B

Examples of some of the scales devised to cover these chords are shown below and the notes which
require care in emphasis or placement are shown shaded. The notated examples of some possible
C scales are shown in Fig. 4. Note that the example scales are not exhaustive; there are other options
and a more complete list is shown in Fig. 5, using C-root chords as examples.

Cmaj scale options:

Cmaj permitted notes: C D E E G G A B B
Major Scale (Ionian Mode): C D E F G A B
Major Pentatonic scale: C D E G A
(Minor) Blues Scale: C E F G G B
Lydian Mode: C D E G G A B

Dm7 scale options:

Dm7 permitted notes: D E F G A A B C
Dorian Mode: D E F G A B C
(Minor) Blues Scale: D F G A A C

G7 scale options:

G7 permitted notes: G A A B B D D E E F
Mixolydian Mode: G A B C D E F
(Minor) Blues Scale: G B C D D F
Diminished Scale (H)
Starting on Half-Tone
G A B B D D E F
Major Pentatonic G A B D E

The Pentatonic scale, surprisingly so-called because it has 5 notes, gives an open, spacy feel to a solo but
is restrictive in its note choice (Auld Lang Syne is pentatonic). The modes provide their characteristic
sounds (simple and solemn for dorian and soft and effeminate for lydian according to the OED, but
what do they know. The dorian What Shall We do With a Drunken Sailor? is hardly solemn.) The
(Minor) Blues does just what it says on the tin and is very accommodating of the emphasis of its shaded
note. The minor is in brackets because some authorities only recognise one blues scale (the minor)
_
Fig. 4 : Some Scales and Modes referred to C
Major Scale (Ionian Mode)
,
,
,
,
Dorian Mode
,
,
,
,
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
Mixolydian Mode
, ,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, ,
,
_
Lydian Mode
,
,
,
,
,
,
Blues Scale
,
,
,
, ,
, ,
,
, ,
,
,
,

_
Diminished Whole Tone
, ,
, , ,
,
,
Diminished (H) Scale (begi nni ng on 1/2 step)
, ,
,
, ,
, , ,
,
,
,
, ,
,


but some separate 2 scales into major and minor. The Diminished Scale (H), starting on Half-Tone, has
a bebop feel. The selection of notes from the scales/modes do not have to be played either beginning on
their root or sequentially (as, indeed, a normal scale doesnt); the scales and modes represent a pool
of notes.

You might have observed that the three modes shown in the options are all the scale of C major but
starting on different notes. What imposes the modal or scale flavour is the playing of tones from that
scale over the underlying chord. A melody in the scale repeatedly using all the tones in a mode and,
preferably, starting and ending on the modal root, would also give a modal flavour, without the
underlying chord.

The example chords shown above give some scale options when confronted by the chords Cmaj, Dm7
and G7. These chords also constitute a II-V-I in the key of C major, permitting that scale to be played
over the 3 chords but remembering to take care with the shaded notes. This is exactly what you do if
you select the notes from the ionian, dorian and mixolydian modes for your improvisation.

But what about the other chords and keys? Well, first lets consider all those chords on C as the root,
shown in Fig. 1, (the chords become more complex from left to right, in the illustration). Fortunately,
in many tunes, the pianist will be playing only the first couple, or so, of the chords shown in each group,
unless specifically instructed to include the more complex structures in the harmonies. He may
voluntarily add some other notes to a chord, such as 9ths and 13ths but he should also be listening to the
soloists and responding to their scale choices. Keeping the harmonic accompaniment to the simpler
chords allows the soloist to add all the rich embellishments from a scale that he chooses. (The
wealth of alterations available on a dominant 7th chord makes that one of the improvisers favourite
chords.) So, if the chords are kept simple, we might get away with learning a couple of modes and the
pentatonics.

However, chords like Calt have changes built into them so youll need to know what scales are available
for chords like that. Unfortunately, we do have to cover all the options (see Fig. 5) if our skill is to
developed as far as possible.. Additionally, we have the problem of that throw-away line, beloved of
all music educators. Now learn the above in all 12 keys. Not good news if you have a day-job,
run a home and family or are doing your A-levels. Maybe you can get away without the most obscure
scales but, in addition to your major and minor scales practice, you ought to consider adding the Dorian,
Mixolydian and Lydian modes plus the (Minor) Blues and Diminished (H) starting on Half-tone
scales to enable you to handle a selection of chords (sorry about that).

Learning modes and scales in all keys does present a challenge of a similar magnitude to learning major
and minor scales. Is it necessary to do them all? Well, the more you do, on more roots, the better.
The ABRSM, in its Course work, consider that a Grade 5 Jazz student should know the following
scales and modes in the keys shown.

Major
(Ionian)
Minor Major
Pentatonic
Minor
Pentatonic
3
Pentatonic
Dorian Mixolydian Lydian Blues Chromatic
C, F, G,
B , D,
E, E ,
A, A
C, F, G,
D, A, F#
C, F, G,
B , D,
E ,
C, G, D,
E, A, B
C, G,(This
scale only
used for
grade 1-2)
C, F, G,
D, E, A,
B
C, F, G,
B , D, E,
A,
C, F, G,
B , D,
E ,
A
C, F,
G,
B ,
D, E,
F#, A,
C, D, A


Fig. 5. Scale options for chords

Typical
Chord
Scale
Degree
Scale or Mode Options
Dont let the classical-sounding names put
you off. They are just handy names for a
group of notes.

Scale Intervals
(W = Whole Tone,
H = Half Tone,
3 = Minor 3rd)
Scale Tones On C
Cmaj,
Cmaj7
I Ionian or
Lydian (usually when acting as IV)
Major Pentatonic
W-W-H-W-W-W-H
W-W-W-H-W-W-H
W-W- 3 -W- 3
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C
C-D-E-G-A-C
Cmaj #4
(#11)
I Lydian (usually when acting as IV)
Major Pentatonic
W-W-W-H-W-W-H
W-W- 3 -W- 3
C-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C
C-D-E-G-A-C
Cmaj #5 I Lydian Augmented
(3rd Mode Melodic Minor)
W-W-W-W-H-W-H C-D-E-F#-G#-A-B-C
Cm maj7 I 1st Mode Melodic Minor
Minor Pentatonic
Diminished (W) starting on a Whole Step
Harmonic Minor
W-H-W-W-W-W-H
3 -W-W- 3 -W
W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
W-H-W-W-H- 3 -H
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C-E-F-G-B-C
C-D-E-F-F#-A-A-B-C
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Cm 6 I Aeolian
Minor Pentatonic
Blues
W-H-W-W-H-W-W
3 -W-W- 3 -W
3 -W-H-H- 3 -W
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C-E-F-G-B-C
C-E-F-F#-G-B-C
Cm7 II Dorian
Minor Pentatonic
Blues
W-H-W-W-W-H-W
3 -W-W- 3 -W
3 -W-H-H- 3 -W
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C-E-F-G-B-C
C-E-F-F#-G-B-C
III Phrygian (not usual, mainly only as III in III-
VI-II-V)
Minor Pentatonic
Blues
H-W-W-W-H-W-W

3 -W-W- 3 -W
3 -W-H-H- 3 -W
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C

C-E-F-G-B-C
C-E-F-F#-G-B-C
VI Aeolian (not usual, mainly only as VI in III-
VI-II-V)
Minor Pentatonic
Blues
W-H-W-W-H-W-W

3 -W-W- 3 -W
3 -W-H-H- 3 -W
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C

C-E-F-G-B-C
C-E-F-F#-G-B-C
Co V Diminished (W) starting on a Whole Step W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H C-D-E-F-F#-A-A-B-C
C7 9,
C7 #9
V Diminished (H) starting on a Half Step H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W

C-D-E-E-F#-G-A-B-
C
C7 alt V Diminished Whole Tone
(7th Mode Melodic Minor)
H-W-H-W-W-W-W C-D-E-E-F#-G#-B-C
C7 V Mixolydian
Major Pentatonic
Blues
Diminished (H) starting on a Half Step
Lydian Dominant
W-W-H-W-W-H-W
W-W- 3 -W- 3
3 -W-H-H- 3 -W
H-W-H-W-H-W-H-H
W-W-W-H-W-H-W
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C-D-E-G-A-C
C-E-F-F#-G-B-C
C-D-E-E-F#-G-A-B-C
C-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C
C7 #11
(#4, 5)
V Lydian Dominant
(4th Mode Melodic Minor)
W-W-W-H-W-H-W C-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C
Csus V Mixolydian W-W-H-W-W-H-W C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Csus 9 V 2nd Mode Melodic Minor H-W-W-W-W-H-W C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
C+
(C7 #5)
V Whole Tone

W-W-W-W-W-W C-D-E-F#-G#-B-C
Cm7 5 VII Half Diminished or Locrian
Locrian #2 (6th Mode Melodic Minor)
H-W-W-H-W-W-W
W-H-W-H-W-W-W
C-D-E-F-F#-G#-B-C
C-D-E-F-F#-G#-B-C
Now learn all the above in all 12 keys

A Closer Look at a Solo

So back to what do I do for a solo. Is it a little run up the Dorian mode when I see a minor 7th, adding
a pinch of mixolydian and a half-bar of halftone diminished, when I see a dominant 7th? Well, yes, if
it works, but probably not. Certainly Louis and Bird didnt do it that way. The scales and modes
pertaining to a chord are giving you a pool of notes to fashion your solo. As your technical facility
increases, you will be able to hear the modes/scales and move through them in an interesting way
perhaps linking them to a following chord by a common tone or a lick (qv) or familiar motif or some
other way. Because you are composing, you can use any of the widespread composition tricks. Even
the best composers werent averse to borrowing a phrase, to keep the rhythm and change the pitches or
keep the pitches and change the rhythm or turn a melody upside down or work lots of variations on
one theme. (The development of a theme is an important constituent to give structure to your solo,
so that it has a beginning, a middle and an end.) Also, you will accumulate a stock of remembered
phrases, which help you, in performance, to link melodic ideas. (Not all jazz is instantaneously created.)
All this comes later; at the moment your first job is to fashion a solo in which all (or most) of the notes
are right.

Lets look at Fig. 10, the lead-sheet of Have You Met Miss Jones? A popular and well-known
standard built on the 32-bar AABA format and written in F (concert) - a nice, simple key, youd think.
The tune is written out twice, bars 1-32 are straight, as read in a Real Book (see paragraph on
Repertoire) and bars 33-64 are how a jazz rendition might be phrased. Bars 65-96 are an annotated
improvisation, within a relatively small compass. Since the written solo and your solo would be related
to the harmony, lets examine the harmonic pattern of the tune.

Bar 1 is a tonic major chord bar (the triangle is sometimes used to indicate major) and the pianist could
select any chord from the tonic major group in Fig. 1 (in F, of course!). (If he uses a maj7 or 9th, hell
try and ensure it doesnt interfere with any solo.) Bar 2 has a D7 9 , which is the dominant (V) of the key
of G minor so the ear next expects a G minor chord. This chord is duly supplied in Bar 3 but with a
minor 7th (rather than the expected minor tonic chord), which hints at a return to the key of F. Bar 4
confirms the return to F with a C7 (the good old II-V heading for a I) and, just when you are expecting the
Fmaj, the composer interrupts the cadence with an Am7-Dm7-Gm7-C7 sequence in bars 5-8. The
sequence in bars 5-8 is the well-known III-VI-II-V interrupted cadence, where Am7 and Dm7, which
are very similar to the F maj, replace the expected F chord. Our old friend, the II-V turn-around in bars
7-8, returns us to the tonic in bar 1.

The first 6 bars are repeated but at bars 15 and 16 a key change takes place in a II-V, which, sure enough,
is confirmed with the I at bar 17; were now in B major! But dont get too comfortable, a II -V at bar
18 puts us in the key of G major, confirmed at bar 19 and then the roller coaster hits us with another II -
V at bar 20 putting us in the key of D major (confirmed by the I at bar 21). Still reeling, were back to
G major at bars 22 and 23 with another II -V-I until the II-V at bar 24 gets us back to the key of F major
confirmed at bar 25. That is, in bars 15 24 our solo must travel through the major keys of B ,
G , D, G and F.

Bars 25-32 are similar to bars 1-8, but with the harmony squashed up a bit to end on the tonic F for bars
31 and 32. (Or permit a II-V turn-around in bar 32 to start all over again.)

Yes, very interesting, but enough of all that, youll say. Just tell me what notes should I be playing for
a solo on Have You Met Miss Jones?

Well, we can look at it in, at least, 3 ways:
1) Playing chord tones and embellishments from our knowledge of the harmony chords (The
educators non-preferred way).
2) Choosing notes from the scales inferred from all those II-V-I movements in the harmony
3) Playing notes from the modes/scales appropriate to the chords.

The following table in Fig. 6 summarises the last two methods in columns 3 and 4. Column 5 shows the
scale choices made in the Solo Chorus of Fig. 10.

J Ja az zz zo or rg g L Lt td d 2 20 00 06 6 P Pa ag ge e 1 10 0 S So om me e N No ot te es s f fo or r t th he e N Ne ew w I Im mp pr ro ov vi is se er r
Fig. 6: Scale options for solo on Have You Met Miss Jones?
1 2
3 4
5
Bar
No
.
Chords Possibilities inferred from
the II-V-I chords
Any note from the following
scales. (Potential dissonant tones
shown in brackets)
Possible First Choice
Scale/Mode Possibilities
Any note from the following modes and
scales. (Potential dissonant tones shown
in brackets)
Note how the names of the choices in
this column relate to the chord root.
Scales/Modes Selected to
give notes in example Solo
Chorus of bars 65-96
(Scales selected which differ from
col. 4 are in bold italics)

1 Fmaj F maj. (B ) Ionian on F (B ) Ionian on F
2 D7 9 G min. (G, B ) Diminished (H), starting on
Half-tone, on D
Diminished Whole Tone
on D
3 Gm7 F maj Dorian on G Dorian on G
4 C7 F maj (F) Mixolydian on C (F) Lydian Dominant on C
5 Am7 F maj (F, B ) Phrygian on A (F,B ) Phrygian on A
6 Dm7 Fmaj (B ) Aeolian on D (B ) Aeolian on D
8 C7 F maj (F) Mixolydian on C (F) Lydian Dominant on C
9 Fmaj F maj. (B ) Ionian on F (B ) Ionian on F
Half-tone, on D
Diminished (H), starting
on Half-tone, on D
12 C7 F maj (F) Mixolydian on C (F) Mixolydian on C
13 Am7 F maj (F, B ) Phrygian on A (F,B ) Phrygian on A
14 Dm7 F maj (B ) Aeolian on D (B ) Aeolian on D
15 Cm7 B maj Dorian on C Dorian on C
16 F7 B maj (B ) Mixolydian on F (B ) Mixolydian on F
17 B maj B maj (E ) Ionian on B (E ) Ionian on B
18 A m7 -
D 7
G maj G maj (G ) Dorian on A Mix. On D
(G )
Dorian on A Mix. On
D
19 G maj G maj (B) Ionian on G (B) Ionian on G
20 Em7-A7 D maj D maj (D) Dorian on E Mix. On A (D) Dorian on E Mix. On A
21 Dmaj D maj (G) Ionian on D (G) Lydian on D
22 A m7 -
D 7
G maj G maj (G ) Dorian on A Mix. On D
(G )
Blues on A Mix. On
D
23 G maj G maj (B) Ionian on G (B) Ionian on G
24 Gm7-C7 F maj F maj (F) Dorian on G C Mix (F) Dorian on G
25 Fmaj F maj. (B ) Ionian on F (B ) Blues on D
Half-tone, on D
Blues on D
27 Gm7 F maj Dorian on G Blues on F
28 C7 F maj (F) Mixolydian on C (F) Blues on F
29 Am7-Dm7 F maj (F,B ) F maj
(B )
Phrygian on A (F,B ) -
Aeolian on D (B )
Blues on A
30 Gm7-C7 F maj F maj (F) Dorian on G Mix. on C (F) Dorian on G Mix. on C
31 Fmaj F maj. (B ) Ionian on F (B ) Lydian on F
32 Gm7-C7 F maj F maj (F) Dorian on G Mix. on C (F) Dorian on G Lydian
Dominant on C

For our solo, we can use any mixture of the columns 3 and 4 (plus a bit of harmony knowledge, if we
want to). However, if our tune had not had the plethora of II-V-Is, the key centres would have been
more difficult to define, as listed in the column 3. The approach in the Scales/Mode column (4) avoids
that problem and also gives us the opportunity to apply some different scales to colour the
improvisation. The selection in Column 5 shows what a soloist might choose and these have given rise
to the solo melody of bars 65-96 of Fig. 10.

Repertoire.

If you can get to grips with the requirements to develop a solo, as broadly explained above, you still have
to choose your style and the source of the tunes on which your improvisations will be based.


All aspiring jazz players should have a few of their favourite tunes (or, better, audience favourites) for
which they know the melody and the changes. These can be learnt from a Real Book, which is a
compendium of standards, blues, jazz transcribed from records, pop, funk etc. usually comprising a
single melody line and the associated harmonies. (They are Real to differentiate them from their
precursor Fake Books, which were normally bootlegged versions of melody and chords, with doubtful
harmonies). Although there is no need to commit the whole of your real book to memory, it is
undeniable that you will fashion a better solo if you are familiar with the chords of a tune. Some people
have a talent (or think that they have) for playing by ear, but even the best wont do anything outside their
current repertoire. George Shearing, who had a better reason than most for playing by ear (he is blind)
refused to busk Mountain Greenery with Mel Torme despite playing together for years. Zoot Sims
claimed to have a repertoire of 24 tunes at any one time and wouldnt play anything other than those.

If your favourites are a bit obscure, keep copies of the concert lead sheets (showing melody line and
chords) in your instrument case to give to the rhythm section on a gig. A couple of must knows are 12
bar Blues sequences in concert F (plus B and E ) and Rhythm Changes the chords to Gershwins
Ive Got Rhythm, which form the basis of a number of jazz standards. Although there are a number of
variants of both these sets of chords, the basic changes are shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in concert key.

Licks.

A lick is a practised phrase intended to dazzle the audience by its apparent spontaneity and virtuosity.
The purists will tell you that real jazzers dont use licks, because everything comes from the instant
creative process. Dont believe it. Stan Tracey, when resident pianist at Ronnie Scotts, became
increasingly exasperated by the giant egos of visiting American jazzmen. So he listened to their records
and practised their licks. During performance at Ronnies the big egos would let loose their stunning
licks, which Stan would nonchalantly echo at the piano; a nice cutting down to size.

_
Fig. 7 : 12-Bar Blues Chords
F'

B''

F'

F'

B''

_
B''

F'

F'

Gm'

_
C'

F'

C'

_
Fig. 8 : 'Rhythm' Chords
B'

Cm'

F'

B'

Cm'

F'

1.
_
B''

E''

A''

B'

al Coda

Cm'

F'

B'

_
D'

D'

G'

G'

C'

D.C.

_
C'

F'

F'

al Coda

B'
Coda


Licks are part of your repertoire to assist you in performance; use them with the same sensitivity and taste
that you bring to your solos. A typical lick used over an F7 chord, which incorporates both the triad of
the basic chord and that of the chord a tritone away (B7), is shown in Fig. 9. A couple of books of licks
are included in the bibliography, which, although aimed at the piano, give many single note runs useful
for horns. The best and most exclusive licks, however, are the ones you invent yourself.

Backing and Comping (jazz vernacular for accompanying)

When non-professional musicians are confident and relaxed with a piece, there is a tendency for them to
play their part molto fortissimo. Since a backing phrase is often quite simple, the poor soloist gets
submerged under a welter of sound, when supported by an arranged harmony or a riff. Playing quietly
so that the soloist can be heard helps in everyone listening to what is going on around them.

Pianists in general should stay out of the register of the soloing instrument. The modern tendency is to
voice the chords so that the root (and the 5ths) are left to the bass player and the pianist includes bite
tones of 9ths and 13ths. For a more traditional style, the pianist might omit the bite notes and play the
chords in the root position.

Always be aware of the style of the jazz you are playing. Guitarists beating 4 to the bar may be alright
in a Django inspired Hot Club band, or even as a Freddie Green soundalike in a Count Basie Big Band
but it should be remembered that Django and Freddie had acoustic guitars with rapid decay and a
lightness of touch. To apply the same techniques to bebop or to strum electric guitars with boomy
chords is not sympathetic. In a more modern jazz framework, the guitarists job is either to lay-out
(stop playing) or undertake the pianists duties of comping by feeding chords to the soloist (the pianist
and guitarist might agree on sharing comping duties)

The addition of a rhythm guitar also adds a further rhythm voice and too many rhythm voices frequently
complicate the pulse of a piece. Additional rhythm needs to be used with care. Dave Holland once
had the temerity to ask Wynton Marsalis to stop tapping his foot since it was upsetting the groove of a
number. (Foot-tapping can be a general problem also; there is nothing worse than a bars silence from
the rhythm section being disturbed by a ghostly Monty Python army of foot-tappers, keeping the beat.)
On a 4/4 piece the walking bass frequently controls the pulse (and, indeed, can increase tension by
beating 2 or even not playing, before finally entering in 4/4). The bass player usually sketches the
outline of the harmony, often using chord tones on all 4 beats or, alternatively, chord tones (maybe tonic
and 5th) on strong beats (1 and 3) linked by diatonic or chromatic passing notes. On funky/rock
numbers with a heavy back-beat, the drums have a more dominant role, with the bass-player supporting
with a repetitive riff, helping to define the rhythm by the repetition.

Swinging

Another question to which Louis Armstrong might have given his if youve got to ask answer is what is
swing? When a group is swinging it is normally playing a tune in 4/4, usually at a moderately fast
tempo, and has a rhythmic pulse, which all the participators (and the listeners) feel is moving in an
exciting way. The emphasis contributed by the players tends to push the beat. In particular the pianist
will feed chords perhaps a quaver ahead of the changes (aka syncopation). (In unpractised hands, the
pushing of the beat can result in the tempo gradually getting faster)

_
_ _
,
Fig. 9 : A typical 'Lick' on an F7 chord
F'
,
,
,
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
F'
,
,
,
,
,
,
, ,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, ,


The players also tend to play quavers as swing triplets, as shown below and this mark is often shown on
big-band and other scores to indicate a swing feel:

The description comes from the swing era, mainly 1940s and 50s and, with the advent of more latin,
funk and rock jazz, the swing has been replaced with a groove. Manifestation of the feel might be
a primal urge to dance, nod your head or shake your bum. If you cant feel a swing or a groove, we have
a serious problem.

Modal Jazz

The modes (modal scales) described in Fig. 5 are a sequence of notes separated by fixed increments of
tones and semitones, which give the mode its musical flavour.

The names are a useful identification for the available pool of notes against a harmony chord. Some of
the names of the modes refer to divisions of Ancient Greece but the modes did not come to us from some
Delphic mist, where, for example, all the Dorians were whistling embryonic Coltrane solos as they fluted
their columns. The Greeks didnt write their music down, so we dont know for sure. However, the
existence of modes in some mediaeval and Gregorian chants indicate some prehistory and the names were
given, by the Church, to celebrate that possibility. For many of us, an early familiarity with a mode
might have been singing or listening to the Dorian Scarborough Fair.

Modal jazz tends to confine itself to improvising using mainly the notes from the mode appropriate to the
harmony chord (e.g. Dorian mode for minor 7th chord). The style is characterised by a slow harmonic
rhythm (infrequent changes of chord) and this is often offset by a fast tempo. Because of the repetitive
chords, the soloist can often experience the where are we? effect and a sympathetic rhythm section will
develop a motif, or pedal, to indicate the end of a chorus.

Conclusion

So if you know, and are deft with, all (or most) of your scales and modes, can recognise chords, II-V-Is
and other cadences, have a back-up repertoire of remembered phrases and some licks and a developing
ear, you are well on the way to becoming an improviser. Reading some of the Bibliography can help,
but it doesnt replace practise.

Bibliography/Play-alongs/General Reading

Title Author Publisher ISBN (2003) Comments
Jazz Theory Book,
The
Levine, Mark Sher Music 1-883217-
04-0
35 Its all here. Scales, Harmony, repertoire. The current
best how to do it
Jazz Piano Book, The Levine, Mark Sher Music 0-9614701-
5-L
30 Excellent Reference for Pianists. Deals with
Harmony, Scales, Voicings, the Lot
Exploring Jazz Scales
for Keyboard
Boyd, Bill Hal-Leonard 0-7935-
1544-0
9 Detailed treatment of pentatonic and blues scales
Jazz Piano From
Scratch
Beale,
Charles
ABRSM 1-86096-
015-4
17 Mainly for pianists but is a useful guide with a good
CD
Contemporary Piano
Styles
Mehegan,
John
Amsco 0-8230-
2574-9
17 Informative for pianists on styles but chords are in
Roman Notation
17 All-time Standards
Vol 25.
Abersold,
Jamey
Jamey
Abersold
Play-along
Part of a series. Useful work-outs but tend to be a bit
fast for the beginner
Approaching The
Standards. Vol 1.
Hill, Willie L. Warner Bros.
Play along
0-7692-
9217-8
12 Part of a series. Relaxed tempos. Transcribed solos.
Useful
Keyboard Runs for
the Pop / Jazz Pianist
Lienhard,
Noreen Grey
Ekay Music
Inc.
0-943748-
93-3
15 Mainly for pianists but lots of single note licks, some
on CD. Etude joins licks together in a solo.
Tons of Runs Leverne,
Andy
Ekay Music
Inc.
0-943748-
95-X
12 Mainly for pianists but lots of single note licks on
dominants, II-V-Is etc..
Jazz Fordham,
John
Dorling
Kindersley
0-7513-
0050-0
15 A coffee-table anthology covering the instruments,
the music, the musicians and key recordings.
History of Jazz, The Gioia, Ted OUP 0-19-
509081-0
14 A scholarly but readable analysis of the development
of your art form.

3
. . = . .




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