The TNT 2 software offers many options for flexible practice. You can choose which instruments are in the mix. The transposition option allows you to try the songs out in different keys, while the tempo-changing option can help in the early stages, when you may need to slow down the tempos of the songs, and in the more advanced stages, where you may want to challenge yourself by speeding them up. You can also loop (continuously repeat) specific sections by selecting a phrase in the software; it will play over and over to help you practice. ‘There are many options for how you can play and interact with this book! The main goal is to have fun and keep your practice, jamming, and ideas creative and fresh. Enjoy! SOME GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT IMPROVISATION While this book is not a “method,” it is important to have an overview of the tools that musicians use, along with other useful perspectives. What follows is a short discussion of ‘some of these tools and perspectives. It is important to note that there really is no perfect picture of what a musician needs to know to become a proficient improviser. Some players may prefer to improvise using scales primarily, while others prefer more of a chord-tone approach. ‘Some musicians transcribe a lot of solos recorded by other players, while others rarely do. Some improvisers use a lot of melodic patterns in their playing, while others prefer to utilize them to a lesser degree. There are almost as many ways to improvise as there are improvisers. The following tools are fundamentals that every good musician should know and know well. Scales Improvisers in other forms of music tend to concentrate mostly on learning and applying scales. In jazz, however, scales are just one of the many tools you must learn to use. Ultimately, you should know quite a few fingerings in all keys for the following scales: + Major Scale * Modes of the Major Scale + Melodic Minor Scale * Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale (especially Lydian Dominant and Super Lo * Harmonic Minor Scale * Diminished Scales (both whole step/half step, and haif step/whole step fingerings) + Whole Tone Scale * Blues Scale + Major Pentatonic * Minor Pentatonic Of course there are other scales you could incorporate as well, but this list represents the scales most jazz musicians work with, For more information on scales see Appendix C and D at the end of this book. Arpeggios Arpeggios, the notes in a chord played consecutively rather than simultaneously, are another tool STING: JAZ2 GUITAR 5