Dave Frank School of Jazz In-person in NYC or Skype lessons worldwide BEGINNING IMPROVISING using MODAL VAMPS ‘Tonight I'm excited to offer you the first of a two-part master class on playing over modal vamps. The first part of this class is intended for beginning improvisers. We'll lear how to BREAK THROUGH to IMPROV using modal vamps in the Left Hand. Although primarily intended for keyboard players, the improv concepts we'll study can be effectively used for all instruments, as well as for voice. The second part of this series will explore various concepts for jamming over modal vamps for advanced players. ‘A modal vamp, also called a DRONE, is a short repetitive melodic patter, usually from 1-2 measures long. The pattern is repeated over and over in the LH if you're a pianist, to create a trance-like, hypnotic ‘effect. One can then improvise over the vamp using a variety of scales, modes, and note sequences. If ‘you're familiar with Indian or other World musics, you'll frequently hear this kind of playing on musical forms such as ragas, etc. The great jazz masters that are known for this type of playing include Keith Jarrett, Brad Meldau and Lennie Tristano. Step 1 “The Vamp ‘The vamp we'll use tonight will go like this: F Bb C F. This is a good vamp because the intervals are 4ths and Sths. Using 4ths and Sths in your vamp leaves a lot of room to use various modes to improvise on in the RH. The first thing to do to get started isto establish your musical pulse. It's helpful to use a slower pulse when beginning improvising, to give you more time to integrate the various aspects of the improv process. Let's put the pulse at about 76 on the metronome. Play the vamp maintaining the feeling of the pulse for awhile. ‘Step 2 ~Adding the RH It’s common to use the Greek modes when improvising over vamps. A mode, generally, refers to a major scale that starts on a note other than its root. Here is a list of the basic Greek Modes in the key of F: F Dorian is a major scale starting and ending on its 2 degree -the Eb Major scale starting and ending on F FGAbBbCDEbF ~ bright soundF Phrygian is a major scale starting and ending on its 3" degree ~ The Db Major Scale starting and ending. ‘on FF Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F Gb ~ mysterious, dark sound F Lydian is a major scale starting and ending on its 4% degree — A C major scale starting and ending on its 4" degree-F GAB CDE F—a strange, unexpected sound F Mixolydian is a major scale starting and ending on its 3" degree — A Bb scale starting and ending on F - a pleasant, positive sound FGABbCDEDF F Aolian is a major scale starting and ending on its 6° degree ~ An Ab major scale starting and ending on F ~F GAbBb C Db Eb F- A minor type of sound F Locrian is a major scale starting and ending on its 7" degree- A Gb major scale starting and ending on F =F Gb Ab Bb B Db Eb F—a tense sound We'll use an F mixolydian mode to improvise over our vamp to begin. An F mixolydian scale is a Bb Major scale that starts and ends on F. This mode has a bright, positive sound. The first thing to do is to play the major scale in ‘4 notes over the vamp, pausing at the top and bottom. (Our next step is to play the scale, but instead of simply playing it up and down, feel free to start and stop whenever you like. It's like walking a few rungs up the ladder, pausing, maybe walking down a few rungs, te, We'll stay with % notes and the notes of the mixolydian scale for now, your inner ear will tell you where the music should go. Our objective is to stay with the vamp and one scale, and to listen to the promptings of your inner ear and follow with your fingers. ‘Step 3 - Our next step is to create short phrases of % notes, followed by a rest. In improv, a short phrase i generally thought of as one to two measures long, a medium length phrase is 2-4 measures, and a long line ‘would be considered anything longer than 4 measures of continuous notes without a rest. The key here is to feel the pulse, and create a simple musical sentence using 4 notes from the mixolydian seale. . ‘Step 4- Improvising over the vamp using the F mixolydian scale, add some 1/8" notes to the quarter notes. (straight 1/8", not swing 1/8" on this vamp.) ‘Step 5 — Improvise over the vamp using the F mixolydian scale, this time using mostly 1/8 notes. Step 6 -Improvise in F mixolydian, creating Longer 1/8 notes by “feeling in fours”. Say “slice of pizza” as you play these longer lines, with a slight accent on the word SLICE. Put a number of slices together to form your longer lines. It works haha) ‘Step 7 -Improvise using the F Phyrgian mode to create contrast. Start with quarter notes, gradually add V/Snotes, then use mostly 1/8ths. ‘Step 8 — Add the use of double stops in your improvisation (2 notes played at once). Balance the improvising with single-note lines with either 3rds, 4ths, 6®, or octave double-stops. Double-stop improvising usually involves short lines.SUGGESTED STRUCTURE FOR MODAL IMPROVISING OVER VAMPS 1) Start by playing your vamp a few times to set the mood 2) Play a short written melody once or twice 3) Improvise using the F mixolydian mode 4) Improvise using F Phrygian Mode 5) Improvise using F Mixolydian 6) Play the written melody 7) Drone fade out...total time should be 2 minutes or longer approx. ‘The key to Breaking the Improv barrier is to use limited musical elements, feel and go with the flow of rhythm, and use the language centers of the brain to construct complete musical sentences when you improvise. Each improv line has 3 parts- the three parts of the line can be described as Flow, Phrase, and Breathe. Feeling the flow of rhythm, use simple definite rhythms using one mode in your line at first. Follow the natural movement of the melody you are creating, and ereate a short (1-2) bar simple musical phrase. Stop the line at a natural end point ~that’s the phrase part ~and take a rest. When resting, feel into the space of the rest and allow the rest to tell you when to begin the next phrase. ‘Take the time you need with each step, and refer back to the video as often you like for direction and inspiration. YOU CAN DO THIS) Any questions, comments, criticisms or complaints can be sent anytime to Dirankiazz@aol.com BLESSINGS AND KEEP SWINGIN Y°ALL! You are invited to digg 19 in-depth master classes on YT and Ustream, on Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Marx Bros, Liberace, Frank Zappa, Dick Hyman, Dave McKenna, Walking bassline Clinic, 15 Stylistic Elements for the advanced jazz pianist, Charles Ives, Lennie Tristano, Grateful Dead, Bruce Homsby, ‘Charlie Parker, Keith Jarrett, Playing outside the changes, The Endless Flow of Music Within, and Eric Dolphy VAMP Jat e e Basic ALTERNATE VAMPSoT 6 | =e = ° F MiyoL yD AN ModE fae tl EPHAY6 IAAL Mone Dave's home page