Improvisa*on,Using,

Simple,Melodic,
Embellishment,
Mike%Titlebaum%
Director%of%Jazz%Studies%
Ithaca%College%
%
©%2012%Copyright%Mike%Titlebaum%
 Embellishment%Techniques%
•  Begin%with%a%straighForward%melody%
•  “DisHll”%this%melody%into%half%notes%and%whole%notes%
•  Using%this%disHlled%version,%we’ll%pracHce%applying%standard%melodic%
embellishment%techniques:%
–  Passing%tones%
–  Neighbor%tones%
•  ConHnue%by%introducing%increasingly%chromaHc%(but%sHll%fairly%
straighForward)%melodic%embellishment:%
–  Double%neighbors%
–  ChromaHc%Embellishment%
•  Apply%these%techniques%freely%
•  Hopefully,%there%will%be%Hme%for%quesHons%at%the%end,%but%stop%me%
and%ask%for%clarificaHon%if%you’re%confused%
•  First,%we%sing…%
Oh,%When%the%Saints%Go%Marching%In%
 Is%this%going%to%keep%being%“simple?”%

•  We’re%about%to%the%“ramp%up”%the%pace%a%bit%
•  But%the%tempo%will%not%increase%
•  Just%increasing%the%density/quanHty%of%
melodic%embellishment%
•  Get%ready…%
 That%was%a%li]le%harder…%
•  Next%step%is%much%more%chromaHc%
•  Requires%an%enHre%pracHce%rouHne%
•  Technique%is%called%“chromaHc%
embellishment”%(credit%to%Bill%Dobbins)%
•  What%is%it?%
 ChromaHc%Embellishment%
•  DefiniHon:%Preceding/approaching%a%target%
tone%with%chromaHc%pitches%above%and%below%
the%target.%

•  QuesHon:%What%percentage%of%great%
improvisers%use(d)%chromaHc%embellishment?%
 Answer:%100%%of%them!%
Audio%examples%played%three%Hmes%each%(Once%full%speed,%then%twice%slowly)%
 ChromaHc%embellishment%exercises:%
Two%different%cases%to%pracHce%
%
•  Given%a%target%pitch%(for%example,%the%halves%
and%wholes%in%our%disHlled%melody)%
•  Determine%the%pitch%above,the%target%
diatonically%
•  Determine%whether%upper%diatonic%pitch%is%a%
whole%step%or%half,step%above%the%target:%
 ChromaHc%embellishment%%
These%two%cases%turned%into%pa]erns%
ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Major%Scale%
ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Minor%Scale%
 Freely%mixed%embellishment%
techniques%
•  Mixing%these%is%one%way%we%move%from%
playing%exercises%to%making%music%
•  Primarily,%everything%we’ve%worked%on%so%far%
today%has%been%melodic.%
•  Now%we%will%also%alter%rhythms%to%make%it%
more%interesHng:%
–  Adding%syncopaHons%
–  Delaying%or%anHcipaHng%a%target%note%by%an%1/8%
 Ways%to%use%these%techniques%
•  Compose%your%own%simple%line%of%halves%and%
wholes,%and%then%embellish%it.%%Here’s%mine:%
 Ways%to%use%these%techniques%
•  Apply%to%other%songs%
•  Let’s%try%it%with%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called%
Love?”%
•  First%we’ll%sing%the%song…%
 Playing%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called%
Love?”%
•  Note%the%AABA%song%form.%%%
•  We’ll%start%with%the%melody.%
•  Then%we’ll%play%a%simple,%newly%composed%
melodic%line%of%half%notes%
•  Apply%embellishment%techniques%to%the%new%
melodic%line%quickly%8%bars%each)%and%without%
pause%
•  Spend%more%Hme%(a%full%32ibar%chorus)%
chromaHcally%embellishing%the%new%melody.%
•  Ready?%%Try%to%follow%along…%
 If%there’s%Hme…%

•  When%working%on%embellishments:%How%do%
you%decide%which%is%the%right%note%to%be%
DIATONICALLY%higher?%
•  Should%you%choose%the%next%higher%note%in%the%
KEY%OF%THE%PIECE,%or%the%one%in%the%CHORD%
OF%THE%MOMENT?%
 ConHnuum%of%melodic%content%%
of%great%jazz%improvisaHon%
The%big%quesHon%really%is:%%Which%%is%more%important%for%the%improviser?%%

CHORD,OF,, KEY,OF,,
THE,MOMENT, THE,PIECE,