State of the Art

State of the Art is a modern concept that refers to the highest level of general
development in a specific field. The term has been used since 1910 and has become
common on advertising and marketing. The collection of exercises and phrases
containing this book breaks the boundaries on intervalic improvisation, taking this
concept to a whole new level.

Intervalic Improvisation is characterized by the construction of melodic phrases based

upon any kind of intervals and not on a given scale. These intervals are commonly
played in a “step by step motion” in contraposition with the linear phrasing that was
established, has a center on the bebop language, beginning of 1940’s. Example A
illustrates the typical linear bebop phrase played by John Coltrane; in contrast, the
Example B demonstrates “step by step intervalic motion”.

The contrast is very clear. In the Example A Coltrane played the five notes of the
Mixolidyan mode in linear motion over the G7 chord. Look how the notes are
arranged in an uninterrupted sequence from the begging of the phrase to the end

State of The Art / Postbop Intervalic Jazz Improvisation Exercises and Lines Phrases / Olegario Diaz