How do I begin to improvise jazz?!
Question: I can play blues guitar proficiently. I realise I'm going to need some theory, but how can I get started improvising over jazz chords?
Answers: I can play blues guitar proficiently. I realise I'm going to need some theory, but how can I get started improvising over jazz chords?
You've gotten a lot of great answers so far. Jamey Aebersold books are great... I use them myself still and with my students (however you can't practice in all keys with those books) and yes theory is important... but you should understand as I'm sure you do, if you started with the blues that the theory and the study of this music came after the music. Thelonious Monk didn't know theory, a lot of them didn't. What am I getting at? Well, music is language, and jazz is a specific language. You need to learn jazz just like you learned English. When you were real little you listened, then eventually you spoke the language, then really eventually you learned to read, then really really eventually you learned all of the theory behind the language what a dangling participle is etc..
The old way of teaching music does the opposite.. this is a "C#" quarter note, play it.
But in the past 40 year, music education has changed dramatically with the founding of music learning theory.
http://www.giml.org What they've found is that if we teach music as a language, not only to people understand it more, and quicker but they improve much faster
So...
First, Listen. A LOT. Listen more. Listen.
Then start singing a long to your favorite tunes and solos. The guitar needs to be an extension of your brain, so if you can't audiate it (hear it in your head), you can't play it.
Once you've got some tunes and solos stuck in your head, then try and learn them on your guitar by ear. This will take some time, but the more you do it, the quicker it comes. I'm at a point now, where I can pretty much play back whatever I hear.... if it's complicated it may take me a few minutes to figure out... if it's extremely complicated (like coltrane) it still takes a while.
During this time of transcription, it's a good time to start learning theory as it will aid you in the transcription.
If you've ever heard anyone say that they don't want to learn theory, because they're worried it will ruin their creativity... we'll they're kind of right. When you go from theory to musical idea, it's much harder to create meaningful music, rather go from idea to theory... the musical idea should be supported by knowledge of theory, not created by it. The ideal musician can play over any changes because they know how it sounds, because music is sound AND behind all of their soloing there is or ever there isn't theory. If you walked into a room where someone was playing the greatest jazz solo you've ever heard and they didn't know theory... would you discount it?
Having said all of this here's a start for you:
Theory: Ok. Here's some more theory stuff to get your on your way. I'll write everything in C, so you'll need to transpose.
Major Pentatonic - C,D,F,G,A,C
Minor Pentatonic (Blues) C,Eb,F,G,Bb,C
Blues w/#4: C Eb F F#G Bb C
Dominant or Mixolydian: C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb,C (Major Scale with a lowered seventh or from "so"-"so" in a major scale
Be-Bop C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb,B,C (when you swing your eights on this scale you'll hit a chord change on every beat.
Dorian (majority of jazz musicians use this to solo in minor)
C,D,Eb,F,G,A,Bb,C (it's a minor scale with a raised sixth or re-re in a major scale)
Diminished (the top of every dominant seven chord is a diminished chord)
whole-half = C,D,Eb,F,Gb,Ab,Bbb(A),C
half-whole = C,Db,Eb,Fb(E),Gb,Abb(G),A,Bb,C
Wholetone (good for augmented chords)
C,D,E,F#,G#,A#,C
That's a start on scales. You should also learn arpeggios for each of these scales going through extensions
For example:
C Major
arpeggio with 9th
C,E,G,B,D,B,G,E,C
arpeggio with 9th,#11th
C,E,G,B,D,F#,D,B,G,E,C
also you should learn arpeggios utilizing chord progressions
For Example
Dmin7,G7,C7
D,F,A,C,D,G,B,(now down)G,E,C,B,
come up with your own arpeggiated ideas over chords!
EXTRAS:
Look for notes in chords that can be played throughout the entire tune... then build chord structures off of them.... use it as a pedal... For example if you can play a concert D through the whole tune, take a trip on the D blues scale before coming back to the other chords. Then you can play out with some sense.
Write and Steal licks. When you hear something you like learn it and steal it. If during your practice you play something you love, play it over and over again. Write it down. Learn it in every key... that way you have it in your arsenal at any time.
Scat: If you can play it, you should be able to scat it. Scat everywhere.... it'll help you connect your brain to your lips.
Alright! Good luck with everything!
Just learn some jazz and pentonic scales heres a website that may help it did some use for me http://www.petethomas.co.uk/jazz-scales....
Check out the Jamey Aebersold books on his website:
http://www.aebersold.com/Merchant2/merch...
These books are great and are highly recommended by all jazz experts. I really like the 'play-alongs', as they give you the chance to practice and develop your stylings. Check it out!
I have the Complete Book on Harmony and Chord Voicing for Guitar. It's in pdf file. I can send it to you if you like.
I also have the following in pdf:
Les Wise Bebop Bible
Coltrane Patterns
The Giant Steps Studies
I asked myself this question about 3 months ago, and i play guitar. What i did is i picked a key, learned some scales, and just used & developed a nice, upbeat bright jazz sound. To improvise you really have to have a nice jazz feel. Also to develop a nice sound listed to some of YOUR favorite jazz artists to get the sweet mellow jazz sound or the upbeat bebop tone that you want. Keep time with yourlsel using a metronome, or if you have some friends that play w/e instrument you don't like for examle if you play guitar get a friend that plays sax and a friend who can pound the drums and all keep in key and in time with one another and trust me you'll be suprised how cool it sounds. If you play guitar look up augmented and suspended 9th and 7th chords. Well hope i helped and good luck!