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Greetings to my new friends at "Vision Music!" It is an honor and a pleasure to be part of such a meaningful and productive music community. Having been involved in music as a player, teacher, student and listener for most of my life, I never cease to be amazed at the positive power of music. I have experienced some of my greatest moments, met wonderful people, made a living, and learned much about life through this great privilege.
My chosen area of music is Jazz. This by no means limits the music I listen to, play or teach. I get an equal thrill listening to Bach's "Goldberg Variations" played by Glen Gould, as I do listening to "Live at the Village Vanguard Again", by John Coltrane, George Van Eps playing "Once in a While", or Chet Atkins playing "Freight Train", Tal Farlow playing "Cherokee", or Eric Clapton playing "Crossroads". All these musicians play with the essential elements; mastery of an instrument, and a level of feeling and expression that involves both the player and listener in every note and every silence. I have chosen Jazz because it affords me the opportunity for constant variation. It forces me to dig deep and be honest in my expression, as I am creating the music at the same time it is being heard.
This leads us to the subject of improvisation. In the "Jazz" sense of the word, it has come to signify spontaneous composition, more specifically, soloing. This of course is a narrow definition. Ironically the thrust of the lesson below is single line soloing. This notwithstanding, I feel that it is important to bring to light that in a "Jazz" group each member is/should be improvising at all times. The drummer may be keeping time, but he or she should be reacting to and eliciting reaction from the soloist and the rest of the rhythm section. The pianist and/or guitarist, (or any other harmony instrument) may be playing the accepted chord changes, yet there is much room for improvisation via chord voicing, chord substitution, and rhythmic variation. The bass player may be "walking" a quarter note bass line derived from the chord changes, but this by no means is a set entity. The bassist is always improvising a "line", and also may "break up the time" by playing "figures"- rhythmic motifs that serve as commentary and stimulus to the soloist. One must always listen; to themselves and those with whom they are playing.
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Improvisation is why I have chosen to devote my musical life to playing "Jazz." Nothing thrills me more than the development of ideas in the context of improvising. I look upon this as playing "note to note". That is, one note brings about another note, and that note another, and so on. In the ensemble this is compounded as described above. I will play differently depending on whom I am sharing the bandstand with. The time feel and sensitivity of the drummer to the soloist will greatly affect my playing, as will the choice of notes, time feel and sound of the bassist. If I am playing with chordal accompaniment (I most often work with bass and drums - but do play in duet with other guitarists), the chord voicings, substitutions and rhythmic placements will greatly influence how I play.
To reach the point in one's musical development whereby he or she can create music in a spontaneous way, that musician must master the elements of music necessary for such an endeavor. In this lesson -"Some of the Things" I have attempted to address the linear development of a solo based on the chord changes of a time-tested vehicle for improvisation -"All the Things You Are" composed by the great Jerome Kern.
Towards this end I have made liberal use of chordal-scales(modes), chord tones in arpeggio form, and as components of melodic ideas, used chromaticism as a means of connecting chord and scale tones, and as upper and lower approach notes (neighbors). Rhythmically, I have tried to illustrate classic "be-bop" linear construction via the use of eighth notes as the main component of the line, interspersed with triplets, and have made use of "up-beat phrasing"-that is phrases beginning on the "and" of the beat rather than on the beat. The "line' should be played with a "swing" feel, but beware of overdoing this aspect; "jazz" eighth notes are not dotted eighth and sixteenth notes, or triplets with the middle note a rest. Rather, they are more of an even eighth note played in a relaxed fashion, fully integrated with the swing feel of the rhythm section. The best way to experience and assimilate jazz rhythm/phrasing is by investigating the classic solos of Lester Young, Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker and many other 'greats' too numerous to mention. Look for transcriptions of these artists in future months.
Regarding the bass line-chord accompaniment to the melody, I have used very common chord "shapes", and have connected them with scale, chord, and chromatic approach notes. Once you have mastered this accompaniment try applying the concept to other songs with similar chord changes. This approach will also be productive when applied to the linear portion of the piece; for example take a phrase that exists over a "2-5-1" progression and apply it the same progression in another song. Also, transpose any phrases you like to other "keys". Eventually these phrases will transmogrify into phases that are new to you and will be part of your own ever-growing vocabulary.
I look forward to your feedback regarding this lesson, and wish you all the most success with your musical quest.
- Joe Giglio
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