Question for those into Jazz....

[PaulReedSmith]

Im getting more into jazz lately...and I think I am going to stick with it for a while anyway. Previous to this I have been mainly rock oriented in my soloing, and yeah mainly listen to stuff like Satriani, petrucci, etc.... Recently, I have listened to some jazz guitar artists, but not enough yet to make much difference.

Currently, I am working on a jazzy rendition of White Christmas for my schools Christmas program, and I have all the chords and stuff down right now.

However, I am sticking a section between the chorus of the song for a few instruments in my quartet (electric guitar, bass, drums, keys) to take a bit of improv soloing...it won't be completely improvisation because we will be practicing beforehand...but I would GREATLY (emphasis added) appreciate some tips on how to jazz up my soloing for my part.

The song is in the key of C major.

For the improv section it goes:

|Cmaj7 / / / |C#dim7 (or A7) / / /|Dm7 / / / |G7 / / Gb7 |(Fmaj7...)

for the Cmaj, I am thinking C lydian, but like how should I use C lydian? Arpeggios I guess?

for the A7 I am thinking A mixolydian?

The rest I dunno...Maj penatonic stuff works well and yeah I was blending in some extended Cmaj7 arpeggios (11, etc) and I am thinking...I could use different extensions on the arpeggios to suit the melody? Just some ideas...I would appreciate YOUR ideas though

thanks in advance for your much needed and greatly appreciated help. :wave:

 

[cream123]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

well, I'm going to put this out there that you should learn the theory, but not always use it. don't live by it. good jazz is made from soul and learning what sounds good. try different things on your own. anything you can think of, just try it. and with improv (especially live) you just gotta be confident. you don't have to be amazing at theory, just have some soul in your playing

 

[tone4days]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

i am a little too tired right now to get a guitar out and noodle some pointers for you - will do that soon

but i will offer some general tips ... first, sing (out loud) an alternate melody over the changes that is appropriate for the mood of the song/setting/etc -then learn to play what you sing and use it as a start to your improv ... next, remember that all the bits you do not play define what you *do* play .. so leave space ... its is a christmas tune being played for a buncha parents/friends/etc - so give em something they can relate to - this isnt the time for the ornette coleman version ... a nice triadic approach with guide-tone connecting notes that glide over the changes is a very nice way to get a happenin result .. think chords, not scales

have fun - good luck
t4d

 

[Osensei]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

Well first of all you are correct when you choose to first listen. This is because I feel style is the most important thing for you to focus on right now. As you know there are many idioms that fall under the topic of "Jazz"! You can go all the way back to Ragtime and before if you are so inclined. Bebop or Swing for instance relies on heavy swing type rhythmic patterns.

To me "White Christmas" has a more straight sounding rhythmic feel. That to me is the first important hint. Much more so than modes or arpeggios at this point. Because if play the wrong feel, or if the improvisation doesn't fit the feel of the tune then it doesn't matter very much which scales or modes you use! I would recommend listening to some Bill Evans (including stuff he did w/ Miles Davis like "Blue in Green") and maybe some "EARLY" John Coltrane. Especially, the ballad stuff Coltrane did with Johnny Hartman ala "Lush Life".

I think that Jazz idiom I formerly mentioned is more befitting a "White Christmas" type tune than earlier period jazz - Let's say Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie.

Pay attention to phrasing. The way these stylist form melodic sentences and the use of space. Each idiom of jazz has its own unique phrasiology. So learn to "speak" that language.

 

[PaulReedSmith]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

thanks for the advice Osensei

I will try that, thanks!

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

Heres three tips to get you started.

1.Learn the song in arpeggios - 1 3 5 7 of each chord, and be able to play it up and down in 8th notes (1 3 5 7 8 7 5 3) for each chord. This will give you an idea of the harmonic grounding for every chord, you will soon learn to instinctively pull those sounds out with every chord anyway. The third, and the 5th of each note are the most stable ones to land on. Even just - play with triads off the root notes. Simple, three note patterns, that can be adjusted based on the chord being played.

2.Secondly, learn to play the melody on guitar. Play it over and over, and begin to move it around slightly - accenting different notes each time, perhaps throwing one of the phrases together too quickly, or mildly elongate the wait for one of the notes. (Iiii've been dreamingof a ---- white christmas.) Play around withing the context of the melody itself before you try to add your own melodies. Quote the melody after every few of your own unique phrases.

3. You can wax poetic about jazz and theory for hours and hours and hours on end, but from personal experience, when you play, you aren't thinking too much about scales or intervals, but instead you should be thinking about character, colour, feelings. It becomes simply ingrained in your mind.

 

[PaulReedSmith]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

thanks TimmyPage! Those are great ideas, I will try those out today since I'm writing the final arrangement for the song. Thank you very much

 

[Osensei]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

Oops! I was wrong about swing! White Xmas does swing quite nicely! I've been experimenting.

I will post a backing track and perhaps one with the melody also! Maybe try my hand at a solo - who knows? How do you attach an image to your post? I might want to post the fake sheets as well!?

 

[PaulReedSmith]

Re: Question for those into Jazz....

click the icon with a picture to attach a pic