Materials and Concepts in Jazz ImprovisationMaterials and Concepts in Jazz Improvisation is a comprehensive and concise compilation of the various harmonic and melodic devices used by jazz musicians. It attempts to deal with these materials, (and later, the concepts), in a manner that allows for the greatest possible freedom and flexibility without resorting to mere "licks." The text presents the student and teacher with a conceptual framework that explains "why" as well as "how." It can be used by musicians at any stage of development, but it does assume a rudimentary grounding in music theory. For students and teachers of jazz at any level, it provides a linear perspective on improvisation and harmony from the simplest to the most advanced concepts; it can also function as a reference text for anyone involved in jazz at any level from hobbyist to professional, providing quick and easy descriptions and definitions of the musical materials found in jazz. It can be used for individual study, in classroom settings (jazz theory, jazz improvisation, or jazz pedagogy), in private lessons, or simply as a resource volume. |
Contents
Preface To the Student | 8 |
A Polychordal Approach to Upper Structure Harmonies Chapter 3 Beginning Techniques and Tools of Improvisation | 27 |
The Blues Scale | 57 |
Patterns for Learning Pentatonic Scales | 66 |
and Tritone Substitutions | 102 |
In Closing | 116 |
Common terms and phrases
altered ascending melodic minor augmented sixth chord base chord bass line bass pitch Bill Evans Chapter chord changes chord exist chord in question chord type chromatic classical music diatonic diatonic seventh chords diminished seventh chords dissonance Dmin7 G7 Cmaj7 dominant chord dominant seventh chord Emin7 enharmonic spellings example exist as IVmaj7 function G major half-diminished Hexatonic hexatonic sets inversion jazz improvisation jazz musicians key a major maj7 major go major key major pentatonic scale major scale major second major seventh chord major triad melodic minor scale melody note min7 minor third mode mixture music theory neighbor tone notated octatonic scale perfect fourth performing the operation Phrygian piece play polychord quartal harmony reharmonization root scale choices scale degree secondary dominant simple slash chord sonorities step whole step subdominant tertian chord tonic top of C7 triad on top tritone substitutions upper structure voice voice-leading whole tone scale Λ Λ Λ