Jazz Improvisation Basic Training

John Waugh

Description

Jazz Improvisation Basic Training provides a comprehensive breakdown of entry-level jazz harmony and a step-by-step guide to improvisation. Complete with musical examples, you will discover and explore the basis of the jazz vocabulary, beginning with concepts as simple as the major scale, culminating with methods championed by the greats to form your own improvised melodies.This isn't a "patterns for jazz" book, or an archive of "licks". The aim here is for you to develop an understanding of how harmony is formed, strengthen your technique and, in turn, develop your own original ideas.The subject matter in this book is applicable to all instrumentalists, though all musical examples are written in the treble clef.

Sujets

• Jazz

Informations

• Publié par: Brown Dog Books
• Date de parution: 30 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• EAN13: 9781839521980
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Jazz Improvisation Basic Training
Jazz Improvisation Basic Training
For all Treble Clef Readers
John Waugh
First published 2020
Copyright © John Waugh 2020
The right of John Waugh to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder.
Published under licence by Brown Dog Books and The Self-Publishing Partnership, 7 Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB
www.selfpublishingpartnership.co.uk

ISBN printed book: 978-1-83952-197-3
ISBN e-book: 978-1-83952-198-0
For Gary Cowey
Thank you for the saxophone lessons!
Illustrations by Chloe Rodham
www.chloerodham.co.uk
Cover Art by Jake Dubber
www.jakedubber.com
Graphic Design by Oli Bentley at Split
www.split.co.uk
Portrait photo by Jordan Curtis Hughes
www.jordancurtishughes.co.uk
Special thanks to
Chris Simpson
Matt Choules
& Lilly Barton
Foreword
by Chris Simpson (The StageLeft Podcast)
Since 2015, I’ve been in the privileged position, as host of The StageLeft Podcast, of interviewing over 90 of the most prolific and celebrated musicians, with the aim of identifying the specific qualities that an individual needs to reach the very highest echelons of performance and creativity in the music industry. The purpose? To act as a conduit to ensure this knowledge is easily absorbed by the next generation of performers, songwriters and instrumentalists.
As I began The StageLeft Podcast, I thought I had a good idea as to what those qualities might be.
John Waugh made me rethink those assumptions.
Yes, John is an incredibly gifted musician, skilful in technique and notably adaptable – but it’s not just that that’s enabled him to perform electrifying saxophone solos to a mesmerised Madison Square Garden, or blossom on multi-award-winning records that have reached Number 1 on the US Billboard Chart.
John is thriving in his world because he is one of the most emotionally intelligent people you could meet. Humility, integrity, loyalty, diligence, objectivity, resilience (we’ve completed three half marathons together) and continuously seeking to improve are some of John’s stand-out attributes that we all can learn from. John is a reflective practitioner, his default mind-set being ‘this is good, but how can we make this better?’ These are the things they don’t teach you in the Rock ’n Roll manual and are qualities that are often deprioritised when celebrating some of the jazz greats of years gone by.
John is an effective teacher too, in both 1-to-1 settings and leading Masterclasses, and I can think of countless examples where John is nonchalant in his willingness to challenge himself and step out of what would be, to most of us, a very easy to remain in comfort zone.
When the podcast reached the top of the International iTunes charts, I received a message of congratulations from John, and an invite to celebrate this event. I thought it was a class move for him to reach out in such a way and our friendship grew from there. Another quality that made me rethink which characteristics are needed to thrive as we embark on the third decade of the 21st Century, is John’s ability to maintain perspective in the eye of a glamourous white-noise storm, where others I think might not be able to. Whilst assured, he is uniquely modest, which can’t be said of everyone in his position. In fact it will be news to John that in decades to come, he will be cited by young musicians as someone who put the saxophone on their radar, and he will be credited for being the jazz entry point for new audiences who may otherwise have flowed into an alternative musical slipstream.
Wherever you are on your lifelong journey married to what is our true love, music , whether it be as a newcomer to an instrument, or a battle-scarred, seasoned jazz player looking to refresh a few essentials, this book will allow you to walk away confident in the knowledge that the very foundational building blocks that enabled John Waugh to experience what every aspiring musician dreams of will now be in your back pocket.
Go forth and conquer.
Chris Simpson
The StageLeft Podcast
Contents
Introduction
Notes on Effective Practice
Fundamentals
A Brief Outline of Basic Terminology
Chapter 1 The Major Scale
Chapter 2 Modes of the Major Scale
Chapter 3 II-V-I and the Cycle of 4ths
Chapter 4 The Blues
Chapter 5 Triads
Chapter 6 Bebop Scales and Chromaticism
Now What?!
Summary
Scale Reference Pages
Introduction
The purpose behind reading this book is to gain a fundamental understanding of jazz harmony and to uncover the creative tools required to develop your own original ideas as an improvisor. There is far more to discover beyond the material set out here, though in order to comprehend the more complex elements in music, a solid foundation of understanding and the appropriate groundwork is required. With that in mind, I hope to point you in the right direction over the course of the following pages.
With regards to any material deemed open to interpretation, I have endeavoured to offer an analysis considered suitable for beginners and/or anyone new to the material, though wherever possible, I have presented more than one breakdown of the material to cater for varying interpretations.
For beginners, I would recommend working through the earlier chapters slowly and one step at a time before tackling the material presented later in the book. There isn’t a deadline for mastering any of the content here. Learning and practising this material, combined with the many other aspects of music, is a lifetime of study. Take your time and enjoy the process.
For intermediate and advanced players, perhaps this book will serve as a point of reference for the theory you wish to recap on. A revision of the simpler material won’t harm you. Furthermore, it may lead to seeing a familiar concept in a new light.
Although this book focuses on jazz harmony, there are rudimentary aspects of music that I delve into here that are applicable to all genres of music. The creative application and resulting sound may vary, though a similar school of thought can be called upon to understand and develop a musical idea, regardless of the stylistic idiom it is expressed in.
A foundation of understanding, paired with good technique, will allow you to play music and express your creative identity, freely. This book will assist you in establishing the means to do just that.
Notes on Effective Practice
Throughout the book you will find musical examples for you to play (all of which are written in the treble clef). They are intended to be played unaccompanied; therefore, you will be self-contained with regard to the key of your instrument and its relation to the material laid out in the book. With regard to chordal examples, the majority are followed by, or paired with, melodic examples. So, if you don’t play, or have access to, a chordal instrument you will still develop an understanding of and a familiarity with the sound and structure of the harmony presented. If you choose to accompany, let’s say, your saxophone playing with piano, just remember to transpose accordingly.
As you play through the examples in the book, and throughout any practice you do, for that matter, I think it’s important to have the following in mind.
Slow tempos.
• Regardless of the music you’re practising, to initially play at a slow tempo will always be beneficial towards your progress and your comprehension of the material.
Allow time for progression.
• In a world of quick fixes and apps that do everything for us, I find it helpful, and infinitely more inspiring, to avoid any alleged short cut when it comes to making music. By working hard and investing in time your progress will be genuine rather than perceived.
• Don’t rush your work. Learn to love the groundwork. Pursue brilliance, slowly.
Work on the things that you know you can achieve.
• By all means have long term goals and aim high, but break the process down into smaller steps, then tackle each step diligently. Applying this to any process will often strengthen the end result.
• Learn the simpler concepts thoroughly. Working on the minutiae in your playing will innately strengthen your ability to grasp the more complex material down the line.
Don’t compete. Find inspiration in your peers.
• Practise with a friend. This, for me, has proven to be not only a great way to practise but a catalyst for discovering new ideas in a friendly environment.
• Collaboration allows you to hear music in a new light. Your fellow musician may recognise the potential in something that you don’t, or vice versa.
Fundamentals
Before we go any further, I’d like to briefly outline the fundamentals of playing music that are applicable to this book. These are fundamentals of music regardless of the genre you specialise in .
Harmony
Chords. The musical building blocks that provide a foundation for melody.
Melody and Phrasing
A rhythmically structured series of notes that works accordingly with harmony, further expressing the sound and emotion instilled in the chords. To have a simple understanding of melody and its relation to harmony goes a long way. This is a defining aspect and topic of the book and is explored astutely.
Technique
The physical command over your instrument. The quality of your technique is governed by an innate control over the instrument and a level of dexterity. There are exercises in this book that will strengthen your technique and help you to develop a framework to call upon when you improvise.
Time and feel, i.e. ‘Pocket’
The accuracy and placement of your notes in relation to the pulse/beat and tempo