Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation

Constructing
Melodic Jazz
Improvisation
A comprehensive new approach for beginning and
intermediate level musicians
B Edition
By: Brian Kane
ISBN 978-0-9760977-6-1
Cover Design By:

Liz Knox
CD Recordings at:
http://www.jazzpath.com/eBook/ConstructingMelodicJazz/ 70 Bedford Road #371
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www.jazzpath.com
Copyright 2007 by Jazz Path Publishing, Cambridge, MA. 02238

International Copyright Secured Printed in U.S.A. All Rights Reserved
Attention E-Book Users:
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download at:
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Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation
Table of Contents
Introduction: Constructing Melodic Improvisation 1
Chapter One: Articulation, Swing Feel, and Stylistic Inflection 5

Articulation in Improvisation 5
Creating a Swing Feel in Improvisation 7
Style Inflection in Improvisation 9
Exercises for Continued Exploration 12
Chapter Two: Introducing the Blues 15

Why the Twelve-Bar Blues and Blues Scale? 15
Improvisational Solo Roadmaps, Composing Etudes, and Scales 17
Constructing a Blues Scale 19
The Twelve-Bar Blues Form 21
Chapter Three: Beginning to Improvise 25

Beginning to Improvise Solos 26
Melodic Contour 31
Location in Form 34
Chapter Four: The Basic Language of Improvisation 39

The Question 39
The Answer 41
The Statement 43
Playing Rests 45
Practicing Repetition 45
Rhythmic Repetition 47
Intervallic Repetition 48
Exact Repetition 49
Chapter Five: Basic Improvisational Phrase Lengths 53

The One-Bar Phrase 53
The Two-Bar Phrase 59
The Three-Bar Phrase 63
Combining Phrase Lengths 67
Chapter Six: Developing Melodic Solos 73
Shape and Intensity 73
Building Intensity 75
Decreasing Intensity 75
Practice Solo for Melodic Development 76
Creating Roadmaps that Build Intensity 79
Chapter Seven: Using Pickups in Improvisational Phrasing 85

One-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups 86
Two-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups 90
Three-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups 94
Combining Phrase Lengths 98
Chapter Eight: Putting it Together 103

Slow Blues Roadmap 104
Medium Blues Roadmap 106
Fast Blues Roadmap 108
Chapter Nine: Improvisational Motifs 115

The Exact Motif 117
The Rhythmic Motif 120
Intervallic Motifs 123
Transposed Motifs 126
Shape Motifs 130
Chapter Ten: Transitioning to Harmony 135

Playing Bass Lines 136
Chord Scales 139
Beginning the Transition 141
Appendix:
Blues Progressions 151
Major Scales 152
Blues Scales 153
Mixolydian Scale 154
Dorian Scales 155
Chord Types 156
Discography 158
About the Author/Personnel 159
CD TRACK LISTING LAST PAGE
INTRODUCTION:
Constructing Melodic Jazz
IMPROVISATION
It doesnt matter whether you prefer jazz, rock, country western, hip hop, or
classical music. In order to compose, arrange, or improvise beautiful music, musicians
must understand how to construct and create melodic phrases. Melodies communicate,
challenge, inspire, reveal, develop and convey the emotional intent of those playing and
composing them. Melody is the common denominator within all great music that allows
listeners to connect and understand the emotional messages of the performer or
composer.
What makes a quality melody? Philosophers have pondered this subjective
question for centuries. Perhaps there is no definitive answer, but in order to create
improvisational melodies, musicians must first understand three of the characteristics that
quality melodies share.
a. Melodies are stylistically appropriate for their idiom.
b. Melodies contain structure in lines and phrases.
c. Melodies communicate intent to listeners.
In the course of this book readers will examine and practice each of the above
elements in detail. By understanding the underlying commonalities that melodies share,
musicians will learn the skills needed to improvise melodically in any style or idiom.
All creative endeavors, including jazz improvisation, occur within structure. To
achieve a creative outcome, a person makes choices within a set of given boundaries that
lead to an unexpected result. Structure is always inherently present when creative choices
are made, though its not always obvious. The structures that limit creative choices can
vary widely. Rules of nature, skill level, and ones ability to consciously choose one
course of action over another all inherently create boundaries and limitations for creative
activities.
Often people believe that they are the most creative when they perceive the fewest
structural limitations. They believe that countless possibilities lead to countless choices
which, in turn, lead to a creative outcome. Unfortunately, the act navigating these
countless choices can lead people to inaction or unfavorable creative outcomes. In
actuality, highly structured choices and limitations generally lead to the best creative
outcomes. For example, a musician with moderate technical skill may spend hours freely
improvising in the hopes of playing a fantastic solo, but much of that hope will be based
on the chance of stumbling across a great musical idea. By applying either harmonic or
melodic structure to improvisation, the musician greatly decreases the amount of choices
available but greatly increases the likelihood of playing an acceptable solo. Throughout
this book, musicians will practice and apply melodic phrasing concepts that add structure
to solos by limiting the location and intent of improvisational phrases. By controlling and
1
Introduction: Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation
structuring these basic aspects of improvisation, musicians gain the tools needed to create
melodically rich solos.
Improvising melodically rich solos presents a unique challenge and a benchmark
to inexperienced musicians. Improvisational pedagogy varies widely, but a large part of
it typically consists of educating a musician in the vast array of harmonic choices that
exist within music. Once aware of these harmonic choices, musicians engage in
experiential learning and accidental discovery on their instrument. Most musicians learn
the melodic concepts inherent within improvisation through experiential learning,
accidental discovery, and hours of listening and analyzing great solos. The process of
exploring and listening to jazz is an earned right of passage for musicians and its value
cannot be understated, but it can be enhanced and accelerated by understanding common
melodic phrasing concepts that exist within improvisation.
The application of melodic phrasing concepts helps to streamline the creative
process that beginning improvisational musicians use. Over the years, I have worked with
hundreds of intermediate level musicians who, despite having a competent understanding
of technique, jazz harmony, and their instrument, say I dont know what to play when
faced with an unfamiliar improvisational setting. When faced with the dizzying array of
harmonic and melodic choices available, some people are unable to take the creative leap
necessary to just jump in to improvisation. Often these people develop the
misconception that they are uncreative or simply not cut out for jazz. On the contrary,
these students are certainly creative and their plight is not uncommon.
Many of these beginners are overwhelmed by the amount of choices and creative
decisions that occur while improvising. These beginners require even more structure in
their improvisation in order to streamline and facilitate creative decision making. These
musicians can benefit from the application of rigorous melodic phrasing concepts while
improvising. The application of melodic phrasing structures change the improvisers
focus from what they are playing to when and how they are playing it. This
change in focus limits the choices that beginning improvisers face and allows them to
focus their creativity on simple, measurable goals:
Did they use the proper style elements?
Did they play in the correct place?
Did they play with melodic intent?
Learning melodic phrasing techniques before embarking on the technical and
harmonic side of improvisation can help musicians of all levels develop confidence, an
understanding of the language of improvisation, and the phrasing awareness necessary to
succeed at more technical jazz improvisation.
How To Use This Book
Virtually all of the resources that are presently available for learning beginning
improvisation focus on learning technique and harmony, while offering only limited
guidance on style, phrasing, creative content, and improvisational intent. Alternatively,
this book has been designed to teach beginning and intermediate level musicians the
phrasing and creative techniques that are needed to create outstanding solos, without
2
immediately focusing on the harmonic and technical aspects of improvisation. The first
eight chapters of this book exclusively demonstrate melodic phrasing concepts using the
blues scale, not the harmonic alternatives available during improvisation. The later
chapters in this book introduce harmony and exercises for technique only once the
melodic skills from the earlier chapters have been mastered.
This book is designed to function equally well as both a classroom textbook
resource for beginning jazz improvisation and as a self-guided tutor for melodic
improvisation.
For Individuals
This book offers a step-by-step method for understanding and exploring jazz
improvisation that is appropriate for beginning and intermediate level musicians. Each
chapter is progressively difficult and builds upon skills mastered in previous chapters.
Beginners should work through chapters slowly and in order to successfully improve
skills.
The book focuses on using the blues scale to develop the essential phrasing and
stylistic skills needed to progress to more advanced improvisation. Beginners should
work sequentially through the improvisational exercises in the book using the blues scale,
master each example solo, and create and compose their own examples where instructed.
Those wishing to expand their harmonic awareness of the blues can do so in the
Exercises for Continued Exploration areas at the end of each chapter. Enclosed with the
book is a CD. The disc features play-a-long recordings for improvisational practice and
demonstration solos for virtually every example solo in this book.
Beginners need to be patient as they develop the skills and habits necessary for
melodic improvisation. The process cannot be rushed. With dedicated practice, beginners
can expect it to take six to twelve months to master and internalize all of the concepts in
this book.
For Groups and Classes
The book has been designed to meet all of the established national frameworks
for music education. Throughout the course of this book, readers are encouraged to sing,
perform, improvise, compose, sight read, notate, listen, analyze, critique, and connect
improvisation to language and the arts. The book consists of progressively difficult
chapters that build the skills that musicians need to improvise melodically. At the end of
each chapter, the exercises for continued exploration encourage readers to listen and
evaluate jazz recordings, expand their technique with challenging exercises, and critically
discuss and evaluate the topics of each chapter.
This book is designed to be a companion for both first and second year
improvisation classes or ensembles. Musicians using this book will gain a complete
understanding of how to construct melodic phrases within jazz improvisation, gain
technical fluency within a twelve bar blues, and internalize the melodic phrasing skills
and techniques necessary to successfully transition to more harmonically focused
3
improvisation. With dedicated practice, a class or group can expect to achieve positive
results in one school year using this book.
For Advanced Musicians
Advanced musicians have already developed the technical and harmonic skills
needed to move beyond the blues scale and apply the appropriate chord scale alternatives
while improvising. Often, musicians who posses technical skills may not have not
sufficiently developed phrasing and melodic skills. As intermediate and advanced
musicians work through this book, they should first play each exercise using a blues scale
in order to internalize the phrasing structure and then apply chord scales and harmonic
alternatives. Often, advanced musicians find it challenging to eliminate the technical and
harmonic aspects of improvisation and focus solely on phrasing and structure. This book
creates opportunities for musicians to practice the essential phrasing, motivic, and
melodic skills needed to excel at improvisation. All of the skills developed can later be
applied to any genre, style, or form.
I hope you find this book challenging and helpful in your exploration of jazz
improvisation.
Brian Kane
4
Chapter One:
Articulation, Swing Feel, and
O Stylistic Inflection
N
The articulations and stylistic inflections that musicians use while improvising
have an enormous impact on the audible quality of melody. Articulation and stylistic
inflections add character, emotion, and rhythmic feel to phrases. In many cases, the
quality of a melodic idea is determined more by the style and ornament used than by the
actual notes a musician chooses to play. The use of stylistic nuance and articulation help
to form the musical personality of an improviser. In order to integrate appropriate stylistic
inflections and articulations into improvisation, musicians must work hard to make their
use habitual. The following series of rules and descriptions regarding articulations and
stylistic inflections apply to most common jazz styles. Every rule, especially those in
jazz, has exceptions but beginning musicians who work to make the following rules a
permanent part of their interpretation will notice significant improvement in their stylistic
maturity.
Articulation in Improvisation
The following rules for articulations in jazz can be applied to every instrument.
Though variations to these rules exist, beginning and intermediate level musicians who
make these rules a habit will significantly improve their style. The easiest way for
musicians to practice and improve articulations is by vocalizing, or saying articulation
patterns in different contexts. Vocalization helps musicians understand how articulations
should sound in different settings and encourages their habitual use. Words to help
musicians vocalize the articulations are included with each example. Throughout the jazz
idiom there are many variations for articulation with a swing feel. The following
examples represent some of the most common and practical articulations and will help
musicians create a style that is appropriate for the rest of this book.
1. Eighth notes followed by rests are staccato or short. To vocalize the following
eighth note pattern, say Do-Dut or Too-Tut.
Example One
Do-Dut
5
Chapter One: Articulation, Swing Feel and Stylistic Inflection
2. When articulating triplets that are all on the same note, articulate the first two
legato and the last staccato. When articulating triplets that change notes,
articulate the first legato, slur to the second, and make the last staccato. To
vocalize the following triplet pattern, say Do-do-dut or Too-too-tut for
repeated triplets and Do-ooh-dut or Too-ooh-tut for triplets on different
pitches.
Example Two
Do-Do-Dut Do-Ooh-Dut
3. When articulating eighth notes that start on a down beat, articulate the first down-
beat legato, the next up-beat legato, and every following up-beat legato. Do not
articulate any down-beat other than the first. When eighth notes are repeated on
the same note, articulate all eighth notes legato unless followed by a rest. To
vocalize the following eighth note pattern, say Do-do-ooh-do-ooh-do etc. or
Too-too-ooh-too-ooh-too-ooh-too etc.
Example Three
Do-Do-Ooh-Do
4. When articulating eighth notes that start on an up-beat, articulate the first eighth
note legato and then every following eighth note on an up-beat legato. When
eighth notes are repeated on the same note, articulate them all legato unless
followed by a rest. To vocalize the following eighth note pattern, say Do-ooh-do-
ooh-do etc. or Too-ooh-too-ooh-too-ooh-too etc.
Example Four
Do-Ooh-Do
6
These rules for stylistic articulations are notated in every example solo throughout
this book. Practice them in every example solo, but also try to make their use habitual
during improvisation.
Creating a Swing Feel in Improvisation
The use of a swing feel is an essential component of melodic improvisation. In a

swing feel, musicians interpret eighth notes and syncopations differently than in other
styles of music. A swing feel is virtually never notated. This type of stylistic
interpretation is left to the discretion of the musician and must become a habitual part of a
musicians repertoire. The correct use of a swing feel will make musicians sound more
authentic and mature during improvisation.
Swing Eighth Notes
Eighth notes are not rhythmically even in a swing style. Eighth notes on down
beats receive a greater subdivision of the beat while eighth notes on up-beats receive a
slight accent and articulation. When playing eighth notes in a swing style, musicians
should subdivide each beat into triplets.
First play the following measure with triplets:
Example Five
In order to create a swing feel, add ties to the first two notes of each triplet.
Example Six
7
Eighth notes played with a swing feel sound like example seven. In swing jazz at
slow and medium tempos the rhythms in example seven should sound the same if
properly interpreted.
Example Seven
The tempo at which a composition or solo is played effects the degree to which
eighth notes are swung. At slower tempos, it is not uncommon to exaggerate the swing
feel by further emphasizing the first of two eighth notes. At faster tempos the swing feel
of eigthth notes dimishes greatly and the notes return to a relatively equal subdivision.
Syncopation in a Swing Style
Interpreting syncopation in a swing style presents a unique interpretative

challenge to musicians. In a swing style, syncopated or off-beat notes can have different
stylistic articulations depending on the tempo of a song or solo. There are numerous
exceptions for the following examples, particularly in ensemble playing, but in general
these rules create authentic swing articulations on syncopations during improvisation.
In an up-tempo composition (usually faster than MM=112), off-beat quarter notes
in syncopation are articulated staccato or short. The following examples show two
rhythms that have the correct articulations notated for a fast tempo. In example eight, the
eighth notes of shorter rhythmic value on the down-beat are articulated with a legato
articulation while the quarter notes, of longer rhythmic value, are articulated with a
staccato articulation.
Example Eight
At slower swing tempos (usually slower than MM=112), the stylistic inverse
often occurs. Those notes that were previously articulated as staccato revert to a legato
articulation. Notice the different articulation markings in the same examples at a slower
tempo.
Example Nine
8
Style Inflections in Improvisation
Jazz musicians use numerous stylistic inflections to enhance solos. There are a variety
of different ways to play and notate every type of stylistic inflection. Some of the most
commonly used stylistic inflections and notations are listed below.
Scoops- Scoops are perhaps the most common jazz inflection. A scoop is a bend
approach before a note. On wind instruments, scoops are typically created through
individual embouchure, slide, or valve adjustments. Universally, scoops can be
viewed as chromatic approach grace notes. Learning scoops through the use of
chromatic approach notes has significant benefits. First, scooping using a chromatic
note eliminates some of the significant intonation problems that can occur when
beginner and intermediate level wind musicians make changes to their embouchures.
Second, beginning musicians are able to efficiently scoop any note on their
instrument regardless of register. Third, all musicians, regardless of experience or
instrument are able to integrate the inflection fairly easily into their playing. This is
how scoops will be notated in this book:
Example Ten
Turns- To execute a turn on quarter notes, play a note and then rapidly play the next
ascending diatonic note. This is how turns will be notated in this book and how they
might be played:
Example Eleven
9
Glissandos- Glissandos are the result of a rapid ascending or descending of a diatonic or

chromatic scale. Glissandos are used to connect notes during improvisation. Glissandos
can be of any length or speed. Glissandos can be difficult to execute because they require
proficiency with either major or chromatic scales. Despite this technical difficulty,
glissandos are an important stylistic inflection. This is how glissandos will be notated in
this book and how they might be played:
Example Twelve
Falls- The typical fall starts with a note (that will be fallen off of), followed by a drastic
decrease in volume while playing a descending diatonic or chromatic scale. On brass
instruments, falls are played using half-valve or slide movements rather than focusing on
individual chromatic or diatonic notes. The key to an effective fall is that the loudest note
is the first and the softest note is the last. Falls can go in any direction, be long or short,
slow or fast. Falls moving in an ascending manner are often referred to as doits to
mimic the sound they create. Typically, falls are used at the end of phrases. This is how
falls will be notated in this book and how they might be played:
Example Thirteen
Trills- Trills are a rapid alteration between notes that are either a half-step or a whole-
step apart. Trills are not as common as the other stylistic inflections mentioned, but can
be effective when used conservatively. This is how trills will be notated in this book and
how they might be played:
Example Fourteen
10
Shakes- Shakes are a rapid alteration of notes that are greater than a whole step apart.
The most common shakes use a minor third interval but can consist of any intervallic
combination. On brass instruments like trumpet and trombone, shakes do not always use
the same interval. On these instruments, musicians should move up to the next available
partial using as few valve or slide movements as possible. This is how shakes will be
notated in this book and how they might be played:
Example Fifteen
These stylistic inflections and rules for articulations will aide musicians during
improvisation. If the goal of melodic improvisation is to communicate using an
instrument instead of a voice, then stylistic inflections and articulations create the accent
and personality of that voice. Make the use of stylistic inflections and articulations a
habitual part of playing. Musicians should strive to improvise with a musical accent that
demonstrates a mature understanding of the feel and nuance of jazz.
11
CHAPTER ONE:
Exercises for Continued Exploration
1. Apply swing articulations to all major, minor, blues, and modal scales in the
technique appendix of this book. Begin practicing these scales now to develop
proficiency.
2. Practice singing scales and technical patterns using the rules for swing
articulations and stylistic inflection. This will help internalize their use when
playing.
3. Practice singing phrases and etudes using the stylistic inflections from this
chapter. Pay attention to the sound of the inflections and how they alter the
quality of phrases. Remember, if you cant remember to sing it, you wont
remember to play it.
4. Play the following twelve bar blues etude:

Trumpet players may play an octave lower as needed.
5. Play the above etude and add the following stylistic inflections. Notate the
inflections you will use. Create several examples that use different style
inflections in different locations. Explore how the use of style inflections can alter
the sound of a melody.
12
a. Scoops
b. Turns
c. Falls
d. Glissandos
e. Other inflections
6. Play your favorite jazz composition and add stylistic inflections to see how it
changes. Try playing etudes and exercises from the Jazz Path books Jazz Style
and Technique and Creative Jazz Sight Reading to focus on developing correct
swing articulations and jazz inflections.
7. Listen to these two examples of the same composition:*
Louis Armstrong-Blues in the Night

Ella Fitzgerald-Blues in the Night
a. What stylistic inflections do you hear when Louis Armstrong sings the
melody?
b. What stylistic inflections do you hear in the piano comping behind the
vocalist on the Louis Armstrong Recording?
c. What stylistic inflections do you hear when Ella Fitzgerald sings the
melody?
c. What stylistic inflections do you hear in the big band arrangement behind
Ella Fitzgerald?
Discuss:
a. How are the arrangements different?

b. How do the inflections used by the vocalist change the overall feel of the
songs?
c. Which version of the song do you prefer? Why?
d. Do you think some stylistic inflections more appropriate for certain
instruments or voices?
e. What other stylistic inflections have you heard in other types of music?
f. In Rock n Roll?
g. In country music?
h. In classical music?
i. In hip-hop?
j. Can you find examples to back your claims?
8. Improvise vocal solos over tracks two through five of the play-a-long CD to
practice to help internalize the rules for stylistic inflections and swing articulation.
*
See discography on page 158
13
14
CHAPTER TWO:
Introducing the Blues
I ON
The majority of the scope and sequence of this book focuses on developing the
phrasing structures and skills needed to improvise melodically within a twelve-bar blues
progression using a blues scale. Musicians will first master essential phrasing skills and
tools and then apply them over the simplest of improvisational forms: the twelve-bar
blues. Once mastered, these same phrasing skills can be applied in all forms and styles of
jazz improvisation with any type of harmony.
Why The Twelve-Bar Blues and Blues Scale?
The twelve-bar blues is one of the simplest and most common chord progressions
and forms in jazz. Thousands of unique melodies exist over blues chord changes and all
musicians will encounter blues in various keys, tempos, and lengths throughout the
course of their improvising. The twelve-bar structure of blues makes it one of the easiest
forms for improvisers to follow, one of the shortest forms to solo over, and one of the
most adaptable forms for non-harmonically driven improvisation. Basically, twelve-bar
blues presents the simplest improvisational canvas for conveying and practicing the
melodic concepts that will be examined in the course of this book.
The blues scale can be derived from altering the notes in a major scale with the
following variations: 1, flat 3, 4, sharp 4 or flat 5, 5, flat 7, 1. Often the blues scale is
taught as a variation of the relative minor scale. For the sake of simplicity, the formula
used in this book to create a blues scale will be based on only a musicians knowledge of
major scales. The process of constructing a blues scale is detailed on page 19 of this
chapter. The scale consists of a series of notes that are harmonically suited to work over
all parts of the twelve-bar blues form. The scale creates a harmonic center that does not
directly reflect the underlying chord changes of the twelve-bar blues form. The scale
offers beginning musicians the chance to have immediate success in improvisation by
creating melodies that sound good harmonically over the blues form without mastering
the underlying chords. Blues scales limit the harmonic choices improvisers have enabling
them to focus their attention on melodic intent, style, and solo development. This type of
highly structured immersion with the blues can help musicians develop essential skills
that can be later applied to harmonically driven improvisation. Using structured
immersion with a blues to scale to practice melodic phrasing concepts makes the
transition to harmonically driven improvisation easier for beginning musicians because
they learn to make fast creative decisions in a highly structured environment.
Unfortunately, without guidance, unstructured immersion using the blues scale can have
15
Chapter Two: Introducing the Blues
an adverse impact on the long-term improvisational development of musicians and their

ability to transition successfully to harmonic improvisation.
Unstructured immersion occurs when beginning musicians are left to their own
devices while learning to improvise with the blues scale. Unstructured immersion with a
blues scale leads student musicians to falsely believe that all improvisation occurs
without harmonic reference and with unstructured creative freedom. Given enough time
musicians may develop the ability to play competent solos using a blues scale, but they
will have failed to develop the ability to make fast creative choices within the changing
contexts of harmonic improvisation and form. Often musicians are unable to leave the
perceived freedom of the blues scale behind and progress to improvisation that is more
harmonically structured because they have failed to develop the ability to make fast
improvisational choices within a highly structured environment. The blame for a
musicians inability to leave a blues scale behind cannot be credited to the blues scale,
but rather to the pedagogy of unstructured immersion.
In the structured immersion that will be presented in this book, musicians will
improvise solos while making creative choices that limit the length of phrases, location of
rests, range, rhythm, and melodic devices that can be used. Though musicians will
initially rely solely on the blues scale for harmonic content, they will remain intensely
focused on phrase length and the application of melodic phrasing techniques while
soloing. This structured immersion keeps musicians focused on the various phrasing
options that exist within jazz improvisation and forces them to make fast and creative
choices throughout the course of a solo. The blues scale, despite its harmonic flaws, is
simply a vehicle used to apply and practice a wide variety of complicated melodic
phrasing techniques.
When used in this type of structured immersion, the blues scale has significant
advantages over other harmonic alternatives.
1. The blues scale allows musicians to focus on the phrasing aspects of

improvisation without harmonic or technical considerations.
2. The blues scale is accessible and simple enough for any musician to learn and
manipulate.
3. Developing extreme technical proficiency with the blues scale encourages more
advanced types of technical exploration on an instrument.
4. When using a blues scale, it is easy for inexperienced musicians to hear
mistakes.
5. When using a blues scale, inexperienced musicians can focus more of their
attention on time, style, and the content of improvisation.
Developing technical fluency with the blues scale is essential in order to progress
throughout this book. The blues scale should be memorized, played in as many octaves
as possible, and with the patterns on page 20 before proceeding through exercises in this
book.
16
A note for advanced musicians:
Advanced musicians may choose to quickly leave the confines of the blues scale
for other harmonic options. Regardless of the harmonies that one chooses to play,
improvisers should focus on the phrase structures and lengths outlined in this book.
Internalizing the various phrase lengths, melodic techniques, and solo roadmaps in this
book can enhance the phrasing awareness of any musician.
Improvisational Solo Roadmaps, Compositional Etudes, and Scales
Throughout the course of this book, improvisational solo roadmaps will be used to
highlight the phrasing structure of solos and guide readers through the application of each
melodic phrasing technique. Improvisational solo roadmaps consist of a blank twelve-bar
blues form with phrasing notation that gives both the location and duration of improvised
phrases and other techniques and tools that musicians should apply during a solo. The
roadmaps are extremely limiting and force improvisers to focus their attention
exclusively on phrase length and melodic techniques being used. These types of
roadmaps, though at times difficult, have benefits for improvisers of all levels:
1. Improvisers must be constantly aware of where they are within the form.
2. Improvisers will experiment and gain proficiency with different phrase lengths
and melodic techniques.
3. Improvisers will develop the ability to consciously repeat improvised ideas during
solos.
4. Improvisers will consciously control and manage phrase length.
5. Improvisers will explore the use of space and solo development.
Each roadmap is followed by a demonstration solo that illustrates each new phrasing
concept. Readers should become proficient at each solo roadmap and listen to and
practice each demonstration solo. The primary goal of this book is to construct melodic
solos by developing proficiency and control of improvisational phrasing. Often students
ask me, Is this what you and others think about when youre improvising a solo? The
answer is no. Musicians practice melodic phrasing skills in the same manner and for the
same reason they practice harmonic and technical skills: So that during an improvised
solo one can think about communication and emotion, not technique.
Composing Melodic Etudes
Composing improvisational etudes is an essential skill for beginning improvisers.

Throughout the course of this book, readers are given dozens of opportunities to compose
their own solo examples using the melodic techniques discussed.
Composing examples gives musicians the opportunity to create a concrete example
from a theoretical application. These written examples can help musicians remember and
17
apply new knowledge in a useful and pragmatic way and become a record of the
evolution of ones melodic improvisation. Readers should see drastic improvement in the
quality of their written solos throughout the course of this book.
Composing melodic examples also helps musicians develop a technical vocabulary
for improvisation that can be applied during future solos. Often great improvised melodic
ideas are forgotten and lost. By notating quality examples, improvisers can maintain a
written record of their best ideas. These ideas can be reintroduced in future solos where
they can be continually developed and improved. Developing this type of improvisational
vocabulary helps eliminate those awkward moments when improvisers feel, I dont
know what to play.
Scale Fluency
It is absolutely essential that musicians become proficient with the use of the blues
scale before proceeding to the next chapter of this book. Fluency in a blues scale occurs
when conscious thought is no longer required to play it. The scale should be mastered
and memorized throughout the range of ones instrument at a fast tempo with appropriate
stylistic articulation. The following pages are a guide for constructing a blues scale and
some rudimentary exercises that should be mastered before proceeding to chapter three.
18
Constructing a Blues Scale

The blues scale is the tool that will allow musicians to master the melodic phrasing exercises in this
book. The scale can be derived from altering notes in a major scale using the following formula:
1- b3 -4 - #4 ( b5 )-5 - b7 -1
Start with a major scale, in this case "C" major and assign each note a number. Then apply the blues
scale formula and alter the notes from a major scale.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
&c

1 b3 4
#4 or b5 5 b7 1
& b w
b #
The Blues Scale contains some interesting intervallic combinations. Experiment playing the interval 1- #4,
which is known as a tritone interval, and practice creating a resolution to this tension by moving to 4 or 5.
Experiment with other intervallic combinations within the blues scale and practice singing the entire scale to
internalize its unique sound and nuances.
Blues Scale in Concert B b
Common Resolutions of Blue Note
1 b3 4
#4 ( b5) 5 b7 1
& b w
b #
Blue Note Interval 1- #4 ( b5)
19
Developing technical fluency with blues scales is essential in order to progress through this book. The
blues scale should be memorized, played in as many octaves as possible, and played in the following
patterns before beginning to improvise. Musicians who are uncertain of the scale will be unable to
focus on the melodic content of their improvisation.
C Blues Scale: First play the exercise and then practice singing it.
&c # b - b # n b
- b
Descending: First play the exercise and then practice singing it.
& - b # n b - b # b
One octave scales on each note of a blues scale. First play the exercise and then practice singing it.
b b b #
& b # b b - # b - # b # - b
-
b - b # b - b # n
- b b # -
b b # b
&
One octave scales descending: First play the exercise and then practice singing it.
- b # n b - # n b - # n
# - n b b
b b b b
&
- b b b - b
& # n # n b - b # n b b # b
-
Every Other Note: First play the exercise and then practice singing it.
b b b b
& b# n # # n # b b
- b
20
Twelve-Bar Blues Form
The twelve-bar blues follows the basic progression that is outlined below. There are numerous chord
variations and possible chord substitutions to the twelve-bar blues progression. The variation
represented below is used due to its relative harmonic simplicity. Though musicians may use the
harmonic changes to keep track of their location within the twelve-bar form, the initial focus of this
book will be on developing and controlling phrase lengths within the blues form rather than on the
specific chords.
CD Track 2 (play-a-long)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Listening Exercise
It is extremely important for musicians to recognize the length and feel of a twelve-bar blues
progression. Listen to this progression on tracks two, three, four and five of the accompanying CD.
Count each measure and practice recognizing the beginning of each twelve-bar form. Practice singing
the root of each chord during the twelve-bar blues progression. Hearing when the chords change helps
musicians keep their place while improvising. Once you can sing the roots in time with the CD,
practice playing the roots on your instrument. When you are able to recognize the beginning of each
twelve-bar progression, move on to the following listening exercise.
Let the CD play and leave the room for less than a minute. When you return, try to locate where
you are within a blues form as quickly as possible. Try to locate the beginning of a new twelve-bar
chorus and strive to locate where you are in the form after listening to only two or three bars. Focus on
hearing the difference between the primary tonal changes in the blues: bar five "the IV 7" chord and
bar nine "the ii min7" chord. This type of listening exercise simulates the experience that musicians
often face when they lose their place within the form of a song. Every musician inevitably gets lost
while improvising. Experienced musicians are able to recover quickly and continue.
21
CHAPTER TWO:
1. Practice and begin to memorize all twelve blues scales on page 153.
2. Practice and begin to memorize all twelve major scales on page 152.
3. Practice and begin to memorize all twelve mixolydian scales on page 154.
4. Practice and begin to memorize all twelve dorian-minor scales on page 155.
5. Memorize the chord pattern for the twelve bar blues in concert B flat.
6. Listen to CD track 2 and practice identifying the beginning, bar five, and bar nine
of each twelve-bar chorus.
7. Listen to the following recordings of melody and solo over twelve-bar blues:*
Gene Krupa-Drum Boogie

Louis Armstrong- Black Ole Town Blues
Miles Davis-Blues By Five
8. Discuss:
a. Can you find the beginning of each twelve-bar chorus?
b. Did every solo start at the beginning of a twelve-bar chorus?
c. Can you identify the style inflections that the improvisers and vocalists
used during solos?
d. Identify and discuss specific examples of stylistic inflection and
articulations used within solos.
e. Could you hear the rules for swing articulation being applied within the
solos?
f. Does the tempo of a song change the way musicians improvise? Compare
and contrast the three recording keeping the tempo in mind.
g. Find examples of other musical styles that use a blues form like rock,
country western, and rhythm and blues.
h. How are these stylistically different from the jazz recordings?
i. Is the blues form the same?
*
22
9. Practice singing the root of each chord during a twelve-bar blues progression
using tracks two, three, and four of the play-a-long CD. Hearing when the chords
change can help you keep your place within a blues progression. Once you can
sing the roots in time with the CD, practice playing them with your instrument.
10. Practice singing the blues scales while the CD plays through a twelve-bar blues
progression. Memorizing the sound of the scale and its intervals will help
improve improvisation. Focus on hearing the beginning of each twelve bar
repeated progression.
11. Practice singing solos over a twelve-bar blues progression on tracks 2-5 of the
CD. Sing for twelve-bars and rest for twelve-bars. This type of alteration can help
you keep your place and follow the form.
12. Practice singing solos over a twelve-bar blues progression on track 2-5 of the CD.
Sing for four bars and rest for four bars. This type of alteration can help you keep
your place and follow the form.
Sing for two bars and rest for two bars. This type of alteration can help you keep
Sing for one bar and rest for one bar. This type of alteration can help you keep
23
24
CHAPTER THREE:
Beginning to Improvise
T ION
Improvisation requires musicians to take creative risks. During improvisation
musicians risk sounding bad, making mistakes, and becoming lost or unfocused. When
musicians first begin to improvise, they often have no idea what they will play or how it
will sound. Despite these hurdles, these first awkward steps in improvisation play an
important role in helping musicians develop critical skills. These humble beginnings help
musicians learn about form, time, and the individual intervals and sounds within a
twelve-bar blues.
In the previous chapter, musicians worked to develop modest technical fluency
with a blues scale. Often beginning improvisers cant decide what to play despite their
technical prowess. Limiting the options that musicians have during solos can help them
overcome this indecision. There are three primary ways that musicians can limit creative
options and improve their improvisation.
The first way musicians can improve improvisation is to limit the notes that may
be played during a solo. Limiting note choices forces musicians to think creatively about
rhythms, space, and the proper use of stylistic inflections, dynamics, and articulations.
By limiting note choices, musicians remove any perceived technical hurdles and are able
to focus solely on the creative and stylistic aspects of improvisation. The second way
musicians can improve improvisation is to consider the melodic contour used during
solos. When musicians focus on melodic contour while soloing, they limit the range and
shape of melodic lines created during improvisation. The third way musicians can
improve improvisation is to limit the physical location of phrases played within a blues
form. When musicians focus on the location of phrases played during a solo they become
sensitive to form and the effective use of space.
In the exercises 3-1 through 3-5, musicians will experiment with improvisation
using only limited notes from a blues scale. Musicians should focus on exploring the
scale and memorizing the sound of the different intervals. Later in this chapter, we will
examine how to use melodic contour to construct phrases within solos and will practice
techniques that maintain awareness of location within the twelve-bar blues form.
25
Chapter Three: Beginning to Improvise
Beginning to Improvise
In exercise 3-1 use only the first and second notes of the blues scale during improvisation. Focus on
rhythmic variety and articulation, stylistic interpretation, and the use of different registers.
Exercise 3-1: Two Note Solos

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 3-1: Two Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

One technique that can be used to add rhythmic variety to a solo is to improvise notes while reading
different rhythms. Be sure you can sing and count these rhythms before playing them on your
instrument. Listen to the example solo and practice improvising your own solo using only the first two
notes of the blues scale and the following rhythms.
CD Track 13 (demo)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
26
In exercise 3-2 use only the first, second, and third notes of the blues scale during improvisation.
Focus on rhythmic variety, articulation, stylistic interpretation, and the use of different registers.
Exercise 3-2: Three Note Solos

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 3-2: Three Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

instrument. Listen to the example solo and practice improvising your own solo using only the first three
CD Track 14 (demo)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& . ..
J
27
In exercise 3-3 use only the first, second, third, and fourth notes of the blues scale during
improvisation. Focus on rhythmic variety, articulation, stylistic interpretation, and the use of different
registers.
Exercise 3-3: Four Note Solos

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 3-3: Four Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

instrument. Listen to the example solo and practice improvising your own solo using only the first four
CD Track 15 (demo)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
28
In exercise 3-4 use only the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth notes of the blues scale during
improvisation. Focus on rhythmic variety, articulation, stylistic interpretation, and the use of different
registers.
Exercise 3-4: Five Note Solos

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 3-4: Five Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

instrument. Listen to the example solo and practice improvising your own solo using only the first five
CD Track 16 (demo)
C7 F7 C7 C7
& .
J

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
29
In exercise 3-5 use the complete blues scale during improvisation. Focus on rhythmic variety,
articulation, stylistic interpretation, and the use of different registers.
Exercise 3-5: The Complete Blues Scale

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 3-5: The Complete Blues Scale with Rhythms-Example Solo

instrument. Listen to the example solo and practice improvising your own solo using the complete blues
scale with the following rhythms.
CD Track 17 (demo)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
& .
J
.
J
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& .
J ..
30
Melodic Contour
Musicians must consider the contour of melodic lines while improvising. The
melodic contour of an improvised phrase is the general intervallic shape that the phrase
follows. For example, if a musician were to play this phrase:
The melodic contour of the phrase might be considered this:
This dramatic shape, though effective at

times, can be extreme for listeners and
can inhibit melodic development when
consistently used during solos. Often
beginners to improvisation
Range
unknowingly use this type of phrasing

extensively during solos without
recognizing the melodic consequences.
Phrase Length
Beginning improvisers should focus on creating melodic contours that use

stepwise scale pitches and small intervals. Musicians should practice creating melodic
lines that have a gentle rolling contour as shown in the example below:
The melodic contour of the phrase might be considered this:
This shape of melodic contour offers

improvisers many choices for
Range
developing melodic lines.
Phrase Length
31
During improvisation the overall contour of melodic lines has a significant impact
on how a solo sounds. There are countless variations and contours that musicians can
create during improvising. Musicians must not allow chance and technique to dictate the
contour of melodic lines. Musicians should consciously and creatively choose the contour
and shape of melodic lines while improvising.
Exercise 3-6: Melodic Contour
Using a blues scale and the accompanying play-a-long CD, try to create the melodic
contours shown below over multi-chorus blues solos. First, practice singing solos that
mimic the shapes below and then try playing them on an instrument.
CD Tracks 2-5 (play-a-long)

Middle High
REGISTER
Low
Chorus One Chorus Two Chorus Three
SOLO LENGTH
Middle High
REGISTER
Low

SOLO LENGTH
32
Exercise 3-6: Melodic Contour-Create Your Own Examples
In this exercise, create your own examples of melodic contour for use during different
length blues solos. First write out the melodic contours that will be used, then practice
singing and playing solos that replicate the shape of the melodic line.
CD Tracks 2-5 (play-a-long)

Middle High
REGISTER
Low
Chorus One Chorus Two

SOLO LENGTH
Middle High
REGISTER
Low
SOLO LENGTH
33
Location in Form
The third essential skill that musicians must develop to improve improvisation is the ability to be
aware of their location within the form while improvising. At this stage of improvisational
development, it's common for musicians to get lost within the form of the twelve-bar blues. All
musicians, regardless of skill level, inevitably get lost while soloing. Good musicians recover quickly
and are able to find where they are within the form through listening.
The following exercises require musicians to be constantly aware of their location within the
twelve-bar blues form. Musicians should listen carefully and observe the main chordal shifts that occur
in bars one, five, and nine of the twelve-bar blues. Practice singing and playing solos that use the
following roadmaps. Observe all rests.
Exercise 3-7: Play for Two and Rest for Two
Improvise Here
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Don't forget to think about the melodic contour for each two-bar improvised phrase.
34
Practice singing and playing solos using roadmap 3-8. Do not play during the rests.
Exercise 3-8: Rest for Two and Play for Two
Improvise Here
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
In exercise 3-9 practice playing for four bars and resting for four bars. In odd choruses, play in bars
one through four and nine through twelve. In the even choruses, play only in bars five through eight.
Trading fours is common in improvised jazz. the ability to hear where each four-bar phrase begins and
ends is an essential skill for musicians to develop.
Exercise 3-9: Trading Fours
Odd Choruses
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Even Choruses
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Odd Choruses
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
35
CHAPTER THREE:
1. Write out five one-bar rhythms. Play exercises 3-1 through 3-5 using only the
rhythms that you have written while improvising notes.
2. Write out five two-bar rhythms. Play exercises 3-1 through 3-5 using only the
rhythms that you have written while improvising notes.
3. Play the following roadmap and follow all instructions for phrasing and note
limitations. Practice singing and playing the roadmap with play-a-long tracks two
through five.
36
4. Create four of your own roadmaps using different combinations of rests and
phrase lengths. Challenge yourself to keep your place within the form while
improvising. Try to add these additional challenges to your roadmaps:
a. Choose specific stylistic inflections that you will use during the solo.
b. Choose specific melodic contours that you will use during the solo.
c. Choose specific note combinations that you will use during the solo.
5. Listen to:*
Sarah Vaughan- Sassys Blues
Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt- Blues Up and Down
6. Discuss:
a. What type of melodic contour do the soloists use? Draw diagrams to
reflect the melodic contour of the solos.
b. Do the soloists repeat melodic ideas or rhythms? Where?
c. Can you keep track of your place within the form while listening to solos?
d. Can you recognize bar one, five, and nine while listening to the
recordings?
e. Can you keep track of your place within the form while the soloists trade
solos? Challenge yourself to always know where you are within the form.
f. What is the overall solo form of Blues Up and Down? For how many
choruses do the artists trade fours, twos and twelves? Can you replicate
the form of this solo form with a friend?
7. Go back and transcribe the example solos for exercises 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 and 3-5
for your instrument. Remember, the rhythms are already notated in the exercises
so focus on transcribing the notes.
8. Go back and repeat all of the exercises in this chapter using the concert F blues
scale and chord progression on track ten of the play-a-long CD. An outline of the
chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales that may be used can be found in
the technique appendix of the book.
*
37
38
CHAPTER FOUR:
The Basic Language of
A Improvisation
TION
Good melodic improvisation communicates ideas, thoughts, and emotions to
listeners. In some ways, musical communication can be more expressive than verbal or
written language because of its ability to convey a range of complicated and subtle
emotions to large numbers of people instantly. In order to understand how to construct
melody and communicate ideas to listeners, musicians must first learn the basics about
controlling phrases and adding melodic intent to improvisation.
The following chapter introduces the most basic phrases and melodic devices in
improvisation: the question, the answer and the statement. These devices are often
grouped together and referred to as call and response. Rests and repetition are other
critical tools used during melodic improvisation and will be examined later in this
chapter.
The Question
Why begin with a question? Read the previous sentence again and pay close
attention to the tone and inflection that your inner voice uses at the end of the sentence.
One should notice that the words "the question" are tonally higher than the rest of the
sentence. This rise in pitch helps make the sentence an audible question. If readers
experiment by not allowing their voice to rise when reading that first sentence, they will
notice that it ceases to sound like a question. It is the audible rise in pitch at the end of
sentence that triggers our brains to register the words as a question. In music, the same
tonal inflection applies. Any short phrase whose ending rises in pitch may be audibly
heard by listeners as a question. Playing questions using the blues scale is extremely easy.
To play a question, make sure that the last note of a phrase is higher than the note
preceding it or that the phrase generally ascends in pitch. The following examples are
short one and two-bar questions written using the blues scale. Practice these examples,
improvise your own one and two-bar examples, and then compose some questions in the
spaces provided.
One-Bar Questions:
39
Chapter Four: The Basic Improvisational Language
Compose your own examples of one-bar questions.
&
&
&
Two-Bar Questions: Pay attention to the swing articulations and style inflections!
& b
- - - - - b
- - .
- b .
& - - - b - #
r . J
b b .

& # r b -
Compose your own examples of two-bar questions.
&
&
&
40
The Answer
One of the differences between a question and an answer in spoken language is the audible pitch
change the voice creates at the end of a sentence. As stated before, questions rise in pitch in the final
syllables. Conversely, answers descend in pitch on the final syllables. In improvisation, the same
type of inflection applies. Any short phrase whose overall shape descends in pitch may be heard by
listeners as an answer. The following are some short one and two-bar answers written using the blues
scale. Practice these examples, improvise your own one and two-bar examples, and compose some
answers in spaces provided.
One-Bar Answers:
r b - .
&c
#
- - - b - .
&
3 3
& b # . . b
- .
Compose your own examples of one-bar answers:
&
&
&
41
Two-Bar Answers:
#
r # - n - b - - b -
&
~~~
~~
-
& b # # n b
- .
b b
& - b #
r .
Compose your own examples of two-bar answers:
&
&
&
42
The Statement
Throughout this book phrases greater than two bars in length will be called statements.
Improvisational statements can blur the obvious audible differences between questions and
answers by increasing the length of the phrase and the possible shape of the line. In
improvisational music, statements are the most common phrases. Improvisers often do not intend
to consciously play questions or answers during a solo. As in written and spoken communication,
questions and answers are only a small part of the improvisational language. Musicians spend
most of their time developing improvisational ideas within solos, rather than focusing on specific
questions or answers. Since it is not possible to audibly determine the intent of every
improvisational phrase played during a solo, we will generally define any phrase greater than two
bars as a statement. The following examples are three-bar statements written using a blues scale.
Practice these examples, improvise your own three-bar examples, and then compose your own
statements in the spaces provided.
Three-Bar Statements:
- - - - - b . j
& c b - - # b - - # - .
-
& -j # . b j - b - - b .
- - - b -
.
& # - - - - - - - - - b # - n b -
- - .
43
Compose your own examples of three-bar statements:
&
&
&
Musicians will encounter obvious cases when phrases that are longer than two bars are
specifically intended to sound like questions or answers. This is the improviser's
prerogative. The examples given on these pages are general examples that are meant to
demonstrate the concepts of improvisational questions, answers, and statements. Musicians
should strive to develop the musicality and skill necessary to consciously play phrases with
communicative intent during a solo. Once improvisers acquire and refine this skill, great
liberty may be taken during improvised solos.
Create Your Own Conversations:

Musicians should practice creating improvisational conversations that consist of questions,
answers, and statements. Any conversation that can be spoken can also be played on an
instrument. Try the following exercise.
First, write out a short conversation that consists of questions, answers, and statements.
Then try playing improvisational phrases that mimic the written conversation. If the
conversation repeats words or phrases, repeat those same phrases while improvising. If the
conversation has emotional content, mimic those characteristic during improvisation using
style and dynamics. At this point, don't worry about the chord changes within a blues form or
fitting a musical conversation with the play-a-long CD. Focus exclusively on adding creative
intent to improvisation with the blues scale.
44
Playing Rests
Rests are a critical component of every improvised solo. Rests provide the
improviser with pauses that can begin, end, or add emphasis to a phrase. Rests also
provide listeners with short breaks that enable them to better process and understand the
music being heard. Without rests, solos would sound like one endless run-on sentence
that would be neither intelligible nor enjoyable for listeners.
Rests also play an important role when constructing a melodic solo. Where a
musician rests significantly impacts phrasing and solo development. Throughout the
remainder of this book, rests will be used to separate phrases and to add emphasis to the
beginning and end of improvisational ideas. Often, rests will be one measure or more in
length. It is extremely important to give these rests their full value. Do not begin any of
the phrase structures on the following pages earlier than notated. Learning to control the
beginning and ends of phrases is a critical first step in developing melodic phrasing skills.
Practicing Repetition
Repetition is another essential component of melodic jazz improvisation and one

of the most difficult skills for beginning musicians to master. Repetition requires
musicians to remember short improvised phrases and reuse the same phrases later in a
solo. Often beginning musicians are unable to remember melodies they have improvised.
These musicians lack the ability to hear their own improvised melodies and repeat them.
Developing melodic memory is a critical step in learning to improvise. The following
pages contain several techniques that beginning improvisers can practice to enhance their
repetitive skills. Later in chapter eight of this book, the use of repetition using
improvisational motifs will be explored in greater detail. For beginning improvisers, the
basic concepts needed to immediately integrate repetition into improvisation are detailed
in the following pages. Musicians should focus on developing three types of repetitive
skills: rhythmic, intervallic, and exact repetition.
Here are some tips that can help beginning musicians develop the ability to
remember melodic ideas during a solo:
1. Improvise vocal solos. Singing solos that use repetition can help
musicians improve their melodic memory. Often beginning improvisers
create solos on their instruments that are far less melodic and structured
than those that they might sing. The melodic ideas that beginning
improvisers sing tend to be short, rhythmic, and in-time. These three
characteristics make the ideas memorable and repeatable. Beginning
musicians should follow this simple rule: If you cant sing it or say it,
dont play it.
45
2. Focus on rhythms. Beginning improvisers can usually remember

improvised rhythmic patterns easier than they can remember pitches.
Find a simple or memorable rhythmic pattern and then repeat it
throughout a solo without regard for the notes. Developing rhythmic
memory leads to improved overall melodic memory.
3. Repeat Intervals. Focus on repeating intervals during improvised solos.

Experiment using obvious intervals like octaves, tri-tones, or minor
thirds. The ability to purposefully repeat intervals helps musicians
improve melodic memory.
4. Quote a known phrase. In the course of learning to improvise,

musicians are likely to learn and compose hundreds of melodic ideas.
Instead of trying to remember a phrase that was recently improvised,
focus on remembering and reusing a phrase that was previously
practiced and memorized. This process of quoting melodic ideas and
phrases improves melodic memory and can make a solo sound great.
The examples on the following pages will help musicians practice and improve
repetitive skills and melodic memory.
46
Rhythmic Repetition
Rhythmic repetition is one of the simplest types of repetition that musicians use when improvising.
This type of repetition occurs when musicians memorize a rhythmic pattern and repeat it during a solo.
The rhythm can be repeated on one pitch or on different pitches. Rhythmic repetition fosters rhythmic
awareness in musicians and is the simplest type of repetition to immediately integrate into
improvisation. In exercise 4-1, practice singing and improvising solos using one repetitive rhythm for
each chorus of blues. Rhythms can be one or two bars long. For a demonstration of this technique, listen
to the example solo below.
Exercise 4-1: Rhythmic Repetition
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
If this exercise proves to be difficult, notate the rhythms that will be repeated.
Exercise 4-1: Rhythmic Repetition-Example Solo

Repeated Rhythmic Pattern CD Track 18 (demo)
&
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
& ..
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
47
Intervallic Repetition
Intervallic repetition occurs when improvisers play and repeat a series of specific intervallic notes
during a solo. Typically, rhythms are used to vary the sound of the intervallic pattern. This type of
repetition fosters pitch awareness in beginning improvisers and is far easier to execute than repeating
exact phrases. Intervallic repetition is discussed in greater detail in chapter nine. In exercise 4-2,
practice singing and improvising your own solos using intervallic repetition. Choose a series of notes
for each chorus of blues and improvise a solo using only those notes. The example solo uses four
intervallic notes from the blues scale to create an excellent one chorus blues solo.
Exercise 4-2: Intervallic Repetition CD Track 2 (play-a-long)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Notate the intervallic notes that will be used during each solo.
Exercise 4-2: Intervallic Repetition-Example Solo
Pitch Sequence: 1- b3- #4-4

CD Track 19 (demo)
- b - # - n - . n . - n
C7 F7 C7
- b # n b # b #
& J J J
- ~b - . . n -
F7 F7 C7 C7
. b -
. b #
J J J J
& ~ # - n - # n b # - n .
# - n - . - -
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ~~~
b - b # n # n b # n
3
48
Exact Repetition
Exact repetition occurs when improvisers repeat both the rhythm and pitch of previously improvised
ideas during a solo. This type of repetition is the easiest for listeners to hear and most difficult for
musicians to play. Repeated phrases can be of any length. Exact repetition is discussed in greater
detail in chapter nine. The following example requires musicians to repeat a one-bar phrase throughout
a solo. In exercise 4-3, musicians should practice repeating phrases where notated and improvising
where slash notation is used. Improvise your own solos using exact repetition and listen to the example
solo for exercise 4-3.
Exercise 4-3: Exact Repetition
Remember this phrase Repeat
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Repeat Repeat
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Repeat Repeat
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
This type of repetition is complicated. When improvising your own examples, keep melodic ideas
simple so that they are easy to remember and repeat. Practice singing solos before you play them.
Exercise 4-3: Exact Repetition-Example Solo

Repeated Phrase CD Track 20 (demo)
b - . b - .
C7 3 F7 C7 3 C7
b
& . b
.
b - . b - .
F7 3 F7 C7 3 C7
b
& . b
.
b - . b - .
Dmin7 3 G7 C7 3 G7
b
& . b
.
49
CHAPTER FOUR:
1. Practice repeating a one-bar improvised idea at different locations during a solo

using the following roadmap. This roadmap helps musicians remain aware of their
location within the form while improvising. First, practice singing solos that
follow the roadmap and then try playing them. The numbers represent what and
where to repeat in each chorus. In the first chorus, repeat in locations marked 1,
in the second chorus, repeat in places marked 2 etc.
Practice the above roadmap exercises using:

a. Rhythmic Repetition for three choruses
b. Intervallic Repetition for three choruses
c. Exact Repetition for three choruses
2. Practice repeating a two-bar improvised idea at different locations during a solo.

This roadmap helps musicians remain aware of their location within the form
while improvising. First, practice singing solos that follow the roadmap and then
try playing them. The numbers represent what and where to repeat in each chorus.
In the first chorus, repeat in locations marked 1, in the second chorus, repeat in
places marked 2 etc.
50
Practice the above roadmap exercises using:

a. Rhythmic Repetition for three choruses.
b. Intervallic Repetition for three choruses.
c. Exact Repetition for three choruses.
3. Listen to the following recordings:*
Bessie Smith- Back Water Blues

Louis Armstrong- St. Louis Blues
Gene Ammons- Good Time Blues
4. Discuss:
a. In Back Water Blues how is repetition used during each twelve bar
chorus?
b. In St. Louis Blues can you identify when the song uses a twelve bar blues
form and when it does not?
c. In St. Louis Blues can you hear the repetition used during the trumpet
solo? What effect does this repetition have on you as a listener?
d. In Good Time Blues how is repetition used during the melody?
e. Are there places where you hear the musicians using repetition during
improvisation?
f. Do you think repetition becomes boring for listeners? How often do you
think an idea has to be repeated before it becomes boring for listeners?
How often do you think an idea must be repeated before listeners notice it
is being repeated? Try out your thesis: Play a solo for listeners and have
*
51
them raise their hands when they are certain that they are hearing
repetition.
g. What can musicians do to improve their ability to remember what they
have played and repeat it within a solo?
5. Write out the words to some conversations that might take place during the course
of the day that contain questions, answers and statements. Write out a short:
a. Argument between two people
b. Conversation between a teacher and student
c. Conversation between two friends
d. Conversation asking directions from someone on the street
e. Conversation asking to borrow something from a friend
Now practice playing all of these conversations on your instrument.
6. Transcribe the example solos for exercises 4-1 and 4-3 for your instrument.
scale and chord progression on tracks 10-12 of the play-a-long CD. Notation for
the chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales for F blues can be found in
the technique appendix of the book.
52
CHAPTER FIVE:
Basic Improvisational Phrase Lengths
S ATION
In order to construct melodic solos, musicians must be able to consciously control
the length, duration and placement of phrases. Musicians often allow technical
proficiency to dictate phrase length. More advanced technical soloists tend to play longer
phrases, while beginners tend to play shorter phrases. This stereotype should not be the
case. Phrase length should be dictated by the intent of what a musician is trying to
communicate, not by technique.
In this chapter we will examine and practice three types of basic phrase lengths:
the one-bar phrase, the two-bar phrase, and the three-bar phrase. These phrase lengths,
when combined with stylistic inflections and improvisational intent, give musicians the
tools needed to play quality solos. Improvisers should focus on adding melodic intent to
each phrase length. It is simply not enough to play the correct notes in the correct place.
Musicians should push themselves to consciously think about what they are trying to
convey through their improvisation. In this chapter, a readers intent will be to convey
questions, answers, and statements using the three basic phrase lengths, beginning with
the one-bar phrase.
The One-Bar Phrase

The shortest type of phrase length that musicians must master is the one-bar
phrase. The one-bar phrase is extremely limiting in the content that it allows a musician
to play, due to its short duration. This limitation makes mastering one-bar phrases an
essential benchmark for musicians. The challenges encountered when playing one-bar
phrases are both technical and creative. The main technical challenge that musicians face
is to consciously stop each phrase before the first beat of the next measure. A one-bar
phrase in 4/4 time cant be more than four beats long. The measure of rest following
each one-bar phrase in the preceding exercises should remain completely empty. The
main creative challenge that musicians face when playing one-bar phrases is that this
short phrase length allows little room for the melodic or rhythmic development of ideas.
Therefore, each short phrase must be a quality melody.
When used properly, one-bar phrases can create a conversational vocal quality in
a solo. Simple question and answer solos might mimic the vocal quality of this short
conversation:
53
Chapter Five: Basic Improvisational Phrase Lengths
Question Answer
You O.K? Absolutely
Ready to eat? You bet.
Can we leave? No way.
Very few good conversations consist of simple questions followed by simple

answers. The above format can be altered in as many ways as there are literal
counterparts. For example, the format can be used to create tension within a solo in the
same way that a conversation might become tense. In the following example, tension in
the conversation builds by repeating a question:
Question Answer
Can I have that? No
Can I have that? We cant afford it.
Can I have that? Youre not listening.
The opposite approach can also build tension in a solo by repeating an answer:
Question Answer
Could I get a raise? No way.
Some additional vacation? No way
Dont you think Ill quit? No way.
Similarly, many conversations might have multiple questions that go unanswered

or several different answers for the same question. Creativity and imagination are key
elements needed to effectively use question and answer, or call and response, in an
improvised solo. These types of short one-bar question and answer phrases are most
stylistically appropriate in rhythm and blues, funk, or blues at a slow tempo. Extended
multi-chorus solos exclusively using one-bar phrases are unlikely to occur in traditional
jazz settings.
Musicians should remember that improvising a solo is like telling a story. Great
improvised solos follow the same rules for construction and development as verbal
stories. Giving consideration to the "story" that one is improvising can help soloists add
emotional content and create strategies for melodic phrasing that can engage both the
audience and fellow musicians. Musicians should experiment with different
conversational formats during improvised solos and strive to make this use of intent
habitual.
Variations to one, two, and three-bar phrasing will be explored in the following
exercises and solo roadmaps in this chapter.
54
The following roadmaps demonstrate how one-bar phrasing can be used within a blues form.
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example
Exercise 5-1: Question and Answers

Question Answer
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7

Question Answer

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Question Answer
..
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
Feel free to alter the suggested intent of this exercise. Improvisers often play numerous questions
before playing an answer or multiple answers followed by questions. Vary the phrasing in creative
ways.
Exercise 5-1: Questions and Answers-Example Solo

Trumpet players should play an octave lower as needed.
Question CD Track 21 (demo)

Answer
- - b T - . #C7- n - b - - .
&
C7 F7 C7
. b - - - . -
Question Answer
- b - - - . J
# n b ~

F7 F7 C7 C7
& ~~~
Question Answer
- - b - # r b # n r b
r C7
.
Dmin7 G7 G7
n r
&

In this type of slow funk, articulations on eighth notes are slightly different than the usual swing
articulation.
55
Exercise 5-2 combines repetition and one-bar phrasing. In this exercise repeat the same answer for an
entire chorus while playing different questions and observing all rests. Focus on remembering the
melody improvised for the answer. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and
listen to and master the example solo for exercise 5-2.
Exercise 5-2: The Answer Remains the Same

Question Answer (Remember This)

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Question Answer (Repeat)

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
Focus on playing answers that are easy to remember in exercise 5-2.
Exercise 5-2: The Answer Remains the Same-Example Solo

CD Track 22 (demo)
-
Question Answer
- b - # n . b - .
& - b .
r r
C7 F7 C7 C7
-
Answer (Repeat)
- b -
Question
b - # n . b - .
-
r r
F7 F7 C7 C7

#
&
~~~
T -
b .
- - - b - # n . b - .

r r
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& #

3
56
In exercise 5-3, repeat the same question for an entire choruse while playing different answers. Focus
on remembering the melody improvised for the question in bar one and observing all rests. Practice
singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for
exercise 5-3.
Exercise 5-3: The Question Remains the Same
Question (Remember This)
Answer
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Question (Repeat) Answer
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
Focus on playing questions that are easy to remember during in 5-3.
Exercise 5-3: The Question Remains the Same-Example Solo
CD Track 23 (demo)
Question Answer
- - n b .
b - .
r
C7 F7 C7 C7

#
& # r
b - . -
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
r
- b - -
.
#
.
Question (Repeat)

Answer
# n . b - -
b - .
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& # r
~~~
3 3
57
Create Your Own Examples
Construct and compose your own solo using combinations of one-bar questions, answers, and
repetition. Composing solo etudes helps beginning improvisers become more conscious of form and
phrase length while creating a record of melodic ideas that can be incorporated into future
improvisation.
&c
&
&
&
&
&
58
The Two-Bar Phrase

Two-bar phrases present a new hurdle for beginning improvisers: ending a phrase within two
measures. When beginning improvisers immerse themselves in the blues scale the resulting solos
often consist of phrases of random length. The following exercise will focus improvisers on creating
two-bar questions and answers that all end before beat one of the new measure.
In two-bar phrases, ending the phrase in the proper place is critical. When improvisers ignore the
rests, the phrase structure ceases to be a two-bar phrase. Observe all rests while improvising using the
following roadmap. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and
master the example solo for exercise 5-4.
Exercise 5-4: The Two-Bar Phrase Question and Answer

Question Answer
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Question Answer
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Question Answer
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
Exercise 5-4: The Two Bar-Phrase Question and Answer-Example Solo

CD Track 24 (demo)
Question Answer
- b -

-
- -
- .
- b
r # - n - b - - b - .
C7 F7 C7 C7

#
&
Question Answer
- b . - # - . b - - - - b T - b
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Question Answer
b b .
bw b . .

D min7 G7 C7 G7
& # r b
r r

r
J
59
In exercise 5-5, repeat the same two-bar answer for an entire chorus while playing different questions.
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo
for exercise 5-5.
Exercise 5-5: The Answer Remains the Same

Question Answer (Remember This)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Keep the answers simple in this exercise so that they are easy to remember and repeat.
Exercise 5-5: The Answer Remains the Same-Example Solo
Trumpet players should play an octave lower as needed. CD Track 25 (demo)
Question
- ~ ~
Answer
- b - - - # - . ~ b - - b - .
C7 C7
-
C7 F7

r
&
b - . b - . -
- - b - .
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b -
~~~
-
- b # n - . b n . - - b - .
C7 G7
b -
Dmin7 G7
r

#
& J
~~~
60
In exercise 5-6, repeat the same question for an entire chorus while playing different answers. Practice
singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for
exercise 5-6.
Exercise 5-6: The Question Remains the Same

Question (Remember This) Answer
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Keep the questions simple in this exercise so that they are easy to remember and repeat.
Exercise 5-6: The Question Remains the Same-Example Solo

- b
Question
-
Answer
- b - - - b - # - n - b - .
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
#

~~
-
- b - - - b T
b # n b ~
F7 F7 C7

r
~~
#
&
~~~
-
- b - - - b - T b - .
r C7
- b -
D min7 G7 G7

r

#
&
~~~
61
Musicians should be able to maintain two-bar phrasing for at least three consecutive choruses of
solo before proceeding. In storytelling, not all questions are followed by answers and not all
answers warrant new questions. Feel free to alter the forms used thus far by playing continuous
questions or answers.
Construct and compose your own solo using combinations of two-bar questions, answers, and repetition.
Composing solo etudes helps beginning improvisers become more conscious of form and phrase length
while creating a record of melodic ideas that can be incorporated into future improvisation.
CD Track 2 or 4 (play-a-long)
&c
&
&
&
&
&
62
The Three-Bar Phrase

Three-bar phrases present the same hurdle to beginning improviser as two-bar phrases: controlling
the end of the phrase. This challenge is more difficult in three-bar phrases because inexperienced
improvisers tend to instinctually want to play phrases that are four-bars in length. In this exercise, all
three-bar phrases must end before beat one of the fourth bar. The reason for this will become apparent
in chapter seven. Phrases that are three-bars and longer often don't sound like questions or answers.
Phrases of this length will be called statements throughout this book even though it is possible to
approach three-bar phrases as either questions or answers. When improvising the following roadmaps,
be sure to observe the rests. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to
and master the example solo for exercise 5-7.
Exercise 5-7: Three Separate Statements CD Track 5 (play-a-long)
Statement
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 5-7: Three Separate Statements-Example Solo

CD Track 27 (demo)
- b - - - b .
Statement
n b - # - .

C7 F7 C7 C7
J
r

#
&
- b C7 # r n - b .
Statement
# - n . b - - - b - .
F7 F7 C7
& J J
Statement
# - - - - - - - n - b - # - n b - - ~
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& ~~~
63
In exercise 5-8, the first and third statements are the same. Practice singing and improvising solos using
this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 5-8.
Exercise 5-8: Repeating Statement One

Statement (Remember This)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement (Repeat Statement One)
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 5-8: Repeating Statement One-Example Solo

CD Track 28 (demo)
Statement
- b - - - # n - b n -
C7 F7 C7 C7
r b. ~~~
&
J ~
Statement
b - - .
F7 F7 C7 C7
b
& b b
r

Statement (Repeat Statement One)
- b - - - # n - b n -
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
r b. ~~~
&
J ~~~
64
In exercise 5-9, the second and third statements are the same. Practice singing and improvising solos
using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 5-9.
Exercise 5-9: Repeating Statement Two

Statement CD Track 5 (play-a-long)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement (Remember This)

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement (Repeat Statement Two)
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Keep melodic ideas simple so that they are easy to remember and repeat.
Exercise 5-9: Repeating Statement Two-Example Solo

CD Track 29 (demo)
Statement
b
# n b b . b .
C7 F7 C7 C7
& J
-
Statement
b . . -
b .
.
-
b
n - # n
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
#

3 3 3 3
-
b .
.
-
b .
.
-
b
# n - # n
D min7 G7 C7 G7
r
&
3 3 3 3
65
Musicians should be able to maintain three-bar phrasing for at least three consecutive choruses of
solo before proceeding. Musicians should vary both the statement and the repeated phrases in the
following examples.
Construct and compose your own solo using combinations of three-bar statements and repetition.
&c
&
&
&
&
&
66
Combining Phrase Lengths

Once musicians can confidently use one, two, and three-bar phrases in isolation, they should begin
combining the different phrase lengths within an improvised solo. Musicians should be aware of where
they are within the blues form at all times and should observe rests in the following roadmaps. Practice
singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise
5-10.
Exercise 5-10: Combining Phrase Lengths

Answer Question
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Question Answer
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
Exercise 5-10: Combining Phrase Lengths-Example Solo

T .
CD Track 30 (demo)
b - b
Answer Question
b .
r C7 r C7

F7 C7

&
Statement
. b # # n b -
. b ~~

r
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b J ~~
#
3 3
Question Answer
b b .
n - b . b - -
& # r b
r
D min7 G7 C7 G7
b b
#

r
67
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for
exercise 5-11.
Question Answer
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Question Statement
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&

CD Track 31 (demo)
Question Answer
-
- b . b - .
rb b
C7 F7 3 C7 C7
&
# .b
Statement
b - - . . # n b . -
b .
F7 F7 C7 C7
& J b
3
T
Question Statement
# - - n b . - . .

b b . J. J J - b
b
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
~~~
~~~
68
Musicians should be able to spontaneously combine one, two, and three-bar phrase lengths within
multiple choruses of twelve-bar blues. Musicians should vary the phrase lengths and the repeated
phrases in their improvised and composed roadmap examples.

Construct and compose your own solos using combinations of different phrase lengths and repetition.
&c
&
&
&
&
&
69
CHAPTER FIVE:
Exercises for Continue Exploration
1. Create ten new one chorus solo roadmaps using combinations of one, two, and
three-bar phrases with questions, answers and statements.
2. Create a literal conversation that uses short questions, answers, and repetition.
Write down the words for this short conversation and then try to create a solo
roadmap that will reflect the attitude and content of the written words. The solo
can be multiple choruses of blues and can use any of the phrase lengths in this
chapter.
3. Practice singing and playing the following solo roadmap.
70
4. Practice singing and playing the following solo roadmap.

Miles Davis- One for Daddy-O
Miles Davis-Vierd Blues
Sonny Rollins-Blue Seven
Charlie Parker-Nows the Time
Ray Brown-Mistreated but Undefeated Blues
6. Discuss:
a. Can you identify any specific phrase lengths, questions, or answers that
are used in the different melodies on the recordings? Create a roadmap
that accurately reflects the melodies for Vierd Blues and One for Daddy-
O?
b. Can you identify certain phrase lengths, questions, or answers that are
used in the different improvised solos? Where?
c. Are there places where you hear the improviser using repetition, questions
or answers? Where?
d. Do the improvisers on any of these recordings use space effectively in
their solos? Where?
e. Can you hear any places where the soloists use melodic quotes from other
famous melodies in their solos? Where? Why do you think musicians do
this?
7. Practice exercises 5-1 through 5-11 using the chord scales and arpeggios found in
the appendix instead of the blues scale.
*
71
scale or chord progression. An outline of the chord progression, blues scales, and
chord scales needed for F blues can be found in the technique appendix of the
book.
72
CHAPTER SIX:
Developing Melodic Solos
I SATION
Once beginning musicians can competently integrate one, two and three-bar
phrases into improvisation, they possess the phrasing skills needed to create quality
improvised solos. Developing improvised solos is the next important skill that musicians
must practice. A well developed solo increases and decreases in intensity and often elicits
emotional responses from listeners. In the same way that great stories develop plot lines
that entertain and surprise readers, great solos develop shapes that engage listeners and
defy expectations. During improvisation musicians can control the development and
shape of solos by either increasing or decreasing intensity.
Shape and Intensity
Inexperienced musicians should have a cognitive plan for developing a solo

before they begin to improvise. Inexperienced improvisers are often overwhelmed by the
vast amount of creative decisions regarding notes, phrasing, and stylistic inflections that
are made simultaneously during every solo. In order to facilitate this decision making,
musicians can create an outline of how a solo will develop before they begin to
improvise. By pre-planning solo shape, beginning musicians encourage themselves to
move beyond the minutia of playing correct notes towards the more compelling
challenges of creating improvisational intent and choosing specific solo development
tools that will be used during a solo. Limiting choices helps improvisers focus on using
specific tools to create specific results.
Shape and development within improvisation is an important and often
underutilized tool. Musicians must not only consider the shape of their own solo but must
also consider the context and location of their solo within the larger composition. For
example, in a big band composition, musicians are rarely given multiple choruses to
develop solos. Solos might be inserted in the middle of a piece before a compositionally
dense ending or there might be several different soloists in rapid succession. In these
scenarios the shape options musicians have to choose from become more limited. In
these cases, musicians may have to play solo shapes that fit into the overall compositional
shape of the piece.
In situations where there are multiple soloists, musicians must listen and be aware
of the shape and development of previous solos. For example, if a previous soloist ends
with an extreme decrease in tension, a musician would probably not choose to begin their
solo on a high exciting point. If that were to happen, it would be awkward and might not
make melodic sense to listeners. The alternative is also true. If a previous soloist ends
73
Chapter Six: Developing Melodic Solos
their solo with an extreme increase in tension, it would be awkward for the following
soloist to begin at an extreme low point in tension. The landscape of melodic
development often looks more like rolling hills than sharp mountain peaks and valleys.
Alternatively, in small combos, musicians might have to develop three or more
choruses of solo. In this scenario, development and pacing is extremely important so that
musicians dont exhaust their creative and technical resources or the attention of listeners
before the end of a solo.
There are countless solo shapes that improvisers might play. Shape is only limited
by the length of a solo and the musicians imagination. For demonstration purposes, the
following shapes can represent common two chorus blues solos:
Intensity
Intensity
Length of Length of
solo solo
Figure 1 Figure 2
Intensity
Intensity
Length of Length of
solo solo
Figure 3 Figure 4
Intensity
Length of
solo
Figure 5
Intensity in music can be created in any number of ways. The following is a list
of tools that musicians use to increase and decrease intensity during solos.
74
How do improvisers build intensity during a solo?
1. By playing in increasingly higher registers- Gradually increasing range to play in

higher registers during a solo builds tension for listeners.
2. By playing with increasing speed- Technique and speed can build tension and
intensity within a solo. This type of intensity can be used to communicate a range
of more aggressive emotions to an audience.
3. By sustaining notes- Holding out notes for long periods of time can increase
tension and defy expectations of listeners. When a musician holds out a note,
listeners create an internal expectation of when the note will end. If the
expectation is not met, tension continues to build while listeners create a new set
of expectations. The longer a note is held and the more listeners expectations are
defied, the more tension increases.
4. By phrasing in an unexpected way- Phrasing solos in an unexpected way can

increase the intensity felt by a listener. Listeners intuitively expect phrases of
certain lengths and melodic rhythms. Altering the length and placement of phrases
can be an unexpected and interesting surprise for listeners.
5. By playing louder- Increasing volume alters the amount of tension that listeners
feel. By combining phrases that are both loud and soft, improvisers can imitate a
vocal quality in a solo that is both engaging and intuitively understood by
listeners.
6. By using repetition- Repetition reinforces improvisational ideas to listeners.

Continued repetition increases intensity during an improvised solo.
7. By adding harmonic tension- Harmonic tension is created when musicians play

notes that sound dissonant and resolve to notes that sound consonant. This process
of tension and release can be accomplished using a blues scale but is most often
used in harmonically centered improvisation. Harmonic tension plays an
important role in improvisation and there are countless options and techniques
that musicians can apply to create it.
How do improvisers decrease intensity during a solo?
1. By playing gradually in lower registers- Gradually decreasing range and playing

in decreasingly lower registers creates an audible decline in intensity for listeners.
2. By playing simple phrases- Phrases of less technical and rhythmic complexity

create an audible decline in intensity for listeners.
75
3. By phrasing in an expected way- Constructing simple phrases that meet the

expectations of listeners decreases improvisational intensity. Phrases that begin on
downbeats, are two or four bars in length, and coincide with strong harmonic
changes, tend to meet listeners expectations and can decrease intensity.
4. By diminishing overall volume- Playing at a softer volume can audibly decrease

the intensity of a solo.
5. By effectively using space- Leaving significant amounts of rest bars or space in a

solo decreases the audible intensity for a listener.
Once a musician chooses a shape for a solo, he or she must then choose the
melodic development tools that will be used to create that shape. At first, musicians
should limit the number of tools that they allow themselves to use when developing a
solo. Limiting choices focuses musicians on practicing specific techniques that can be
immediately integrated into improvisation. The following exercise will help musicians
construct a shape for a solo while limiting the development tools used.
A Practice Solo Roadmap for Melodic Development
The following practice solo roadmap will attempt to create this solo shape:
Intensity
Length of solo
In the following roadmap, the above shape will be created using a few simple
intensity building techniques: repetition, playing in increasingly higher registers, and
sustaining notes. Throughout the solo, improvisers will focus on playing two and three-
bar phrases. The following roadmap presents a significant amount of visual information
for improvisers to process. In order to successfully play the following roadmap, first
make note of the phrase lengths that are used through the solo roadmap. Second, make
note of the overall range changes that the solo uses. You will notice that the ranges used
mimic the solo diagram above. Finally, make note of any special instructions. In this
case, there is one five-bar phrase with a sustained note in the high register and a two-bar
repetition in the last four bars of the solo. Practice singing and improvising your own
solo using exercise 6-1 and listen to and practice the example solo.
76
Practice singing and improvising your own solo using exercise 6-1.
Exercise 6 -1: Building Intensity within Two Choruses of Blues
Three-bar phrase in the LOWER register of your instrument.
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Three-bar phrase in the MIDDLE register of your instrument.

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Three-bar phrase in the UPPER register of your instrument. Sustained Note Begins

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
This is the high point of the solo. Choose a note that is high on your instrument and hold it out for as
long as possible with a quality sound and vibrato. Try to hold the note out for at least three bars and
then move down to the middle range of the blues scale on your instrument.

C7 F7 C7 C7
&

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Answer (Remember This) Answer- Repeated
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
77
Listen to and practice this example solo until the techniques used for melodic development become
clear.
Exercise 6 -1: Building Intensity within Two Choruses of Blues-Example Solo
CD Track 32 (demo)
Three-bar phrase in the LOWER register of your instrument.
C7 F7 C7 C7
- - b ~~ b b - b . j
& c - b - .
# b - # n b . # n # . n # - ~~~~
F7 F7 C7 C7
b
& 3
J J ~
3
Three-bar phrase in the UPPER register of your instrument. Sustained Note Begins
- b b - b - . b.
b. - .
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7 r
r

& J
3
This is the high point of the solo.
w
C7
w
F7
w
C7
.
C7
&
b # n - # - n b - # - n ~~~
F7 F7 C7 C7
r
J b b -

& ~~
Answer (Remember This) Answer- Repeated

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
b
. j
J b J b . b J b J b . j
r r
& .
78
Creating Roadmaps that Build Intensity
Follow these steps to create your own improvisational roadmaps that practice solo
development.
1. Choose an overall solo shape.

2. Choose the tools that you will use to develop intensity during the solo from the
list on page 75.
3. Choose the tools that you will use to decrease intensity during the solo from the
list on pages 75-76.
4. Decide which phrase lengths will be used: one, two, or three-bar phrases.
5. Write out the road map.
6. Practice improvising vocal solos over the roadmap until it is internalized.
7. Improvise a solo with your instrument.
8. Repeat the process until the tools for developing an improvised solo are
completely memorized and are habitually used.
Musicians must internalize the tools for solo development. The practice roadmaps and
the tools used for increasing and decreasing intensity are only useful in improvised solos
when musicians dont have to consciously think about their use. The practice exercises in
this chapter and throughout this book are meant to help musicians understand, practice,
and implement development tools in improvised solos. The next and most important step
is for musicians to internalize the development tools and use them habitually. Solo
development can take years to master, but the first steps toward eventual mastery are
taken in this chapter. In order to continually facilitate this development, musicians should
ask themselves whats my plan before playing a solo and did I execute my plan after
playing a solo. Musicians should set concrete goals and evaluate every solo to make sure
that melodic skills are becoming habitual.
Musicians should take the time to create their own detailed roadmaps using the tools
for solo development. Musicians should work to reach the point where notating a road
map is unnecessary and development occurs naturally. Internalizing these development
tools is an essential step in learning to improvise and it should not be rushed. Be
proficient at developing solos before beginning chapter seven.
79
Create Your Own Example

Solo Development Roadmap For Two Choruses of Blues
Create your own solo development roadmap for two choruses of blues. Choose the techniques and
phrasing that you will use to increase and decrease intensity to create the following solo shape:
Example 1.tif
&c
&
&
&
&
&
80

&c
&
&
&
&
&
81

&c
&
&
&
&
&
82
CHAPTER SIX:
1. Practice singing and improvising two chorus solos using all of the example shapes
on page 74.
2. Practice singing and improvising four chorus solos using all of the example
shapes on page 74.
3. Practice singing and improvising two chorus solos using chord scales and
arpeggios instead of the blues scale to create the following shapes. These scales
can be found in the appendix of this book.
4. Write out all the tools for solo development on index cards. Before playing or
singing a solo, randomly choose two index cards and use only those tools for solo
development.
5. Write out eight original solo shapes for two and four chorus solos on index cards.
Before playing or singing a solo, choose a card and spontaneously execute that
solo shape without creating a written roadmap.
6. Listen to the following recordings: *
Sarah Vaughn-Sassys Blues

Gene Ammons- Blue Greens and Beans
Louis Armstrong- West End Blues
Miles Davis- One for Daddy-O
Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt- Blues Up and Down
*
83
7. Draw a diagram of the overall shape of each solo that you have listened to. Track
each solo shape chorus by chorus.
8. Discuss:
a. Which solo development tools did each artist use to accomplish the shape
of their solo?
b. Which solo development tools do you think are the most effective? Why?
c. Are some solo development tools more effective than others at different
tempos?
d. Are there some solo shapes that seem to be more common than others?
Which ones? Why?
e. Are some solo development tools best suited to certain instruments?
Which ones? Why?
f. Are some solo development tools easier to play than others? Why?
g. When there are multiple soloists, how does the solo shape each individual
plays effect the overall listening experience?
scale and chord progression on track 10-12 of the play-a-long CD. An outline of
the chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales that should be used can be
found in the technique appendix of the book.
84
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Using Pick-ups in Improvisational Phrasing
V ISATION
The phrase pick-up is the next essential melodic tool for musicians to use during
improvised solos. During solos, improvisers strive to keep the attention of the audience and other
musicians by making solos interesting and by trying to defy the expectations of listeners. Most
often, improvisers use harmonic tension as the primary tool for defying the expectations of
listeners. Hundreds of books have been written discussing the use of harmonic tension and those
techniques will not be discussed here in detail. Alternatively, creating intensity through the use
of melodic phrasing is a more subtle, but equally effective way for improvisers to develop solos.
Thus far, we have explored improvising with one, two, and three-bar phrases. Each of these
phrase lengths, when used repeatedly, becomes predictable for listeners. This audible
predictability decreases the overall intensity in a solo. Phrase pick-ups are the inevitable
evolution of the basic phrase lengths mastered thus far.
A phrase pick-up is a series of notes that is inserted before the beginning of a melodic
idea. Adding phrase pick-ups to conventional phrase lengths creates the melodic displacement of
one, two, or three-bar phrases. Adding pick-ups creates the dual effects of displacing and
lengthening the improvised idea. One-bar phrases become to two-bar phrases, two-bar phrases
become three-bar phrases, and three-bar phrases become four-bar phrases. While pick-ups
lengthen phrases they also displace the beginning of melodic ideas which creates phrasing
tension by beginning and ending phrases in unexpected locations relative to the form. Pick-ups
significantly alter both the sound and feel of standard one, two, and three-bar phrases. Though
conceptually simple, beginning musicians often have great difficultly properly placing pick-ups
within a solo. Readers should focus intently on the correct rhythmic placement of pick-ups in all
of the exercises in this chapter.
The length of a pick-up directly effects how audibly noticeable it will be in an improvised
solo. Beginning improvisers tend to play pick-ups that are one beat or less. Short pick-ups create
the least amount of melodic tension. Musicians should strive to lengthen pick-ups to three beats
and beyond. Throughout the course of the following chapter, pick-ups begin on various beats so
that musicians can practice their use.
85
Chapter Seven: Using Pick-ups in Improvisational Phrasing
One-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups
In the exercise 7-1 each one-bar phrase has a two beat pick-up. The pick-up displaces the phrase,
making it sound more like a two-bar phrase and creates phrasing intensity by consistently beginning
each melodic idea in an unexpected place. Be certain to observe all rests in the following exercise.
Practice singing and improvising solos using exercise 7-1.
Exercise 7-1: One-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups

One-Bar Phrase Pick-up One-Bar Phrase Pick-up
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
& ..
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
Beginners often have difficulty adhering to the strict structure of phrasing used in the above exercise.
If the eighth note rhythms for pick-ups in the above exercise proves to be too difficult, simply alter the
rhythm to something easier, like half notes or quarter notes. Regardless of the rhythm, continue placing
the pick-up on beat three. Vocalizing improvisational phrasing can make the phrasing easier to execute.
All musicians should practice singing this type of phrasing before attempting to play it. Developing the
ability to sing phrase structures like pick-ups can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to master
playing them on an instrument.
86
In exercise 7-2, one-bar phrases with pick-ups are expanded to include questions, answers, and
repetition. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the
example solo for exercise 7-2.
Exercise 7-2: Repeating the Question with Pick-ups
Question (Remember This) Pick-up Answer Pick-up
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Question (Repeat) Pick-up Answer Pick-up
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
Question (Repeat) Pick-up Answer Pick-up
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 C7
Exercise 7-2: Repeating the Question with Pick-ups-Example Solo

- ~~~
Question Pick-up Answer Pick-up
-
- - b - .
- b - - -
# n b .

r C7

C7 F7 C7

&
.
r b b # n
Question (Repeat)
r - - - -
Pick-up Answer Pick-up
-
- b - .
b #
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
#
~~~~
Question (Repeat) Pick-up Answer
- . b. #C7 n b - -
- b -
r
&

J
D min7 G7 G7
~~~
~
Try variations of the above exercises like: playing the same answer, playing the same pickups
for different questions and answers, and playing the same questions and answers while varying
pick-ups. By practicing more variations of these exercises, musicians can greatly increase their
control of melodic phrasing.
87
In exercise 7-3 one-bar phrases with pick-ups are expanded to include questions, answers and
repetition. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the
Exercise 7-3: Repeating the Answer with Pick-ups

Question Pick-up Answer (Remember This) Pick-up
& c J
C7 F7 C7 C7
Question Pick-up Answer (Repeat) Pick-up
& J
F7 F7 C7 C7
Question Pick-up Answer (Repeat) Pick-up
& J ..
D min7 G7 C7 C7
Exercise 7-3: Repeating the Answer with Pick-ups-Example Solo

CD Track 34 (demo)
- -
Question Pick-up Answer Pick-up
# b # n . b - .
-
# n
b
& - b . b J J
C7 F7
rC7
. . C7- b - -
Pick-up Answer (Repeat) Pick-up

Question
b - . -
- # b # n . b - . C 7 #
J
F7 F7
J
r
&
3 3 3
b . G 7 b . # C7 b - -
Pick-up
- T
# n . b - .
J J
Dmin7 G7
& J
3
88

Construct and compose your own solos using combinations of questions and answers with pick-ups
of different lengths. Composing solo etudes can help musicians become more conscious of form and
phrase length while creating melodic ideas that can be used in future improvisation. Practice your own
examples with the accompanying CD.
&c
&
& ..
&
&
& ..
89
Two-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups
The following exercises add pick-ups to common two-bar phrases. In this exercise each two-bar
phrase has a two and a half beat pick-up. Again, the pick-up displaces the two-bar phrase making it
sound like a three-bar phrase and creates phrasing intensity by beginning each melodic idea in an
unexpected place. Be certain to observe all rests in the following exercise. Practice singing and
improvising solos using exercise 7-4.
Exercise 7-4: Two-Bar Phrases With Pick-ups
Two-Bar Phrase Pick-up Two-Bar Phrase
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Pick-up Two Bar-Phrase
& J
5 F7 F7 C7 C7
Pick-up Two-Bar Phrase Pick-up
& J J ..
9 D min7 G7 C7 C7
Two-bar phrasing with pick-ups is considerably more challenging for inexperienced improvisers than
traditional two-bar phrasing. Instinctually improvisers tend to build phrases around the main chordal
shifts that occur within a blues: measure one, measure five, and measure nine. When using two-bar
phrasing with pick-ups, melodic phrases move across these strong harmonic changes in a way that may
feel counterintuitive to inexperienced improvisers. Musicians should practice singing solos using the
preceding phrasing structure and practice the solo examples that have been provided in order to develop
proficiency with this important phrasing technique.
90
In exercise 7-5, two-bar phrases with pick-ups are expanded to include questions, answers, and
repetition. Improvisers should be comfortable executing the following roadmaps for several
consecutive choruses before moving on. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap
and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 7-5.
Exercise 7-5: Two-Bar Questions and Answer With Pick-ups
Question Pick-up Answer
& c J
C7 F7 C7 C7
Pick-up Question
J
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Pick-up Answer Pick-up
& J J ..
D min7 G7 C7 C7
Exercise 7-5: Two-Bar Questions and Answer With Pick-ups-Example Solo

CD Track 35 (demo)
- b - - - b - . # n # n - r b

- - b b r
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
J
Pick-up Question
- b - . - -
b # b b
r b .

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
J - -
Pick-up Answer
- b - b ~
& J b # b r
D min7 G7 C7 C7

r

~ ~ ~~
-
91
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example
Exercise 7-6: Repeating the Answer With Pick-ups
Question Pick-up Answer (Remember This)
& c J
C7 F7 C7 C7
Pick-up Question
J
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
3 3
Pick-up Answer (Repeat) Pick-up
& J J ..
D min7 G7 C7 C7
Exercise 7-6: Repeating the Answer with Pick-ups-Example Solo

CD Track 36 (demo)
# j b ~~ b
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
- b - - - r # - .
~ - -
-

Pick-up Question
- r -
- - # n #
3 3
J b b
r
C7 F7 C7 C7
& - b

- . . .
Pick-up Answer (Repeat)
G7 C7
jb # b ~
Dmin7 G7
& - b -
3
- . - ~ - b - - .
Try variations of exercise 7-6 such as: keeping the answer the same, keeping the question the
same, and keeping both the questions and answers the same while varying pick-ups.
92
Construct and compose your own solo using combinations of two-bar questions and answers with
pick-ups. Composing solo etudes helps musicians become more conscious of form and phrase length
while creating melodic ideas that can be incorporated into future improvisation. Practice your own
examples with the accompanying CD.
&c
&
& ..
&
&
& ..
93
Three-Bar Phrasing with Pick-ups
The following exercises add pick-ups to standard three-bar phrases. In exercise 7-7 each
three-bar phrase has a three beat pick-up. The pick-up displaces the phrase making it sound more
like a four-bar phrase and creates phrasing intensity by consistently beginning each melodic idea in
an unexpected place. In this case, each pick-up begins each melodic phrase precisely where
inexperienced improvisers tend to end phrases. By creating four-bar phrases that both begin and end
in unexpected locations, improvisers can greatly increase the phrasing intensity of a solo. Be certain
to observe the rests in the following exercise. Practice singing and playing this roadmap with the
accompanying CD.
Exercise 7-7: Three-Bar Phrasing With Pick-ups
Statement Pick-up
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Statement Pick-up
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
Statement Pick-up
& ..
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
Three-bar phrasing with pick-ups, though effective at any tempo, is particularly effective as a
phrasing tool at faster tempos. Be sure to try to apply this technique with the fast blues play-a-long
provided on the accompanying CD. For an example of how this type of phrasing can be used in an
up-tempo solo, look at exercise 8-3 in chapter eight.
94
exercise 7-8.
Exercise 7-8: Repeating Statement One

Statement (Remember This) Pick-up

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement (Repeat Statement One) Pick-up

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement Pick-up
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
& ..
Exercise 7-8: Repeating Statement One-Example Solo

CD Track 37 (demo)
- b - - - b .
Statement Pick-up
# n - # -
.
b # b
b
C7 F7 C7 C7
J
r
&
b - - - b .
Statement (Repeat Statement One) Pick-up
- # - . - - - -
F7
# n #
F7 C7
b
C7
J
r
&
Statement
- - - - - - - - - -
b # n b -
-
# - .
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
95
In this variation, repeat the second and third statement. Practice singing and improvising solos using
this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 7-9.
Exercise 7-9: Repeat Statement Two CD Track 5 (play-a-long)
Statement Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement (Remember This) Pick-up

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement (Repeat Statement Two) Pick-up

Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
& ..
Exercise 7-9: Repeat Statement Two-Example Solo

CD Track 38 (demo)
Statement Pick-up
b - r b - -
bC-7 b .
# n b # # b b
C7 F7 C7

& - -
Statement Pick-up
T
b - - - # n b n - b. -
. # n b
F7 F7 C7 C7

r

& J
T
b - - - . # n b n - b. .
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7

r

r
&

J
Try variations of exercise 7-9. Practice keeping the statements the same, playing the same pick-ups for
each statement, and using three-bar questions and answers in place of statements throughout the
exercise.
96
Construct and compose your own solos using three-bar phrases and pick-ups. Composing solo etudes
helps musicians become more conscious of form and phrase length while creating melodic ideas that can
be incorporated into future improvisation. Practice your own examples with the accompanying CD.
&c
&
& ..
&
&
& ..
97
Combining Phrase Lengths

Once musicians can confidently use one, two, and three-bar phrases with pick-ups in isolation, they
should begin combining the different phrase lengths within a twelve-bar blues. Musicians should be
aware of their location within the blues form at all times and should observe rests. Practice singing and
improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 7-10.

Answer Pick-up Question Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement Pick-up
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&

CD Track 39 (demo)
Answer Pick-up Question Pick-up
# n . b - - -
b - .
C7 F7 C7 C7
& b - b

r
b - #
r
. 3
Statement Pick-up
. b # # n b -
. b .

r
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b b - #
#
J
3 3
b r b . n - b . b - -
& b
r
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
b b
r #
# .

3
3
98
exercise 7-11.

Question Answer Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement Pick-up
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&

CD Track 40 (demo)
r b - b .
~~ - - b
r
C7 F7 3 C7 C7
& b
b - # . ~ b
.
-
Statement
b
Pick-up
b - . # n b . - b . r b
F7 F7 C7 C7
& J
3
T # n b . - . .

& b b . J. b J J - b
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7

~~~
~~~
99
Musicians should be able to spontaneously combine one, two, and three-bar phrases with
pick-ups of different lengths within multiple choruses of twelve-bar blues. Musicians should vary
the phrase lengths, the repeated phrases, and the pick-ups in their composed roadmap examples.

Construct and compose your own solo using combinations of phrase lengths, repetition and pick-ups.
while creating melodic ideas that can be incorporated into future improvisation.
CD Track 2, 3, 4, 5 (play-a-long)
&c
&
&
&
&
&
100
CHAPTER SEVEN:
1. Practice singing and playing the following roadmaps that combine one, two and
three-bar phrasing with pick-ups:
101
2. Create ten two-chorus roadmaps that practice one, two and three bar-phrasing
with pick-ups and practice singing and playing them.
3. Practice singing and playing all the examples in chapter seven using the chord
scales and arpeggios in place of the blues scale.
4. Go back to the previous solos that you composed on pages 58, 62, 66, 69, and add
phrase pick-ups in the bars of rest. Practice playing the new solos. How are they
audibly different?

Cannonball Adderley- Sack O Woe
Sonny Rollins/John Coltrane- Tenor Madness
Gene Ammons- Good Time Blues
Sarah Vaughn- Sassys Blues
6. Discuss:
a. Identify where you can hear phrase pick-ups being used during these
solos?
b. Why do phrase pick-ups help create tension in a solo? Are phrase lengths
noticeable for listeners when phrase pick-ups are used?
c. Are phrase pick-ups used in any of the melodies from previous listening
examples in this book? Where?
d. When listening to over the bar line phrasing it is easy to lose location
within the form. When listening to the above recordings, pay special
attention to location within form. Can you identify the beginning of each
chorus? Measure five of each chorus? Measure nine of each chorus?
scale and chord progression with the play-a-long CD. An outline of the chord
progression, blues scales, and chord scales that should be used can be found in the
technique appendix of this book.
*
102
CHAPTER EIGHT:
Putting It Together
O VISATION
The following chapter presents three solo roadmaps over two choruses of blues. Each
roadmap is at a different tempo and uses the techniques and phrase structures discussed
thus far in this book. Before proceeding, musicians should be proficient at:
1. Questions, answers and statements

2. One, two and three bar phrasing
3. The use of repetition
4. Multi-beat pick-ups for one, two and three-bar phrase lengths
5. The tools for melodic solo development
Solo roadmaps are not meant to be sight reading exercises, but rather are meant to be
guides that musicians study and prepare to improve melodic phrasing. Solo roadmaps are
best used to train musicians to experiment with phrasing locations within the form and to
integrate the use of melodic techniques into improvisation. Musicians should practice
and understand the phrasing and concepts used within a roadmap before trying to play it.
On complicated roadmaps, musicians should follow these progressive steps before
improvising:
1. Make note of phrase lengths

2. Make note of range notations or use of melodic development tools
3. Make note of repetition or other special instructions
4. Make note of the length of pickups for phrases
5. Practice singing a solo roadmap using all of the aforementioned techniques before
playing it. If you cant sing it, dont play it.
6. Play the exercise repeatedly until the phrase structures become habitual.
103
Chapter Eight: Putting It Together
This solo applies melodic phrasing techniques at a slow blues tempo and utilizes virtually every tool
that has been discussed thus far in the book. Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap
and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 8-1.
Exercise 8-1: Slow Blues Solo Roadmap
Question Answer (Remember This) Pick-up
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Question Pick-up Answer (Repeat Bar Three) Pick-up
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
J
Statement Pick-up
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
&
(Remember These)

C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Pick-up (Repeat) Answer (Repeat)

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement
..
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
&
Also try playing this roadmap at both medium and fast tempos.
104
Exercise 8-1: Slow Blues Solo-Example Solo
CD Track 41 (demo)

C7 F7 C7
T C7
. j
&c . b J # # n b
j #
- b - # n - . .
r r
#
Question Pick-up Answer (Repeat Bar Three) Pick-up

F7
-
F7
-
C7 C7
& n b r b # # n -jb j J b
- .
~~~
Statement Pick-up
b
r # b -
D min7 G7 C7 G7
j
# - b # n b b . j
r
&
.
- b T T b .
C7 F7
b
C7 C7
b b # j j
3
& b b
. - J - J -
Pick-up (Repeat) Answer (Repeat)
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b J - # jn b b . - b J - # j J - j b J - # jn b
3
- . - .
Statement
b - b - b - b b
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
b
r
&
~~~~
~
Try playing this solo an octave higher.
105
This solo applies melodic phrasing techniques at a medium tempo blues. Practice singing and improvising
solos using this roadmap and listen to and master the example solo for exercise 8-2.
Exercise 8-2: Medium Blues Solo Roadmap
Statement Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Question (Remember This) Pick-up Question (Repeat) Pick-up

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
J
Statement Pick-up
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
&
Question (Remember This) Pick-up Answer

C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Pick-up Question (Repeat Measures 13-14)
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement
..
Dmin7 G7 C7 C7
&
106
Exercise 8-2: Medium Blues-Example Solo

Statement Pick-up
- # - - n - b - r -
&c b - b -
r r
C7 F7 C7 C7
b -
# #
b - - C 7 . # -
Question Pick-up Question (Repeat) Pick-up
b . # -
b j b -
r
&
F7 F7 C7

- -
~~~
3
3
Statement Pick-up
. . -
b -
b r -
Dmin7 G7 G7

# r b b
C7
b b b b .
3
&
3 3
.
Question (Remember This) Pick-up Answer
# n b n b b . b - b -
C7 F7 C7 C7
& b J
.
Pick-up Question (Repeat Measures 13-14)
n . -
# n b b n b
b . . r
F7 F7 C7 F7
J
r #
&

J
Statement
. . b . - b .
-
# - n

& J J J J b
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
107
This solo utilizes a few simple melodic phrasing tools to create an exciting solo at a fast blues tempo.
The repetition and gradual increase in range make this solo fun to play and exciting for listeners.
exercise 8-3.
Exercise 8-3: Fast Blues Solo Roadmap
Statement One (Remember This) Pick-up
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Statement One (Repeat) Pick-up
&
F7 F7 C7 C7
J

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
(Slightly higher in pitch than statement one)

Statement Two (Remember This) Pick-up

C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement Two (Repeat) Pick-up

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement Two (Repeat)
Pick-up

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
108
The combination of repetition and gradually increasing range help make this solo both fun to play
and exciting for listeners. Repetition of melodic ideas over fast tempos makes improvisation easier
for the performer and reinforces melodic ideas to listeners.
(Slightly higher in pitch than statement two)

Statement Three (Remember This) Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Statement Three (Repeat) Pick-up

F7 F7 C7 C7
&

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
(Slightly higher in pitch than statement three)

Statement Four (Remember This) Pick-up
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
J
Statement Four (Repeat) Pick-up
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Statement Four (Repeat)

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
109
Exercise 8-3: Fast Blues-Example Solo

Trumpet players can play this entire solo an octave lower..
CD Track 43 (demo)
Statement One Pick-up
- . - - - . - - - b b # - n b
C7 F7 C7 C7
& c - -
J J
~~~
- . - - - . - - - b - b b -
F7 F7 C7 C7
& J J -

. J
~~~
- . - - - . - - b - b
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& J J b - -
~~~~
Statement Two (slightly higher in pitch than statement one) Pick-up
# n - b . . - # . # - n - b - . r - b
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
J J
# n - b . . - # .
n - b - . # r
F7 F7 C7 C7
J J
r
&

# - n - b . . - # . n - b - . - - - -
D min7 G7 C7 G7
r r
J J
#
&
110
b - - - .
Statement Three (slightly higher in pitch than statement two)
b - - -
Pick-up
b F7 # -
C7 C7
r
C7

&c
~~~
b - - b - - - . -
b
F7 F7 C7 C7
r

& J
~~~
b - - - b G7 b - - - . # - b

D min7 C7 G7
r

&
~~~
- - - . - - - b -
Pick-up
. b
Statement Four (slightly higher in pitch than statement three)
-
- b
C7 F7 C7 C7
& J J J
~~~
~
Statement Four (Repeat) Pick-up
- .
F7
- - - . F7
- - - b -
C7
b ~~~
~
C7

r b
& J J
Statement Four (Repeat)
- .
Dmin7
- - - . G7
- - - b -
C7
b ~~~~ G7
& J J
111
CHAPTER EIGHT:
1. Create a new solo roadmap for a two chorus blues solo at a slow tempo. Use all of
the melodic development tools discussed thus far. Make the solo create this
shape:
2. Create a new solo roadmap for a three chorus blues solo at a medium tempo. Use
all of the melodic development tools discussed thus far. Make the solo create this
shape:
3. Create a new solo roadmap for a four chorus blues solo at a fast tempo. Use all of
the melodic development tools discussed thus far. Make the solo create this
shape:
112
4. Listen to:*
Miles Davis-Blues By Five

Miles Davis-Blue and Boogie
Joshua Redman-Blues on Sunday
John Coltrane-Blue Train
John Coltrane-Locomotion
Charlie Parker-Nows the Time
Charlie Parker- Billies Bounce
5. While listening, chart the shapes of the different improvised solos on the above
recordings chorus by chorus.
6. Discuss
a. What tools do the musicians on the recordings use to create the shape of
their solos?
b. Can you identify specific times when musicians are using one, two, or
three-bar phrasing and pick-ups within solos? Back up your claims with
specific listening examples.
c. Can you notice specific style inflections that are unique to individual
musicians or instruments?
d. How does improvisational phrasing change from recordings made in the
1940-50s (Charlie Parker) to the 1960s (John Coltrane and Miles Davis)?
7. Practice exercises 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3 using the chord scales and arpeggios instead
of the blues scale.
scale and chord progression on track 10-12 of the play-a-long CD. An outline of
the chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales that may be used can be
*
113
114
CHAPTER NINE:
Improvisational Motifs
R OVISATION
Improvisational motifs are short rhythmic or melodic phrases that are thematically
repeated by musicians at different times during an improvised solo. Improvisational
motifs are thematic phrases that are both conceptually simple for musicians to improvise
during a solo and are possible for listeners to recognize. Using motifs during
improvisation has benefits for both performers and listeners. From a soloists perspective,
motifs can help to develop a solo, navigate chord changes, and reinforce important
melodic elements. From a listeners perspective, motifs create a recognizable melodic
thread that can engage them with the development and intent of a solo.
Musicians sometimes approach motifs in improvisation from the perspective of
composers. Over the centuries, composers have developed dozens of specific techniques
for motivic composition. Many of these complicated compositional motifs are not
entirely useful to intermediate level musicians because they are extremely difficult to
improvise and sound audibly different from their original parent phrase. For example, a
compositional motif in retrograde is a melodic idea that is written in reverse to create a
new melodic idea. During a solo, spontaneously playing an improvised idea in retrograde
is incredibly complicated once the content exceeds three or four notes. Furthermore, the
typical listener would not be able to recognize this series of notes as an audible motif. For
the scope of this chapter, we will limit ourselves to the five common types of
improvisational motifs.
1. The Exact Motif: An exact motif occurs when musicians precisely repeat both
the pitch and rhythm of a previously improvised phrase. Readers have already
played numerous examples of exact motifs in this book, every time they have
practiced exactly repeating an improvisational idea during a solo roadmap.
2. A Rhythmic Motif: A rhythmic motif occurs when musicians repeat the rhythm
of a previously improvised melodic phrase. Rhythmic motifs are the simplest type
of motif for improvisers to use in solos because remembering and repeating
rhythms is easier than remembering and repeating exact phrases.
3. The Intervallic Motif: An intervallic motif occurs when musicians repeat

intervals to create a melodic idea while altering the rhythms used. A simple
example of an intervallic motif occurs when musicians repeat two notes over and
over while varying the rhythms used. This type of motif is extremely easy for
beginning improvisers to use in solos and is easy for listeners to recognize.
115
Chapter Nine: Improvisational Motifs
4. A Transposed Motif: A transposed motif occurs when musicians repeat an

improvised melodic phrase in a new key center. Transposed motifs are
incompatible with the exclusive use of the blues scale but will be extremely useful
during harmonically based improvisation.
5. A Shape Motif: A shape motif occurs when musicians mimic the melodic shape
or rhythm of a previously improvised melodic phrase, without attempting to
precisely transpose the motif. Shape motifs are the most subtle and the most
common type of motif used in jazz improvisation. Shape motifs share
characteristics of rhythm and melodic shape but may sound audibly different from
the original melodic idea. These types of motifs are useful to musicians when
improvising melody over harmonically different chords and are generally
incompatible with the exclusive use of the blues scale.
In the examples on the following pages, the use of the exact motif, the rhythmic
motif, and the intervallic motif are isolated and examined within the context of a twelve
bar blues exclusively using the blues scale. In order to practice using the transposed motif
and the shape motif, musicians will have to leave the confines of the blues scale and
begin to create a technical bridge to the harmonically driven improvisation that lies
ahead.
Musicians will face an extremely difficult hurdle while playing the exercises for the
transposed and shape motifs. Since the use of these motifs is mostly incompatible with
the blues scale, these motivic exercises require musicians to develop a relatively high
level of fluency with major, dominant and minor scales. This significant technical
challenge will take time and hard work to achieve, but will result in a high level of
fluency with these new essential scales. Musicians must work to create the same level of
technical fluency with each of these new scales as they have developed with the blues
scale. Mastering the exercises in this chapter can take dozens of hours of dedicated
practice and should not be rushed. During the course of this hard work, musicians will
have to balance the technical requirements of improvisation with their own melodic and
creative intent.
116
The Exact Motif

Exact motifs occur when musicians precisely repeat both the pitch and rhythm of a previously
improvised phrase. This concept was previously introduced in chapter four and has been utilized
throughout this book. Exercises 9-1 and 9-2 challenge a musician's ability to play an exact motif at
different locations within one chorus of blues. Musicians may play any phrase length and rest at any
time during the solo, except when repeating the exact motif. Practice singing and improvising solos
using this roadmap and listen to and improvise your own version of the example solo for exercise 9-1.
Exercise 9-1: One-Bar Exact Motif

Remember this one-bar melodic idea CD Track 2 (play-a-long)
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7
Exact Motif (Repeat) Exact Motif (Repeat)

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Exact Motif (Repeat)
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
Extend this technique to multiple choruses of improvisation.
Exercise 9-1: One-Bar Exact Motif-Example Solo

CD Track 44 (demo)
Remember this one-bar melodic idea
- b - # .

C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Exact Motif (Repeat) Exact Motif (Repeat)
- b - # .

- .
- b #
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Exact Motif (Repeat)
- .
- b #
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
117
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and improvise your own
version of the example solo for exercise 9-2.
Exercise 9-2: Two-Bar Exact Motif
Remember this two-bar melodic idea
&c
C7 F7 C7 C7

Exact Motif
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Exact Motif
..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
Extend this technique to multiple choruses of improvisation.
Exercise 9-2: Two-Bar Exact Motif-Example Solo

CD Track 45 (demo)
. . b . . C7

Remember this two-bar melodic idea
.
- b # -
. # -

& - b J J
C7 F7 C7
J
3 3
. .
Exact Motif
. # -
.
. # -
.
b
- b
- b
J
F7 F7 C7

C7
& J
J
3 3
. .
Exact Motif
. - .
. - .
b
- b # - b # J J ..
&
Dmin7 G7 G7 C7
J
3 3
118

Practice repeating your own exact motifs at different locations during a solo using the following
roadmap. Practice singing solos before trying to play them. The numbers represent what and where
to repeat in each chorus. In the first chorus, repeat the motif in locations marked "1," in the second
chorus in places marked "2," etc. Vary the locations and lengths of repeated motifs to improve
melodic memory and gain fluency with their use.
1, 2, 3
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
1 2 3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
1 3 2
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
1, 2, 3
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
2
1 3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
3
1 2
& ..
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
119
The Rhythmic Motif

Rhythmic motifs occur when improvisers repeat a rhythmic pattern within a solo. Rhythmic motifs
were first introduced in chapter four and now will be reexamined. The following solo roadmaps test an
improviser's ability to play rhythmic motifs in a variety of locations within one chorus of blues.
Improvisers may play any phrase length and rest at any time when not playing the provided rhythms.
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and improvise your own version
of the example solo for exercise 9-3.
Exercise 9-3: One-Bar Rhythmic Motif

One-Bar Rhythmic Motif Rhythmic Motif
C7 F7 C7 C7
& c .
J .
J
3 3
Rhythmic Motif
F7 F7 C7 C7
& .
J
3
Rhythmic Motif Rhythmic Motif
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& .
J
.
J ..
3 3
Exercise 9-3: One-Bar Rhythmic Motif-Example Solo

CD Track 46 (demo)
One-Bar Rhythmic Motif Rhythmic Motif
- # n b . - j b -
C7 F7 C7 C7
& . .
3
J 3 - - - .
Rhythmic Motif
- - - . b -

F7 F7 C7 C7
& . b
J

3
Rhythmic Motif Rhythmic Motif
j- - . - b. - b .
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& b. - J -
3 3
120
Practice singing and improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and improvise your own
version of the example solo for exercise 9-4.
Exercise 9-4: Two-Bar Rhythmic Motif
Two-Bar Rhythmic Motif
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
J
Rhythmic Motif
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
J
Rhythmic Motif
D min7 G7 C7 G7
&
J ..
Exercise 9-4: Two-Bar Rhythmic Motif-Example Solo
CD Track 47 (demo)
Two-Bar Rhythmic Motif.

C7 F7 C7 C7
- - - - - - - . b J
&
Rhythmic Motif
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b - - . b j
Rhythmic Motif
b - - - - - b - . b
D min7 G7 C7 G7
& J
121

Practice repeating your own rhythmic motifs at different locations during an improvised solo
using the following roadmap. Practice singing solos before trying to play them. The numbers
represent where to repeat rhythms in each chorus. In the first chorus, repeat the motif in locations
marked "1," in the second chorus in places marked "2," etc. Vary the locations and lengths of
repeated motifs to gain fluency with their use.
1, 2, 3 CD Track 4 (play-a-long)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
1 2 3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
1 3 2
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
1, 2, 3
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
2
1 3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
3
1 2
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
122
Intervallic Motifs
Intervallic motifs occur when musicians repeat an intervallic pattern while altering the rhythm
during an improvised solo. Basic intervallic motifs were first introduced in chapter four and will
now be reexamined. The following examples are simple to play because they all occur within a
blues scale. In harmonically based improvisation, intervallic motifs are more technically
challenging and require musicians to have a strong understanding of chord scales, arpeggios,
and intervals. Beginning improvisers should become fluent with the use of intervallic motifs in
the blues scale in order to become more conceptually comfortable applying the technique in
non-blues scale based improvisation.
Original Intervallic Idea

(Three Note Sequence) Intervallic Motifs Displaced Rhythmically
c b b b b 3
& J J
3

Intervallic Motifs Using Minor Thirds
b b. j b j . j
(Minor Third) 3
& J b
J J
3
# n b #. n b # n b # n # b
(Four Note Sequence) Intervallic Motifs Displaced Rhythmically
& J J J J
3

(perfect fourths) Intervallic Motifs (Perfect Fourths)
b b b b
& b
b

123
Play only the notes written and vary the rhythms during the intervallic motif areas of the roadmap.
Listen to the example solos and then practice singing and improvising your own solos using exercises
9-5 and 9-6.
Example 9-5: Intervallic Motif-Three Note Sequence
CD Track 48 (demo)
Original Intervallic Idea CD Track 4 (play-a-long)
(three note sequence) Intervallic Motifs
& c b
C7 F7 C7 C7

Intervallic Motifs
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Non-Motivic Improvisation
& ..
D min7 G7 C7 G7
Example 9-6: Intervallic Motif-Four Note Sequence
CD Track 49 (demo)
Original Intervallic Idea CD Track 4 (play-a-long)
(four note sequence) Intervallic Motifs
C7 F7 C7 C7
& # n b
Intervallic Motifs
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Non-Motivic Improvisation
& ..
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
124
Improvise your own solos using intervallic motifs. Try using these note combinations from the blues
scale to improvise entire choruses of blues.
1, b3 5, b7 1, b7, b3
1, b3, 4 5, b7, 1 1, b7, b3, #4
1, b3, 4, #4 #4, 5, b7,1 1, b7, b3, 5
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Don't forget to change registers, octaves, and rhythms while improvising.
Intervallic motifs are extremely used in harmonically based improvisation. Try playing the above
exercise using the arpeggio notes and chord scales found in the appendix instead of the blues scale.
Focus on using one intervallic motif to navigate all of the chords with the blues progression.
125
Transposed Motifs
Transposed motifs occur when improvisers repeat a melody in a new tonal center. Transposed
motifs are incompatible with the exclusive use of the blues scale during a twelve-bar blues. Once
improvisers move on from the exclusive use of the blues scale they will find transposed motifs are
an essential component for constructing melodic improvisation.
Transposed motifs require a musician to have a high level of technical proficiency on their
instrument. This proficiency is gained through repetitive practice and absolute mastery of major
and minor scales and their corresponding chords and arpeggios. For the sake of example, some
simple melodic ideas using a blues scale are transposed below.
Melodic Idea One Melodic Idea Two

C Blues
b7 b3 b7 b7 b3
.
b
1 5 1 5 4 1 5 1 5 4 1
& c b J b b
b
3
J
Transposed to"G"
# . j b n n J b
3
& n
Transposed to"F"
& b b . j b b b J b
3
Transposed to"D"
## 3 n . n
& J n n J n

The technical ability to spontaneously transpose motifs during improvisation is essential. In order to
do this, musicians must achieve technical fluency with major scales and chord scales. In the next
exercises, musicians will leave the confines of the blues scale and begin the journey towards harmonic
improvisation. When soloing in a harmonic context the goal of improvisation remains the same:
communication. Musicians should not be so overly concerned with playing the correct notes that they
forget the essential phrasing skills that have been addressed thus far in this book. Before playing the
following exercises, musicians should be fluent with the scales and arpeggios in the appendix.
126
Exercise 9-7: Transposed Motifs In Major

First navigate the chords using example one, then try with examples two and three.
CMaj7
&c j
1 3 3 3
- - - - -
1 3 1 1
-
Example One
CMaj7
.
j 7. 1 7
& . -
5 5 3
J J
1 3
- .
Example Two
C Maj7
& -
5 6 4 5 3 1 3 5
3 4 2

Example Three
C Maj7 FMaj7
&
b
B Maj7 b
E Maj7
&
b
A Maj7 b
D Maj7
&
#
F Maj7 B Maj7
&
E Maj7 AMaj7
&
D Maj7 G Maj7
&
Create and practice your own transposed motifs using this chord progression.
127
Exercise 9-8: Transposed Motifs In Dominant Seventh

C7
&c j
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
- - - - - -
Example One
C7
.
j .
b7 b

& . b J J b -
1 3 7 1 5 5 3
- .
Example Two
b7
C7
& - b
5 6 4 5 4 3 1 3 5
3 2

Example Three
C7 F7
&
b
B 7 E 7 b
&
b
A 7 D 7 b
&
#
F 7 B7
&
E7 A7
&
D7 G7
&
128
Exercise 9-9: Transposed Motifs In Minor Seventh

b3
C min7
b3
j
b3 b3
& c b
1 1 1 1
- - b - - b - b
Example One
C min7
- .
j .
b3 b7 b b3

& b . b J J b - b
1 7 1 5 5
- .
Example Two
b3 b7
Cmin7
b3 b3
& - b b b
5 6 4 5 1 5
4 2

Example Three
C min7 Fmin7
&
b
B min7 b
E min7
&
b
A min7 b
D min7
&
#
F min7 B min7
&
E min7 A min7
&
Dmin7 Gmin7
&
129
Shape Motifs
A shape motif mimics the melodic contour and rhythm of a previously improvised phrase,
without attempting to exactly reproduce it. Shape motifs are the most subtle and are the most
common type of motifs used in jazz improvisation. Shape motifs share characteristics of rhythm and
linear shape but may sound different from their parent phrase. These types of motifs are extremely
useful when creating melody over harmonically different chords and are generally incompatible
with the blues scale. The following examples of shape motifs use the blues scale for illustrative
purposes only. Note that the rhythms, while similar, are not exactly the same.
Original Idea Shape Motif
. b . j
3
c b
J b b
3
&
b
& b # b # b b
3
b # #
&
b .
J j J . j

& b b b b b b J b
J
Notice that shape motifs share rhythmic and intervallic characteristics but do not attempt to exactly
repeat their parent phrase. This type of loose transposition and interpretation is ideally suited for
spontaneous improvisation.
130
Before mastering this exercise, musicians must be proficient with all major and minor scales.
Practice playing two-bar shape motifs that alternate between major and minor chord types. Examples
one and two demonstrate shape motifs that are extremely similar. Musicians should use the same
shape motif for the entire exercise until technical proficiency is attained.
Exercise 9-10: Shape Motifs in Major-Minor

- . - - - -
b b b b
b -
b
CMaj7 3 5
3 6 3 5 4 3 7 1 3 5 3 6 5 4 3 7 1
c b
Cmin7
Example One
& J J
Shape Motif
-1 7 -6 5 4 3 2 7 1 5 Cmin7 1 1 bb7 . 6- 5 4 b3. -2 b7 1 5

Original Idea
b
C Maj7 1
-
J b
& . J .
Example Two
C Maj C min
&
G Maj G min
&
D Maj D min
&
A Maj A min
&
E Maj E min
&
131
B Maj B min
&
#
F Maj
#
F min
&
b
D Maj b
D min
&
b
A Maj b
A min
&
b
E Maj b
E min
&
b
B Maj b
B min
&
FMaj Fmin
&
Musicians should practice improvising their own shape motifs using this exercise and
exercises 9-7, 9-8 and 9-9.
132
CHAPTER NINE:
1. Practice singing and playing the following roadmap that combines exact and
rhythmic motifs.
2. Create your own roadmaps that combine rhythmic and exact motifs.
a. Create two roadmaps for a two chorus blues solo
b. Create two roadmaps for a three chorus blues solo
c. Create two roadmaps for a four chorus blues solo
3. Use the following intervallic note combination from the blues scale to sing and
play intervallic motifs for an entire chorus of twelve bar blues:
a. one, flat 7, five
b. one, sharp four, four
c. flat three, four, sharp four
d. one, sharp four, five
e. flat three, sharp four, flat seven
4. Memorize all of the scale and arpeggio combinations in the appendix.
133
5. Listen to:*
Thelonious Monk -Straight No Chaser
Sonny Rollins-Sonnymoon for Two
Sonny Rollins- Blue Seven
Miles Davis-Blues by Five
Louis Armstrong/King Oliver- Chimes Blue
6. Discuss the following:

a. Where do you hear exact motifs being used in the above solos?
b. Where do you hear rhythmic motifs being used in the above solos?
c. Where do you hear intervallic motifs being used in the above solos?
d. Where do you hear transposed motifs being used in the above solos?
e. Where do you hear shape motifs being used in the above solos?
f. Which type of motif is the easiest for listeners to hear? Why?
g. Which type of motif is the easiest for musicians to play? Why?
7. Compose a series of one and two-bar phrases using major, minor, and dominant
scales. Practice transposing the phrases into all twelve keys and applying them to
exercises 9-7 through 9-10 with the play-a-long CD.
8. Transcribe the example solos for exercises 9-1, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-4 for your
instrument.
9. Play exercises 9-1, 9-1, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5 and 9-6 using the concert F blues
progression. An outline of the chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales
that may be used can be found in the technique appendix of the book.
*
134
CHAPTER TEN:
Transitioning to Harmony
IM PROVISATION
The blues scale has been used as the primary harmonic tool in this book because it
allows musicians to focus on intent and phrasing during a solo, without being
overwhelmed by harmonic considerations. Just as artists first learn to draw with pencils
to hone their skills before moving to paints and color, musicians use the blues scale to
develop the confidence and phrasing skills necessary to transition to more harmonically
focused improvisation.
The transition away from the exclusive use of the blues scale should be a gradual
and natural process that musicians embark on as their technical, phrasing, and harmonic
awareness improves. The blues scale offers musicians only a neutral non-harmonic
exploration of improvisation. Eventually, as musicians mature they will desire to add the
nuance and harmonic color to improvised solos that the blues scale cannot provide. When
musicians reach this point of maturity, the gradual transition to more harmonic based
improvisation can begin.
The transition toward harmonic improvisation can be taken once musicians have
internalized the following skills.
1. Musicians are aware of their location within the form of blues while soloing with
the blues scale.
2. Musicians consistently follow the guidelines for swing articulation when soloing
with a blues scale.
3. Musicians consistently add stylistic inflections when soloing with a blues scale.
4. Musicians can successfully navigate all of the phrasing exercises thus far in this
book using a blues scale.
If musicians cannot confidently state the above criteria, they should continue to
practice the previous chapters of this book until their skills develop. Musicians should
not rush to transition to harmonically focused improvisation. If they do, they will likely
be so focused on playing the technical aspects of harmony, a.k.a. the right notes, that
they will fail to remember the stylistic, communicative, and creative aspects of
improvisation. Once musicians can confidently state the above criteria, they should
continue their exploration of the harmony of blues in this chapter.
135
Chapter Ten: Transitioning to Harmony
Bass Lines and Chord Scales

The ability to play bass lines is an essential skill that can assist musicians in
transitioning to harmonically focused improvisation. Simply knowing the correct notes
of each arpeggio is not sufficient to technically prepare musicians to improvise using
chord changes. Remember, melodic improvisation occurs when musicians focus the
majority of their attention on communication, style, and intent rather than focusing
exclusively on playing the correct notes. In order to improvise melodically without using
a tool like the blues scale, musicians must not only memorize the arpeggios and chord
scales used in a song, but must become so proficient with these tools that they require
very little conscious thought to play. One of the most effective ways to develop this type
of proficiency is to practice playing bass lines using the arpeggios of each chord.
Bass lines are improvised quarter note passages that typically begin each measure on
the root of the chord. For our purposes, we will use only notes from the arpeggio and will
not necessarily begin each measure on the root of the chord. Advanced bass lines may
use approach notes, scale tones, and substitutions, but these topics will not be addressed
in our limited approach to the use of bass lines. Bass lines will be used as a tool to
develop absolute proficiency with arpeggios. The simplest type of bass line uses a basic
arpeggio as shown below.
This simple variation will only develop modest technique for improvisers to use when
soloing. In order to become technically proficient with arpeggios, musicians must use
variations of the above exercise. The following exercises will challenge musicians to play
bass lines and chord scales in several variations.
136
Replicate the pattern given in measure one over every other chord change. Do not write in the notes
and practice playing with a metronome at a variety of tempos.
Exercise 10-1: Bass Lines
C7
b7
F7 C7 C7
5 3 1
& c b
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..

C7
b7
F7 C7 C7
b
3 1 5
&

F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
137
Replicate the pattern given in measure one over every other chord change. Do not write in the notes
and practice playing with a metronome at a variety of tempos.
C7
b7
F7 C7 C7
& c b
3 5 1
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
C7
b7
F7 C7 C7
& b
3 5 1
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Play the preceding examples in the following variations: 5371, 5713, 5317, 5137, 5731, 1735, 1537, 1735,
7153, 3715, 3517, 3751,
138
Replicate every two measure pattern given throughout the twelve-bar blues form. Do not write in the
notes and practice playing the exercises with a metronome at a variety of tempos.
Exercise 10-5: Chord Scales
Ascending Descending
- b
C7 F7 C7 C7

& c b -
- -
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 10-6: Chord Scales
Descending Ascending
-
C7

F7 C7 C7
b
& - b
- -
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
139
Replicate every two measure pattern given throughout the twelve-bar blues form. Do not write in the
notes and practice playing the exercises with a metronome at a variety of tempos.
Exercise 10-7: Chord Scales in Thirds
Ascending (Third Intervals)
.
C7 F7 C7 C7
.
.
.
b
3 3
& c . . b . b
3
. 3
3
3
3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Exercise 10-8: Chord Scales in Thirds
Ascending Descending
b . b . .
C7 F7 C7 C7
.

3 3
b
& . .
3 3
. 3
.
3 3 3
F7 F7 C7 C7
&
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..
Create your own variations to these exercises. Developing complete technical proficiency with the
scales and arpeggios used within the form will lead to creative freedom while improvising.
140
Transitioning from the Blues Scale
In the following exercises, musicians will gradually transition from the exclusive use
of the blues scale to other harmonic alternatives during improvisation. In the course of
this transition, the blues scale will not be completely abandoned but gradually replaced.
The blues scale will remain an important tool for improvisation, but it will cease to be the
only harmonic tool used. At this stage in development, musicians should be well aware of
the noticeable harmonic changes that occur during blues in bars five and nine, have the
chord progression of twelve bar blues memorized, and be fluent at playing bass lines over
the twelve-bar form.
The next series of exercises gradually substitutes arpeggios or chord scales for the
blues scale. This type of gradual migration from exclusively using the blues scale can
benefit musicians. The blues scale will remain a viable alternative tool for improvisation
throughout a musicians career. Musicians should not rush to immediately discard the
blues scale once its harmonic alternatives are discovered, but rather should work to
gradually enhance their solos by adding harmonic colors and nuances in appropriate
locations. The following exercises will practice transitioning between harmonically
based improvisation and the use of the blues scale. This transition may be more time
consuming than one would expect.
Jazz improvisation is one of the few endeavors where people must spontaneously use
both their creative and analytical skills simultaneously. Its a skill that takes time to learn.
Thus far in this book, our focus has been on building skills and making fast creative
choices for phrasing using the simple unchanging seven note blues scale. The new
challenge musicians face will be to develop the ability to make fast creative choices for
phrasing using the appropriate harmonies reflected by the chord changes. This challenge
should not be underestimated or rushed.
Often musicians rush to leave the confines of the blues scale only to find that the
majority of their conscious thought is devoted to playing the correct notes. If you find this
to be the case, go back and continue to practice the scales and arpeggios that are needed
to navigate the chord changes. The more you think about playing the correct notes, the
less you are thinking about creating melody. Overcoming technical hurdles can take time
and patience, but technical fluency allows musicians to focus on style, phrasing, and
intent which will lead to beautiful creative solos.
141
In exercise 10-9, musicians should improvise with a blues scale where notational slashes are used
and improvise with arpeggios or chord scales where they are provided. Practice singing and
improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and practice playing your own version of the
Exercise 10-9: Transitioning from Blues Scale

Blues Scale
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
Blues scale
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b b
Blues Scale

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..

Exercise 10-9: Transitioning from Blues Scale-Example Solo

CD Track 50 (Demo)
Blues Scale
C7 F7 C7 C7
&
Blues Scale
b
b
F7 F7 C7 C7
r

#
&
Blues Scale
n
D min7 G7 C7 C7

r r

# #
&
142
In exercise 10-10, musicians should improvise with a blues scale where slashes are used and improvise
with arpeggios or chord scales where they are provided. Practice singing and improvising solos using
this roadmap and listen to and improvise your own version of the example solo for exercise 10-10.
Exercise 10-10: Transitions Part Two

Blues Scale
C7 F7 C7 C7
b7 b7
b
1 3 1 3 5
&c b
5

Blues Scale
F7 F7 C7 C7
b7
b b
1

3 5
&
Blues Scale
D min7 G7 C7 G7
b3 b7 b7
..
1 5 1 3 5
&
Exercise 10-10: Transitions Part Two-Example Solo

CD Track 51 (demo)
Blues Scale
- b -
C7 F7 C7 C7
- -
r
& b
#

Blues Scale
. - .
F7 F7 C7 C7
r b b
& -
3
Blues Scale
. .
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
j . r
& j . - J J # J
-
143
In exercise 10-11 musicians should follow the roadmap provided and focus on executing the pickups
in bars four and eight. Notice that this roadmap is very similar to exercise 10-11 except for the use of
pickups. Pickups may use either the blues scale or the appropriate chord scale. Practice singing and
improvising solos using this roadmap and listen to and practice improvising your own version of the
Exercise 10-11: Adding Pickups
Blues Scale Pickup

C7 F7 C7 C7
&c b b

Blues Scale Pickup
F7 F7 C7 C7
& b b

Blues Scale

Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
& ..

Try adding intent to this exercise by improvising questions and answers.
Exercise 10-11: Adding Pickups-Example Solo

CD Track 52 (demo)
Blues Scale Pickup
b - #
C7 F7 C7 C7
b
-
b
r
&
# r
#
Blues Scale Pickup
b # r b - - -
F7 F7 C7 C7

r

#
&
Blues Scale
- - n
Dmin7 G7 C7 G7
&
#

144
Exercise 10-12: The Twelve Bar Blues Final Exam
CD Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 (play-a-long)
C7 F7 C7 C7
&c
F7 F7 F7 F7
&
D min7 G7 F7 G7
& ..
Using your own combinations of the blues scale, arpeggios, and chord scales, improvise the following.
1. Play one-bar phrases as shown in exercises 5-1, 5-2, 5-3 from chapter five.
2. Play two-bar phrases as shown in exercises 5-4, 5-5, 5-6 from chapter five.
3. Play three-bar phrases as shown in exercise 5-7 from chapter five.
4. Develop a multi-chorus solo using the tools for solo development as shown in chapter six.
5. Use phrase pickups as shown in exercises 7-1 through 7-7 for the one, two and three-bar
phrases in chapter seven.
6. Improvise using the solo roadmaps in exercises 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3 in chapter eight.
7. Integrate the exact, rhythmic, transposed, intervallic, and shape motifs from chapter nine
into all the above solos.
145
Construct and compose your own solo roadmaps using using chord scales and arpeggios instead of the
blues scale. Composing solo etudes helps beginning improvisers become more conscious of form and
phrase length while creating melodic ideas that can be incorporated into future improvisation. Practice
your own examples with the accompanying CD.
CD Track 2, 3, 4, 5 (play-a-long)
&c
&
&
&
&
&
146
&c
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
147
CHAPTER TEN:
1. Practice singing and playing the following roadmaps using chord scales and
arpeggios instead of the blues scale:
148
2. Create two new roadmaps that use motifs and solo development for a two chorus
blues solo at a slow tempo.
3. Create two new roadmaps that use motifs and solo development for a three chorus
blues solo at a medium tempo.
4. Create two new roadmaps that use motifs and solo development for a four chorus
blues solo at a fast tempo.
5. Listen again to any of the selections in the Discography on page 158.
6. Discuss:
a. Which recordings and solos are your favorites? Why?
b. What melodic devices can you hear the improvisers use during the solos?
c. Has your critical listening changed as youve progressed through this
book? How?
d. How do the different instruments on the recordings utilize specific
melodic devices and phrasing?
e. Are specific phrasing techniques used during certain historical time
periods of improvisation?
f. What is the role of technical proficiency in jazz improvisation?
g. How does it impact a musician?
h. How does it impact a listener?
149
7. Transcribe the example solos for exercises 10-9, 10-10 and 10-11 for your
instrument.
scale and chord progression on tracks 10-12 of the play-a-long CD. An outline of
the chord progression, blues scales, and chord scales that may be used can be
150
APPENDIX:
Scales and Technique
FOR
IMPROVISATION
The following appendix outlines the major scales, blues scales, mixolydian scales,
and dorian scales needed to improvise over a twelve bar blues. Musicians should master
these scales and arpeggios in order to gain the complete technical fluency that is required
to improvise melodically. Musicians will not be able to improvise with creative freedom
until these technical components become habitual.
C Blues-Concert Bb
G Blues-Concert F
151
Appendix: Scales and Technique
Twelve Major Scales

Play each scale in as many octaves as possible.
C Major F Major
b
C Maj7 FMaj7
&c

G Major D Major
# ##
GMaj7 D Maj7
&

B b Major A Major
B bMaj7
b ###
A Maj7
&b

E b Major
b E Major
b ####
E Maj7 E Maj7
b
& b

A b Major
A bMaj7
B Major
bb b ## #
#
B Maj7
& b #
D b Major F # Major
b #
bbb #### #
D Maj7 F Maj7
b
& b #

152
Twelve Blues Scales

Play each scale in as many octaves as possible.
C Blues
b b n b b n b b
F Blues
&c b # b b # n b

# b # n n # n b ##
G Blues D Blues
& # n n # n
n n
B b Blues
### n # n n # n n
A Blues
& bb n b b n b b
b
E b Blues
# ###
E Blues
bb
& b b n
b b n b b
n # n n # n
n
A b Blues
bb b b b n b b n b b #### n # n n # n n
B Blues
& #
D b Blues F # Blues
b # ### # n n # n n
& b bbb b n b b n b b # n #
153
Twelve Mixolydian Scales

Mixolydian scales are used over the dominant seventh chords that occur in every bar of a blues
progression, except for bar nine. This scale is derived from a major scale by flatting the seventh
degree or by simply playing a major scale beginning on its fifth diatonic note. Adjust the octave
ranges to suit your individual instrument.
G Mixolydian C Mixolydian
n n
G7 C7
&c b b b

D Mixolydian A Mixolydian
# ## n n
D7 A7
& n n
F Mixolydian E Mixolydian
b b b ### n
F7 E7
&b n

B b Mixolydian
b
B Mixolydian
b ####
B 7 B7
&bb b b n n

E b Mixolydian F # Mixolydian
E b7
#
b b b #### n n
F 7
& b bb #

A b Mixolydian C # Mixolydian
b #
b b #### #
bbbb
A 7 C 7
# n n
& b
154
Twelve Dorian-Minor Scales

Dorian-Minor scales are used over minor seventh chords like the one that occurs in bar nine of a
twelve-bar blues. They are derived from a major scale by flatting the third and seventh degrees or
by simply playing a major scale beginning on its second diatonic note. Adjust the octave ranges to
suit your individual instrument.
D Dorian-Minor G Dorian-Minor
n n
& c n n n n b b
D min7 G min7
A Dorian-Minor E Dorian-Minor
# n n n n ## n n n
A min7 E min7
&
n
C Dorian-Minor B Dorian-Minor
b ###
C min7 B min7
&b b b n n
b b n n
F # Dorian-Minor
#
F Dorian-Minor
b b b #### n n
Fmin7 F min7
& b b b b n n
B b Dorian-Minor C # Dorian-Minor
#
B bmin7
bb b b b b ####
C min7
& # n n n n

E b Dorian-Minor A b Dorian-Minor
b b
b b
bbbb b b b b b
E min7 A min7
b b b b b
& b b b
155
Chords and Arpeggios

These are the arpeggios needed to navigate the chord progressions used in this book.
b7 b3 b7
C Maj7 C7 Cmin7
&c b b
1 3 5 7 1 3 5 1 5
b
b
D Maj7 D 7 b b
D min7
b bb b b
& bb b
##
D Maj7 D7 Dmin7
& n n n

b
E Maj7 E 7 b b
E min7
b b b
&bb b
####
E Maj7 E7 Emin7
& n n n

FMaj7 F7 Fmin7
b b
&b b
# # #
#### #
F Maj7 F 7 F min7
n n
& # n
156
# n n
GMaj7 G7 G min7
& b
b b b
b b
A Maj7 A 7 A min7
b bb b
& b
### n n
A Maj7 A7 A min7
n
&
b b b
b b
B Maj7 B 7 B min7
b b
&b
#### n n
B Maj7 B7 Bmin7
& # n
157
Blues Discography for Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation

The following examples are recordings that can be used for listening and analysis in the Continuing
Explorations areas of this book. Every musician develops improvisational skills by listening to the great
masters and analyzing and transcribing solos. The recordings were chosen because of their melodic
significance and availability, but are not meant to reflect a comprehensive jazz collection. Each selection
reflects different stylistic components of blues improvisation and reinforces the melodic concepts in this
book. Due to the incredible popularity of portable MP3 players, the following listening discography is
catalogued by artists, song, and album, and is available for purchase on iTunes, Rhapsody, and other pay-
music download websites. This student and budget friendly alternative will gives listeners a thorough
overview of the evolution and melodic components of the improvisational blues from the masters of jazz.
Many examples used throughout the book, but not listed below, have been taken from the CD Box set: Ken
Burns JAZZ: The Story of American Music, which is available at many schools and libraries nationwide.
Artist Track Recording
Charlie Parker Cool Blues-52nd Street Theme Charlie Parker: The Best of Bird Volume II
Charlie Parker K.C Blues Confirmation: The Best of the Verve Years
Charlie Parker Blues For Alice Confirmation:The Best of the Verve Years
Charlie Parker Nows the Time Nows the Time
Charlie Parker Billies Bounce The Complete Savoy and Dial Master Takes
Charlie Parker Barbados The Complete Savoy and Dial Master Takes
Sonny Rollins Blue Seven Saxophone Colossus

Sonny Rollins Tenor Madness The Best of Sonny Rollins Remastered
Cannonball Adderley Sack O Woe Live at the Lighthouse
Miles Davis Blues By Five Bluing: Miles Davis Plays the Blues
Miles Davis All Blues Miles Davis The Columbia Years 1955-1985
Miles Davis Freddy The Freeloader Kind of Blue
Miles Davis Vierd Blues Bluing: Miles Davis Plays the Blues
Miles Davis Blues By Five Bluing: Miles Davis Plays the Blues
Miles Davis One For Daddy-O Ballads and Blues
Louis Armstrong St. Louis Blues The Essential Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong Blues in the Night Blues in Orbit
Louis Armstrong West End Blues Ken Burns Jazz Collection: Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong Chime Blues Louis Armstrong and King Oliver
Louis Armstrong Black Ole Town Blues Louis Armstrong Golden Jazz
Louis Armstrong Basin Street Blues- Louis Armstrong 100th Birthday Celebration
Gene Ammons Blues Up and Down Boss Tenors: Straight Ahead From Chicago 1961
Gene Ammons Good Time Blues The Ultimate Tenor Sax Collection
John Coltrane Blue Train Blue Train

John Coltrane Locomotion Blue Train
Gene Krupa Drum Boogie Ken Burns JAZZ: The Story of American Music
Sarah Vaughn Sassys Blues Embraceable You
Ella Fitzgerald Blues in the Night Ella at Juan-Les Pins
Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser Ken Burns JAZZ: The Story of American Music
Joshua Redman Blues on Sunday Joshua Redman
Ray Brown Mistreated but Undefeated Blues Soular Energy
158
About the Author
Author/Tenor Saxophone-Brian Kane is an extremely busy musician, educator and
clinician. He has taught music in both public and private schools at all age levels and
settings and has developed innovative teaching techniques for vocal technique,
instrumental jazz styles, sight reading, and melodic improvisational concepts. Brian has
written feature articles on music education that have been published by the IAJE National
Journal, Music Teacher Magazine International, Saxophone Journal, Choral Director
Magazine, and JazzEd Magazine. He is the author of the Jazz Style and Technique Series,
Creative Jazz Sight Reading, and the vocal technique books Singing Tongue Twisters A-
Z and Sing After Me. Brian is available to present a wide variety of clinics and master
classes for beginning through advanced improvisers and can be reached at
www.jazzpath.com.
CD Personnel
Piano-Paul Schmeling is Chair Emeritus of the piano department at the Berklee College
of Music. Paul has performed at numerous festivals, on radio and television, and with Art
Farmer, Clark Terry, Carol Sloane, Slide Hampton, and Ernestine Anderson and recorded
with Dick Johnson, Phil Wilson, Herb Pomeroy, and Rebecca Parris. Paul is the author of
Berklee Music Theory, Berklee Practice Method: Keyboard, and Instant Keyboard.
Bass-Whit Browne is an associate professor of bass at the Berklee College of Music. He

has performed with Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Joe Williams, Zoot
Sims, Diana Krall, Kenny Burrell, and recorded with Gunther Schuller, Phil Wilson, Ray
Santisi, Matt Grady among others. Whit has numerous television and radio appearances,
has been a three-time Boston Music Awards nominee for outstanding bassist and a
recipient of Harvard University certificate for "Contribution to the Arts."
Drums-James Lattini is an assistant professor of percussion at the University of

Massachusetts-Lowell. He has performed with Claudio Roditti, Steve Marcus, Randy
Brecker, The Artie Shaw/Dick Johnson Orchestra, Phil Wilson, Ricky Ford, Rebecca
Parris, Jerry Bergonzi, Nick Brignola, Bobby Shew, Phil Wilson, George Garzone, Bruce
Gertz, The Fifth Dimension, The Four Freshmen, Buddy Hackett, Eliza Karshi, Donna
McKechnie, The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, and Jeffrey Osborne, and most
recently has performed with the show, Gershwin Sings Gershwin, featuring Alexis
Gershwin. Jim has numerous television and motion picture recording credits including
the motion picture Analyze This and, among others, is featured on the CD Bounce with
Joe Calderazzo and John Patitucci and You Dont Know Me with Rebecca Paris, Gary
Burton, and Jerry Bergonzi. Jim endorses Vic Firth products and is a member of the Vic
Firth Education Team.
Trombone-Jeff Galindo is an Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music,

teaching both trombone and jazz improvisation. He has studied with Hal Crook, Jerry
Bergonzi, and George Garzone with grants by the National Endowment of the Arts. His
experience includes tours of Europe with Phil Woods and Japan with Makoto Ozone, and
159
tours with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Jeff has performed with such notables as Chick
Corea, Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, Buddy DeFranco, Slide Hampton, and Johnny Griffin.
He has also performed with Gunther Schuller, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jerry
Bergonzi, Bobby Shew, The Boston Pops Orchestra, and Sam Butera among many
others. In Boston, Jeff performs regularly with the Greg Hopkins Big Band and Nonet,
The Galindo/Phaneuf Sextet (with which he has released a new CD Locking Horns in
1998 and won Boston Magazines "Best of Boston" for a jazz group in 1999), plus his
double quartet with George Garzone. Jeff is the author the Berklee Practice Method-
Trombone. He is currently one of the top free-lancing trombonists in the Boston area. Jeff
is in high demand as a guest artist and clinician at high schools and universities in
Massachusetts, the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jeff can be reached at
www.jeffgalindo.com.
Trumpet-Trent Austin also is on the faculty at the University of Southern Maine, teaches
"on call" trumpet lessons throughout the Boston area, and has a highly successful private
studio the greater Boston area. Trent has performed with such artists as Tony Bennett,
Natalie Cole, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Jack Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider,
Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Hal Galper, Dick Oatts, Marvin Stamm, Red Holloway,
Jesse Davis, Dick Johnson, Kenny Werner, and Bob Wilber. Most recently, Trent was a
featured trumpet soloist with the prestigious Artie Shaw Orchestra (a position he held for
11 years) and is currently highly in demand in the Boston area as a trumpet soloist. Trent
has recorded two CDs as a leader: Trumpet 101 and his newest release, Two-Toned,
which features intimate duo collaborations with some of his favorite musicians, including
the piano legend Benny Green. Trent can be reached at www.trentaustin.com.
Alto Sax-Daniel Ian Smith has been an active performer and educator for the last 18
years. He is an Assistant Professor of Music at the Berklee College of Music and an in-
demand saxophonist. Daniel has performed throughout the world alongside such notables
as Nick Brignola, Kazumi Watanabe, Arturo Sandoval, John Lewis, Jimmy Giuffre,
Maria Schneider, Fred Ho, Marty Ehrlich, Akikazu Nakamura, Sheila Jordan, Claudio
Roditi, Patti Lupone, Jyoji Sawada, Jun Saito, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, and
George Russell. He has performed in and conducted ensembles as diverse as: The Cayuga
Chamber Orchestra, ALEA III, Rhode Island Philharmonic, The Greg Hopkins Jazz
Orchestra, the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra and Saxophone Quartet, Mark
Harveys Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, New England Conservatory Contemporary Music
Ensemble, John Allmark Jazz Orchestra, Composers in Red Sneakers and NuClassix
composers forum. He was the featured soloist at the Yokohama Port Festival, Yokohama,
Japan in June of 1996. He has recorded for Sony, DIW, Brownstone, Cherry Street
Records, 9 Winds, and Big and Phat Jazz Productions. He actively performs with his
quintet "A Collective Directive," is the founder and director of the Big and Phat Jazz
Orchestra, and is the founder/artistic director of the Boston based "Jazz In the Sanctuary"
concert series. Daniel can be reached at www.danieliansmith.com.
Recorded by Jon Chase at Chase Productions: www.chaseproductions.net
160
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Creative Jazz Sight Reading is comprehensive sight reading workout for

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Jazz Style and Technique for Saxophone is a comprehensive workbook

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workbook offers detailed instruction on how to create a swing feel, use swing
articulations and integrate useful jazz inflections into compositions. This work
book presents 15 original and fun jazz compositions in multiple key signatures.
Students have the opportunity to gain technical fluency in different keys while
remaining focused on developing an authentic jazz style through the use of
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ISBN: 0-9760977-1-0 $12.95 retail
Order online or locate a retailer at www.jazzpath.com

Sing After Me contains ten fantastically funny, unusually useful,
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For hundreds of pages of free articles,

sheet music, podcasts, student
exercises, books and materials, visit
Jazz Path Publishing on the web at:
www.jazzpath.com
Educational Clinics for Constructing

Melodic Jazz Improvisation are
available and can be customized for
beginning, intermediate or advanced
student musicians. To learn more
about clinics, master classes and
residencies with Brian Kane, please
visit us on the web at
www.jazzpath.com
Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation contains detailed explanations and analysis
of the creative and improvisational techniques musicians use for style, phrasing, solo
development and motivic improvisation in an easy to follow step-by-step format. Ten
progressively difficult chapters, containing dozens of improvisational exercises, explore
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designed to meet all of the national standards and frameworks for music education and
is a comprehensive improvisational curriculum for individual musicians or group
classes. The book includes a 52 track play-a-long and demonstration CD featuring Paul
Schmeling (piano), Whit Browne (bass), James Lattini (drums), Jeff Galindo
(trombone), Daniel Ian Smith (alto sax), Trent Austin (trumpet), and Brian Kane (tenor
sax).
The book is available in Concert Key, Bass Clef, Eb and Bb Editions.
Free audio and visual previews, locate a retailer, or buy online at

www.jazzpath.com
Constructing
Melodic Jazz Improvisation
Download and listen at:
http://www.jazzpath.com/eBook/ConstructingMelodicJazz/
CD Track List
Tracks 2-12 Stereo Separation: Right Channel- Piano, Drums; Left Channel- Bass, Drums
CD Track CD Track
1 Tuning Notes-Concert Bb and A 27 Exercise 5-7

2 Slow Blues in Concert Bb 28 Exercise 5-8
3 Funk Blues in Concert Bb 29 Exercise 5-9
4 Medium Blues in Concert Bb 30 Exercise 5-10
5 Fast Blues in Concert Bb 31 Exercise 5-11
6 Exercise 9-7 Major Circle of Fourths 32 Exercise 6-1
7 Exercise 9-8 Dominant Circle of Fourths 33 Exercise 7-2
8 Exercise 9-9 Minor Circle of Fourths 34 Exercise 7-3
9 Exercise 9-10 Major-Minor Cycle 35 Exercise 7-5
10 Slow Blues in Concert F 36 Exercise 7-6
11 Medium Blues in Concert F 37 Exercise 7-8
12 Fast Blues in Concert F 38 Exercise 7-9
13 Exercise 3-1 39 Exercise 7-10

Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation

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Constructing

By: Brian Kane

Cover Design By:

Copyright 2007 by Jazz Path Publishing, Cambridge, MA. 02238

Chapter One: Articulation, Swing Feel, and Stylistic Inflection 5

Chapter Two: Introducing the Blues 15

Chapter Three: Beginning to Improvise 25

Chapter Four: The Basic Language of Improvisation 39

Chapter Five: Basic Improvisational Phrase Lengths 53

Chapter Seven: Using Pickups in Improvisational Phrasing 85

Chapter Eight: Putting it Together 103

Chapter Nine: Improvisational Motifs 115

Chapter Ten: Transitioning to Harmony 135

How To Use This Book

For Groups and Classes

For Advanced Musicians

Creating a Swing Feel in Improvisation

The use of a swing feel is an essential component of melodic improvisation. In a

Swing Eighth Notes

First play the following measure with triplets:

Syncopation in a Swing Style

Interpreting syncopation in a swing style presents a unique interpretative

Style Inflections in Improvisation

Glissandos- Glissandos are the result of a rapid ascending or descending of a diatonic or

4. Play the following twelve bar blues etude:

7. Listen to these two examples of the same composition:*

Louis Armstrong-Blues in the Night

a. How are the arrangements different?

Why The Twelve-Bar Blues and Blues Scale?

an adverse impact on the long-term improvisational development of musicians and their

1. The blues scale allows musicians to focus on the phrasing aspects of

A note for advanced musicians:

Improvisational Solo Roadmaps, Compositional Etudes, and Scales

Composing Melodic Etudes

Composing improvisational etudes is an essential skill for beginning improvisers.

Constructing a Blues Scale

Blues Scale in Concert B b

Common Resolutions of Blue Note

Twelve-Bar Blues Form

Gene Krupa-Drum Boogie

Exercise 3-1: Two Note Solos

Exercise 3-1: Two Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

Exercise 3-2: Three Note Solos

Exercise 3-2: Three Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

Exercise 3-3: Four Note Solos

Exercise 3-3: Four Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

Exercise 3-4: Five Note Solos

Exercise 3-4: Five Note Solos with Rhythms-Example Solo

Exercise 3-5: The Complete Blues Scale

Exercise 3-5: The Complete Blues Scale with Rhythms-Example Solo

The melodic contour of the phrase might be considered this:

This dramatic shape, though effective at

unknowingly use this type of phrasing

Beginning improvisers should focus on creating melodic contours that use

The melodic contour of the phrase might be considered this:

This shape of melodic contour offers

developing melodic lines.

Exercise 3-6: Melodic Contour

CD Tracks 2-5 (play-a-long)

Chorus One Chorus Two Chorus Three

Chorus One Chorus Two Chorus Three

Exercise 3-6: Melodic Contour-Create Your Own Examples

CD Tracks 2-5 (play-a-long)

Chorus One Chorus Two