jazz education
Teaching Beginning Improvisation Doug Syme, WMEA State Chair, Jazz Education
Hel lo Everyone. During my travels, I have seen countless middle/high school jazz ensembles that sound wonderful. They are swinging, articulating, play- ing with energy, and everything else that
makes a jazz ensemble sound musical – and perhaps most importantly – stylistical- ly correct. However, where many do not excel is when it comes to the improvised solo. In conversations with a number of band directors, I have discovered that it is not a lack of respect for that art of improvi- sation but more a lack of direction in how to teach it to their students. I decided to share some tips for teaching beginners and help take some of the anxiety and mystery out of jazz improvisation.
Let us start with a simple definition of just what makes music jazz. It is my opinion that to be considered jazz, music must contain three elements:
1. Complex or extended harmony. For example, the use of extended chords, chord substitutions and alternate changes. As with anything else, there are exceptions.
2. Swing. The element of swing is an indispensable part of jazz music. Even if the rhythmic foundation of the tune is a straight feel, you can swing a line while improvising.
3. Improvisation. Performances of jazz tunes with little or no improvisation may be in the jazz idiom. However, I would have a difficult time calling them jazz. Whether an improvised solo or spontaneously manipulating the harmonic structure of a tune, improvisation is the heart of jazz music.
40 What is Improvisation?
Improvisation can be defined as “sponta- neous composition.” The word spontane- ous is defined as “Performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus (Oxford, 2017).” Mer- riam Webster (2017) defines composition as “a written piece of music especially of considerable size and complexity.”
When we combine the two we get a piece of music produced instantaneously with corners, vocabulary and rules. Composing spontaneously is a daunting task and for many musicians goes against the grain of all previous training. However, being an effective improviser takes as much insight, preparation and practice as any other facet of our musical training.
The Blues
Whenever someone asks why we use the blues as the basis for beginning jazz improvisation two quotes come to mind. I apologize for not being able to attribute them to someone.
1. “The blues is to jazz what the alphabet is to the English language.”
2. “Not all blues players play jazz but all jazz players certainly do play the blues.”
The blues is a clearly recognizable form that lends itself easily to surface playing (improvising without really “digging in” to the chord changes). It is the soulful undercurrent to all modern/popular music, including jazz. For these reasons, it is a good idea to begin improvising using a 12-bar blues pattern.
Introduce a 3-chord blues pattern in con- cert F to your beginning students. The 12-bar pattern is divided into three 4-bar phrases. Teach using the chord’s numbers as well. This will facilitate easier transpos- ing later.
F7 (I)
Bb7 (IV) / Bb7 / F7 C7 (V)
/ F7 / C7
/ F7 /F7
/ F7 / F7 / F7
First, have your students sing just the roots of the chords, in time. This will reinforce the simple pattern in their heads. Next, teach your students this 5-note concert F minor pentatonic scale. I have transposed it for Bb and Eb instruments as well.
C instruments: F-Ab-Bb-C-Eb Bb instruments: G-Bb-C-D-F Eb instruments: D-F-G-A-C
The key of F is an easy way to begin for a variety of reasons:
• Your guitar and bass players can play it in first position using a simple fingering pattern – from low string to high 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, (guitar only last two) 1-4, 1-4.
• Trumpet players can play this scale using only their first finger.
• Piano players need only use fingers 1-3.
• Alto and bari sax players need not worry about any sharps or flats.
Have your students play the scale several times until it is not only memorized but “under their fingers” as well. Have them swing the rhythm while playing, saying “doo-vah-doo-vah” to themselves. We are now ready to set up the rhythm section and begin improvising. I have included a simple lead sheet with chord-voicing sug- gestions. Rhythm section students should do the following:
• Drum Set: A simple swing pattern on the ride cymbal and, with the foot, open and close the hi-hat on beats two and four. Don’t worry about the left hand or bass drum just yet.
• Bass: Play a quarter note pattern based on the 1-2-3-1 of each chord (otherwise known as the “Frere
April 2017
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