Jazz Improvising

[Arpegioz]

So I've learnt to improvise and compose with lots of different scales and chords and styles. I however can't still grasp how jazz is played. Anyone have any tips that might help?

[Tiko]

So I've learnt to improvise and compose with lots of different scales and chords and styles. I however can't still grasp how jazz is played. Anyone have any tips that might help?

Yeah I would love to know too.
All I can figure out is to use blues & chromatic scales mixed together...

[gylfih]

When I do jazz improv. solos I tend to only use blues scales, but occasionally throw in chromatic stuff. I also use a lot of tremolandos and the like. I usually do that playing ( if I was in F), a B with my thumb and a chord of C and F with my index and pinky. This 'chordal' trill is very jazzy.

Apart from that, just go with what feels right for that piece. Funk jazz needs a different type of sound than smooth jazz, and so needs a different type of improvising. Play around a bit until you find something your comfortable with.

[jenius_92000]

Gylfih, you really are a jazz guru!

[gylfih]

Gylfih, you really are a jazz guru!
Well, I try...

[RAN7ARAVE]

i use mostly mixolidian and lidian scales

i also am trying to get into wholetone and diminished scales

HAHA and i just learned this really awesome scale "The diminished scale" the other day

it is just a melodic minor but you start a note lower so it would be

1b2b3b4b5b6b7

it sounds really cool on #9 or b9 chords

[locri]

The first and most important rule to improvising jazz is keeping the rhthym and perfecting your phrasing. Right after this comes using chord tones on the first beat of every bar.

In jazz, most guys will play the scale/mode that's apropriate for that chord. So if a minor chord is playing, they will play a minor mode. If a dominant chord is playing, they will play a dominant mode.

As a general guide

Major7 chords: Ionian, Lydian, Lydian #2 (this is a rare mode, use with caution)

Minor chords: Dorian, aeolian, phrygian (use Xmb9s), Dorian #4 (darker/bluesier, use Xmadd#11), Dorian b9 (use Xm7b9)

Dominant chords: Mixolydian (recommended), Altered dominant (AKA superlocrian), Half-Whole symetrical scale, Lydian dominant, Phrygian dominant, Mixolydian flat sixth (these last two should only be played over a V chord in an i-V progression)

For instance, say we have this common progression: Dm7, G7, Cmaj
Over that Dminor chord we can play D dorian, D aeolian, D phrygian or whatever
Over that G7 we could paly G Mixolydian, G Altered dominant, G half whole or whatever
Over that Cmaj7 we could play C ioninan or C lydian

Some modes can only be used over some chords. Like the only mode you can use over Xmadd#11 is a Dorian #4 mode.


Another thing alot of jazzers do is they'll use alot of chromaticism and passing notes.
Chromaticism is where we do a chromatic run. These are especially common when we are moving towards the root of the chord playing. Common chromatic runs are: 5-#5-6 over major chords, m7-M7-R over minor and dominant chords. Keep in mind these intervals are to the root of the chord playing. So over a Gm chord, the chromatic run would be: F, F#, G.

Passing notes are also used heaps. These are notes used right before a consonant note, usually a chord-tone. The best of these passing tones are b5's, M6's, M7's and #2s (only in minor). It's best to experiment to find out which ones sound best to you.

Well I hope that helps. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[Mantarkus]

I am terrible at jazz but I got a good understanding when I heard John Novello's tips. Go to http://www.keyboardmag.tv/ and on the left window go to Artist / John Novello and chekout the Blues to Jazz video.
In a nutshell he also had trouble playing jazz but someone explained to him that he needed to play in the scale of every chord not in the scale of the tonality, I tried this playing diferent minor chords adding a 7th minor and voila!!! I was a cat. :cool: Well not exactly but try it and see (listen)

David C.