Impro... scale ??

[OliBeau]

I was listening to the dvd "Keyboard Wizardy" and I have been lost in the concept of "close voice and leading". I understand how you find the major/minor key changing just one note but I'm not sure of how to improvise with this technique.
I mean that I don't know wich scale to use for my right hand. I tried to take the 5 first chords to choice the scale (ex : for C/Am/F/Dm/Bflat it gives me a F Major chord) but I'm not sure if i'm doing it correctly.
If I'm mistaking do I need to change the scale with every chords ... because it sounds weird.

Thanx for answering !

OliBeau

[arroyomusic]

Originally Posted by OliBeau

I was listening to the dvd "Keyboard Wizardy" and I have been lost in the concept of "close voice and leading". I understand how you find the major/minor key changing just one note but I'm not sure of how to improvise with this technique.
I mean that I don't know wich scale to use for my right hand. I tried to take the 5 first chords to choice the scale (ex : for C/Am/F/Dm/Bflat it gives me a F Major chord) but I'm not sure if i'm doing it correctly.
If I'm mistaking do I need to change the scale with every chords ... because it sounds weird.

Thanx for answering !

OliBeau

I teach guitar and what I teach my students is to pay attention to the chord tones in your lines. In other words, you use the F Major scale for your lines, but the notes you concentrate on are the chord tones.

Beginning example: lets say you are playing over the F Major chord. The notes that make up the F Major chord are F-A-C. So as you solo, the notes you emphasize are going to be F-A-C. Same with Amin (A-C-E), C Maj (C-E-G), D min (D-F-A) and Bb Maj (Bb-D-F)....this is the beginning to understanding chord tones in your soloing and melodies (I call them lines). Once you play around with this concept, experiment with not just the 1st, 3rd, and 5th tones. Start adding the 7ths, 9ths etc.

When you pay attention to chord tones, you can actually take more risks in your playing because you always have a reference point. Then you can add passing tones, dissonant intervals, etc.

[Mathieu Fiset]

What arroyo said is true !

Also I could add that before you start improvise, you should first know the scale BEFORE knowing the chords you want. I mean... If you want to improvise in F Major, you can use the 6 chords of this scale (F Gm Am A# C Dm). Then you use what Arroyo said, for each chords you concentrate on the basic notes of the chords, and every others notes should be in the F major scale (F G A A# C D E).

But I would say...your ears are the best for improvisations...theory is only a guideline !

[OliBeau]

Thx for answering... I'll try your hints as soon as I can. Another little question, maybe it sounds stupid but, when your saying the 9th, is it the same note as the 2nd... if not what is the difference between the two. (9th = 1 note after the octave... so second (don't know if I'm right...)

Thx

OliBeau

[Mathieu Fiset]

well it's the same note yes, but the 9th is one octave higher...as simple as that !

[arroyomusic]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Fiset

....But I would say...your ears are the best for improvisations...theory is only a guideline !

About ear training. When you start paying attention to what the note you are targeting (1st, Major or minor 3rd, 5th, Major or minor 7th, etc) in relation to the chord you are playing, I believe your mind, ear, and hands make a connection to the music in a much more coherent, organized, systematic way instead of just running randomly up and down the scale.

Example: If your mind knows you are playing a Major 3rd, and your finger is physically holding down a Major 3rd, and then your ear hears the Major 3rd tonality all at the same time, your entire musical being is making a connection of the mental, physical, and aural process of making music.

If you don't know it is a Major 3rd, and your eyes don't really pay attention to the fact you are actually playing a Major 3rd, then your ears don't won't as easily distinguish the Major 3rd tonality from all other tonalities.

This is a theory of mine (I am sure many others have had the same concept). I am actually in the process of writing a guitar instructional book that will really explore this process in great detail.

[OliBeau]

Thanx for answering, it's a really nice piano forum and I'm surprise of how time it takes to receive answers . I tried to choose the scale and after choose the good chords to go with it and it really worked !

Arroyo : I know what you mean, I'm just starting in improvisation but I think Jordan did a video on the ear training... hope someday I'll be able to connect perfectly my mind to my keyboard !

Thx

OliBeau

[Narek]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Fiset

What arroyo said is true !

Also I could add that before you start improvise, you should first know the scale BEFORE knowing the chords you want. I mean... If you want to improvise in F Major, you can use the 6 chords of this scale (F Gm Am A# C Dm). Then you use what Arroyo said, for each chords you concentrate on the basic notes of the chords, and every others notes should be in the F major scale (F G A A# C D E).

But I would say...your ears are the best for improvisations...theory is only a guideline !

The 4th degree is not A# but a Bb, remember that in diatonic scales each note is unique, so there can't be any repeats (In simplest terms).

[Simian]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Fiset

well it's the same note yes, but the 9th is one octave higher...as simple as that !

I thought the 9th is the 9th...doesn't have to be a octave higher...? just depends on the context...and what notes are already being played.?