Improvisation Techniques using :

Chord Tones, Triads, Modes, Chromatic Approach, Diatonic Approach, Passing

Notes, Triad Couplings (Bitonal), Be Bop Scales (8 notes scales), Upper
Structure Triads, Superimpositions, Modal Interchange, Non-Tertial Triads, NonTertial Bitonal Pendulums, 23rd Arpeggios, 7th Chord Arpeggios (all 12 types),
Non-Harmonic Triads (Major), Complementary Scales, Pentatonics, Symmetric
Scales, Guide Tones, Blues Scale, Kumoi Pentatonic (6/9 Blues Scale), Auxiliary
Rhythms, Melody Chords, Pandiatonic Patterns, Heptatonic Arpeggios, TwelveTone Patterns, Octave Dispersion, Coltrane Cycle, Three Notes Lines/Chords (all
five types, Tertial, Cluster, Quartal, 7th no 5th , and 7th no 3rd ), Four Part
Voicings, Side-Slip, Harmonic Tensions (Color Tones), Permutations,
Reharmonization Rules, etc...
8th note lines
Jazz musicians tend to practice 8th-note lines more than anything else. This can lead
to a string of 8th-notes common on most bandstands. Here are a few things you can think
about in order to make your lines sound more interesting.
1. Practice anticipating the chord changes by an 8th-note
2. Practice delaying the chord changes by an 8th-note
3. Practice purposely slowing your 8th-notes down and then speeding them up to catch
back up with the time
4. Focus more on the direction of your lines. Don't just swoop from top to bottom over
and over. Really try to change direction unexpectedly.
5. Play a line and then answer it in another octave. Create a dialog with yourself in
different octaves.
6. Try varying your dynamics with the shape of the line, higher=louder, make this effect
very pronounced.
7. Displace notes unexpectedly into different octaves while playing a smooth line.

8. Try writing repeating 5, 7 or 9 note patterns. These will shift around in the bar and
create very interesting effects.
9. Practice repeating notes unexpectedly in your lines. This can make the most clich Bop
lines sound very fresh. Saxophone players can do this with alternate and overtone
fingerings. By doing this, the tongue is not needed in order to play repeated notes. This is
helpful at fast tempos.
10. Be more aware of when you are playing horizontally and when you are playing
vertically.
Most players tend toward one or the other. Change this up consciously.
11. Shift between swinging very hard to playing straighter legato 8th-notes (straighter,
not like an old un-swinging Caucasian)
12. Remember the farther outside you go, the harder you need to swing!
13. Practice shifting back and forth between 8th notes and eighth notes triplets or dotted
eighth notes
If you are trying to learn licks or patterns keep a journal for yourself. Each day that you
practice memorize just three new patterns. Each day after you work on the three new
patterns go back through all the previous patterns and refresh your memory. If you try to
learn too many every time or don't go back over the old patterns, you will never retain
what you are learning.
Make sure you take time to compose your own patterns and licks to memorize along
with the classics. Start developing your our style at the beginning. I don't agree with those
who say that you should first learn to play like the masters before developing your own
sound. You can put your own touch on everything that you are picking up from the
masters. No one wants to hear a player that sound just like another player. Why bother?
Spend time using CDs as ear-training tools. Try to play back lines that you're hearing
on the spot. I'm not talking about transcribing. Just try to pick out pieces of what you're
hearing and play them back.
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Motivic development
Lets talk about what goes into a solo besides the nuts and bolts of the music theory. A lot
of players come out of music school playing BURNING JAZZ. They basically learn to
play tons of shit over changes. It is nice to be able to lay down sheets of sound at the drop

of a hat. I won't deny that. But what kind of artistic content is there? What is the person
saying besides, "Check out this badass shit!?
I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Herb Pomeroy while I was at Berklee. I played
lead alto in his 'recording band' and also played in his small improvisation ensemble. He
made us develop motifs. He would have us start a motif and develop it as we played
through our solo choruses.
If we threw in a pre-worked out lick he would stop the whole band and call us on it.
Each idea had to be a development of the last, eventually the motif would get too
complex and we were then expected to start with another simple motif. This is a much
different way of thinking that what most players use. Everyone has some cool licks that
they've worked out in the woodshed, how can you not help throwing them in?!
Herb saw these 'licks' as irrelevant to improvising in the moment. They always stood out
like a sore thumbs when compared to ideas that were developed naturally, spontaneously
and musically. He actually plays this way himself; it's a very compositional way of
thinking. Herb is truly one the great improviser/composer/arrangers/teachers/bandleaders
of all time. I had heard of motivic development before studying with Herb Pomeroy but I
hadn't really considered the possibility playing this way exclusively. Herb used to play
with Bird but even Bird didn't play this way, he had a ton of licks and he played them
often.
Fred Lipsius wrote a great book called 'A Creative approach to Jazz improvisation'. In it
he gives nice short ideas for every type of chord in every key. After this he has tables to
show how the ideas can be played over different chords and keys. For example a B7 alt
lick will also work over a C-maj7 chord and a F7#11 chord. Then he talks about all the
different ways that a pattern can be developed. He then would take a pattern from the
book and showed what the pattern would look like if it was compressed, reversed,
stretched, transposed, fragmented, etc. He wanted you to practice using each one of the
methods of changing ideas.
This is the same thing that Herb was trying to get us to do. If you learn all the different
ways that you can possibly transmute an idea then you will never be at a loss when you're
trying to develop a motif. It then stops being about how many licks you can memorize
and becomes about learning how to mess with any giving pattern or idea.
Licks are like a crutch that gets you walking, but eventually cripples you if use it too
long. The positive feedback from the audience can even keep a lick player dependent
on his bag of licks. It really comes down to the fact that a lick is something that keeps
you from hearing what the music should sound like in the moment.
I tell my students that if they're going to memorize licks, at least they should make up
their own licks. Take a lick and change it somehow to put your mark on it and make it
yours. If you learn a lick in all keys then guess what, you'll probably end up playing the
same lick in a bunch of keys.

The listener doesn't always hear that the lick is in Db this time and E last time, it just
sounds like you're repeating yourself! So although it IS a good thing to be able to do, it
can make you sound redundant. It's better to learn how a single lick (if you must use
licks) can be used over many different types of chords. This way the lick sounds totally
different in each harmonic situation.
Where do we get these motifs? There are many different ways to come up with these
motifs. It's usually better if you don't just pull them out of your ass; rather take them from
existing material. Of course fragments of the melody are always a good place to start.
How about quotes from other tunes with similar changes?
You may want to start your solo with an idea that the previous soloist left off with. Be
sure to pay attention to what the soloists before you are playing so you can refer to their
solo ideas. {Be sure to make your rhythmic ideas drive your solo development rather
than thinking of harmony as primary.} Take ideas from the rhythm section as they comp
for you; always be reactive to what they might throw out there. Take up ideas that you
may have dropped earlier in your own solo. You may even want to use motifs from tune
that the band has already played or from your own solos on these earlier tunes! This gives
continuity to the entire performance.
Vary these motifs by learning to change every possible element; shape, direction, range,
dynamics, timbre, placement in time (lay back or speed up), duration, and articulation.
This takes constant practice but the payoff in your overall musicality will be immense.

Motific Development
1. Repetition
2. Transposition
3. Mode Change
4. Addition (start, middle, end)
5. Sequence
6. Embellishment or Ornament
7. Augmentation (pitch, rhythmic)
8. Diminution (pitch, rhythmic)

9. Inversion (upside down)

10.Retrograde (backwards)
11.Retrograde inversion (upside down & backwards)
12.Displacement (pitch, rhythmic)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Openers, Limiters and Pairs of Opposites
One of the things that seem to help my playing the most is teaching advanced students. I
am challenged to analyze and describe my personal concepts and approaches to Jazz
improvisation. Yesterday as I was teaching a lesson I realized that I like to start out my
solos with an abstract theme. I look for something that has an interesting shape to start
my solos with. It may not even be such a strange shape or rhythm, or it may just be a
pattern that lays funny on the horn. I do this in hopes that I'll stimulate something new in
response to it. It doesn't need to be a complete idea, just an introduction for what will
follow.
For me the first statement is very important in developing the rest of the solo. I want to
feel like I'm circling the tune like a vulture, waiting for the right time to drop in and
devour my carcass. The first statements of a solo should have some relationship with
either the tune or the prior solo. It should let the listener know that a new section of music
has started. These first statements also act as a bridge for what came before. It's a mood
change. I may not even have a particular mood in mind; it may be just an expression or a
type of look that you may give someone.
Sometimes, just for a change of pace, I'll give myself 'limiters'. This means that I'll pick
a few specific limits to different factors of my playing. I might set a limit on the range of
just the first chorus, for example only playing between low D and middle G. Another
approach would be to limit the dynamics that are you use, an example would be to play
only piano on the A sections and only forte on the bridges. You might limit yourself to a
couple of types of articulation or one type of interval. You could also limit yourself
directionally, like only playing lines that ascend. If you combine more than one 'limiter'
you can really get some cool effects that you might not come across any other way.
By using limits in this way you can create some very interesting and unique textural
effects. You don't have to use limits for your entire solo, maybe just in the beginning or
for a short period of time in the middle or at the end. You might try switching from a set
of limiters to the opposite (or complementary) set of limiters halfway though the solo.
Some limiters would be better used for free playing; they can give structure and variety

when there is little form in the music. An example of a limiter best used in free situations
would be to only play flat or sharp, or to only play alternate fingerings.
Like any technique or musical device it takes some practice to get from the conscious
mentation stage to the intuitive reaction stage. At first, limiters are an entirely intellectual
process, but with some practice they become automatic and natural. Of course some
limiters will probably never be totally spontaneous, like deciding to only play Major or
Diminished triads over an entire tune. Sometimes you need to set limits in order to focus
what you're working on.
The idea of limiters is also related to what I like to think of as the table of opposites.
This is an adaptation from an idea from an ancient document called the tablet of Hermes.
The fourth principle from this document is the principle of polarity. It reads like this:
Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like
and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;
extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.
This Principle embodies the truth that everything is dual; everything has two
poles; everything has its pair of opposites; these phrases are old Hermetic axioms. It
explains the old paradoxes that have perplexed so many, and which have been stated as
follows: Thesis and antithesis are identical in nature, but different in degree;
opposites are the same, differing only in degree; the pairs of opposites may be
reconciled; extremes meet; everything is, and isnt, at the same time; all truths
are but half-truths; every truth is half-false; there are two sides to everything, etc.
The Principle of Polarity explains that, in everything, there are two poles, or opposite
aspects, and that opposites are really only the two extremes of the same thing, with
many varying degrees between them. For example: heat and cold, although opposites
are really the same thing; the differences consisting merely of degrees of the same thing.
Look at your thermometer and see if you can discover where hot ends and cold
begins! There is no such thing as absolute heat or absolute cold; The two terms
heat and cold simply indicate varying degrees of the same thing, and that same
thing which manifests as heat and cold is merely a form, variety, and rate of
Vibration. So hot and cold are simply the two poles of that which we call Heat,
and the phenomena attendant thereupon are the manifestations of the Principle of
Polarity. The same Principle manifests in the case of Light and Darkness, which is
the same thing, the difference consisting of varying degrees between the two poles of the
phenomena. Where does darkness leave off, and light begin? What is the difference
between Large and Small? Between Hard and Soft? Between Black and White?
Between Sharp and Dull? Between Noise and Quiet? Between High and Low?
Between Positive and Negative?

The Principle of Polarity explains these paradoxes and no other Principle can
supersede it. The same Principle operates on the Mental Plane. Let us take a radical and
extreme example that of Love and Hate, two mental states apparently totally
different. And yet there are degrees of Hate and degrees of Love; and a middle point in
which we use the terms Like or Dislike, which shade into each other so gradually
that sometimes we are at a loss to know whether we like or dislike or neither.
These opposing sentiments are simply different degrees of the same thing.
Can musical principles also be seen in this way?
How about these for a start:
Horizontal-Vertical
Sharp-Flat
Fast-Slow
Ascending-Descending
Bright-Dark
Short-Long
Dense-Sparse
Consonant-Dissonant
Legato-Stacatto
ppp-fff
Rushing-Dragging
Inside-Outside
Tradition-Modern
Sensitive-Aggressive
Sad-Happy
Vibrato-Dry
High-Low
Sloppy-Clean
Straight-Swinging
The more you become aware of all of the opposites, the more you can determine where
your playing is on the scale of the opposites and the more you can bring balance and
variety to your playing. Some players may be totally unaware of let's say the Sad-Happy
opposite and always play happy sounding solos, never varying the level of happiness.
Some of the West Coast swing players might do this. By consciously playing toward the
opposite poles of your usual playing you can break yourself out of some real ruts.
Awareness of the musical opposites can really help give you a better idea of all your
musical options for improvisation. If you aren't aware of these opposites then you could
end up getting stuck in a rut with regards to your overall sound and texture. Even the
mental and emotional sets of opposites can help you give more variety and depth to your
improvisation.

We must develop our abstract thinking in order to fully understand such an abstract art
form like music.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Textural variety for improvisation
Today I had an advanced student and we were talking about things to be aware of in
order to create more interesting textures. Many young players are too focused on playing
the right changes and don't focus enough on shaping notes with dynamics and
articulations. They may start at mezzo forte or forte and then they stay at that volume for
several choruses, maybe slowly getting louder as they play. I try to get my students to be
aware of how they are shaping each and every note.
* How are they articulating the start of each note?
* How are they releasing each note?
* Does the volume stay the same or does it change for each note?
* What is the timbre of the note?
* Are they able to quickly and drastically get much louder or softer?
* Are they using the full range of possible articulations?
* Are they varying horizontal and vertical playing?
* Are they playing varying the note density?
* Are they aware enough of creating interesting direction in their lines?
* Do they know how to bring a rhythm section to a low simmer from a high burn?
* Are they able to consciously layback and play on top of the beat?
* How is vibrato used and is it varied without being corny?
So often Jazz devolves into a string of connected 8th note lines, with little change in the
texture that is being created. If you are always aware of the questions above while
improvising then you will create interesting textural soundscapes. Think like a sculptor or
a painter instead of a musician once in a while.
How important are individual notes when the larger sound sculpture is bland and lame?
Hip Be-Bop lines aren't enough to keep things interesting. Go ahead and make subtle
shadings to individual notes! (Alternate fingerings and overtones are great for shading
pitch and timbre)
You want to try to make your solos have a texture at least as complex and interesting as
someone speaking a romance language.
Don't just focus on one element of texture, like dynamics. Practice being aware of all the
different elements that vary texture. Shift your focus consciously to element one after
another. Eventually it will become second nature to create interesting textures.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How do you work on advancing your sense of phrasing?
Don't play a note until you really mean to, and indeed, *need* to. I
don't care how many notes from how many sales you know that *could* work
over the current chord. All you should play are the notes that actually
make sense given the melodic line you are creating. Don't play notes
just because they are available in some scale. Play them only when you
*need* to play them to express your melody. And then your scale
knowledge can help you narrow down which notes you need to play to
execute that idea correctly. Which is to say, scales aren't things to
help you play *more* notes. They are things to help you play *fewer*.
_______________
Melody is king. Read, memorize and play single-line melodies with
feeling as though you were singing them, then move on to improvisation
of the melody. All the phrasing one needs is in the melodies of the stardard jazz
repertoire, you just need to bring it out in the as-written chart by
imitating singers, players, etc. who played those same songs before
you. Especially, when those artists were just simply playing the melody
and not necessarily blowing a solo. This way you can concentrate
entirely on feeling because what notes to play are there on the page.
_______________
Melody is king but, I'll add that rhythm is also king. Notes are not important without
good melody, and good rhythm. You can't speak any language in this world if you cannot
pronounce words, no
one speaks just letters (if that makes sense) you need to find a way to
combine notes to make melody's (musical "words") and apply rhythm to them so
you really "speak"... I'm typing this in a hurry, so that may not be very
clear... but hopefully you'll understand what I mean.
Take the time to really listen to what you are playing, I couldn't start to
tell you how many players just wing it, and never listen to what they play.
NEVER play without thinking. Don't let your fingers control the music that
comes out, let your mind. And last but not least, listen to a lot of music.
And, not in repetition, something new, try and get something new to listen
to everyday, and let yourself absorb the music. So, to clue up, let your
mind control the music, not your fingers, listen to many other instruments,
and musicians, and find some idols for yourself, and studying their music,
and try and find out how they think, and transcribe your favorite licks.

Start out with a whole note and tie. While it's ringing get the next
idea together, up the ante only slightly - respond with a couple of
notes or three, and call again.
Build slowly. The first few notes of call and response begin a story.
Tell more of it, and stop.
Pause the same way you played a whole note, and come back with the
idea you formed resting.
Vary textures. Change directions, change intervals
.
Usually if you start slowly and leisurely, you give yourself room to
expand.
Space is a note too, and the big guys really dig a young guy or new guy
who knows how to use it.
If you come onto a rhythmic phrase you like, answer it, or 'rhyme' it
by using it with different notes or harmonized notes.
Don't forget the nuances of speech, the comma, the inflection, the
blurt, the vibrato, bent pitches, and space - pregnant pauses,
punchline timing, dynamics, anything you can come up with.
Start with very short phrases and build to longer ones. As they get
more complex, change register, either up or down.
I can go on forever, but I think you get the idea. It takes time, and
practice, and it gets better pretty quickly if you get a plan and go
after it.
I've had splendid results and smiles from students when I'd stop a
flurry of notes, tell them a little of the preceding, restart and see
what it does for them.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Heres another exercise that may help you to find some other stuff to play: choose a tempo and
start to play in a swing feel with no tonal center. Let the rhythmic focus be your guide; that is, play
rhythmic phrases typical of jazz phrasing, but with a random choice of notes. Try to throw in some
really large intervals. Play any note! In fact, the more outrageous the better. Tape yourself and see
what happens. There may be some highly musical and personalized notes in there. By
experimenting with intervallic and sequential playing you can eventually develop a vocabulary that

will enable you to move from note to note. This is a really spontaneous way to improvise, and
results in some pretty wild stuff that you may have never played before."
Once you are comfortable with a high degree of randomness in your playing (of course we can
never truly be totally random) you will be able to start introducing small amounts into your soloing.
Practice playing lines over changes, as you are playing slip a bar or two of totally random notes in
and jump right back to following the chord changes. Now try just a few beats of randomness. As
you practice playing 'random' notes be aware of trying to use different and wider intervals and
direction. Direction is an important element of free/outside playing. Experiment with lines while
focusing on just this one element, don't play more than a few notes without changing direction.
Next introduce wider intervals into the mix. Don't stop swinging as you are doing these things. If
you're swinging really hard the listener will accept these far out lines as being musical. The farther
out you go the harder you need to swing. If you mess with the rhythm of a clich Bebop line it will
sound much more outside than a freaked out random line that really swings hard.

_________________
One of the more interesting things that developed within his method was a means of practicing
rhythmic phrasing. Now, this method itself does not appear to be outlined in the book, and I don't
personally know any of Tristano's students, but there are a few clues. It mentions "five beat
phrases", meaning five eighth notes, and also mentions the last phrase of Tristano's "April," where
an 11/8 figure (3-2-3-3) repeats three times. Now, I don't have access to Lennie's method, but I
have made a list of uneven groupings of eighth notes that can be practiced over a 4/4 form (or just
with a metronome). Accent the first of each group. They repeat in uneven ways compared with the
other meter (4/4).

3 notes, repeating.

5 notes, grouped as 2-3 or 3-2

6 notes, 3-3 or 2-2-2 (also 3-3-2-2-2 for a 12 note grouping)

7 notes, 2-2-3, 2-3-2, 3-2-2

9 notes, 3-2-2-2, 2-3-2-2, 2-2-3-2, 2-2-2-3

10 notes, 3-2-2-3, 2-3-3-2

11 notes 3-3-3-2, 3-3-2-3, 3-2-3-3, 2-3-3-3

These can be practiced in as many ways as you can conceive. Here are some ideas for pianists:
1. Major/minor scales, both hands, 4 octaves, 16th notes. Play the accents within the scale (either
legato or detached with each group).
2. Improvise on a standard song (simpler changes are easier for this exercise), with a LH walking
bass in quarter notes and RH playing an uninterrupted line. This has to be done slowly. The simpler
the RH line, the better, for purposes of the exercise.
3. Improvise with the RH with an ostinato accompaniment in the LH, like a bossa nova bassline, or
more pianistic things like a stride LH or a boogie-woogie line, even.
4. Make a stride/boogie/latin pattern which follows the polyrhythm and try to play the melody with
the other hand. Or play chords with the RH and sing the melody.
These exercises are ways to practice how to juggle the polymeter and the meter of a rhythm section
and not get lost. They're not limited to a eighth-note and 4/4 context by any means, though it is
most useful there. One can imagine Bill Evans practicing this sort of thing with triplets in a jazz
waltz. Anyway, I hope you like this stuff. Cheers!"