29.1.

2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

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HOW TO STEAL LIKE A

PRO: 3 INCREDIBLY
USEFUL TACTICS FOR
BETTER JAZZ SOLOS

DECEMBER 19, 2016 BY ERIC 9 MINUTE READ

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Y
our mother probably taught you not to
steal…That taking something that
wasn’t yours was wrong or that
pocketing an item from the shelves of a
store could land you into a world of trouble. But what
you or your dear mum might not realize is that some of
your favorite improvisers are cold-blooded thieves.

And it’s not just musicians that are guilty of this sin.

You see the rules are a little di erent when it comes to learning a cra . In the
world of jazz improvisation, musical the  is actually one of the best ways to
learn the crucial skills you need to play a solo.

Think of yourself like a musical Robin Hood…you know, the whole “steal
from the rich and give to the poor” thing. But in this case you (the practicing
musician) are the poor one without any musical riches. You need ideas,
harmonic techniques and creative inspiration.

And everywhere you look you’re surrounded by recordings of

immensely wealthy players that have exactly what you need.

If you’re frustrated with the way your

solos sound and you want to make
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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

meaningful improvement you need to

start “borrowing” ideas from the best
players. Actually scrap that…you need
to storm in, steal everything you can
carry, and run for the door!

What all those books and courses won’t tell you is that music theory is
useless without a real-life model. You need someone to show you how to put
all of those scales and chords together in a way that makes sense – that
makes music.

But I’m willing to bet that you’ve heard all of this before…

So rather than telling you to do it, let’s dig a little deeper. Below we’ll show
you exactly why stealing is essential for your improvement and explore 3
ways you can implement creative the  into your routine.

A TRADITION OF “BORROWING
IDEAS”
One of the most important aspects of learning to improvise is imitation.

Listening, transcribing solos, learning tunes, and shedding lines in all keys.

There are dozens of names for this process, but at the end of the day it’s
simply a glorified version of musical the .

And the more you study innovators and leaders, you’ll realize that you’re not
alone. History is full of people that took an established idea, that found a
working process or method and adapted it to their own situation. Look at
Henry Ford or Steve Jobs.

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Music is no di erent. All great musicians start by imitating their teachers or

musical idols because the truth is, copying the greatest musicians around
you is the best way to learn.

If you’re serious about sounding authentic, learning the tradition, and

gathering the skills to create a solo you need to steal ideas that work.
Remember, the secret of jazz isn’t contained in a book with concise
lessons, it’s on the recordings of the masters that came before you.

To improve you can’t just read about this information, you need to

physically take it and make it your own.

The tradition of imitation is evident everywhere in this music. You probably

know Cli ord Brown, but go back and check out Fats Navarro. Listen to Joe
Henderson and Stanley Turrentine and then put on a Michael Brecker
recording…

The more time you spend listening, the more you’ll hear the influence of past
players in the new musicians of today. This is because style has to have a
starting place – a point of inspiration or influence.

Your goal in stealing musical ideas isn’t to become a clone, rather to learn a

cra through imitation and immersion. And this is something that you
should incorporate into your daily practice routine. Here are 3 Exercises for
Stealing Musical Ideas:

#1) STEAL ONE PIECE OF LANGUAGE

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Let’s start at the beginning…

You don’t have any ideas. You’re struggling through a chord progression.
You’re staring at a page in the Real Book and you’re drawing a blank. Sure,
you know how scales and chords work, but for some reason these things
aren’t turning into a satisfying solo.

Or maybe you’ve found yourself bored with the same old scales and licks. No
matter what tune you play, every solo starts to sound the same.

Every musician can relate to these situations, but what can you actually do
overcome these roadblocks?

Well the solution is surprisingly simple, but o en ignored. Rather than

“jamming” along with a play-a-long and hoping for a breakthrough or
getting down on your playing when you get stuck, try something di erent…

Your goal here is simple: take one line

from a great player and steal it…note
for note.

For example, let’s say you are trying to play Giant Steps and you don’t know
where to begin. Instead of improvising blindly or trying to match scales with
the chords in the Real Book, stop and try a new approach.

Find a player or recording that you like and make their musical ideas your
own:

John Coltrane - Giant Steps

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

For instance, maybe the opening line of John Coltrane’s solo (at :26 sec)
grabs your ear. Steal it – transcribe it, memorize it and figure out why it
works:

00:04 00:07

Now, instead of a blank slate or disjunct scales, you have a melodic

starting point for your solo on Giant Steps.

Start by learning this line in all keys, gradually increasing the tempo until you
can easily play it along with the recording:

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

As you try improvising, use this Coltrane line as your starting point, inserting
the line directly into your solos. (The process is exactly the same for single
chords, progressions, or tunes that you are having trouble with.)

Give it a try with the sound clip below:

00:15 00:19

A er a few run throughs you’ll start to get bored with the original line. You’ll
want to alter the rhythm, change the direction of the melody or the
intervallic structure, to alter notes and chords – this is where your creativity
comes in!
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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

In doing this exercise you will see the importance of learning language

The key to applying these lines to your solos lies in understanding why
they work –how is the line constructed, what chord tone does it start on,
what techniques, patterns or structures are in play
Check out this article for more insight into the power of one
transcribed line
Rely on this process for any musical situation that gives you trouble – half-
diminished chords, ii-V-I’s, turnarounds, jazz standards, etc.

#2) STEAL A HARMONIC OR

MELODIC TECHNIQUE
Not everything that you steal has to be
notes or lines.

You can steal a musical approach – a way of playing melodies or applying
Jazzadvice
harmonic concepts to chords and tunes that is unique.
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And this technique can open up new avenues of creative expression,
especially
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when you encounter tricky spots in a tune or find yourself bored
How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Incredibly Useful ...
with your solos.

Here you’re not stealing exact lines, so

much as a melodic technique or implied
harmonic tool to apply to your own
solos.

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Start by isolating the parts of your playing that need work and find the
players and solos that have what you need. You might steal a new way to
play over V7 chords, options for navigating the first 4 bars of rhythm
changes, or even ideas for improvising over minor ii-V’s.

Rather than a lick that has to be played the same way each time, these
musical techniques are particularly e ective because they can be applied to
any chord or tune in countless variations.

For example, let’s say you like the way Charlie Parker is approaching and
resolving the V7 chords in his blues choruses on Cheryl.

Charlie Parker-Cheryl

Perhaps the line Parker plays at 1:49 in the video grabs your attention:

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

00:00 00:06

Find the harmonic concept at work and steal it for your own solos! In this
particular case Parker is altering the V7 chord over a ii-V-I. As you can see
below, he emphasizes the altered notes of the dominant chord on strong
beats:

Your goal now is to extract this harmonic concept and incorporate it into

your approach to improvisation.

You don’t have to learn the line note for

note in every key, you can simply take
the overarching concept and apply it to
other dominant chords.

For example, here’s an easy way you could apply this Parker concept of
adding altered notes (b9, #9, b13) to a basic ii-V line:

Or looking at the same line in another way, you can steal the melodic
technique of a descending b2 triad over a V7 chord:

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

00:00 00:03

You can use this technique in the exact same way Parker does or you can
apply this concept in your own unique way – totally up to you.

The same process can be applied to dozens of other players, melodies,

chords or harmonic concepts that you might encounter. For instance if we
go back to the Coltrane line from the first example, you could steal the
bebop reharmonization technique that he uses on a V7 chord:

Again, it’s not so much the exact notes that you’re stealing as it is the
harmonic & melodic techniques that you’re extracting and applying to your
own language and solos.

Diminished lines and patterns over V7 chords

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Using pentatonic scales, shapes and patterns like McCoy Tyner or Michael

Brecker  
Employing tritone subs or using the altered scale to alter V7 chords
Using melodic ideas that come from outside the harmony 
Incorporating chromaticism into your melodic lines
Steal the melodic concepts and shapes of Woody Shaw or the harmonic
tricks of Kenny Garrett or the phrasing of Herbie Hancock.

#3) STEAL A PLAYER’S SOUND &

STYLE
When you listen to a great player
improvise or even play a simple melody,
there is something intangible there that
goes beyond notes and music theory.

You might call it musical style, expression, time, or feeling…

And for many aspiring improvisers, this is the vital aspect of a solo that’s
missing. The piece of the puzzle that turns all of those scales and theory
concepts into music that people actually want to listen to.

With all of the emphasis nowadays on the mental approach to theory and

improvisation, it’s easy to lose sight of your intuitive approach to music and
the personality or feel of what you’re playing.

…this is where the third element of musical the comes into play.

As an example, think about the way Miles plays a solo or the feel of the
album Kind of Blue:

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Miles Davis - All Blues

Within seconds of pressing play the sound of the trumpet creates a mood
and the entire recording creates a vibe. Beyond notes and harmonic
techniques, this is the element that you need to take from your favorite
players.

Start by identifying the players that speak to you, the recordings that inspire
you, and the solos that you wish were your own.

Once you have a list…

Listen intently to the recording and absorb every detail 

Then begin to play along with it
Use your ears to imitate the lines and copy the style
Alternate between imitating the lines of the soloists and
improvising your own melodies in their style

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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Strive to get into character…a musical character.

This exercise isn’t about the notes or

theory, it’s all about imitation. Don’t
over-intellectualize it, just copy what you
hear.

You might want to play like Kenny Garrett, to absorb Joe Henderson’s time
and sound, Chet’s melodicism, or Freddie Hubbard’s tone and articulation.
Or maybe you’d like to phrase like Louis Armstrong or swing like Cannonball
– it’s completely up to you.

By shutting down your analytical mind, closing your eyes and opening your
ears you’ll become one with the musical lines of a master. This exercise can
become one of the most inspiring and insightful things you do in the practice
room.

You can escape the predictable approaches to your own solos and
discover new possibilities within the music.

IMPROVISING IS NOT MAGIC…

Sometimes we make improvising more complicated than it is.

We think there are rules in place that we must follow, hidden methods that
hold all the secrets, or a magic scale or approach to a chord progression that
will show us the answers.

But the truth is that the answers you’re looking for are right in front of you,
you simply have to take them.

And you should be stealing every little detail, not just the notes…
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29.1.2018 How to Steal like a Pro: 3 Jazz Improvisation Tactics | Jazzadvice

Try one of these 3 exercises in your practice this week.

Spend a few minutes identifying the places in your playing that need the
most improvement or the aspects of improvisation that are holding you
back.

Then isolate that chord, progression, or tune and pick your favorite player to
borrow an idea from. It could be one of their musical lines, a harmonic
concept, or simply one of your favorite recordings that you imitate.

Remember, something as simple as two beats of music from a master soloist

can give you a musical revelation. A tool that you can use in all of your solos.
Or even the creative breakthrough that you’ve been desperately searching
for…

It’s all there, hidden in the recording – you just have to steal it!

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