Education – Page 2 – Outside Pedestrian

At one of our College of the Desert clinic, we were asked this question by a student. While there are many possible answers to that question, here are a few of our thoughts.

“The biggest thing to remember with improvisation is that there ARE no wrong notes. There may be notes that sound better than others, but a great musician can ‘sell’ a note that’s not ‘supposed’ to go over a certain chord or harmony. Notes also make up only part of what a musician communicates. Don’t forget phrasing, tone, dynamics, rhythm and space.

For some students, the ‘blank canvas’ of improvisation can be a little intimidating, just as for the novice jazz listener it can be hard to understand exactly what’s going on in a Bird or Coltrane solo. The more you listen to jazz, whether on recording or live, the more you will pick up.

Start by quoting the melody of the tune. This can make your solo feel more coherent; you’re trying to tell the audience a story, not just show them how fast you can play. For guitarists, pianists, vibraphonists, bassists and other non-wind instrumentalists, try singing along as you play. It doesn’t have to be perfect; that’s not the point. The point is that by singing along with your line, you’re likely to play more musically. Every note and phrase you play will have a purpose, even if they’re not executed 100% accurately. For phrasing, try the “two on, two off” exercise – that is to say, on a progression such as a 12-bar blues or a jazz standard, solo for two bars and then rest for two, as if you’re trading with a drummer.

As for the language of jazz and the ability to navigate over chords, there are many transcriptions of great jazz solos available. The Charlie Parker Omnibook is a good place to start. Playing the arpeggios of chord symbols (Cm7 = C, Eb, G, Bb; F7 = F, A, C, Eb; Bbmaj7 = Bb, D, F, A) is a good exercise too. In addition to reading the transcriptions of other soloists, try transcribing solos yourself–and not just those played on your own instrument.

Realize that trial and error is part of the learning process. With software such as Garage Band, it’s possible to record yourself improvising along to existing tracks. Some of what you play won’t work; some of it will probably make you cringe, but that’s how you grow.”

There are many parallels between music and math but there are some differences, too. In math, 3/4 and 6/8 are the same; in music, they are not. Recently one of our clinic participants asked about the difference. We admit that it can be confusing, so here are some thoughts.

Six-eight time means that each measure of music consists of six beats, each of which is an eighth note. Three-four time means that each measure consists of three beats, each of which is a quarter note. Since six eighth notes last for the same amount of time as three quarter notes, why are the two time signatures different?

The difference is in how the eighth notes are GROUPED. In 6/8 time, the eighth notes are grouped into two sets of three beats; the accent usually falls on the first and fourth eighth note of the measure. In 3/4 time, the eighth notes are grouped into three sets of two, meaning that the accents fall on the first, third and fifth eight notes of the measure.

Three-four time is used in waltzes, both from the classical era such as “Blue Danube” and from the jazz repertoire, including “Someday My Prince Will Come.” Three-four is also associated with energetic sing-along songs such as “Oom-Pah-Pah” from “Oliver” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Other popular tunes in three-four time include “Happy Birthday”, “Star Spangled Banner”, “First Noel” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

Six-eight is sometimes considered a “duple” meter because the measure is broken down into two distinct halves. Many marches, such as John Philip Sousa’s “Liberty Bell” and “76 Trombones” from “The Music Man” use 6/8. It’s also common in Irish tunes, both traditional fiddle melodies such as the “Swallowtail Jig” and Celtic rock songs like the Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”. Notice how in these examples, there is a strong emphasis on two beats per measure, but each beat can be subdivided into three (“ONE” and a “TWO” and a; or “ONE two three FOUR five six.”)

Sometimes, the line between 3/4 and 6/8 can be blurred. Dr. Anthony Fesmire’s composition “Dance” (heard on our “Reclaimed” CD) starts in 6/8 time but shifts to 3/4 time. In this performance from our recent clinic, the shift to 3/4 occurs at 1:10; the return to 6/8 happens at 1:47. The shift happens later as well – watch the complete performance of “Dance” here and see if you can figure out where!

This is a question asked primarily regarding jazz standards, where many different interpretations of the same tune can become well known. Compared to classical scores or transcriptions of rock recordings, lead sheets for jazz tunes are often a “secondary source.” Just as people might tell the story of the boy who cried “Wolf” differently from one another, the same tune might be presented differently from one fake book to the next. How do you know which is the best version?

One way to think about lead sheets is as recipes. Two cookbooks might present different recipes for the same dish, but the basic idea and finished product remain the same. Just as chef can prepare the same recipe with different options, different levels of flavor or other variations as they see fit, so too the same tune can be played with simpler or more complex harmonies. An example of that is in these two versions of the standard “My Shining Hour.”

While the melodies are nearly identical, the chords vary considerably. In measures 7-8 and 23-24, the second example’s harmonies are more complex, while the first chart has more harmonic movement in measures 11-12. Still, there are certain signposts that both sets of chords have in common, such as the Bbm7 at measure 17 and many spots where the second chart’s chord is simply the hipper version of the first (Ebmaj7 compared to Eb for example.)

Listen to several different versions of the same tune; familiarize yourself with commonly played variations, understand the basic harmonic function of a chord progression and discern when the same thing is being said with different chords. Fluency and versatility will help you and those with whom you play sound good on any tune.

Category: Education

“How do you get started with jazz improvisation?”

What’s the difference between 6/8 and 3/4 time?

“I have two different lead sheets for the same tune. Which one is right?”