Jazz Improvisation - Essential Exercises, Technique, And Tips Copy

Jazz Improvisation - Essential Exercises, Technique, and Tips 12/4/19, 10)07 am
Jazz Improvisation – Essential Exercis
Jazz Improvisation – Essential

Technique, and Tips
 PUBLISHED IN IMPROVER, IMPROVISATION, INTERMEDIATE, JAZZ GUITAR LESSONS
Along with chords, scales, and arpeggios, jazz improvisation skills are essential for any jazz g
When soloing with scales and arpeggios the notes sound correct, but they lack that special s
guitarist.
This special something is jazz vocabulary.
Mixing jazz vocabulary with scales, chords, and arpeggios, builds a strong foundation in the
This vocabulary builds up from that strong foundation as you progress on the instrument.
In this intermediate jazz improvisation guide, you learn one of the most important, and diffic
Seeing one chord and playing another.
https://mattwarnockguitar.com/intermediate-jazz-guitar-vocabula…01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cddbfea2cc-204f71ec55-311076173 Page 1 of 51
Exploring various approaches to this technique expands your vocabulary, hips your lines to
Because this is an intermediate level guide, check out Intro to Jazz Soloing if you’re beginnin
Jazz Improvisation Con

1. See One Chord and Play Another
2. Intermediate Jazz Arpeggios
3. Intermediate Jazz Scales
See One Chord and Play A
The main challenge in this article is seeing a chord symbol on the page and soloing using ano
This concept is a big hurdle for many guitarists in their practice routine.
But, it adds new colors to your solos, opens up the fretboard, and brings a new level of soph
Throughout this article, keep in mind the following.
The goal is to get to the point where you eliminate all mental math when soloing.
Learning to see a secondary chord as your first choice, not in relation to the first chord, but a
If you can do this, you can quickly apply harmonic concepts to your jazz lines in the moment
No thinking involved.
As you work this material, focus on five main jazz concepts.
All of which build your ability to see one chord and play another.
These 5 concepts are:
3 to 9 Arpeggios
Minor Conversion
Sidestepping
Tritone Substitution
Tritone Pairing
Learning to see one chord while playing another is the biggest challenge you face as an inter
And it takes a lot of practice to master this important skill.
While it’ll takes effort, that time in the woodshed pays off as you take your jazz soloing skills
https://mattwarnockguitar.com/intermediate-jazz-guitar-vocabul…01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cddbfea2cc-204f71ec55-311076173 Page 3 of 51
Now that you’ve looked at what you study in this article, take these concepts off the page an
Intermediate Jazz Arpe

To begin your study, you apply advanced concepts to arpeggios.
Then, you take those arpeggios to common jazz chord progressions.
Play the exercises in multiple keys, change the fingerboard positions, and apply them to tun
Working these concepts from a technical perspective helps see them on the fretboard.
But, real growth occurs when you take them to a soloing situation.
Running a technique with a metronome is a start, but being creative with that same techniq
Always aim to bring any concept to your solos.
This shows you where you’ve grown and where you need work as a jazz guitarist.
3 to 9 Arpeggios 1 – Major i
The first concept is 3 to 9 arpeggios. This concept is used to add color and avoid root notes i
3 to 9 arpeggios are built by playing an arpeggio from the 3rd of any chord, outlining the 3
Here’s an example of a 3 to 9 arpeggio applied to a Cmaj7 chord.
In this case, you play Em7 over Cmaj7 to outline the intervals 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Now that you know how to apply 3 to 9 arpeggios, take this concept to a major ii V I progres
As a reference, here are 3 to 9 arpeggios for m7, 7, and maj7 chords.
m7 = Maj7 arpeggio from b3

7th = m7b5 arpeggio from 3
Maj7 = m7 arpeggio from 3
One of the biggest advantages of 3 to 9 arpeggios, is that you add color, avoid the root, and u
No new learning is needed to explore 3 to 9 arpeggios.
You just work out a new application of previously learned material.
Now, apply this knowledge by working 3 to 9 arpeggios over major ii-V-I chord changes.
Once you can play these exercises with a metronome, in a number of keys, apply them to oth
As well, put on a backing track and solo using 3 to 9 arpeggios to work this concept from a te
Exercise one features ascending 3 to 9 arpeggios over each chord.
Vm
Click to hear
P
You now practice descending 3 to 9 arpeggios over each chord in the changes.
Vm
Click to hear
P
You now alternate 3 to 9 arpeggios by playing one up and one down.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here’s a reverse of the previous exercise, where you play the first arpeggio down and the se
Vm
Click to hear
P
Now that you’ve applied 3 to 9 arpeggios to a technical workout, here’s a lick that uses these
Learn this lick in 12 keys and apply it to tunes in the practice room.
When that’s solid, write out lines of your own using 3 to 9 arpeggios.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Take your time with these exercises, especially if this is the first time you’ve seen one chord
It takes time until this becomes natural.
But, with practice, you will apply this concept with confidence to your solos.
3 to 9 Arpeggios 2 – Minor
As well as applying 3 to 9 arpeggios over major ii-V-I changes, you can apply the same conce
Though in this case using different chord qualities and caution over the iim7b5 chord.
Here are the formulas for each chord to build 3 to 9 arpeggios from these changes.
iim7b5 = m7 from the b3

V7b9 = Dim7 from the 3
Im7 = Maj7 from the b3
Before you go on, you need to address the iim7b5 3 to 9 arpeggio, as it’s more tense than th
When you play a m7 arpeggio from the b3 of a m7b5, you outline the intervals b3-b5-b7-b9
This isn’t to say that you can’t use the b9 in this situation.
But, if you find it’s too outside for your taste, play the R-b7 arpeggio over iim7b5 chords.
Then use 3 to 9 arpeggios to solo over the other changes where they’re an easier fit.
Give it a try and see what you think.
It might take time to get used to, but with practice you might love that tension over the m7b
Never eliminate a concept from your practice that doesn’t sound good to you today.
Your ears change over time and ideas you didn’t like in the past sound great today.
To begin your practice of minor ii V I 3 to 9 arpeggios, here are those shapes ascending over
Vm
Click to hear
P
Moving on, here’s the descending version of those arpeggios to workout in your practice rou
Vm
Click to hear
P
The next variation features an alternating, one up one down, approach to practicing minor i
Vm
Click to hear
P
The final exercise begins with a descending arpeggio followed by an ascending arpeggio.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here’s a lick that you can learn, work in 12 keys, and add to your jazz guitar solos.
Vm
Click to hear
P
After you work this lick, write out 3 to 5 of your own to take this approach further.
Minor Conversion 1 – Major

If you have ever listened to jazz guitarists such as Wes Montgomery or Pat Martino and tho
!
“How do they get that cool sound in their lines? It sounds so smooth.”
The answer is the minor conversion concept.
Minor conversion is an easy concept to understand, but it takes time to use it with confiden
Minor conversion means that you replace any chord with a related m7 chord from the key c
To begin with this concept, you apply it to the V and I chords of a major key ii-V-I.
When applying minor conversion to a V7, you continue to use the iim7 arpeggio over that ch
This means that if you’re playing over Dm7-G7-Cmaj7, you use Dm7 over both Dm7 and G7
Here’s how that sounds.
Pay attention to how the Dm7 arpeggio changes color when played over G7, as it outlines th
Vm
Click to hear
P
Put on a ii-V-I backing track and solo over both the iim7 and V7 chords with the iim7 arpegg
This helps you understand and hear this concept in a musical situation.
Here’s a line that uses minor conversion over a V7 chord in a ii V I progression.
Vm
Click to hear
P
The next minor conversion is playing a vim7 chord over Imaj7 to create a I6 sound.
In the key of C, this means playing Am7 over Cmaj7.
When doing so, you outline the intervals 6-R-3-5, removing the 7th and creating a “softer” so
Here’s how that sounds over a iim7-V7-Imaj7 progression.
Vm
Click to hear
P
When you’ve played this example, put on a backing track and solo using minor conversion ov
Here’s a line to get you started with this application.
Vm
Click to hear
P
When these subs are comfortable, apply both the V7 and Imaj7 minor conversions to take th
Here’s a ii V I line that applies minor conversion to both V7 and Imaj7.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Minor Conversion 2 – Jazz

Now that you know what the minor conversion concept is, you can apply it to the jazz blues
To accomplish this goal, you need to replace 4 different chords in your solo.
In the key of F blues, these subs are:
F7 replaced by Cm7
Bb7 replaced by Fm7
D7b9 replaced by F#dim7
C7 replaced b7 Gm7
As the 7th chords are familiar from the previous section, you only need to learn about 7b9 c
Since minor conversion doesn’t work well over 7b9 chords, you use a 3-9 arpeggio here.
Doing so creates a tension-release sound over the VI7b9 chord in a jazz blues, modernizing
Here’s an ascending arpeggio exercise to practice over an F blues.
To help you practice the exercises, here’s an F blues backing track.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Moving on, you can work descending arpeggios over the same progression.
Vm
Click to hear
P
The next exercise consists of playing one arpeggio up, followed by one arpeggio down, over
Vm
Click to hear
P
The final exercise features one arpeggio down then one arpeggio up.
Vm
Click to hear
P
After you’ve worked these exercises, solo over those changes using the minor conversion fo
Arpeggio Sidestepping
The final arpeggio concept digs into one of my favorite soloing approaches, arpeggio sideste
Again, this is an easy to understand approach that takes time to get into your playing.
Sidestepping is where you move between the underlying chord and one a half-step higher, c
When applying this concept to arpeggio lines, the inside sound is the chord you’re on, and th
The key to a successful sidestep is not stepping outside, it’s bringing everything back to the
Leaving a line hanging over the outside sub, or not resolving it properly, leads to this concep
Because this concept is fairly straightforward, the best way to practice is to put on a backing
Here are 5 progressions to work on with sidestepping, from easiest to hardest.
Static chord – m7, 7, maj7, etc.

ii V Chords
ii V I Major Key Chords
ii V I Minor Key Chords
Jazz Blues Chords
Here’s a static Am7 line using sidestepping.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here’s a ii V I line to practice when first learning how to apply sidestepping.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Lastly, here’s a minor ii V I line that uses sidestepping to create tension and release.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Arpeggio sidestepping is tough at first to get smooth.
But, with practice, you can use this concept to hip up your lines, and bring a modern sound t
Intermediate Jazz Arpeggio

After exploring these arpeggio concepts, you can learn this solo, which applies these concep
The study is written out over the chord changes to the song “Summertime.”
You can learn the solo as a whole, or break it down into 4-bar chunks to isolate phrases in yo
Once this solo is under your fingers, write out an arpeggio solo of your own that uses concep
Vm
Click to hear
P
Download Your FREE 82-Page PDF

Join over 100,000 other guitarists who learned to play jazz with this FREE eBook.
Your name
Your email
Download Now
100% privacy. Your email will never be shared
Intermediate Jazz Sca

Now that you’ve explored seeing one chord and playing another with arpeggios, you can app
As scales have more notes than arpeggios, they’re more difficult to maneuver when applyin
Because of this, start with modal tunes, such as “So What,” “Maiden Voyage,” and “Milestone
Then take them to tunes with fast moving changes. Make sure to practice these exercises in
over progressions and tunes in your studies.
Tritone Subs
Even if you haven’t played one chord while seeing another, you’ve probably heard of tritone
It’s the most common outside jazz concept, and something you’ve probably read about but m
Tritone subs are when you see one chord and play another chord a tritone away.
The most popular application of this technique is over dominant 7th chords.
This is where you see one 7th chord, C7, and solo over a 7th chord a tritone away, F#7.
Here’s a line that uses a tritone sub over the V7 chord to hear this technique in action.
Notice how the tritone sub resolves into the Imaj7 chord in bar 3. This is essential, resolving
your lines.
Vm
Click to hear
P
When you approach tritone subs, you can use any mode that you normally apply to that cho
For example, over a tritone sub 7th chord, you can use:
Mixolydian
Lydian Dominant
Altered Scale
Phrygian Dominant
Bebop Scale
If you’re new to tritone subs, begin with the most direct mode, then work to more complex s
Now that you know how to apply tritone subs, put on a backing track and solo with a tritone
As well, you can apply this concept to any chord you solo over.
When doing so, you want to use the same quality as the chord you sub.
This means that if you play a tritone sub for Dm7, you solo with Abm7.
In doing so, you step outside the chord change, but the common chord quality brings a sense
Here’s an example of how to apply a tritone sub to a m7 chord, Abm7 over Dm7, resolving to
Vm
Click to hear
P
You can also apply tritone subs to Maj7 chords, such as this line, where you use F#maj7 over
Vm
Click to hear
P
As long as you resolve the tritone sub into the next chord, or underlying chord if it’s longer t
If you don’t resolve the sub, well, it doesn’t work out so well.
Once you’ve explored these exercises, find other chords that work with tritone subs.
Begin with minor ii-V-I changes, or a jazz blues, or apply tritone subs to any jazz standard.
Experimentation is your best friend with this concept, as it takes time to make it sound good
Once you get this approach down, it adds an essential concept to your solos, getting that hip
Tritone Scale Pairing

You now move on to a variation of tritone subs, where you freely move between the underly
Whereas you resolved the tritone sub into the next chord, here you resolve the sub into the
I was first introduced to this concept in the playing of Woody Shaw, who used pentatonic sc
In this first line, you see this concept applied to Dm7, the iim7, as you move between Dm7 a
Listen for the “slippery” sound this produces, how it creates tension that is quickly resolved
This is in contrast to the tritone sub, where you create longer tension before resolving to th
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here’s the same technique applied to the V7 chord in a ii V I progression.
After you’ve played these lines, put on a backing track and solo with this concept.
When doing so, begin with a static m7 or 7th-chord backing track, before improvising with th
Vm
Click to hear
P
The last line applies tritone pairing to the Imaj7 chord. As you have two bars with this chord
your solos.
Vm
Click to hear
P
As well as applying this concept to your solo practice, work on a few of my favorite patterns
pattern, you climb up the 1234 notes of each chord, Dm7 and its tritone sub Abm7.
Vm
Click to hear
P
The second pattern is the classic John Coltrane 1235 grouping, again applied to both the un
Vm
Click to hear
P
The final pattern is a descending line, 8765, over both changes.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Scale Sidestepping
As well, you can bring scales into your sidestepping lines, but with more caution than with a
Because scales have 7 or 8 notes, sidestepping can get a messy if you try to cram all those no
When applying sidestepping to scales, don’t play too many notes in your lines.
To begin, put on a one-chord backing-track, for example a D Dorian Backing track, and solo w
How did it sound?
Were you able to use the less is more technique?
If you’re new to sidestepping with scales, the best ways to introduce this concept is to play o
chord, then return to the original idea over the diatonic chord.
Here’s an example of that approach over a Dm7 chord.
Vm
Click to hear
P
You can also hear an example of this idea over a G7 chord.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Now that you’ve applied this approach to your playing, put on a backing track and apply the
Here’s a lick over the first 8 bars of Blue Bossa that you can practice and apply to your own j
Vm
Click to hear
P
After you’ve explored this concept with scale, mix arpeggios and scales together in your line
Vm
Click to hear
P
4th Intervals
When looking to expand your playing into a more “modern” feel, 4th intervals are one of the
While 3rd intervals are great for outlining chord changes, 4ths allow you to play over the cha
This open sound hides the underlying chord quality compared to 3rds. Here are ascending 4
take to all 12 keys in your studies.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here’s the descending version of those 4ths through the same scale. Make sure to practice t
your time in the practice room.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Lastly, here’s an alternating approach to 4th intervals over E Dorian to practice. Once you h
apply it to your soloing practice.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Here are lines that you can work into your solos as you take 4ths into your improvisational p
in D major.
Vm
Click to hear
P
This lick is played over a minor ii V I progression with 4ths applied to each mode in the chan
Vm
Click to hear
P
Lastly, here is a 4th based lick over the first four bars of Rhythm Changes in Bb. After you’ve
them further in your studies.
Vm
Click to hear
P
4th Chords Through Scal

If you are looking to expand 4th intervals, work on 3-note 4th chords through scales and mod
When doing so, you add one note to the previous exercises.
Take your time with these exercises, and practice them with a metronome to ensure they’re
It’s better to be slow and smooth than fast and choppy. Here’s an ascending exercise throug
Vm
Click to hear
P
And here’s the same exercise, though with descending intervals through A Dorian.
Vm
Click to hear
P
Lastly, you can run these 4th chords one up and one down.
Vm
Click to hear
P
After you work these chords in your technical routine, practice them from an improvisation
note 4th chords over each chord.
Vm
Click to hear
P
The next lick, works these chords into the line, but more spread out than the previous exam
Vm
Click to hear
P
The final lick is played over the first 8 bars to Summertime.
When you have these lines down, write out your own as you bridge this approach from your
Vm
Click to hear
P
Intermediate Jazz Guitar S

Here’s a sample solo written out over the chord changes to the tune “Sunny.”
Before playing the entire solo, learn it in 4-bar phrases, then build the entire solo from there
Once you get the solo under your fingers, write out a solo study of your own using the scale
Vm
Click to hear
P
! Matt's site is an amazing resource when study

effective, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Join Joel and 100,000 others who benefit from free email guitar lessons.
Your name
Your email
Send Me Free Lessons
100% privacy. Your email will never be s
Download or Share this Lesson:
 Print or Download PDF  Email  Facebook 143  Twitter
© 2017 Matt Warnock Guitar. All rights reserved. Tucson Web Design by Tagline Home About

Sprache

Willkommen bei Scribd!

Jazz Improvisation - Essential Exercises, Technique, And Tips Copy

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Beschreibung:

Datum des Uploads

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Beschreibung:

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Jazz Improvisation - Essential Exercises, Technique, And Tips Copy

Hochgeladen von

Beschreibung:

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Verwandte Titel

Jazz Improvisation - Essential Exercises, Technique, and Tips 12/4/19, 10)07 am

Jazz Improvisation – Essential Exercis

Jazz Improvisation – Essential

This special something is jazz vocabulary.

Seeing one chord and playing another.

Jazz Improvisation Con

See One Chord and Play A

Throughout this article, keep in mind the following.

As you work this material, focus on five main jazz concepts.

These 5 concepts are:

And it takes a lot of practice to master this important skill.

Intermediate Jazz Arpe

Then, you take those arpeggios to common jazz chord progressions.

Always aim to bring any concept to your solos.

Here’s an example of a 3 to 9 arpeggio applied to a Cmaj7 chord.

As a reference, here are 3 to 9 arpeggios for m7, 7, and maj7 chords.

m7 = Maj7 arpeggio from b3

No new learning is needed to explore 3 to 9 arpeggios.

You just work out a new application of previously learned material.

Exercise one features ascending 3 to 9 arpeggios over each chord.

You now alternate 3 to 9 arpeggios by playing one up and one down.

It takes time until this becomes natural.

iim7b5 = m7 from the b3

Give it a try and see what you think.

Minor Conversion 1 – Major

The answer is the minor conversion concept.

Here’s how that sounds.

Here’s a line that uses minor conversion over a V7 chord in a ii V I progression.

In the key of C, this means playing Am7 over Cmaj7.

Here’s how that sounds over a iim7-V7-Imaj7 progression.

Here’s a line to get you started with this application.

Here’s a ii V I line that applies minor conversion to both V7 and Imaj7.

Minor Conversion 2 – Jazz

In the key of F blues, these subs are:

Here’s an ascending arpeggio exercise to practice over an F blues.

To help you practice the exercises, here’s an F blues backing track.

Here are 5 progressions to work on with sidestepping, from easiest to hardest.

Static chord – m7, 7, maj7, etc.

Here’s a static Am7 line using sidestepping.

Here’s a ii V I line to practice when first learning how to apply sidestepping.

Arpeggio sidestepping is tough at first to get smooth.

Intermediate Jazz Arpeggio

Download Your FREE 82-Page PDF

100% privacy. Your email will never be shared

Intermediate Jazz Sca

Tritone Scale Pairing

Here’s the same technique applied to the V7 chord in a ii V I progression.

The final pattern is a descending line, 8765, over both changes.

How did it sound?

Were you able to use the less is more technique?

Here’s an example of that approach over a Dm7 chord.

You can also hear an example of this idea over a G7 chord.

4th Chords Through Scal

The final lick is played over the first 8 bars to Summertime.

Intermediate Jazz Guitar S

! Matt's site is an amazing resource when study

Send Me Free Lessons