 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark1234
Date: 2015-11-25 05:42
Would the following notes be correct for a Dixieland jazz scale starting on the note C: C, D, D#, E, G, A ??
If not, what would be correct?
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Author: dubrosa22
Date: 2015-11-25 07:24
My guess would be more like C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C
I don't play Dixieland, just a guess
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Author: ned
Date: 2015-11-25 11:12
''Dixieland jazz scale''?
I have never heard of such a thing. What exactly, do you mean by this?
Is the answer here? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_scales_and_modes
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Author: Phurster
Date: 2015-11-25 14:47
Dixieland has a number of variations.
You could start by adding blues notes to your major scales; flatten the 3rd the fifth and the 7th.
Mix this with arpeggios and lots of listening and experimentation.
The Jamie Aebersold books are a good start.
He would see a C blues as; C,Eb, F, F#,G, Bb,C.
I prefer to think of blues notes, mixed with the major scale.
Chris.
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Author: Mark1234
Date: 2015-11-25 20:35
Excellent! Thank you everyone. I new there would be people here who could help. Thanks!
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Author: reedfriendly
Date: 2015-11-26 03:50
The dixieland scale is follow the chord changes.
No. Really.
Look up the scale and chord of each each chord symbol. Then practice the chords one at a time. If the song were just 3 chords: Dm, G7, C, then the chords would be:
Dm: D, F, A, scale of DEFGABCD (yes that is Dorian mode, not natural minor)
G7: G, B, D, F, scale of GABCDEFG (Called mixolydian... it's just a major scale with a flatted 7th, taking the F# down to F)
C: C, E, G, scale of CDEFGABC
Notice that in this progression, and it's a common one, all of the notes of all the chords and all of the scales, fit into the original key of C major. It's *when* you play the notes that's important.
A good way to practice this is to play through a whole song over and over playing just the roots. So you'd play D for the first Chord, G for the second, and C for the third. Then play the whole chord, out of time. So DFA.... GBDF.... CEG.... over and over in different octaves so your fingers (and ears!) get used to it. Now do it with the scales.
When you're comfortable playing these one by one, then do the song in time, So if you have two measures of Dm but only one of G7, you have to change what you play to fit it in. Do the roots, the chords, the scales.
After that, you can start trying to improvise. Go at a slow tempo at first. Every other chorus, solo or play the melody. When you solo, try to keep the melody in your head, and respond to it. You'll start to hear how the chord tones make the shape of the music.
Now to answer your question, one common alteration is just a half-step below the chord tone. So instead of playing a E half note on a C major chord on the downbeat, you might play a D# eighth tied to an E dotted quarter. You can do this for any chord tone over any chord. Let your taste and your ear be your guide.
This all is the same for every type of jazz. It helps to think of dixieland (actually hot jazz or just jazz) as a dance music where the rhythm is important. Chord tones were kept simple. Otherwise, everything is the same.
Go to jazz-on-line.com and download a (don't worry, it's public domain!) copy of a song called Eccentric Rag. You'll hear what I mean.
All the best.
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Author: Johnny Galaga
Date: 2015-11-28 00:49
A general all-purpose jazzy kind of a scale is C, D, D#, E, G, G#, A, C. There's no official name to it, but it will work in a lot of songs. Practice and memorize it in common keys (or even every key), and then you can improvise, noodle, or do your own song writing.
Either that, or you might need to use a blues scale instead, depending on the feel of the song. That's the KISS method. It's basically either C, D, D#, E, G, G#, A, C or blues like 90% of the time, whatever the song is.
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Author: brycon
Date: 2015-11-29 03:50
Quote:
A general all-purpose jazzy kind of a scale is C, D, D#, E, G, G#, A, C. There's no official name to it, but it will work in a lot of songs. Practice and memorize it in common keys (or even every key), and then you can improvise, noodle, or do your own song writing.
Essentially, that's a pentatonic scale (C,D,E,G,A) with half-step passing tones.
Quote:
The dixieland scale is follow the chord changes.
No. Really.
Look up the scale and chord of each each chord symbol. Then practice the chords one at a time. If the song were just 3 chords: Dm, G7, C, then the chords would be:
Dm: D, F, A, scale of DEFGABCD (yes that is Dorian mode, not natural minor)
G7: G, B, D, F, scale of GABCDEFG (Called mixolydian... it's just a major scale with a flatted 7th, taking the F# down to F)
C: C, E, G, scale of CDEFGABC
The problem with playing these scales over a chord change is that after a few beats, the non-chord tones begin to fall on downbeats. For instance (in eighth-notes with uppercases referring to downbeats): C-d E-f G-a B-c / D-e F-g A-b C-d etc.
Therefore, you need to add a half-step passing tone somewhere. On a major scale, it's usually between scale degree 5 and 6: C-d E-f G-g# A-b / C etc.
But this scale is more at home in the bebop idiom. In fact, New Orleans style jazz (to my ears, at least) is more chordal than scalar; I'm not sure if playing scales over a change would even sound right. Maybe Marlborough Man, who knows much more than me about New Orleans jazz, could weigh in?
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2015-12-01 01:27
Hmmm...just saw this. Not much to contribute, really, except to say that no one scale will work particularly well for New Orleans style. Knowing the changes is essential.
Having said that, guys like Benny Goodman talked about "knowing the scale" for a song. It might surprise people that Benny thought in a scalular way in some sense...which is not to say he approached the music the way bop players do, using scales in the same manner. But he interacted with tunes in a way that referenced the scale more obliquely.
One thing to note is a that a IV7 chord, for instance, which is very common, invites a flat third scale degree in the tonic key...and that diminished chords often serve as a both bridging and blues-encouraging functions...these little things suggest a basic approach...
Most of the great NOLA players interacted with the chord changes, triadically, but embellishing them with a lot of subsidiary chromatic leading tones. Perhaps it's wise to think of the basic scales (or scales) of a particular tune, but always in reference to the changes themselves. In some ways this is not all that different from bop, when you think of it...but you'd better hit the root third and fifth more cleanly and rhythmically in NOLA style, and not get too excited about extensions.
Having said all that, there are many ways of getting there. I've never met two jazz soloists who thought the same way, at least among wind players.
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Wes
Date: 2015-12-01 11:06
Yes, it's great that we do not all think the same when it comes to improvising. Some of the things I try to pay attention to are:
1. Scale tone sevenths. In the key of C, these would be CEGB, DFAC, EGBD, FACE, etc. These should be practiced for technique.
2. Thirds and sevenths. One can make a good jazz solo using mostly these notes of the applicable chords as they are the most important notes of a chord. For Dixieland, the regular scales for the chord sequence are fine with some judicial use of the blues scales.
3. Jazz phrasing. Reading the Parker Omnibook over and over gets some good phrasing under the fingers. However, one can improvise without copying any of it in one's solos.
4. Technique. Doing the "key of the day" exercise. This is to pick a key and for the day's practice, only rehearse scales, chords, licks, and made up phrases in that key. The next day, one can pick the next key, and in 12 days go through the entire spectrum of keys. It is easier to improvise if technique is there.
5. Form. Try to build a solo like the waves of the surf, building to a climax and then backing down. The highest note can be played only once to good effect. Also, make phrases with rest between them, like a conversation. We don't try to play like a doorbell.
6. Chords. Try to learn to use the chords in tunes. Many soloists seem to play 8 bar sequences without regard for the chords. I think listeners like to follow the tune.
Good luck!
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