 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: wjk
Date: 2002-10-23 13:44
I'm working on a solo over an Am7 to Bm7 sequence, and the A blues scale seems to work fine. When the chords change to Dm7 to Am7 to Bm7 to E, what scales would work? (I've been trying a D blues scale) Thanks!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-10-23 15:30
It all depends on the effect you are trying to achieve. Is this in the middle of a selection? At the beginning? Near the end? Hey, it almost seems to be "headed for" A major -- if the E is the dominant, which it could very well be, given only the limited run that you have listed. Maybe you could anticipate things and noodle around in A major, making yourself sound like a musical psychic, because you got there before anyone else managed to do it. On the other hand. perhaps you'd like the sounds to leave an entirely different impression in the minds of your audience. It is all up to *you*.
Now, wjk, you are getting into an area where books can hardly be of help. Unless you want to sound like me, pay no attention to any suggestions I might give you. Be yourself. Pretend rules don't exist, and go for what sounds good to *you*. You will likely be much happier about doing that in the long run. Unless, of course, you have a complete absence of talent, and everything you do sounds awful anyway. While I would bet that's not the case, it's the risk anyone has to take when learning improvisation. And if something displeases you, not a problem. Just do it differently next time. For that matter, even if it sounds great, you'll likely want to change it a bit next time anyway. Many of the Big Band players in the 30s and 40s were sometimes bitter because live audiences complained if solos ("rides") sounded unlike their recordings. Too bad. I'd rather listen to a player who is loyal to his musicianship rather than faithful to a musical structure.
Play well.
Regards,
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: wjk
Date: 2002-10-23 18:09
Thanks for the extremely articulate and helpful response!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: TDC
Date: 2002-10-23 23:44
An alternate idea; learn a "vertical" solo instead of a "horizontal" one. (of course I'll get flamed for this if there's the least error)--
Here's how.
1) Select a tune ("What Is This Thing Called Love" is excellent as a starter).
2) Write out its chord progression on a page--only the chord names are necessary assuming you know the 4 notes of each chord. Mark the measures with a vertical line, and the beats of the measure with shorter vertical lines. do the first eight, second eight, the bridge, the last eight, (AABA) (or however the tune is structured). Your writing can be sloppy; just get the meter right. Sing as you write.
3) Depending how advanced a player you are, select and play one or more notes of each chord beating your foot to the beats you marked
(4 to a measure in What Is This Thing), and paying attention to the meter. Play ONLY the notes of the chord. Repeating a note is allowed if you think it belongs, or sounds right.
Do choruses of half-notes, and when you're comfortable, a chorus of quarter-notes. Don't mix 'em up. Stick with one all the way through.
--Just say you don't know the tune at all or are just learning how to improvise: select and play a whole note for each bar, or two half-notes, or if you're better, 4 quarter-notes. Try not to advance too rapidly just because you can play the clarinet well. The idea here is to listen and construct and remember.
Even playing only 4 notes per measure you will be pleasantly surprised at how interesting a solo you will play just by sticking to the four notes of D7, G7, etc. It will be original, not repetitive and have the color intended by the composer. In the case of "What Is This Thing", dark, probing, suspenseful, and at the end resolving beautifully, (proving once again what a genius was Cole Porter).
Eventually you will want to play 1)more notes per beat, and 2)where appropriate, the extended tones of the chords. Working up to eighth-notes is plenty fast enough because it avoids the "noodling" effect of a lot of clarinet solos, or playing a lot of meaningless drivel just because you're able to.
Here's the best part of this approach.
You'll learn to play thoughtful, original solos that for the most part speak for you alone, and,
You'll learn the chord progression of the tune inside out.
Your solo will BE the tune.
It's great fun.
Credit where credit is due; Lee Konitz taught me this approach.
Best
TDC
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2002-10-25 12:19
WJK,
I don't see how an A blues scale can work that well with Am7 and Bm7. There are some notes in common. But, the C# in the A blues scale will conflict with the minor third in Am7. In a similar way, D# (#11 in the blues scale) will conflict with the minor third in Bm7. It seems to me that you'd have better luck in either using a Dorian scale on each minor 7th chord (ie, A Dorian and B Dorian) or deriving a scale that's based upon the common tones between the Am7 and Bm7 chords. For example, a pentatonic scale using A, B, D, E, F# would work fine harmonically.
The approach that TDC gives (ala Lee Konitz) is a good one. Typically, one learns to play vertically before becoming more horizontal.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: TDC
Date: 2002-10-26 14:51
R.A.---
Konitz idea--yes. Thank you. Also, it gives one a chance to learn to play "on the chords", which is what all soloing is about. It's definitely not about having to analyse whether a scale contains notes that will conflict with the underlying chord, and/or trying to fit a scales to chords. (One of the reasons by the way, why many of today's solos are so boring and repetitive - it's what they're teaching now, to our loss.)
And it's exactly why "the Konitz method", for want of a better moniker, is so very good; you never play a "wrong" note until you want to, it can swing from the very start, and like all good solos, it's easy to build on. That's how we got Coleman Hawkins' Body and Soul, Paul Desmond's How High the Moon, Getz's too-numerous-to-count solo masterpieces, among many others.
All the best,
TDC
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2002-10-26 18:32
TDC,
Another thing that's extremely common sense about Lee Konitz' methods is that he starts with THE MELODY and gradually expands outward. This goes along with the approach to the chold changes that you described. Given how he creatively takes apart a tune both melodically and harmonically and puts it back together in ever-new ways, I never get tired of listening to him on standards like I'll Remember April.
If one is using chord scales in the right way there's no reason why they have to be boring. It's important to have a balance between basic chord tones and higher tensions or color tones. One can get this with both vertical and linear thinking. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Personally, I blend both in my playing.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
