Deep Tune Knowledge for Improvisers (John Adams)

It is easy for an aspiring jazz player to feel overwhelmed by the amount of things there are to learn, or even the skills to maintain. Solo-transcribing and/or memorizing, licks or patterns, tune repertoire, scales, music theory, sight-reading, technical studies, and more, can add up to quite a pile to tackle. There are many approaches to learning and playing jazz, but one thing that veteran players and teachers all agree on is the importance of learning tunes.

Legendary jazz-pianist Bill Evans has been quoted as saying that you will probably get more out of playing one (good) tune for an hour, than playing six tunes in that hour. In this article, I want to encourage you to use a methodical, thorough study of a good tune for improvisation as a "context" for learning. This approach is not the only valid approach, and is not exhaustive. Each step in the process enumerated is probably worthy of an article of its own. But the steps given here have been placed in a sensible order, and you may omit or add steps, or change the order as you wish. The approach and processes I am recommending will be geared to intermediate- level jazz students. If you are a novice, you could still learn some things from the article by jotting down every term or concept that I refer to that you don't understand fully, and then ask a more experienced player and/or jazz teacher for help with them.
First, select a tune that makes sense for what you need right now; it may be a tune required for a jazz course, suggested by a teacher, requested by a group-leader, or simply be one you have heard that has captured your interest.

LISTEN UP -- LEARN THE FORM -- BUY GREAT RECORDINGS OF THE TUNE -- THE MORE THE MERRIER
Memorize the tune by-ear first, at least to get the phrasing, form, and the "gist" of the melody. Trying to learn a tune just off of a lead-sheet, though a valuable skill, is not the best way to start. If analyzing the form of a tune is an unfamiliar process to you, begin by just counting the bars as you listen to the melody. Also see if you can tell if the players on the recording(s) are improvising on the same chord progression and phrasing as is used for the melody. Can you hear if the melody section sounds like it is subdivided into smaller sections of 4- or 8- bars? These can be called phrases and/or sections of the tune. 12-(Blues), 16- or 32- bars are the most common tune lengths for jazz tunes and standards, and 12- and 16-bar tunes are usually performed with playing the melody twice at the beginning and the end (before and after the solos). For "32-bar tunes," AABA or ABAC are the most common forms. Some tunes have unusual phrasing, forms, and/or interludes, extensions or "tags" built into them.

TRY AND TRANSCRIBE YOUR OWN LEAD SHEET
What did players do before the advent of "fake-books?" Suffice it to say, that aside from the fact that some of those books were published illegally, and the benefits to your aural skills that transcribing will provide, one consideration is that some of the most popular "fake-books" contain numerous errors that you will be unaware of unless you compare the lead-sheet(s) directly to recordings of the tune. Have your lead-sheet "corrected" by a qualified teacher or compare it with a (legally) published, reputable lead-sheet. As long you are careful to correct each attempt, you will improve at transcribing tunes the more you do it.

LISTEN TO THE RECORDING(S) WHILE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THE LEAD SHEET
Even if you skip over the transcribing of the lead-sheet for now, you should at least spend some time listening to the tune with a lead-sheet in hand. Have you noticed any variations in the melody, harmony, phrasing, or rhythmic treatment of the tune between different recordings of the tune. Make note of them if you can. See if you can ascertain which version(s) is closest to the original or published version.

FIRST THINGS SECOND -- LEARN THE MELODY: PLAY THE MELODY ALONG WITH THE RECORDING(S) AND BY YOURSELF
If the melody is particularly difficult, you may need to learn it slowly at first, even rubato or phrase-by-phrase. Try and imitate the articulation and phrasing of the melody as is played on the recording(s). Being expressive on the melody of a tune is one of the marks of musical maturity. Beginners or intermediate-level students might try playing the melody, even under the sections of improvisation (provided the form used for the soloing is the same as the melody). Being able to keep "hearing" the melody during the improvisation is an important step toward freedom in improvising.

ANALYZE THE MELODY AND HARMONY IN LIGHT OF EACH OTHER
There is a lot of harmonic information implied in the melodies of many of the great standards and jazz tunes. It is a common problem for young jazz players to miss this step, and start playing licks or scale-sounds that they want to play on a tune, without ever consulting the melodic information. A common example of this problem is on the tune "Stella by Starlight" at the first two bars of the bridge. The "Real Book" says that the chord is G+7, and many a novice mindlessly plays G whole-tone scale over those bars, but the melody contains a D (pickup note), Eb, and D, implying a G7b13 sound instead. The superimposing of scale-sounds is used by mature improvisors as a musical surprise but they are never ignorant of what the "expected" harmonic sound is at all points in a tune.

CHANGES ANYONE? ANALYZE THE HARMONY: IDENTIFY WHAT THE CHORD PROGRESSION IS
Reharmonizing tunes has been a constant part of the evolution of jazz. Seasoned jazz players know the original harmony, as well as the common variant harmonies on many standard tunes. They make it a priority to continually expand their knowledge in this area. This is also not mere "head-knowledge" but they are able to hear which "version(s)" of the harmony are being played by other players they are playing with at any given point in time, or as they listen to a performance.

Identify the function of each chord. In order to do this you will have to be able to identify basic, diatonic chord progressions. Begin by finding the patterns like ii-V, ii-V-I, iii-VI-ii-V, I-VI, etc. Though jazz harmony coincides somewhat with traditional, classical harmony, it often contains a high percentage of "exceptions" to the rules, i.e. chords or progressions that aren't purely diatonic. The most common non-diatonic chord in jazz is the frequent use of secondary- dominant chords, especially V-of-ii and V-of-V.

CIRCLE ANY CHORDS THAT DON'T (SEEM TO) HAVE A ROMAN NUMERAL FUNCTION
Check to see if it might be a borrowed chord or an alteration of a diatonic chord (e.g. using a dominant IV7 chord, as is found in Blues, instead of a major-seventh four chord, IVmaj.7). If there are still any chords that don't fit either of those categories, they may be considered to be "non-diatonic passing chords," or "color chords."

BRACKED THE KEY CENTERS AND LABEL EACH ONE
This process can often help a student to cut through the "modal maze" by helping him to see the groups of chords that are functioning in the same key(s). For example, the first sixteen bars of the standard "All the Things You Are" contains sixteen to nineteen chords, depending upon which harmonization you use. Labeling each one of those chords with a scale (mode) is a lot more mind-boggling than to notice that those sixteen bars really imply only four key-centers that could be played on with just four major scales!

BE ABLE TO PLAY THE MAIN "SCALE SOUNDS" IMPLIED BY THE TUNE
Many fine players have been able to navigate their way harmonically just from usage of jazz vocabulary (licks and patterns), and knowledge of melodies and an intuitive ear. However, even if you take on the valuable process of studying chord-scale relationships, I believe in letting a tune "speak for itself" first, before super-imposing scales, as I mentioned in the section above on analyzing the melody. At least begin this process by being certain you can comfortably play the main scale (major, natural- minor, and harmonic-minor) of each key that is implied by the harmony and melody of the tune.

BE ABLE TO ARPEGGIATE THE CHORDS PROGRESSION
This may be done in-time, with some kind of rhythmic pattern, and also out-of-time. Begin with one-octave arpeggios, and then add to it by either adding extensions, or alterations, and/or by expanding the range you cover, (adding one note at a time above the first octave, until two or three octaves per arpeggio is achieved). Guitarist Mike Stern recommends slowly working your way through a tune going up one chord and down the next, and gradually increasing the speed.

LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE CHORD PROGRESSION ON A KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT
Some basic knowledge of jazz chord voicings and being able to play through a tune on a keyboard, even slowly, is extremely valuable, both to the improvisor and writer. I would even recommend that a student try improvising on his main instrument over each chord in a tune while playing (out-of-time) on a keyboard using the sustain pedal on each chord.

MAKE A PRACTICE TAPE TO PRACTICE SOLOING WITH
This may be done by recording the progression on a keyboard, or even just recording on your main instrument a basic bassline and/or the root movement of the chords. The shear sparseness of this type of accompaniment will challenge your ability to improvise with strong harmonic clarity. I recommend that you record versions at various tempos, and even try it in different keys. These versions should also be recorded with a metronome (try setting it clicking as beats 2 and 4 for swing tunes). Using "band-in-a-box" computer programs have some value along this line, because you can vary the tempo you play it at. Using play-along recordings has some value, as they are much more stylistic and interesting to play with, but in most cases will only provide one tempo or version to play with. Be advised though, that too much playing with play-along records can trick a developing soloist into a false sense of security about his soloing conceptions by leaving out the essential elements of ensemble that are only learned through group interaction, such as use of space, involvement with the rhythm section, pacing and building a solo, etc.

MORE THAN ONE ANGLE OF ATTACK: PRACTICE IMPROVISING MORE THAN ONE WAY -- TRY PLAYING OVER EACH SECTION SEPARATELY
All of the these approaches may be done rubato or at various tempos, and should be done both with and without accompaniment recording(s) referred to above. Begin with the easiest sections of the tune first. After they are comfortable, tackle the sections that are difficult or awkward for you, one section at a time. Alternating sections or even choruses with another player ("trading 4's or 8's") can also be a valuable and inspiring way to work on a tune.

TRY PLAYING ON THE ENTIRE TUNE RUBATO
Rubato means to play in such a way as to still reflect the phrasing and harmonic movement of the tune while not maintaining a steady pulse. Keep track of the number of beats per chords in your mind, but play with a flexible tempo, beginning slowly. Take more time playing on the awkward sections, and move faster through the familiar ones. Also try starting rubato so slowly that there is no tension and gradually speed up into a tempo without adding tension.

TRY PLAYING ON THE WHOLE TUNE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME
Begin at a slow tempo, and play until you really relax into the tempo and the tune. Gradually increase the tempo each time you start again, and do not move the tempo up until you are comfortable with the previous one. Eventually see if you can play on the tune for fifteen minutes, then twenty, thirty, an hour (as endorsed by Bill Evans above). This practice is great for concentration and for "working out the kinks." It may also help to develop a sense of letting the music go, and not fretting over mistakes when improvising, which is our natural tendency.

TRY PLAYING THE TUNE ENTIRELY IN YOUR MIND
After you have done many or all of the steps given above, see if you can "hear" the entire thing in your mind, melody, chords, bassline, and improvising, without even playing. You will probably find yourself visualizing playing your main instrument. This kind of practice can be done anywhere, anytime and is an element of strong conception for any type of music. Music history is replete with anecdotes about performers being called upon to perform a difficult work with short notice and having to "practice" the music apart from their instrument while traveling on a train or plane. Though I do not believe in or endorse the concept of "creative visualization" which teaches that you can create or alter reality by what you visualize, I do believe there is an undeniable connection between what your mind can conceive and what your body can do. To some extent, a lack of physical ability to do a given thing is usually connected to a lack of mental clarity about that thing.

DON'T JUST STAND THERE. DO SOMETHING!
As you peruse the processes delineated above you may say to yourself, "I don't have time to do all that," but because of the time it takes to unlearn something poorly learned, the truth is you don't have time not to do it.

back to list of articles