Feel The Beat

Shanda Music Beats (Photo credit: Louish Pixel)

TIME AND FEELING

 One of the most important elements of melodic phrasing is the placement of notes relative to the basic beat. The three recognized placements of notes and their relation to the basic pulse are:


Ahead of the beat (on top)

On the beat (right on)

Behind the beat (laying back)

Playing ahead of the beat does not mean rushing. It simply means the player is constantly anticipating the basic pulse, but not rushing. Playing on the beat means phrasing your notes so they coincide exactly with the tempo of the rhythm section... the tempo that was counted off. When people play behind the beat, their phrasing will tend to trail the basic pulse or seem to lag. Playing behind the beat can imply a lazy or "laid back" feeling, where playing ahead of the beat usually implies excitement and forward motion. Playing right on the beat gives a solid, secure time.

Beginning improvisors should learn to play on the beat. If, later in their musical development, their personalities suggest they play ahead or behind the beat they will at least be able to find the basic pulse because they have played there. Listening to the rhythm section and connecting the flow of your notes to theirs is vital.

When playing behind the beat, players must be careful to keep the quarter notes consistent with the basic pulse laid down by the rhythm section. If they place their notes later and later in the measure, they are guilty of dragging. Phrases that drag often resemble something dying! On the other hand, if the player's notes (phrases) come earlier and earlier in relation to the basic pulse, they are guilty of rushing, which, of course, is also undesirable. Our considerations of time and note placement hold true regardless of the meter - 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8.

Players hopefully will find their own "groove" and learn to play with rhythm sections that play ahead of, on, and behind the beat. The way you place your notes in relation to the basic beat can also produce tension or release.

-- an article from Jamey Aebersold

“My feet shall run because of you, My feet, dance because of you, My heart shall beat because of you, My eyes, see because of you, My mind, thinks because of you, And I shall love because of you”

 -- unknown

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"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

How To Play The Bebop Scale

Spike Spiegel 1/ 6 scale Stylish Collection box by MEDICOM side 1 (Photo credit: Doc_Brown)

"Make friends with scales, especially the bebop scale. It's the "glue" of the jazz language. Don't leave home without it!" -- Jamey Aebersold

 Awhile back I wrote a post on Classic Bebop. There's a neat section in one of Jamey Aebersold's books on scales, especially the Bebop Scale. Let's talk about it.

The bebop scale contains one added tone to each of the four most used scales.

Dominant 7th,  C7 = C D E F G A Bb B C  (The red tone is the added tone.)

This scale is often played descending and would look like this:
C7 = C B Bb A G F E D C

Don't allow the B natural (added tone) to fall on a downbeat. The added tone must always come on the upbeat in order to give it the jazz sound we are used to hearing. This is also called the 7th scale.

Good notes to begin/start a phrase with are the chord tones: 1, 3, 5, and b7. When you begin a phrase with the 2nd, 4th, or 6th notes of the scale on a downbeat, you must use additional chromaticism somewhere in the phrase in order to make the B natural fall on the upbeat. 3rd's and 7th's like to fall on beats 1 and 3. This makes your phrases sound more natural.

There are also Bebop scales to be used over major, minor and half-diminished as well as the dominant 7th listed above.

MAJOR = C D E F G G# A B C
MINOR = C D Eb E F G A Bb C
HALF-DIMINISHED = C Db Eb F Gb G Ab Bb C

D- = G7 = Bo
These 3 scales share the same bebop scale:
D E F F# G A B C D
G A b C D E F F# G
B C D E F F# G A B

Using the simple half-step chromaticism (which we are referring to as the bebop scale) allows your lines to have shape and contour which more closely resembles those of the jazz masters. Since the scale has 8 tones, it helps to naturally place the chord tones ON the beat rather than have them scattered all around. Most people notice an immediate uplift to their melodic lines when they begin using the bebop scale; especially if they are used to listening to jazz music. They can tell the similarities.

The dom. 7th bebop scale can act as a substitute for the minor ii chord. Example: C7 bebop scale (C D E F G A Bb B C) could also be played over the G- chord and vice versa. The chords are interchangeable over the scale. Often, while G- to C7 is being sounded the soloist will use the single bebop scale: C D E F G A Bb B C or you could think of it as a G- bebop scale: G A Bb B C D E F G. They're the same.

Learn this SOUND in different keys. You sing it without knowing what you're singing!

Look at transcribed solo books and label examples of bebop scale usage. I think you'll be surprised how often this scale SOUND is used in jazz.

Article Credit: Jamey Aebersold

For additional reading, check out:

How to Play Bebop - Volume 1
How to Play Bebop - Volume 2
How to Play Bebop - Volume 3



Happy 4th of July to all the folks in the U.S.

Blessings,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Related articles

• Classic Bebop

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• Improvising with Jamey Aebersold

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Improvising with Jamey Aebersold

 

 "Anyone can improvise. It's the most natural way to make music. Always has been! It's a technique we've forgotten or thought we weren't good enough to begin." -- Jamey Aebersold

I just finished reading through How To Play Jazz and Improvise, a play-a-long book & cd set for all instruments. I wanted to share eight things that Jamey recommends when improvising.  Mr. Aebersold suggests that you choose one or two items at a time and concentrate on them while playing with the recorded track. Soon these elements of music will become automatic.

8 Tips for Improvising

 

1. Don't limit yourself by beginning every phrase in the low register and then proceed upward (ascending motion). Utilize descending motion and use melodic lines that combine ascending and descending motion.

 

2. Avoid limiting your ideas tot he middle or the most comfortable register of your instrument. Nothing is more monotonous than listening to players who confine their playing to their most comfortable register and refuse to utilize the high, low, or unfamiliar registers. Be prepared to take chances and experiment with less-used limits of your instrument. By so doing, you will experience some of the most gratifying moments in improvising; it can also be quite frustrating at times. Soaring into the upper register or dipping down into the low register of your instrument on occasion can be a surprise, a relief and a joy for the soloist and, particularly, for the listener.

 

3. In order to have as much freedom of concept as possible, memorize the scales to be used. If you have the scales memorized and mastered, your mind is freer to concentrate on melodic development. Your imagination works best when you feel secure.

 

4. Vary your dynamics! Lack of dynamic contrast has a dulling effect on the listener and the player. Listen to the phrasing and dynamics of the jazz greats.

 

5. Don't stacatto every note, and don't legato every note. Use a variety of articulations. Listen to recorded solos of people who play your instruments. Interesting players have an assortment of articulations at their disposal. For variety, listen to solos by musicians who play an instrument other than your type. Many name jazz players have used this technique for practicing articulation.

 

6. Concentrate on hearing, mentally, each tone before you play it. This requires constant anticipation and awareness. It will help prepare you for more advanced improvisation, as well as create in you an inner sense of pitch. A sense of pitch will greatly stabilize intonation, and is extremely important when playing notes that are seperated by a large interval. Concentration will also help your intonation.

 

7. Always try to make the notes you play have a sense of direction. be aware of tension and release. Remember, every note you play is part of a larger musical idea. If you can't think of what should come next in a solo, try using silence. After all, music is nothing more than a combination of sounds and silences.

 

8. Listen to your sound. Do you like the sound you are getting? If not, why? Everyone should study privately with the best teacher they can find. Listen to records and copy the SOUND of the artist you listen to... Always play on the best instrument you can afford. Good instruments DO make a difference.

 

-- Use repetition when soloing. Repetition is like watching road signs. It helps hold the listener's attention and directs them to the next musical phrase or event.

Vol. 1, How To Play Jazz & Improvise (Book & CD Set) (Play- a-Long)

 




"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Top Ten Jazz Piano Books

 Lately, someone had asked me my opinion on music resources, like Dvds and music books, that I would recommend to them whether it was for purchase or visiting their local library for their own research.


Here are my choices. I hope you will find them helpful. Perhaps They're in your music room as well.


1. The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine

"The Jazz Theory Book should be in every musician's library regardless of the level of their ability." -- James Moody

The Jazz Theory Book

2. Keyboard Runs for the Pop & Jazz Stylist by Noreen Grey Lienhard 

"Noreen Grey Lienhard has performed with such jazz luminaries as StanGetz and Joe Morello. She has taught at William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey and at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut." -- Noreen's Bio

Keyboard Runs for the Pop & Jazz Stylist




 3. Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players Complete Edition by Dan Haerle

"Improvisation, almost a lost art in some styles of music, is the freest form of expression, of the human spirit." -- Dan Haerle

Jazz Improvisation for Keyboard Players: Complete


4.  The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine

"One of the best jazz piano books I've ever seen - very easy to understand."

-- Kenny Barron

The Jazz Piano Book

5. How To Play Jazz and Improvise by Jamey Aebersold 

 

"Music is universal. If you have a desire to play, you won't be satisfied until you do. I hope this book has helped you achieve some of your musical desires."

-- Jamey Aebersold

How to Play Jazz & Improvise. Volume 1 (Paperback Book & CD Set)

6. Beginning Jazz Keyboard by Noah Baerman

"Anyone with basic keyboard skills can dig right in and begin learning jazz right away." -- Alfred Publishing Co.

Complete Jazz Keyboard Method: Beginning Jazz Keyboard

7. Jazz, Rags & Blues by Martha Mier

"Jazz is an important and distinctive American contribution to the 20th-century music." -- Martha Mier

Jazz, Rags & Blues, Book 2 (Alfred's Basic Piano Library)


8. Jazz/Rock Course by Bert Konowitz

"Jazz and rock music are an important part of today's musical scene, yet they play only a small part in most pianist's formal training."-- Bert Konowitz

Alfred's Basic Adult Jazz/Rock Course (Alfred's Basic Piano Library)

9. Beginning Jazz Improvisation (Intermediate Level) by Lee Evans

"Lee Evans as a professional artist has blended the performance of classical music and jazz in a most successful manner." -- The Publisher

Beginning Jazz Improvisation Intermediate Level (Piano Music)

10. New Orleans Jazz Style by William Gillock

"One of the really significant contributions of the twentieth century to music... and a strictly American development... is the jazz idiom." -- William Gillock

New Orleans Jazz Styles (Willis)

These are the top ten jazz books in my library. Yes, I have some more but I thought it would be a good idea to introduce these ones to you. As I mentioned earlier, perhaps you'll find them at your library, order through Amazon or find some in a used book store.

For those interested in the virtual keyboard software, check Song Robot


All the best and happy learning,
"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Related articles

• 3 Easy Steps to Teach Yourself to Play Jazz (pianodiana.blogspot.com)