LEARNING TO IMPROVISE - ARTICLE LINKS

• Introduction
• Listening To Jazz
• Ear Training
• Rhythm & Phrasing
• Motifs & Cohesive Solos
• Vocal Improvisation
• Transcription
• Jazz Theory

LEARNING TO IMPROVISE - SERIES INTRODUCTION

During my first two years of college, I was a jazz studies major. Since I transferred schools after my first year, I got to experience (at least part of) the jazz curriculums of two different universities. In each school I did well in my music classes, however I wasn't dramatically improving as a jazz musician. Sure, I knew more information about jazz, especially jazz theory, but that knowledge wasn't translating itself into my playing. I wasn't alone, either. As the months passed, many struggling players (including me) would eventually drop out or change majors, each believing they'd never be good enough to play jazz professionally. Some of us even gave up playing jazz altogether, as I did for seven years.

When I finally started to play the trumpet again (summer of 2002), I was eager to find a new approach to learning jazz improvisation that would take me farther than my previous jazz education. I wanted results! During my search, I read several new books and visited dozens of jazz web sites and forums. For the most part, everything I read followed the same old approach that I was all too familiar with: start with a description of swing rhythms and accents, then briefly cover topics like transcribing, learning patterns, playing melodically, and finally move on to several chapters of complex and long-winded jazz theory lessons. No matter what I read, at least 50% of the discussion was about jazz theory.

At the same time I was reading about jazz improvisation, I started reading jazz biographies and interviews with legendary jazz musicians. Among other things, I learned that several top jazz musicians didn't know how to read music, and many more knew far less theory than was contained in the average jazz improvisation book. This really surprised me. After all, jazz education's heavy emphasis on theory would suggest that jazz theory is must-have information, as if you couldn't possibly be good without complete mastery. But that just isn't the case.

As I continued to read and learn about great jazz musicians, I found that there is a skill common to all of them. Oddly, it's a skill that is rarely discussed in mainstream jazz education. That skill is the ability to play by ear. All great jazz musicians can play accurately and effortless by ear. And actually, it's this skill that first and foremost guides them in deciding what to play.

If the ability to play by ear is shared by all great jazz musicians, why do very few jazz method books and classrooms ever mention it? And, if knowledge of jazz theory isn't essential, then why do ALL jazz books and classrooms spend so much time talking about it? (for possible answers, read my jazz theory article). These questions are even more perplexing when I think about the fact that NONE of the struggling players I've known can play well (or at all) by ear, yet most have had a decent grasp of theory. We didn't need to learn more theory, we needed to learn to play by ear!

Convinced that jazz education missed the mark on the importance of playing by ear, I started thinking about the other key issues plaguing struggling players and how those issues could be overcome. Once I felt I had some worthwhile suggestions, I started writing, and that's how my Learning to Improvise series was born. Since my Learning To Improvise guide is geared toward beginners and otherwise struggling players, it's pretty light on details. My goal is simply to present a foundation from which developing players can grow. There's a lot more out there that you can and should learn about jazz improvisation.

The topics I'll cover include:

• Listening To Jazz
• Ear Training
• Rhythm & Phrasing
• Motifs & Cohesive Solos
• Vocal Improvisation
• Transcription
• Jazz Theory

Topics like transcription are already mainstays of jazz education, so I'm not exactly breaking new ground with this series. But, I do think I'm presenting each topic in a somewhat original fashion that's easy to understand. As you read, keep in mind that all of this stuff requires practice and patience. You won't improve simply by reading alone (I wish it was that easy!). In fact, many of these topics can take several years of practice to master. That's fine. Keep at it. The rewards are well worth the effort.

HELLO, MY NAME IS RICK AND I'M A STRUGGLING PLAYER

If you've listened to any of my audio clips, you know I'm not a great player. Occasionally I play a halfway decent solo, but most of the time I sound mediocre at best. With that said, you might be wondering why I think I have anything worthwhile to share about learning jazz. And certainly, how can I claim to have better advice than so many educators and professional musicians?

In general, I don't think great players can relate to the specific issues that impair those of us who are struggling. Playing by ear is a good example of this disconnect. I think it's rarely mentioned in jazz education because great players assume everyone can play by ear, or they simply don't understand how impossibly difficult it is to improvise without that ability. Consequently, instead of emphasizing ear training, they might suggest that we learn chord substitutions or some other form of advanced theory, because that's what helped them get to the next level. But, how can advanced theory really help someone who can't even play something like "Happy Birthday" by ear? After all, if you can't play something that easy by ear, you'll have a heck of a time trying to improvise a musical jazz solo.

And that's where I come in. I may not know as much about jazz and jazz improvisation as the average jazz educator, but I'm extremely familiar with the challenges facing struggling jazz musicians. I know what it's like to start a solo and have no idea what I'm going to play. I know what it's like to play one bad note after another when I lose my place in the changes. I know what it's like to play the same licks over and over again because I can't play the ideas in my head. I know what it's like to be terrified to play a solo, and I know what it's like to feel embarrassed when I play poorly. I know all of this because I am a struggling player myself. I've lived through the issues (some of which I continue to face) and I believe the lessons I've learned along the way can help others in their own musical journeys.

If by any chance I'm wrong in my assumption that I can help, well, at least the lessons were free!

Ken Watters, a former Caroso trumpet competition winner and active member of the Atlanta jazz scene, has a nice article about jazz protocol. It covers many of the ins-and-outs of playing in a jazz band and is especially good reading for young/new jazz musicians.

Read the article...

Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson was in town recently, as the featured performer during at the Emory University jazz festival. Most of my trumpet-playing readers will know Wess from his association with Wynton Marsalis. Wess is the lead alto saxophonist in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and he's a regular member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Most recently, he appeared on Wynton's Live At The House Of Tribes recording. In addition to his playing gigs, Wess is also a professor of saxophone for jazz studies at Julliard School of Music. Not too shabby, eh?

While in town, Wess hosted two masterclasses and he performed with the Gary Motley Trio (Gary Motley on piano, Paul Keller on bass, Pete Siers on drums). Between the masterclass (I could only attend one of them) and the main performance, I got to hear Wess play for about three hours. As anyone who's heard him play knows, Wess is a monster player. He's so good, it's down-right scary. Whether playing a ballad or an up-tempo burner, Wess appears totally relaxed and absolutely confident. The music just pours out of him.

THE MASTER CLASS

The masterclass I attended took place during what would have normally been Emory's jazz improvisation class. I'd guess that there were about 30 people in the audience, with about half being students.

Wess and the Gary Motley trio performed one tune after which they discussed some of the things that happened during the performance. Most notably, they talked about the interaction that occurs between players, touching on many of the same elements that I mention in the "GROUP INTERACTION" portion of my LISTENING TO JAZZ guide.

After the discussion, six students (4 sax, 2 piano) joined the band for a brief jam session. A student sitting closest to the front started to reach for his fake book when Wess stopped him cold. As Wess put it, the fake book is for working, but they weren't getting up to work; they were getting up to play.

Wess went on to explain how books are like crutches. They prevent us from developing our ears. While learning to play, he didn't rely on books. Instead, Wess used his ears to figure things out. I've heard similar comments by other great players, including Nicholas Payton. They all learned tunes just by listening. When you think about it, using a book to learn a tune (especially a tune's melody) is cheating your ears out of good ear training practice. Stop, thief!

The group ended up jamming to "Straight No Chaser", a tune that the students had been working on in their jazz improvisation class. All of the students knew the tune well and played decent solos. One student in particular played with great ease, playing fast lines confidently and effortlessly. At first it was impressive, but he kept going and going and going. I'd guess that he took a dozen choruses or more. He and a couple others soloed for so long that one student, the lone trumpet player in the crowd, didn't get a chance to play.

JAZZ IS A CONVERSATION

After the jam session ended, Wess and the other guys gave some feedback to the students. One of the first things they mentioned was the fact that several of the students didn't interact enough (or at all) with the rhythm section. Those students got up there, played stuff that they normally play, and that was it. Wess and the rhythm section reiterated some of the concepts they mentioned earlier, stressing how the group needs to communicate as though they are having a conversation. Everyone listens to each other, everyone contributes, and the final product is a result of everyone's input.

Another criticism was that some of the players didn't use enough space in their solos. Had they left more space between ideas, they would have given the rhythm section a better opportunity to react to what they were playing. Once again, the conversational aspect of jazz resurfaced. In a conversation, you say something, pause, listen to input, respond to the input, pause, and so on. Those pauses are the spaces that we need to put in our jazz conversations.

SAY MORE WITH FEWER NOTES

In addition to using more space, Wess suggested that some of the students could benefit from using fewer notes in their solos. While it might seem exciting to tear through note after note, after a while it can become tiresome to your audience. Instead, using fewer notes with more rhythmic variations can create much more excitement in a solo. Wess then asked the drummer to play an eighth-note rhythm on the ride cymbal, while he played a one-note solo on the saxophone. While I'm a huge advocate of one-note solos and note limiting, I've never heard anyone else talk about it, especially not any jazz educators. So, it was great to hear Wess talk about it, demonstrate it, and also go on to mention how guys like Lester Young and Ben Webster used to light up the room with just one note.

KNOW WHEN YOU'VE SAID ENOUGH

The last bit of criticism pertained to the length of people's solos. Without actually pointing at the guy, Wess made it quite clear that the strong player had taken too many choruses. In a jam session setting, you need to be kind to the other players waiting to play. Two or three choruses is generally long enough, especially when you have five or more people waiting to play after you. The other comment about length was that you have to know when to stop. A couple of the students played five or six choruses, yet they ran out of ideas half way through their solos. To continue the conversation theme, if you have nothing to say, you're rambling. It's best to just stop talking.

TRANSCRIPTION TIP

The bass player, Paul Keller, had a good tip about transcription that's definitely worth passing on. Rather than transcribing an entire solo, just pick eight bars or so that you really love. Transcribe those eight bars, study them, practice them, and those ideas will stay with you a lot longer than if you transcribe the entire tune. Makes perfect sense to me.

CLOSING THOUGHTS ABOUT EMORY'S JAZZ PROGRAM

I've attended various combo and big band concerts at Emory University over the past three years. Emory's jazz program is relatively new, but each year I've seen noticeable improvement in both the number of students and in their playing. I was especially proud of one of the saxophonists at the jam session. I heard him play last year and the improvement he's made since then is astounding.

It will likely take several more years before the jazz studies program at Emory reaches the size and strength of established programs (like that of Georgia State University), but it's been very encouraging to see that it's well on its way. Congratulations to all the students and to Gary Motley. I'm sure you've all put in a lot of hard work, and it shows!

Following is an interview I conducted with John Murphy, a professor in the jazz studies program at the University of North Texas (UNT). As you'll read below, the interview focuses on his thoughts about ear training and its role in jazz education at UNT.

I really value John's insight and would like to thank him for his contribution to this website and, more importantly, to jazz education. Thanks, John!

And now, on to the interview…

Q: What classes do you teach at UNT?

A: These are the courses I teach regularly: jazz aural fundamentals, undergrad and graduate jazz history, graduate jazz analysis and research methods, Jazz Repertory Ensemble. I've also taught Music Cultures of the World, seminar in transcription, and seminar in Cuban and Brazilian music in the ethnomusicology division.

Q: Please tell us a little about the required ear training classes for undergraduate jazz studies majors at UNT. How many aural skills classes/semesters are required? What skills are covered in the required classes?

A: Two semesters of jazz theory, the second one integrated with playing; one semester each of aural fundamentals and keyboard. More details here: http://www.music.unt.edu/jazz/courses.html

Q: Please tell us about the skills you cover in your "jazz aural fundamentals" class. Where does it fall within the other required ear training classes (is it the first class they take, last class, etc)? What methods and/or books do you use in your class?

A: It's usually taken early in a student's undergraduate program. Sometimes graduate students take it if they need more work on aural skills, and sometimes people from other majors take it as an elective. It covers intervals, intonation, chord quality, rhythm, tempo, chord progressions, form, modes (of major, melodic minor, harmonic minor), blues and pentatonic scales, symmetrical scales, and transcription. I'd like to do more with listening for timbre. I don't use a textbook, but I recommend Dan Haerle's The Jazz Language and Mark Levine's The Jazz Theory Book as references, and ear training books by Armen Donelian and Jerry Coker (Hearin' the Changes).

Q: I'd like to get a sense of the average aural skills level held by most freshmen in the jazz studies program. For instance, what percentage would you say can already identify intervals by ear? What percentage can identify chords? What percentage can play accurately by ear?

A: Some entering undergraduates with strong aural skills test out of the course. Of those who take the class, some can hear intervals well at the beginning and find other skills more challenging. Some need to work steadily on all of the skills. Most of them have tried to learn tunes and solos by ear. They have a wide range of expertise in aural skills that reflects the wide range of experiences they've had prior to coming to UNT.

Q: What level of aural skills would you say are required by professional jazz musicians? How does this compare to the levels attained by the average UNT student upon graduation?

A: Very high levels of aural skills are necessary. Hearing well is fundamental. The average UNT jazz undergraduate has excellent aural skills by the end of the program. Achieving excellent aural skills is a long process that continues well beyond the college years.

Q: In a previous email exchange, you mentioned that you encourage your students to practice the playing of simple songs/melodies by ear. What percentage of your students can accurately play simple songs by ear? Have you ever tested that ability in class? If so, how did it go?

A: I have tested this in class. Usually we sing rather than play. Many students can sing familiar tunes by ear. When I ask them to do that on scale degrees, it's more of a challenge. I ask students to practice that skill on their instruments in all keys. There's something special about playing melodies in all keys that helps you perceive it as a structure in a key instead of a series of pitch names. You can use that structural sense to develop your ideas when you improvise.

I ask my students to sing on scale degrees rather than solfege syllables. Solfege is more natural if you speak a language that uses those syllables as the note names. It's always struck me as a clumsy and arbitrary system for English speakers. I'd rather use numbers because the sequence is already internalized and scale degree numbers line up easily with chord extensions and functional harmony. We already use numbers in chord symbols and in chord progressions, so why not use them for scale degrees, too instead of switching to an arbitrary set of syllables? Scale degree numbers also link up well with interval-based approaches to improvising like Wayne Krantz's.

Q: From time to time, I hear from visitors to my website who don't have the ability to play by ear. Not even simple melodies. My traffic logs will show that they initially use my ear training tools, however after a week or two they'll stop. There could be several explanations for this, however I suspect they stop working on the skills because they don't see immediate improvement and/or because they find the exercises to be tedious and frustrating. In your experience, how long does it take for someone to develop the ability to play by ear? Are there any words of encouragement you'd like to give to people who are just starting to work on ear training?

A: It will take different people different amounts of time. With steady work, you can notice improvement almost immediately if you set realistic goals. I have graduate students with such strong aural skills that they can transcribe all of the parts of a collective improvisation section in a recording by the Dave Holland Quintet. I wouldn't try that as a first project if you're just starting to learn by ear. Choose something you can do and gradually increase the difficulty. I often use pop songs with catchy riffs or horn parts for practice in class because they're memorable and they repeat often during the tune. Another thing to try is to get a jazz etude book that comes with a recording, and only look at enough of the etude to get started. Then transcribe it and use the etude as an answer key. If you're just starting this is helpful because the etude is easier than actual music.

Q: In the IMPROVISATION section of my site, I discuss several fundamental elements that I believe aspiring jazz musicians should focus on. These include listening to jazz, ear training, rhythm exercises, building cohesive solos (using motifs), vocal improvisation, transcription, and jazz theory. Is there anything you'd like to add and/or remove from that list? What relative weight would you give to ear training?

A: Ear training is essential. If you're going to build a cohesive solo, you need to recognize cohesiveness when you hear it in someone's solo and you need to hear what you are playing. Use the voice as a bridge between what you hear and what you play. In transcription, listen to a short passage enough so that you can sing it, then figure it out on the instrument, then notate it. This strengthens the sort of inner singing that you do when you improvise: with that inner voice you imagine the next thing you want to play and then execute it. Someone who sings while playing, like Kurt Rosenwinkel, who I was lucky enough to hear at the Village Vanguard last month, sings all of those incredible lines he plays. I also suggest that my students check out other world music traditions where improvisation is prominent, like Indian music, and notice how much singing there is in the training of players of pitched instruments and percussionists. I want my students to develop a seamless kind of musicality in which they can sing everything they play, play and write down what they hear, and hear what they read in notation. It helps improvisation, composition, sightreading, rehearsing an ensemble. Hearing well helps everything you do in music.

Q: What percentage of jazz studies majors at UNT go on to become professional full-time musicians?

A: North Texas graduates are everywhere, playing all kinds of music. Have a look at the main news pages and the alumni pages of the UNT jazz website.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add about jazz education (at UNT or otherwise)?

A: Every so often I encounter people who have a fixed idea of what UNT is, often based on very little direct contact with the program, that is far from the reality of it. They might think of it as a big band school, for example. Big bands are a prominent part of our program, but there are three times as many small groups as there are big bands, and there are other ensembles besides big bands. Our busiest student players do lots more small group playing than big band playing. Another thing is that the program is always changing in large and small ways. We recently added private instruction in jazz to the undergraduate curriculum and we're working on a proposal to do the same with the master's level and another proposal for a DMA in Jazz Studies. The faculty are involved in new projects. Most importantly, the students change, and they have the creative space to do their own projects. So I would say to a prospective student who hears something positive or negative about North Texas to follow up and see just how recent and direct that information is. It's a big program. There's room for people to develop as individuals by finding like-minded people to play with. That's a kind of ear-training, too: not believing everything you hear.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

In 1947, the University of North Texas (UNT) became the first university in the country to offer a degree of jazz studies. Since that time, it has remained a leader in jazz education, continually receiving accolades for its role in music education and the professional jazz industry. Visit the UNT Jazz website to learn more about the program, faculty, and facilities.

I just finished reading "Nurtured by Love," a book by Shinichi Suzuki that introduces the Suzuki method of Talent Education. The main concept behind Talent Education is the idea that talent is NOT merely an in-born trait. Rather, we all have the ability to learn, and the skills that we develop (i.e. our "talents") are the result of our upbringing and experiences in life. Through talent education, any child can develop a talent for music.

While most people think about the Suzuki method in regard to musical education (specifically violin and piano), Suzuki sees Talent Education as "life education." The same principles that help children to become talented in music, will also help them to become good people for the rest of their lives.

JUST BABBLING

If you've read a few of my blog entries, you probably know that I'm displeased with my musical education. My main gripe is the fact that ear training and developing the ability to play by ear wasn't even remotely discussed until I entered college. Honestly, I had no idea that anyone *could* play something entirely by ear (boy was I clueless). Even though I was one of the best high school trumpeters in the state, I couldn't even play a simple song by ear. Too bad I didn't have my ear training tools back then!

I didn't really appreciate the necessity to play by ear until I began college. That's when I'd finally meet jazz musicians who could play effortlessly by ear. They were phenomenal. By comparison, I was terrible. Even though I would soon begin to take ear-training classes in college, those classes were solely focused on identifying sounds. In two years of college ear training, we never discussed, nor did we practice, playing by ear. Due to this omission, and due to the fact that I still couldn't play by ear, I had resigned myself to the idea that it's a talent you're either born with or not. Since I didn't have it, there was no point trying.

I now believe that we can all ABSOLUTELY develop the ability to play by ear. I also believe it's one of the single most important skills for an improviser, or any master musician for that matter. If this is true, why didn't any of my music teachers try to develop this ability in me, or in any of the other students I knew?

SPEAKING MUSIC

And this brings us back to Suzuki… I first became interested in the Suzuki method several months ago, while researching alternative methods of music education. Among other things, I read that Suzuki believes children should learn to play their instrument before they learn to read music.

Suzuki advocates playing before reading because that is precisely how children learn their native language -- children learn to speak before they learn to read. By the time children do learn to read, they are already able to speak fluently in their language (or in multiple languages!) as they have internalized all of the skills required to speak. Even subtle nuances such as dialects and inflections are already mastered before reading enters the picture. Children learn all of this because they are immersed in speech by their parents from the day they are born. Suzuki applies this same mother-tongue approach to teach music. In essence, children learn to speak music before they learn to read music. Makes sense to me.

Suzuki's Talent Education School started in the 1940's. It was brought to the U.S. in 1959. "Nurtured By Love" was published in 1983 (1983 is when it was translated to English). So, these ideas have been around for a while. They make a lot of sense to me and I think they would have helped fill in the gaps from my own musical education. So why weren't they adopted by more educators? Why is music education today strikingly similar to the way Suzuki describes it to be in the 1940's? Why are we taught to read music before we can "speak" it? No, I'm not really looking for answers to these questions. I'm just looking for a change in music education…

YES, YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

While Suzuki focuses mostly on child education, that doesn't mean adults have missed their window of opportunity. It just means it will take longer for us to develop similar skills because we have to retrain ourselves. Suzuki gives the example of learning how to sing a scale in tune. If you've sung it out of tune 3,000 times, you will need to repeat it correctly more than 3,000 times in order to retrain yourself. That means you might have many years of retraining ahead of you (as do I), but at least it's attainable.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SuzukiTalented.org - read the History and FAQs sections

SuzukiAssociation.org - Suzuki Association of the Americas. Includes a teacher directory.

A recent visitor to my site is a professor at the University of North Texas. His name is John Murphy, and among other things, he happens to teach jazz aural fundamentals (ear training!).

We've already exchanged a few emails, and I hope to interview him in the near future so I can learn more about his ideas and experiences with ear training. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a couple short articles he wrote, which fit in nicely with my message of ear training:

"Do you speak music?" by John Murphy

Suppose you had studied a second language. You can read well-formed sentences composed by someone else if they are given to you in writing, but you can't converse easily. You can understand spoken phrases if you can listen to a recording of them repeatedly and write them out, but you can't deal with them quickly enough to have a conversation. You can make phrases yourself, but not in real time. You have to write them out and make lots of revisions. Would you call yourself fluent?

Rick's note: Unfortunately the rest of this article isn't available online anymore. Basically, it went on to compare how being able to play music accurately by ear is the same thing as being able to speak fluently in a second language. If you can't play by accurately ear and/or must rely upon written music then you aren't fluent in music.

"Subtitles" by John Murphy

Ever get the sense, when you watch a film in a foreign language (especially one you have studied a little) with subtitles, that you are picking up enough of the language to be able to follow it without the subtitles? In most cases, unless you are really fluent, you can't.

We can think of fake book charts, lead sheets, and transcribed solos as the subtitles of jazz playing. Many musicians could not function without them, even though they would like to consider themselves fluent enough in the language of jazz to hear the changes of the tune without the lead sheet or figure out a soloist's line without writing it down.

Update Feb 5, 2005: My interview with John Murphy is now online!

Update Jan 28, 2006: For more on speaking music, read my article on the Suzuki method.

The random melody generator now includes modulated sequences.

A modulated sequence is a short phrase which is repeated, starting on a new note. Because the melody line itself doesn't change (the distance between each note remains the same), the repeated phrase is played in a different key. Thus, we can say the sequence has modulated into a new key.

Modulated sequences are quite common in jazz solos and are frequently used to connect inside and outside playing. The "out" part of the sequence is connected to the "in" part by the fact that the shape of the melodic line is the same. This connection adds cohesion to the solo and helps the listener identify the "out" portion as a deliberate act, rather than a bunch of funky notes.

EXAMPLE

Original phrase: C, D, G, E

Same phrase, modulated up a minor third: Eb, F, Bb, G

Notice that the spacing between the notes hasn't changed from the original phrase to the modulated phrase. We're playing the same melodic line but we've now started on an Eb instead of a C. If you were playing the above over a C7 chord, the original phrase is the "in" part, and the modulated phrase would be the "out" part.

Enough reading, try it out!