Do you think this helps students learn jazz improv?

[Jazz+]

 

Do you think this approach would be very helpful for students trying to learn jazz improvisation?

They are practicing using passing tones, neighboring tones and chromatic embellishments to approach chord tone target notes.

 

[video:youtube]

[marino]

I watched only the first 18 minutes or so, but yeah, I think it can be good food for thought, to spice up melodies and (a bit later) to build the improvised line.

 

However, I wouldn't use such a method as a *first* approach to improvisation. There's just too much to conceptualize. I feel that the beginner improviser should first get used to the *idea* of improvising, so to get their feet wet, I generally let them go freely on the blues, making just little observations along the way, and becoming more specific as they progress.

 

Embellishments come later, when they are reasonably comfortable with the fundamentals of improv.

 

 

 

[16251]

I've watched that video before and I think his premise to learn how to embellish is great. I wish my first teacher of jazz would of explained it this way. I do think it's the student's objective watching this video or being taught by a teacher, to only take one or two of them and really try to internalize the sound and feel for a long time before reading through every example.

 

One of my teachers later on in life, was the late-great Charlie Banacos. At my first lesson he wrote on staff paper a D - Db - C. It was the first of most types of embellishments he gave ya. The way he asked me to practice it, is something I've just lately have been working through again.

 

You play embellishment then you play an arpeggio. It can be any type, so the first one is a Maj7. You go two octaves up then down.

 

ie. D-Db-C-E-G-B-D-Db-C-E-G-B-G-E-D-Db-C-B-G-E-D-Db-C. The B in the middle is the highest note. You can use any type of chord arpeggio. Once you master that in every key and chord type, then you repeat but this time you approach the 3rd, instead of the 1 and vice a versa. You practice through all of that, etc. Charlie would expect you to work through all of that in a week so next lesson, he would give another embellishment if he saw you practiced it. The part he didn't help you with is which were the hip ones. The student would have to work that out their selves.

 

Red Garland IMO, is a master of embellishment. I'm amazed how he built his solos.

[I-missRichardTee]

One SIX TWO FIVE ONE Very very cool. You studied with one of the great teachers... bravo. Can I PM you about him, or am I now PNG now ( persona non grata) since I over reacted to one of your jokes!?

[16251]

One SIX TWO FIVE ONE Very very cool. You studied with one of the great teachers... bravo. Can I PM you about him, or am I now PNG now ( persona non grata) since I over reacted to one of your jokes!?

You can PM, but I do respect Charlie's estate so I might limit the information I share. His lessons live on through Gary Dial and Charlie's daughter. Click here to find out more I wish I was a better player and student when I studied, but the great thing about lessons is that I still can learn from those lessons even after 20 some years since I studied. I studied with him for over three years.

[marino]

One of my teachers later on in life, was the late-great Charlie Banacos.

Great. A friend of mine, a musician I grew up with, has studied with him for many years, and told me a bit about his ideas. he seemed to have very interesting concepts.

 

 

[Jazz+]

A dissertation on Banacos is here, includes exactly what 1625 described (embellishment leading into an arpeggio):

 

http://www.charliebanacos.com/Kordis_DMA_Dissertation_2012.pdf