Jazz Improvisation Tips

All set to improve your jazz improvisation skills for the piano? A lot more just, if you're playing a song that remains in swing time, after that you're currently playing to a triplet feel (you're visualizing that each beat is separated right into three 8th note triplets - and every off-beat you play is delayed and used the 3rd triplet note (so you're not even playing two equally spaced 8th notes to begin with).

So as opposed to playing 2 eight notes straight, which would last one quarter note ('one' - 'and'), you can divide that quarter note right into three 'eighth note triplet' notes - where each note of the triplet coincides size. The first improvisation method is 'chord tone soloing', which implies to make up melodies using the four chord tones of the chord (1 3 5 7).

For this to function, it requires to be the next note up within the scale that the music is in. This provides you 5 notes to play from over each chord (1 3 5 7 9) - which is plenty. This can be applied to any kind of note length (half note, quarter note, 8th note) - but when soloing, it's normally put on eighth notes.

It's great for these units to come out of range, as long as they end up settling to the 'target note' - which will normally be just one of the chord tones. The 'chord scale over' approach - precede any type of chord tone (1 3 5 7) with the note over. In music, a 'triplet' is when you play three equally spaced notes in the space of 2.

Currently you can play this 5 note range (the wrong notes) over the same C small 7 chord in your left hand. With this technique you simply play the very same notes that you're already playing in the chord. Chord scale above - half-step listed below - target note (e.g. E - C# - D).

Many jazz improvisation techniques piano solos include an area where the melody stops, and the pianist plays a collection of chord expressions, to an intriguing rhythm. These consist of chord tone soloing, strategy patterns, triplet rhythms, 'chordal textures', 'playing out' and much more.