Jazz Piano Improvisation

It's all about discovering jazz language when it comes to becoming a great jazz improviser. So unlike the 'half-step listed below technique' (which can be outside the scale), when coming close to from over it seems better when you maintain your notes within the range that you remain in. That's why it's called the 'chord scale above' approach - it stays in the range.

So instead of playing 2 eight notes straight, which would last one quarter note ('one' - 'and'), you can divide that quarter note into 3 'eighth note triplet' notes - where each note of the triplet coincides length. The very first improvisation technique is 'chord tone soloing', which suggests to compose melodies making use of the 4 chord tones of the chord (1 3 5 7).

For this to work, it needs to be the next note up within the scale that the music remains in. This gives you 5 notes to play from over each chord (1 3 5 7 9) - which is plenty. This can be applied to any type of note size (fifty percent note, quarter note, 8th note) - yet when soloing, it's generally applied to 8th notes.

It's fine for these units to come out of range, as long as they end up dealing with to the 'target note' - which will typically be among the chord tones. The 'chord scale above' approach - come before any type of chord tone (1 3 5 7) with the note above. In songs, a 'triplet' is when you play 3 uniformly spaced notes in the space of two.

Jazz musicians will play from a variety of pre-written melodious forms, which are placed prior to a 'target note' (usually a chord tone, 1 3 5 7). Initially let's establish the 'proper notes' - usually I would certainly play from the dorian range over minor 7 chord.

A lot of jazz piano techniques piano solos feature a section where the melody quits, and the pianist plays a series of chord enunciations, to an interesting rhythm. These consist of chord tone soloing, strategy patterns, triplet rhythms, 'chordal appearances', 'playing out' and much more.