Listen To Jazz Solos And Improvisations

When it comes to coming to be a great jazz piano improvisation book improviser, it's all about discovering jazz language. So unlike the 'half-step below method' (which can be outside the range), when approaching from over it sounds far better when you maintain your notes within the range that you're in. That's why it's called the 'chord range over' technique - it stays in the range.

If you're playing in C dorian range, the incorrect notes (missing notes) will be C# E F# G # B (or the notes of E significant pentatonic range). Half-step below - chord scale over - target note (e.g. C# - E - D). In this post I'll show you 6 improvisation techniques for jazz piano (or any kind of instrument).

I normally play all-natural 9ths over a lot of chords - including all 3 chords of the major ii-V-I. This 'chordal structure' sounds best if you play your right-hand man noisally, and left hand (chord) a little bit quieter - so that the listener hears the melody note on top.

Just precede any kind of chord tone by playing the note a half-step below. To do this, walk up in half-steps (via the entire chromatic scale), and make note of all the notes that aren't in your current scale. Cm7 voicing (7 9 3 5) with single tune note (C) played to interesting rhythm.

Jazz artists will play from a wide variety of pre-written melodic forms, which are placed prior to a 'target note' (normally a chord tone, 1 3 5 7). First let's develop the 'appropriate notes' - normally I would certainly play from the dorian scale over minor 7 chord.

A lot of jazz piano solos feature an area where the melody stops, and the pianist plays a series of chord expressions, to an interesting rhythm. These include chord tone soloing, method patterns, triplet rhythms, 'chordal structures', 'playing out' and extra.