Before starting this lesson I advise you read our Introduction To Improvisation lesson first. You will also need a copy of This Free MP3 that is used as a backing track for this lesson (this files was updated 05/03/2017). We also have similar lessons in the Funk and Reggae genres.
In this improvisation exercise you will be presented with a four bar skeleton pattern similar to that given in our improvisation introduction. Through this page I will be discussing how to approach creating a part for it that could be applied to a similar exercise in an exam situation. Here is the notation for this exercise discussed in this lesson:
So from this notation you can see the tempo is 105bpm, it is played in a Jazz Style, it's in Swing Time, it's a four bar pattern and it is based on a rhythm. You can also see that bars 2 and 3 are to be the same or similar to bar 1 and that in bar 4 there is a fill. That is more than enough information to construct a part. First of all let's make sure you can play the given rhythm. You will be playing on the '+' after 1 and the '+' after 2 remembering that they will be played on the last stroke of a triplet as the swing time markign dictates.
Once you have the rhythm you should think about what structure you are going to use for the piece. For improvisation at grades 1 and 2 I strongly recommend always following an 'A B A C' structure. By doing this you have a 'set' structure for any four bar improvisation that you just need to fill in the parts for. In the case of this structure, 'A' refers to a bar of groove, 'B' is a variation on that groove and 'C' is a fill. There are several examples of how to apply parts to this in the lessons linked above. You don't have to follow this structure, I recommend it because it gives you more options for showing off your abilities whilst sticking with the given style.
Now you know what structure you are following you need a groove for the 'A' part. The groove will be played in bars 1 to 3 so is the bulk of the phrase. In this case we will use the same approach taken in our Introduction To Grooves lesson, where you were given a rhythm and then turned that rhythm into a groove. An important thing to take into account at this point is the genre the piece is to be played in. You should include traits of the genre within your groove to make it more appropriate to the back track. A key feature of most jazz grooves is a left foot count on two and four and a Jazz Rhythm on the right hand. Kicks and snares can then be used to play the given rhythm.
The right hand will generally play on the ride so that the left foot is free to play on the hi hat. Under that right hand part just add the bass and snares in on those '+' counts, remembering that you are playing in a swung timing. You are obviously free to orchestrate and embelish that rhythm however you wish but don't stray too far from it. The bars below show a the typical jazz right hand / left foot pattern on the left and on the right is a version of the full groove following the given construction idea that you could play for this bar.
Have a play around the part and come up with a pattern you like. In an exam situation you will have a couple of minutes to prepare so the most important thing is to make sure you have at least a groove you can play.
That's the 'A' sorted out, which is bars 1 and 3 if following the ABAC structure, so let's look at making the 'B' section. This is just going to be a subtle variation on the groove used as 'A' and there are a lot of things you could do for this. In the Groove Based lesson for a Jazz improvisation some ideas were listed, I will include that here also for reference:
- Add a note on an at least 1 '+' count.
- Add a crash accent. This will work well when played with a snare.
- Add or remove eighth notes from the right hand.
- Switch the kick or snare placement.
Below I have a shown one written example of each of those ideas.
Remember that it is also well worth listening to the backing track and picking out any interesting rhythms presented there and applying them to your variation. In this case there is a little pause in the bass line in bar two that could be worth trying to work around.
Finally we need a 'C' section, which will be the bar marked 'fill' in the sheet music. Again, listen to the backing track and listen for anything in the fourth bar you can take and apply to your improvisation as this is how you will get the best marks. Remember that most jazz exercises will be in swung time so Eighth Note Triplets will be prominent. Odd accents are also a common feature of jazz so try to maybe accent some '+' counts. As I've said in many improvisation lessons now, always go with an option that you know you can play well. A simple idea played really well is always far better than a great idea played badly. Below are four possible options for a 'C' section.
So there are a whole bunch of ideas for building a four bar part in the Jazz style. You hopefully now have a good idea of how to take a rhythm, turn it into a jazz groove, create a variation on that jazz groove then create a fill to complete a four bar phrase. The more you practice these type of exercises the quicker you will get and eventually you will be able to play without any thought, which really is true improvisation. To end on here are two examples of possible combinations that would fit this improvisation exercise.
Full Phrase 1
Full Phrase 2
TASK:
- Create your own part for the improvisation exercise presented at the start of this lesson.
- Play your part to the backing track and see if you think it fits well.
- Think about different ways you could approach this exercise.
