Piano Improvisation with Rosa

Different solo forms

1. Stating the melody

It has nothing to do with improvisation. State the melody of a song note for note as it is written.

2.  Solo behind the melody

IT takes the background, behind the melody.

A good lead line helps to fill in the gaps behind the vocalist without overshadowing the vocal performance.

This type of solo is more felt than heard.  It provides counterpoint to a melodic line.

It’s not a traditional accompaniment, not a series of chords or arpeggios

it’s also improvised on the spot just as you would on any other solo

You typically hear this tpe of solo at the end of melodic phrases or played softly behind a melody or even snaking it s way around the notes in the melody like a kind of counter point.

3.  Trading fours

• this one alternates 4-bar phrases
• two soloists take turns
• you are required to improvise in short bursts; don’t have to come up with long, through composed melodies.

4.  Taking a verse

• this is traditional improvised solor form where you play over a et of chod changes
• the solo lass at least an entire verse or chorus
• you can choose to build your solo on the melody or start from scratch  by improvising over the underlying chord changes
• you can stay as close to the melody as you want or go outside as the music warrants

5.  Cadenzas

• not fequentely encountered; very special
• true solo solo
• make up anything you want
• showcase

Different approaches:

1. interpret the melody

• this is easiest to learn
• you take on the song’s existing melody
• you don’t have to improvise a thing
• all you do is to play the melody in your own interp
• just play the melody, relatively straight and with feeling and bring it all home.

2. embellish the melody

• instead of playing the melody straight, add a few flourishes here and there t make things interesting
• this might vary the rhythm, or embellish the melodic line, or play a melodic line related but not identical to the original melody.

3.  Riffing

• very common approach to solo; fancy licks to solo; as fast as you can and as frivilous and letting it rip to end a long solo

4.  scale based horizontal improvisation

• improvising is composing a melody on the spot
• one way is to improvise a melody is to base your solo linen the notes of the underlying scale
• it is horizontal as it ascend or descend scale
• it is linear in its approach
• moving either stepwise or in larger intervals.

5.  Chord-based (vertical) improvisation

• vertical improv is based on the notes of the music underlying chords
• scale flows horizontally, a chord is built vertically
• it is like playing arpeggios
• it tends t  move in larger intervals than a scale-based solo and consequently tends toward more disjointed melodic and rhythmic lines

6.  Through form (melodic) improvisation

• the ultimate goal is to create a solo based on flowing melodic phrases
• you don’t think in terms of riffs, or scales or chords
• instead you think in terms of an entire multiple measure melody
• think like a composer, construct melody in phrases
• it takes a lot of practice to develop this type of melodic improvisation.
• you create melody on the fly
• you have to think in terms of long phrases, learn how to build and release tension over an extended number of measures
• the best melodic solos use a series of motifs and variations, which requires a bit of planning before hand, the ability to think on your feet and build a musical structure on the fly