Posts Tagged ‘solo’

Different solos

Friday, April 17th, 2009

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

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    Solo

    Friday, April 17th, 2009

    What makes a solo great?

    What you need to play a terrific solo

    Transcribe great solos

    Great musicians make soloing look easy. They close their eyes and let it rip.

    What could be easier than making up music on the spur of the moment?

    Soloing isn’t near as easy as it ooks.

    Soloist who makes it appear so effortless actually spent countelss hours practicing his scales, learning just the right fingerings, and working thru thousands of chord changes in his head.

    Think about it.

    when you hear a great singer, a beautiful melody, are you impress with how fast she is singing?

    No.

    You are ipmressed by how she is singing, her technique, her phrasing, the way she interprets and sells the melody. It’s not showig off, it’s about making a connection with the song, with other musicians and with the audience.

    A great solow is more than just stringing together a lot of notes one after another.

    In a great solo, the notes combine to crfeate melodies.

    It’s the quality of the melodies you create that define your solo.

    Soloing is nothing more than composing melodies really fast.

    Your improvised melodies, like those of a songwriter have to make sense, to have a musical form.

    You must improvise in coheive phrases, building interest and tension over the course of the solo and the solo peaks, the tension released.

    A good solo, like a good melody tells a story.

    there is a defined beginning, middle and end, with each part of the solo building on and referring to what came before.

    The solo is not just one note after anotehr, or even one phrase after another.  It goes somewhere, and the trip from beg to end is an interesting one.

    To become an accomplished soloist, you learn to improvise in melodic phrases.

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    Constructing a solo

    Thursday, April 9th, 2009

    1.  Learn melody, chord changes, chord/scale relationship

    2. develop new ways to construct a meaningful solo

    Melodic/Horizontal Approach

    • Play melody of the tune over and over
    • alter it each time until the embellishment outweigh the original melody.
    • eventually it won’t sound like the melody but an improvisation devoid of obvious patterns or cliches

    Harmoinc/Vertical Approach

    • 1.  Play a guide tone line consisting of 3rds and 7ths of each chord.
    • 2. then create a solo by improvising lines and embellishments around the guide tones while still targeting the 3rds and 7ths at the beginning of each chord change.
    • 3. Improvise on the chords using primarily chord arpeggios or 1-2-3-5 patterns but in a very free, improivsatory manner. Your melodic lines should define the harmony without relying on the harmonic accompaniment.

    Scalar Approaches

    Determine which scales color each chord and use these in your improvisation.

    Play a continuous line of 8th notes using the appropriate scale choices:

    1.  Diatonic approach — use modes in the major scale and the bebop 7th scale to color the chords

    2.  Alter the extensions – use altered and diminished scales whenever possible, treating all dominant chords as if they had altered 9ths or 5ths.

    3.  Chromatic approach — use chromatic scales and small intervals that are not necessarily derived from the diatonic scale that fit each chord. Resolve to strong chord tones at the places in the phrase.

    Motive Approach

    Base your solo on a small melodic idea. Use concepts such as repetition, sequencing, fragmentation, augmentation, and rhythmic displacement to build your phrases

    Think primarily of playing rhythms.

    Try to find notes that fit the chords but focus o the rhythmic content.

    Pretend that you are a drummer.


    Intervallic/Bitonal Approaches

    Superimpose intervallic structures, such as 4ths, forth-note groupings and pentatonic scales over the chords, departing from the key area at times.

    Resolve to strong chord tones at key places in the phrase such as the cadence.

    Play over the time using polyrhythms or by playing in another meter. Keep track of the underlying rhythm and periodically resolve in the time.

    Advanced concepts

    Imagine you are one of your favorite improvisers. Try to play in their style, not yours.

    Think of physical shapes and contours, such as angles, lines, circles and zigzags. Let the notes come as a consequence of playing these shapes.

    Give up analytical control; improvise on the tune without thinking about the chords. Don’t preconceive of anything you are going to give. Allow any sound to manifest itself without you having to make an effort.

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    style

    Thursday, April 9th, 2009

    How does one turn scales and arps into music?

    It takes years to develop a personal style.

    Start by varying the dynamics and using register changes, blue notes and other expressive devices.

    think of your solo as having a beginning, a peak of intensity, and an obvious conclusion.

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    Solo Tip

    Thursday, April 9th, 2009

    In March, 2008, I listened to Be thou My Vision improvisation by Joel Rosenberger
    www.freshpiano.com

    It’s a beautiful improvisation.

    The following is his advice:

    I’ve since embraced the simpler style that you are
    hearing.  My influences now are George Winston and Brad Mehldau, as well
    as some of the modern film composers.  Of course, I do like to have fun
    and play a lively piece occasionally.

    Since I record a piece first, then score it later, I only have a few
    scores written, all of which are online.  But it sounds like you are
    interested in simplifying your technique.  If so, I’ll be happy to point
    out a few things that you might notice as you study my arrangements.

    1.  Melody line is simple, with the octave rarely doubled.

    2.  Harmonies usually consist of 1 or 2 additional notes in the right hand,
    almost never a triad.  The right hand rarely plays the 3rd of a chord,
    except when it’s the melody.  Harmonies are also sustained, or else follow
    the rhythm of the song; they do not typically parallel the melody, except
    for effect in certain passages.

    3.  The left hand plays arpeggios usually consisting of the root, 5, and 3 of
    the chord.  The 3 is played an octave above the root.  This may vary, but
    the idea is to keep the bass notes widely spaced.

    4.  When the melody note is the third of the chord, a preceding grace note
    is often played.

    5.  Ritards occur often, coupled with decrescendoes.

    6.  Sustained notes are used liberally, allowed to trail off.  This works
    well with reverb.

    To follow up: these are one of the greatest links:

    www.joelcast.blogspot.com/2005/10/index-of-songs-and-hymns.html

    More mp3 music of hymns:

    www.freshpiano.com/music.html

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