Creative Jazz Improvisation

For college-level courses in jazz improvisation and advanced high school students. The book is also a focused curriculum for private teachers and self-directed learners.   Integrates many things jazz musicians need to master including theoretical explanations, exercises in all keys and tempos; transcribed solos of master improvisers; repertoire lists; as well as discussions of creativity and how to play with other musicians.   This text is a direct outgrowth of Scott Reeves' experience teaching jazz improvisation at the college level for over twenty-seven years, as well as his own personal quest to develop as a jazz artist. When he first began teaching improvisation, he could not find a text that incorporated all of the diverse learning strategies that jazz musicians typically practice. So he wrote out worksheets which eventually evolved into Creative Jazz Improvisation.  

Table of Contents:
Contents   Preface   PART 1: THE ART OF IMPROVISATION   Chapter 1: Practicing Jazz, Constructing Solos, Playing with Other Musicians, Creative Improvisation, Performance Anxiety, and Teaching Jazz Practicing Jazz Constructing Solos and Playing with Other Musicians Creative Improvisation and Kenny Werner’s “Effortless Mastery” Performance Anxiety How to Teach Jazz Improvisation   Chapter 2: Essential Listening: Major Innovators, Important Contributors, and Women in Jazz Major Innovators Who Changed the Direction of Jazz Important Jazz Contributors Women In Jazz   Chapter 3: Rhythm Gaining Facility with Rhythm Listening to Rhythms in Jazz Compositions Max Roach’s Improvised Solo on “Blue Seven”   PART 2: DIATONIC CHORDS AND THE MODES IN THE MAJOR SCALE   Chapter 4: Major Scales and Major 7th Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Major Scales and Major 7th Chords Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Major 7th Chords Louis Armstrong’s Improvised Solo on “Hotter Than That”   Chapter 5: Mixolydian and Bebop 7th Scales, and Dominant 7th Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Mixolydian and Bebop 7th Scales, and Dominant 7th Chords Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 7th Chords Lester Young’s Improvised Solo on “Lester Leaps In”   Chapter 6: Dorian Scales and Minor 7th Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Dorian Scales and Minor 7th Chords Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Minor 7th Chords Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “So What”   Chapter 7: The ii—V—I Progression Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with ii—V—I Progressions Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on ii—V or ii—V—I Progressions Clifford Brown’s Improvised Solo on “Pent-Up House”   Chapter 8: Locrian and Aeolian Scales, and Minor ii7—V7—i Progressions Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Minor ii7—V7—i Progressions Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on ii7—V7b9—i Progressions Milt Jackson’s Improvised Solo on “Django”   Chapter 9: Lydian and Phrygian Scales, Major 7th b5 Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Lydian and Phrygian Scales Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Major 7b5 Chords and Lydian Scales, or i—bii Progressions and Phrygian Scales Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “Solea”   PART 3: CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS, HARMONIC STRUCTURES, AND FORMS   Chapter 10: The Blues Scale, the Blues Form, and Chord Substitutions The Blues Form The Blues Scale Chord Substitutions Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with the Basic Blues Progression Gaining Facility with Blues Substitutions Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on the Blues Form Charlie Parker’s Improvised Solo on “Now’s the Time”   Chapter 11: Sectional Forms and Rhythm Changes Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Rhythm Changes Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on “Rhythm Changes” and Through-Composed Forms Charlie Parker’s Improvised Solo on “Shaw ’Nuff”   Chapter 12: Harmonic Structures and Coltrane Substitutions Coltrane Substitutions Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Coltrane Substitutions Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Coltrane Substitutions John Coltrane’s Improvised Solo on “Giant Steps”   Chapter 13: Free Forms Gaining Facility with Free Improvisation Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Free Forms Ornette Coleman’s Improvised Solo on “Congeniality”   PART 4: ALTERED CHORDS, DIMINISHED MODES, WHOLE-TONE AND HARMONIC MINOR SCALES, AND MELODIC MINOR MODES   Chapter 14: Diminished Scales, Diminished and Altered Dominant 7th Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Diminished Scales Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Altered Dominant or Fully-Diminished Chords J. J. Johnson’s Improvised Solo on “Aquarius”   Chapter 15: Whole-Tone Scales and Augmented Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Whole-Tone Scales Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 9 s5 Chords or Whole-Tone Scales Thelonious Monk’s Improvised Solo on “Evidence”   Chapter 16: Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales, Minor (Major 7th) Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Melodic Minor Scales and Minor (Major 7th) Chords Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Minor (Major 7th) Chords Sonny Rollins’s Improvised Solo on “Airegin”   Chapter 17: Locrian s2 and Altered Scales, and Minor iiH7—V7—i Progressions Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Minor iiH7—V7—i Progressions Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Half-Diminished 7th and Altered Dominant Chords Bill Evans’s Improvised Solo on “The Autumn Leaves”   Chapter 18: Lydian Augmented and Lydian Dominant Scales, and Major 7th s5 and Dominant 9th s11 Chords Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Lydian Augmented and Lydian Dominant Scales and Major 7th s5 and Dominant 9th s11 Chords Improvising on Jazz Compositions Based on Dominant 9th s11 or Major 7th s5 Chords Sonny Rollins’s Improvised Solo on “Blue Seven”   PART 5: PENTATONIC SCALES AND INTERVALLIC IMPROVISATION   Chapter19: Pentatonic Scales Theory/Ear Exercises Gaining Facility with Major Pentatonic Scales Gaining Facility with Minor and Dominant Pentatonic Scales Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Pentatonic Scales Woody Shaw’s Improvised Solo on “Child’s Dance”   Chapter 20: Four-Note Groupings Derived from Pentatonic Scales Gaining Facility with Four-Note Groupings Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Four-Note Groupings Chick Corea’s Improvised Solo on “Matrix”   Chapter 21: Intervallic Improvisation Gaining Facility with Intervallic Improvisation Improvising on Jazz Compositions Using Chromatic Intervals Miles Davis’s Improvised Solo on “Petits Machins”   Appendix I. Intervals II. Modes in the Major Scale III. Modes in the Melodic Minor Scale IV. Diatonic 7th Chords in Major Keys V. Diatonic 7th Chords in Minor Keys VI. Chords and Their Relationship to Scales VII. Upper Structure or “Slash” Chords VIII. Resource List Index