Improvisa*on,Using, Simple,Melodic, Embellishment, Mike%Titlebaum% Director%of%Jazz%Studies% Ithaca%College% % ©%2012%Copyright%Mike%Titlebaum%
Embellishment%Techniques% • Begin%with%a%straighForward%melody% • “DisHll”%this%melody%into%half%notes%and%whole%notes% • Using%this%disHlled%version,%we’ll%pracHce%applying%standard%melodic% embellishment%techniques:% – Passing%tones% – Neighbor%tones%
• ConHnue%by%introducing%increasingly%chromaHc%(but%sHll%fairly% straighForward)%melodic%embellishment:% – Double%neighbors% – ChromaHc%Embellishment%
• Apply%these%techniques%freely% • Hopefully,%there%will%be%Hme%for%quesHons%at%the%end,%but%stop%me% and%ask%for%clarificaHon%if%you’re%confused% • First,%we%sing…%
Oh,%When%the%Saints%Go%Marching%In%
Is%this%going%to%keep%being%“simple?”% • We’re%about%to%the%“ramp%up”%the%pace%a%bit% • But%the%tempo%will%not%increase% • Just%increasing%the%density/quanHty%of% melodic%embellishment% • Get%ready…%
That%was%a%li]le%harder…% • Next%step%is%much%more%chromaHc% • Requires%an%enHre%pracHce%rouHne% • Technique%is%called%“chromaHc% embellishment”%(credit%to%Bill%Dobbins)% • What%is%it?%
ChromaHc%Embellishment% • DefiniHon:%Preceding/approaching%a%target% tone%with%chromaHc%pitches%above%and%below% the%target.%
• QuesHon:%What%percentage%of%great% improvisers%use(d)%chromaHc%embellishment?%
Answer:%100%%of%them!%
Audio%examples%played%three%Hmes%each%(Once%full%speed,%then%twice%slowly)%
ChromaHc%embellishment%exercises:% Two%different%cases%to%pracHce% % • Given%a%target%pitch%(for%example,%the%halves% and%wholes%in%our%disHlled%melody)% • Determine%the%pitch%above,the%target% diatonically% • Determine%whether%upper%diatonic%pitch%is%a% whole%step%or%half,step%above%the%target:%
ChromaHc%embellishment%% These%two%cases%turned%into%pa]erns%
ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Major%Scale%
ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Minor%Scale%
Freely%mixed%embellishment% techniques% • Mixing%these%is%one%way%we%move%from% playing%exercises%to%making%music% • Primarily,%everything%we’ve%worked%on%so%far% today%has%been%melodic.% • Now%we%will%also%alter%rhythms%to%make%it% more%interesHng:% – Adding%syncopaHons% – Delaying%or%anHcipaHng%a%target%note%by%an%1/8%
Ways%to%use%these%techniques%
• Compose%your%own%simple%line%of%halves%and% wholes,%and%then%embellish%it.%%Here’s%mine:%
Ways%to%use%these%techniques% • Apply%to%other%songs% • Let’s%try%it%with%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called% Love?”% • First%we’ll%sing%the%song…%
Playing%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called% Love?”% • Note%the%AABA%song%form.%%% • We’ll%start%with%the%melody.% • Then%we’ll%play%a%simple,%newly%composed% melodic%line%of%half%notes% • Apply%embellishment%techniques%to%the%new% melodic%line%quickly%8%bars%each)%and%without% pause% • Spend%more%Hme%(a%full%32ibar%chorus)% chromaHcally%embellishing%the%new%melody.% • Ready?%%Try%to%follow%along…%
If%there’s%Hme…% • When%working%on%embellishments:%How%do% you%decide%which%is%the%right%note%to%be% DIATONICALLY%higher?% • Should%you%choose%the%next%higher%note%in%the% KEY%OF%THE%PIECE,%or%the%one%in%the%CHORD% OF%THE%MOMENT?%
ConHnuum%of%melodic%content%% of%great%jazz%improvisaHon% The%big%quesHon%really%is:%%Which%%is%more%important%for%the%improviser?%%
CHORD,OF,, THE,MOMENT,
KEY,OF,, THE,PIECE,
