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• dmitry

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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,