"What tools do contemporary jazz improvisers use to expand their

musical expression by harmonic -in and outside movement"?

Name: Grzegorz Torunski

Main teacher: Claudius Valk

Supervisor: Robert Weirauch

Maastricht Conservatorium, Hogeschool Zuyd

Maastricht, January 2012

Subquestions: - Why are jazz musicians interested in harmonic exploration? - What is “-in and outside playing”? - What techniques of in/out playing are being used by prominent improvisers in the field of jazz?

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 5 Preface Introduction word 7 CHAPTER I Why are jazz musicians interested in harmonic exploration? 9 CHAPTER II - What is –inside and outside playing? 10 CHAPTER III - What techniques of in/out playing are being used by prominent improvisers in the field of jazz?

10 In General 13 In Specific

13 Harmonic superimposed chords: 14 Tritone superimposition 15 Shifting bars 17 Superimposed cadencial approach (Harmonic progressions): II-V-I Chromatic approach

Altered II-V substitutions: 20 ‘Lady Bird’ changes

21 ‘Coltrane changes’ 22 Giant Steps 25 Relation between Slonimsky and Coltrane 29 ‘Countdown’

31 Turnarounds: 33 Rhythm Changes

36 “Lady Bird’ turnaround

38 Diminished Approach 40 Superimposed forms

41 Pedal note 43 Improvising with the “tone rows”

44 Different aspects:

44 Stretch of harmony / Shrink 46 Motivic work 48 Rhythmic outside, phrasing

50 Conclusion 51 Books

Introduction Word It is in the nature of jazz to explore and to expand possibilities In history this led to a harmonic technique known as inside/ outside playing. Major virtue of jazz is and has always been exploration and the search of new sounds. An extended harmonic concept offers new colors as expressional devices in music language. This is why the jazz musicians are interested in harmonic exploration. As all professions, music as well seems to be limitless. Starting with the musical intuition, following what heart says is definitely a basic step which skipped, makes music soulless. Since the beginnings of jazz music existence jazz players concentrated on harmonic exploration, playing according changes was not relevant enough, music used to develop, so do players together with all harmonic movements. When we look closer to the bebop area already Charlie Parker claims his rights by introducing revolutionary harmonic ideas including a tonal vocabulary employing 9ths, 11ths and 13ths of chords, rapidly implied passing chords, and new variants of altered chords and chord substitutions. In contrast with bebop, hard bop uses slower tempos and a less radical approach to harmony and melody, one of the most known players Miles Davis between the years 1951-1954 records the most known albums such as: Dig, Blue Haze, Bags' Groove, Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, and Walkin' presenting the modern approach to his harmony. There comes another saxophone player in jazz history who has a lot to say about the harmony, his name is John Coltrane. His revolutionary concept has been marked in a huge scale. Each of jazz musician should know 'Giant Steps' ,this track is generally considered to have the most complex and difficult chord progression of any widely-played jazz composition. Furthermore many modern jazz players tried to innovate the harmony structures, the most remarkable are Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Dave Liebman. In decade of Hardbop and modal context playing outside defined jazz players who intentionally roamed from key or chord changes. Many players that decade were definite as ‘free’ , while ‘free’ means only the one of all possible approaches linking to ‘out playing’. Next to ‘free’ stands superimposition of alternate harmonic material including side-stepping (planning, parallelism), as the terminology indicates, it is a type of outside playing in which a performer super-imposes a scale a half step above or below the "inside" scale for the given chord or key. That movement can be evident in II-V relation as well, this increases chromatic tension as it first moves away and then towards the tonic. It

can be reached by adding a II-V a half-step above the original II-V. This is what the accompanying instruments often do behind a soloist, sounding like an elegant note effect of passing chord leading to the intended tones. In melodic terms, side-slipping is usually done quickly and for short periods because this color can be easily recognized in repeatedly situations. In my master research I would like to concentrate on tools/methods used by modern jazz improvisers in order to expend their harmonic music world. The need of –in and –outside movements inside the jazz harmony grew up throughout the years, especially the last 30 years when the jazz education was globally accessible, all materials such as transcriptions of solos, harmonic analyses, books written by modern jazz players (Dave Liebman, Mark Levine, John Valerio, Paul Rinzler) simplified and leaded to curiosity for many jazz players. Nowadays, to express widely enough the modern improvisation without bounding nobody’s hands into standard changes, contemporary jazz players are using more and more outside movements in improvising lines. To generally explain it, we are looking for new tensions implying new harmonies over the existing once. This study documents and analyzes possibilities in playing outside using mentioned techniques. The analysis is categorized in two distinct sections. The first section is an harmonic analysis of the superimposed chords used ,the second one explains other substitutions like Pedal playing, Stretch of harmony / Shrink rhythmical aspect, rhythmic displacement, Motivic work, Rhythmic outside.

Why are jazz musicians interested in harmonic exploration? The ongoing challenge of inventing melodies which are fresh, alive and full of meaningful emotional and thoughtful content characterizes the need of enriching developed harmonic language. Very often already a single repeated melody harmonized in various ways results in different effects each time. The improvisers knowing a large variety of harmonic colors can truly be spontaneous on a daily playing level. It has its place only when the harmonic and melodic structure of the outside line has to be strong enough to compete with the original line. Otherwise its architecture would not carry to reach all tensions. All harmonic superimpositions are giving jazz musicians freedom in music. Through using superimposed harmonies jazz players are opening an unspecified qualities of a promising nature in modern improvisation. Creating new harmonic structures inside existing once gives new, powerful interactions between members in the band. The use of a superimposed harmony over whatever given tonal center forces players to create melodies which will appear in contrast to the original tonal center. The superimposed key centers become the source of the melodic constructions. In a situation of a chord player (harmonicist) is playing the given cycle, the melodicist is thinking and playing the superimpositions. Why is it happening? Jazz improvisers used to be more and more interested in chromatic playing, the increase of chromaticism is clearly visible through the development of classical music (Schoenberg ‘Emancipation of dissonance’). Early jazz until bebop era, has treated chromatic tones as passing notes. Already the ‘blue’ notes were sort of outside playing. Later on all the upper structure notes from 9,11,13 chords, the flatted third becomes a sharp 9 while the flatted fifth becomes a sharp 11, on the top of that scales including altered dominant, diminished whole tone, Lydian augmented, whole tone scale made the chromaticism sound dissonant enough. In the late 1950s modal playing and free-bop increased the use of superimposed dissonant tones. The music of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Paul Bley, John Coltrane, Miles Davis asks for increased use of superimposed dissonances. In the 1960s the chromatic sounds have found the way into fusion, world music using electronics, synthesizers, computers techniques. Many musicians that time are exploring widely ‘free music’ usually based on the rhythmic concept and instrumentation. Ornette Coleman introduces “free bop” linear counterpoint. Cecil Taylor uses more rubato phrases defined as “energy music”. Miles Davis Quintet together with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock present ‘time, no changes’, meaning steady pulse oriented lines without a specific root.

This is where creativity is applied in order to invent interesting and unusual sequences so that the melodies are more appealing. The goal of melodic improvisation, especially superimposing, is to hear intervallically no matter what the harmonic source is. At the same time playing shouldn’t be forced into a musical situation where it is inappropriate.

What is inside and outside playing? As terminology says itself, outside playing means playing/improvising out of the “first level harmonic rules”, it is a forbidden fruit which served strong enough gives new harmonic opportunities. The difference between random playing and playing outside is the fact that outside playing is always subordinated to a clear architecture itself. Very often outside playing is called chromatic playing, using chromatic tones which are not in an original chord structure, according Dave Liebman, superimposition means the placement of one musical element over another to be sounded simultaneously with the original. Not to consuse it with substitution, which means replacement of the original. Superimposition is obvious when accomplished harmonically where two or more key centers are simultaneously sounded. Of course, superimposition also applies to rhythm and melody (chapter ‘other substitutions’). As an improviser creates a melody in a foreign key, he must be able to hear the original changes, given tonal center as a point of reference. That characterizes playing superimposed harmony from the random playing. Harmonic superimposition precedes an intervallic construction. Available melodic choices are realized then as a result of harmonic combinations. This provides a major organizing tool for chromatic playing. Outside movements have to be related anyhow to inside movements. The relation has to be structured, overthought and played in a convincing way. It should have a clear shape or contour with a defined beginning and ending. A truly satisfying and strong melody should be able to stand alone without an harmonic or rhythmic accompaniment and still present persuasion.

What techniques of in/out playing are being used by prominent improvisers in the field of jazz? In General: In order to generate new outside tensions during the solo, which called ‘outside playing’ to be able to reach the meaning literally, the performing artist chooses improvising notes out of the certain chord scale. The whole art concentrates in playing the “wrong notes and making them sounds good” (Leon Lhoest ‘Muziek Theorie’). He claims further on ‘it is necessary to play first inside with enough conviction and eloquence, before going out’. Possibilities Example 1: Leading a melodic phrase from inside to outside related to the harmonic environment of the original. ♫Example: Improvised line

inside line (harmonically)

Example 2: Starting with an outside phrase, ending with an inside. ♫Example: Improvised line inside line (harmonically) Example 3: Starting with an inside phrase, reaching an outside in the middle (increasing the tension), finishing with an inside phrase. ♫Example:

Improvised line

inside line (harmonically)

Example 4: Starting with an outside phrase, reaching the inside in the middle, finishing with an outside phrase (rarely seen). ♫Example: Improvised line inside line (harmonically) Depending on using each example, the –inside , -outside phrases are functioning differently.

In Specific: There are several techniques in reaching the outside phrases based within harmonic aspect as well as different once. Harmonic aspect:

- Superimposed notes Confirmation vs. 26-2 Audio example ‘Count Down’ vs ‘Tune Up’ - Harmonic superimposed chords: (modal context, regarding one modal chord) Explanation:

Tritone superimposition In tonal harmony, the tritone is the interval between the 3rd and the 7th of a dominant chord that must be resolved in the cadence to the tonic. In a language of bebop and post bop, the triton substitution is a very useful at cadencial points of V-I, II-V-I or III-VI-II-V-I. Analyzing the chord changes, jazz players used to create a special tension through using an triton substituted chord instead. In that certain example John Coltrane creates a triton substitution (A7) leading into the subdominant (Ab13)

In order to make a progression of chords more linear, going chromatically up/down, jazz players use the triton substitutions, John Coltrane uses in that aspect following chord changes:

Shifting bars One of the next outside technique used among such players as Cannonball Adderley or Phil Woods is ‘bar-line shifting’, improviser then plays intentionally the chord from the measure before or after the given chord, that technique causes extra tensions inside musical phrases. An example of a "very intentional" bar-line shift may be found on Clifford Brown’s solo on “Split Kick”, in which he deliberately enters and exits the bridge early, causing considerable tension(melodic line over Bb chord). At any rate the person who analyzes should always look at the chords both before and after a point where an ‘error’ is suspected, before jumping to a wrong conclusion.

Bar-line shifts is most often attributable to harmonic generalization, as in the case of playing a II ø to V7(+5, +9) progression II-V-I turnaround as only a V7(+5, +9) or the player wanted to play the previous chord (though it has already transpired), but was either pausing momentarily (as in taking a breath), and decides to adopt the 'better later than never' attitude.

Superimposed cadencial approach (Harmonic progressions): II-V-I Chromatic approach Altered II-V substitutions: Instead of the normal II-V-I progression, jazz players are using any other II-V as they were modulating to that home key. But instead of concluding with the resolution, they return to the original I chord at the very end of the phrase. For example substituting for D-7 G7 C by F-7 Bb7 the result seems to reach not so much dissonances, it consist more common tones. The F-7 and D-7 share common chord notes while Bb7 also uses similar material as G7. Two remaining pitches Bb, Ab (from the Bb7) could be interpreted as #9 and b9 of the G7 chord. Furthermore the Bb mixolydian scale which accompanies Bb7 is very close to a G Phrygian scale, giving result of G7(#9,b9,13). Taking an example of substituting D-7 G7 into Eb-7 Ab7 or F#-7 B7 provides much more tensions. Each II-V superimposition has won color, tension.

David Liebman, ‘A Chromatic Approach To Jazz Harmony and Melody’,ex.4

Examples 5a, 5b and 5c are referring to melodic lines reflecting superimposition.

Types of Cadences: Cadences presenting the various ways to resolve a dominant – tonic progression (V-I) Delayed – The V chord moves to an unrelated key, before finally resolving to the tonic. Anticipated – The V chord moves to a chord which includes the I n it, before actually resolving to the tonic. False – The V chord resolves to an unrelated key. Deceptive – The V chord moves to a chord that is closely related to the I. Suspended – The V chord contains the rood of the I in its voicing.

Moments notice – Coltrane Example 1: Relation II-V played a half tone lower then the original II-V.

Coltrane created tunes to train this way of playing “Moments Notice” ,training the –out, -in movements. –transcription

‘Lady Bird’ changes The progression for this turnaround was first used by Tadd Dameron in his 1947 jazz standard Lady Bird. The chord progression for Lady Bird is shown below in the original key of C. The last two bars of this sixteen-chord progression is referred to as the Dameron Turnaround.

CMaj7 / / / / / / / Fm7 / / / Bb7 / / /

CMaj7 / / / / / / / Bbm7 / / / Eb7 / / /

AbMaj7 / / / / / / / Am7 / / / D7 / / /

Dm7 / / / G7 / / /

CMaj7 / EbMaj7 /

AbMaj7 / DbMaj7 /

One of the characteristic aspects is the unexpected modulation down a major 3rd. This was an unusual harmonic change at that time.

Already in bar 3 and 4 there is a superimposed II-V relation F-7 to Bb7 (instead of D-7 G7), that substitution is considered as a “backdoor resolution”, which is a IV-bVII going back to I.

Bars 7-8 are illustrating another backdoor resolution of II-V progression Bb-7 to Eb7.

Following bars 11-12 provide an surprising modulation A-7 D7 which resolves to unreal I (D-7 G7), to reach in bars 15-16 is typical “Lady Bird’ turnaround Cmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 (triton substitutions).

‘Coltrane changes’ Relation between Nicolas Slonimsky “Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patters” and harmonic approach of John Coltrane in “Giant Steps” In the article Chromatic Third Relations in the Music of John Coltrane, David Demsey presents a practice of root movement by major or minor thirds in chord progressions. Demsey claims that John Coltrane uses chromatic third relations in compositions such a “Giant Steps” ,example:

It became to be common that jazz musicians typically refer to this chord progression as “Coltrane Changes”. Those ‘changes’ are gathered substitutions for an ordinary II-V7-I chord progression. One of the first its appearance comes on the legendary album “Giant Steps” where Trane transforms harmonically the composition “Tune up” into “Countdown”. The composition itself (Giant Steps) is functioning as a progression of the minor thirds cycles.

Giant Steps The Coltrane cycle and its variations are a well known substitution device. The “Giant Steps” cycle was an early example of chromatic superimposition. In recordings from that period, the rhythm section actually played the substitutes along with Trane’s lines.

As well as other related superimpositions:

Following an illustration of all possible substitutions developed from ‘Coltrane Changes’. The chart provides all of the harmonic possibilities of substituting the II-V7-I original progression:

Relation between Slonimsky and Coltrane The cyclic patterns used by John Coltrane concern a progression of intervals that divide one octave into equal parts: the triton progression (augmented forth), the ditone progression (major third), the sesquitone progression (minor third), and the whole-tone progression (major second). Following example is taken from Mars (1967) where John proceeds the cycle of perfect four intervals (or its interversions-perfect fifth):

Mars, 1967 John Coltrane, Duo with Rashid Ali. Regarding N. Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns, it is a noticeable whole-tone progression with an ultrapolation of one note a perfect fifth above the principal interval (pattern #574), similar cycle of forths is underlined by brackets:

Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns, #574. As an example of ditone progression (major third) it is obvious the similarity between John Coltrane and N. Slonimky idea. In the composition of John “One Down, One Up” there is a link to pattern #186 (Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns). The notes of the melody in “One Down, One Up” consist of 2 hexachords (two augmented triads. One half step apart). Once again the augmented thirds are illustrated by brackets and circle signs:

John Coltrane, One Down, One Up The relation between Coltrane and Slonimsky in that case is labeled as ‘ditone progression with an ultrapolation of one note” according Slonimsky vocabulary.

Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns.

An example of a sesquitone (minor third) progression used as melodic vocabulary in a Coltrane improvisation occurs in a composition “Brasilia”. This pattern involves two different minor thirds cycles. Further on Coltrane transposes the pattern down a perfect forth from the starting note of the previous cycle.

John Coltrane “Brasilia” Thesaurus patter #447 corresponds to the two minor thirds cycles that appear in “Brasilia” from John Coltrane. Slonimky labels this patter as a “sesquitone progression with an infrapolation of one note”.

Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns, #447. In an composition “Saturn” John Coltrane uses an ultrapolation, each ditonal progression is supported by half tone note creating the major third above of the principal interval:

John Coltrane, Saturn 1967

A response comes from Thesaurus pattern #47, called ‘a sesquitone progression with an ultrapolation of one note”.

Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns, #47. As the last example of progression of whole steps John Coltrane uses in “Jupiter”. In a related language of Nikolas Slonimsky, this particular pattern of John Coltrane is constructed around a progression with a use of ultrapolation of one note a minor third abouve the principal interval progression.

The model of Coltrane’s pattern from “Jupiter” appears as a Thesaurus pattern #570, a whole tone progression with an ultrapolation of one note located a minor third above the principal interval pitches.

Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns, #570.

COUNTDOWN

The main concept is to divide the octave into three equal parts:

| CM | AbM | EM | CM |

Approaching each major chord with its V chord (to do this in the second half of the preceding bar) gives the following result:

| CM Eb7 | AbM B7 | EM G7 | CM |

Making the first chord a Dm7, it provides a structure which has the look and feel of an elaborated II-V-I cadence and can be played as a substitute for a straight II-V-I in C. It is a II-V-I with the II, V and I chords shoved to either side to make way for the elaboration chords:

| Dm7 | G7 | CM | | Dm7 X | X X | X G7 | |Dm7Eb7 |AbM B7| EM G7|

/ | CM | CM |

Miles Davis wrote a tune called Tune Up in the mid-1950s (Quintet album, Cookin’).

It is a composition of comprising II-V-Is descending by tone, with the final one repeated (with variation):

| Em7 | A7 |

| Dm7 | G7 |

| Cm7 | F7 |

| Em7|F7 |

DM | CM | BbM | BbM |

/ | / | / | E7|

Coltrane reharmonised this tune using the above principle :

| Em7 F7 | BbM Db7 |GbMA7 | |Dm7 Eb7| AbM B7| EM G7| |Cm7 Db7| GbMA7| DMF7| | Em7 | F7 | BbM |

DM | CM | BbM| Eb7+9 |

Coltrane choses to leave the final four bars unaltered (the chord on the final bar isn’t structurally incorrectly significant). Trane continued to apply his Giant Steps principles to lots of different standards, sometimes writing new melodies on the reharmonised changes – the two most well-known examples are 26-2 (based on Confirmation) and Satellite (based on How High the Moon). He usually allowed some of harmonic relief by leaving part of the original harmony unchanged.

Incidentally, on the rarely played coda to Countdown, Coltrane moves the harmony by major 3rds, between D, Gb and Bb. These are exactly the key centres from the first three four-bar phrases of Tune Up and performed a complete tritone substitution on the whole of the second phrase.

Turnarounds

Turnaround is a chord progression at the end of section which leads to the next section, it can lead either harmonically, as a chord progression or melodically.

Typical turnarounds: VI – II – V - I V/II - V/V - V - I ♭IIIo - II7 - V7 – I

VI - ♭VI7♯11 - V – I V – IV – I “I – VI – II – V – I” In the blues aspect, the vi chord would be a minor chord (min, -7, -6, -(♭6), etc) but here the major third allows for a more interesting modulation. In C major: C - A - d min - G (dom) . The third of the VI chord (in this case, C♯) allows for chromatic movement from C (the root of I) to C♯ (the third of VI) to D (the root of ii). Similar chromaticism and harmonic interest can be achieved by the use of a secondary dominant, which are also useful for turnarounds. The simplest example is V7/V - V7 - I, instead of ii - V - I. Another popular turnaround which may be considered as a secondary dominant analysis is ii - ♭V/V (or ♭II) - I , which is a variation on the standard ii - V - I turnaround. Using bV/V instead of V allows for a smooth chromatic descent. In key of C the original turnaround would be d min - G (dom) - C, while the modified would be d min - D♭ - C . The obvious chromatic movement is thorough.

It is apparent in the roots (D - D♭ - C), thirds (F - F - E; F is often used as a pedal

tone), and fifths (A - A♭ - G).

I-vi-ii-V may be transformed through various chord substitutions. For example, the vi and ii chords may be substituted with dominant chords, giving I-VI7-II7-V or C-A7-D7-G. The tritone substitution may be applied to the vi and V chords, giving C-E♭7-D7-D♭7, or C-E♭7-A♭M7-D♭7

The extended secondary dominants and subdominants iii - VI7 - ii - V7 – I are very common in jazz music, following examples which may replace that include iii - ♭III7 - ii - ♭II7 - I, which replaces the dominants with their tritone substitutes, and

♭vii - VI7 - ♭vi - V7 - I, which replaces the subdominants with their tritone substitutes and moves the half-step-wise descending line cliche away from the tonic.

Rhythm Changes In 1930 George Gershwin wrote a song called "I Got Rhythm". Since then countless jazz compositions have been made that use the chord progression of that tune in one of its many modifications. The chord progression is known as Rhythm Changes.

Rhythm changes started to be popular in the swing era, but got even more popular in the bebop era. Lots of new themes were written over this chord. Rhythm Changes are a 32-bar chord progression in the AABA form. The basic progression is following:

|Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Bb7 |Eb Ebm |Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |

|Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Bb7 |Eb Ebm |Bb F7 |Bb |

|D7 |D7 |G7 |G7 |C7 |C7 |F7 |F7 |

|Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Gm7 |Cm7 F7 |Bb Bb7 |Eb Ebm |Bb F7 |Bb |

The basic building block of the A part of a rhythm changes is a simple diatonic I - VI - II - V progression. In bar 5 the Bb7 introduces the IV in the 6th bar. The IV changes to a IVm. In order to follow Rhythm Changes in fast tempo there is point to use limitations, such as playing in a simple way using less changes. There are several techniques:

Bb major scale

F bebop scale

D minor pentatonic

Arpeggio's In the swing era there was common a variation of chord from original Rhythm Changes : |Bb B°7 |Cm7 C#°7 |Dm7 G7 |Cm7 F7 | |Bb Bb7/D |Eb E°7 |Bb/F G7#5|Cm7 F7 |

To explain it widely:

The Gm7 in bar 1, 3 and 7 is substituted by G7 Bar 1: the G7 is substituted by B°7 (=G7b9) to get the chromatic line to Cm7 Bar 3: the Dm7 is the II of G7 Bar 2: the C#°7 is in fact A7b9 (the V of II) and continues the chromatic line initiated in bar 1.

The following variation of the A part became popular in the bebop era and is the version that is used the most often today:

|Bb G7b9 |Cm7 F7b9 |Dm7 G7b9|Cm7 F7b9 |Fm7 Bb7b9 |Ebmaj7 Ab7#11|Dm7 G7b9|Cm7 F7b9 |

The diminished chords of the previous version are changed for the chords they were substitutes for, the dominants. The dominants are all altered or b9. There is more movement in the 5th bar where the V of the IV gets its II The Ab7#11 in bar 6 is the tritone substitute for D7, the V of G7 in bar 7.

B-part of the Rhythm Changes

The bridge is build out of secondary dominants (=dominant of the dominant). The tonality is Bb major, so the primary dominant is F7, the chord in the last 2 bars of the bridge.

The dominant of F7 is C7, the dominant of C7 is G7 and that of G7 is D7, the first chord of the bridge:

|D7 | |G7 | |C7 | | F7 | |

The obvious scales to play are:

D7: D Mixolydian G7: G Mixolydian/ G altered C7: C Mixolydian F7: F Mixolydian/ F altered

In the bebop era there is in use very often the II in front of the V - back cycle:

|Am |D7 |Dm7 |G7 |

|Gm7 |C7 |Cm7 |F7 |

“Lady Bird’ turnaround”

Dameron Turnaround (IMaj7-bIIIMaj7-bVIMaj7-bIIMaj7) The progression for this turnaround was first used by Tadd Dameron in his 1947 jazz standard Lady Bird. The chord progression for Lady Bird is shown below in the original key of C. The last two bars of this sixteen-chord progression is referred to as the Dameron Turnaround.

Cmaj7 Ebmaj7 I Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 I

(triton substitutions) 2 last bars of the chorus

The Dameron Turnaround can be created from the Standard (I-vi-ii-V) Progression by applying the chord quality and tritone substitutions as shown below.

CMaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7 -Original Standard Progression

CMaj7 A7 Dm7 G7 -Quality Substitution: Dominant for Minor

CMaj7 A7 D7 G7 -Quality Substitution: Dominant for Minor

CMaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7 -Tritone Substitution

CMaj7 EbMaj7 AbMaj7 DbMaj7 -Quality Substitution: Major for Dominant

Some players perform this starting in the parallel minor and then follow a descending bass line. In the original key, this is: Fm7 – C7/E – Ebm6 – Dm7(b5) – Dbmaj7. This is not necessarily an improvement over the original however, it is a bone of contention between the more rabid players. In either case, the Dbmaj7 skips down two minor thirds to ii7 (Bbm7 to Gm7), proceeding to V7 – I."

Diminished Approach Illustrating a superimposition II –V relation using the diminished approach:

David Liebman, Examples of Chromatic Lines by David Liebman The most obvious use for a triton superimposition in a context of diminished scale is with a V7b9 chord. Since, the tritone scale is interchangeable with the diminished scale, the use of it is possible with any of four different dominant chords. For instance, the C tritone scale with C7b9, Eb7b9, F#7b9, and A7b9.

Doube diminished Chords, Dave Liebman:

Superimposed forms

(For example an improviser plays the different blues form then the rhythm section plays,

- using for example different II-V-I relations, - improviser plays minor blues, rhythm section plays major blues)

Audio example - Creating outside effect by simplifying the harmonic candenca and reducing to a central tonality (Rhythm Changes example)

Pedal note (as a part of superimposed forms) Creating the new form using pedal note/chords. During the 12 bars form: Using the pedal note e.c. D min for 8 bars, further 4 bars Eb. Important is to keep the common connection, common notes, common chords, cadenzas should be always a way back -in and –out. Replacing a whole form of for example ‘Blues’ or ‘Rhythm Change’ simultaneously to relating a single chord on the original chord on the moment. Concept with the ‘Hyperdoors’ (Claudius Valk)–in and –outside.

Outside line

Inside line

The  same  chord  

‘Hyperdoor’  

‘Hyperdoor’  

Improvising with the “tone rows” Steve Coleman, ‘Five Elements’

Review/Jazz; Steve Coleman Expands The Limits of a Musical Idea By PETER WATROUS Published: June 06, 1994 The alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman's first set at Zanzibar on Wednesday night featured his group Five Elements, a band that merges jazz improvisation with a highly sophisticated use of a funk rhythm section. Mr. Coleman has been doing this for a while now, and it was fascinating to see how far he has taken the idea. His formula has stayed the same, but he has made it all more complex and pliable, with pieces weaving in and out of one another and inspiring fervent improvisations. But its limitations have stayed the same. At the opening of its five-night stand, the band -- featuring Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Andy Milne on piano, Reggie Washington on bass and Gene Lake on drums -- never lost some of the chill that Mr. Coleman's music often has. As able as the musicians are at playing the music, with its difficult meters and distinct rhythmic conception, the group rarely raised it above the level of a musician's exercise, technically interesting but mostly mute emotionally.

In part it was the set's fault: Mr. Coleman and the band were fooling around, trying to merge odd pieces. One piece mixed one of Mr. Coleman's originals with "Stablemates," and Mr. Coleman suggested that Mr. Coltrane join in on "Chelsea Bridge," a tune that Mr. Coltrane didn't appear to be completely at home with.

But Mr. Coleman is clearly trying to expand the emotional range of the music, and as it stands it's unfinished business. This kind of intelligent work falls outside any easy definition, and for that sort of bravery, and his own increasing improvisational power as a saxophonist, he deserves respect.

Different aspects:

- Stretch of harmony / Shrink – rhythmical aspect,

rhythmic displacement)

Stretch of harmony/Shrink means the duration and beat placement of any given note in the melodic line. According David Liebman “the appearance of a temporary key enter will be reinforced or weakened as will the line’s contour, depending to some degree upon the duration of a pitch and/or its relationship to the ongoing metric cycle.

Therefore, in constructing chromatic lines, varied rhythms and syncopations can affect the final result each time in an entirely different manner. In fact, variation in jazz is very often simply a case of juggling rhythms in combination with changing the sequence of the original pitches.

Motivic work

Chromatic Motivic Development

Musical ideas may be planed freely or systematically. Much of traditional music is based on moving musical ideas the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth as dominant theme moving up a perfect fourth to the tonic. Many improvisers avoid this by planning motives with a mixture of intervals, following arpeggios and by scale steps. Some improvisers choose to plane their musical motives following one of the symmetrical divisions of the octave: two tritone intervals; three major third intervals; four minor third intervals; six whole steps; or twelve half-steps. A four-note motive is played over D dorian and sequenced down major thirds through Bb and F# before returning to D dorian. One more repetition of the motive occurs up a perfect fourth.

Planning by transposing motive down by major thirds

The four-note motive in following example is transposed up by minor thirds beginning in D minor and moving through F minor, G# minor and B minor before returning to D minor.

Planning by transposing motive up by minor thirds

A motive can be transposed following any set of pitches. A six-note motive is sequenced in following example with its original intervals intact and the top note following the D dorian mode from A down to A. As the motives get transposed, the top note remains within the tonal center while many of the other pitches create dissonance. This is like playing outside “with one foot still in the door”. Eleven notes of the chromatic scale occur in that line:

Rhythmic outside, phrasing The duration and beat placement of any given note in the melodic line. In Constructing chromatic lines, varied rhythms and syncopations can affect the final result each time in an entirely different manner.

In a phrasing aspect, rhythmic placement includes also a articulation, dynamics and expression. It has something to do with personal musician’s aesthetics. In improvisation the placement of an idea takes a major role. This refers to the start and conclusion of a line in relation to its accompaniment. Finally it is a matter of taste and judgment. Not to overplay but plan the lines by leaving space, knowing where to enter and exit the music. This what makes jazz improvisers unique is a time feel. No two players are alike in this respect. Time feel is one of the most important musical characteristics which separates individuals from each other. This concerns the exact placement of a musician’s pulse in relation to the ongoing beats played by the other band members, usually rhythm section.. There are 3 ways of creating those lines:

- Into the time – played on the beat or in the middle of the time; or slightly behind or ahead

- Against the time – meaning a Cross Rhtythm which groups beats over the established quarter note, or a Polirhythm which after several repetitions will be placed with the first beat of the continued beat cycle.

- Over the time – played in rubato, a-rhythmical manner, ignoring the beat, simultaneously being aware to return to its origin.

Phrasing is how the individual comes forth. The goal is that each artist explores these areas and finds his own solution in picking the various aspects of phrasing with chromatic playing. It characterizes the modern jazz improvisers, that area used to be still undiscovered, there is still a great room for individual approaches to that very specific challenge of phrasing.

Conclusion These are analyzes of in/out architectures used by stile creating improvisers. All of them are reversible – means an improviser can use all of them to create own in/out lines within his personal melodic language. Including this in his unique way of creating and developing melodic ideas will enable him/her to expand his/her skills of expression and to get a big step forward in his/her personal exploration into improvised music.

Books:

- Chromatic Third Relations in the Music of John Coltrane, David Demsey

- Nikolas Slonimsky, Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns,

- David Liebman “Chromatic Approach”

- David Liebman, Examples of Chromatic Lines by David Liebman

- © Jason Lyon 2007 www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html

- Review/Jazz; Steve Coleman Expands The Limits of a Musical Idea By PETER WATROUS Published: June 06, 1994