96 OCTOBER 2004 GUI TAR PLAYER

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WOODSHED
Grooving Over Jazz Changes
B Y P I N O M A R R O N E
For those growing up on a blues-scale diet of
rock and blues, the natural inclination for
improvising is to play modally. However, in
jazzor in any music with shifting harmony
the modal approach alone brings vagueness
to solos. Listen closely to any great improviser
and how their every note refers to the songs
harmonic structure. But harmony is only half
the battle. Phrases also have to groove, or
theyll sound dead. In jazz, we dont just
improvise melodies that suit the changes, we
improvise rhythmic structures that suit the
groove. Our goal is to become both harmoni-
cally and rhythmically eloquent.
G U I D E T O N E S
Learning to connect guide tones and passing
tones is one way to train our ears and fingers
to navigate the harmonic resolutions we call
cadences. And when we harmonically
describe the changes while employing an
enticing rhythm, the notes suddenly come
alive. Bebop saxophonists from Charlie
Parker to Lee Konitz have created excite-
ment with simple lines such as the
sequenced chromatic phrase in Ex. 1. Work-
ing beautifully over the last eight measures
of the well-known Stella by Starlight pro-
gression, these four-note lines take place on
single strings and, with successive pull-offs,
each gracefully describes the chord of the
moment. But the notes wouldnt grab your
ears without their catchy, repeating rhythm.
TA K I N I T O U T
Ex. 2 gains an outside sound by sequenc-
ing a rhythmically displaced, perhaps Nico-
las Slonimsky-inspired motif. In the key of F
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Em7 5 Dm7 5 A7 9 G7 9 , , , ,
Swing feel
12 11 10 8 9 7 6
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Cm7 5 F7 9 B maj7 , , ,
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Melodically and rhythmically
eloquent to the lastthe great
Jim Hall.
A D V A N C E D
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4
simile

EX. 2
EX. 1
98 OCTOBER 2004 GUI TAR PLAYER
minor, we are targeting strong notes from the
V chord, C7#5, and the I chord, Fm(maj7). It
may take a moment to recognize, but in each
of this examples two phrases, the intriguing,
angular sound results from a clever sequence
of half-step intervals and an unpredictable
rhythmic shape.
U P S A N D D O WN S
Ex. 3 outlines a II-V-I progression in F that
includes some chord extensions and altered
tones. But its the rhythmic hookthe repeated
rise and fall of the melodythat propels the
line. Try to be accurate with the the upward and
downward sweeps of the pick while remaining
rhythmically free and loose. Instead of using a
metronome, try practicing this example with a
ride cymbal pattern on your drum machine.
This gives you more subdivisions to listen to
and may help keep the example sounding
lively.
H A L L O F F A M E L I C K
Jim Hallin many ways the father of modern
jazz guitarplays beautiful solos by elaborat-
ing on simple motifs such as the one in Ex. 4.
Listen to how this phrase efficiently describes
a very famous jazz progressionAutumn
Leaves, in G minorby surrounding the 3 in
each chord with upper and lower neighbor
tones. The side benefit of this example is that it
helps us learn to swing while playing multiple
hammer-ons and pull-offs. But the real lesson
hereas with the previous examplesis in
how these notes have such a strong impact
through their rhythmic theme. Remember, like
many great jazz lines, this lick wouldnt mean a
thing if it didnt have that swing. g
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EX. 3
EX. 4