The following examples are all inspired by ideas in Oz Noy’s solo on “Schizophrenic,” the title

track off his 2009 album. The goal here is to introduce ideas that dip into jazz territory while
staying in a funk/rock context. Some of the licks will include the use of whole tone, diminished,
chromatic, altered, and bebop scales, and we’ll also discuss devices such as octave displacement

and motific development.

The basis of the solo is a C tonality. Think C Mixolydian, C minor pentatonic, or even a C7#9
type of vibe. Most of the solo is over a C root, but it moves to a C7-F7 progression later on. Ex.
1 is based on a C minor pentatonic with familiar passing tones inside the typical box, but the
three-note motif sets up a slightly outside direction before resolving back to a bluesy lick in C.
Each three-note motif moves from its starting note up two consecutive semitones. The first one
begins on the b7, then the b3, natural 5, and finally the b7. It’s not a scale, but the clarity of the
three-note motif holds the idea together.

Oz played bebop for years and has a strong foundation in the vocabulary of that style. The next
couple of examples will touch on some bebop-type sounds. Check out Ex. 2, which takes the C
blues idea and
stretches it with a
C half/whole
diminished scale
(C, Db, Eb, E, Gb,
G, A, Bb). This
creates more
tension, leading to
an idea that uses
the C# Dorian
mode with a b5.
The idea resolves with a lick in the C bebop scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, B, C). Ex. 3 uses the
same C bebop scale but with a b5 passing tone (C, D, E, F, Gb, G, A, Bb, B).

The next few examples are played over the new C7-F7 progression as the structure moves away
from the static C tonality. These ideas stay inside the harmony with the exception of a few
passing tones for embellishment. Check out the use of motific development in creating clear
phrases that connect common themes. Ex. 4 uses a C minor pentatonic scale with a natural 3rd
over the C7 and
an F minor
pentatonic with a
natural 3rd over
the F7. Next, in
Ex. 5, Oz uses a
straight C major
scale with one
chromatic passing
tone (Eb) over the

C7 and moves to
an F Mixolydian
mode with a C#
passing tone on
the F7. Sticking
with a motif based
on four-note
groups, Ex. 6
stays in C Dorian
(C, D, Eb, F, G,
A, Bb) with the exception of passing tones on the second note and a major 3rd (E) at the
beginning of the second bar. Ex. 7 begins with a simple C major triad before going off into a C
altered scale (C, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#), which really builds the tension.
The next idea uses one of Oz’s favorite devices—octave displacement—inspired by Pat Martino.
While octave displacement can be used with any scale, Oz goes with the chromatic scale in Ex.
8. Notice how the F# on the high E string is followed by notes two octaves lower, with the F, E,
Eb, and D on the low E string. It’s still chromatic, but by jumping two octaves, a different effect
is achieved. This
happens again
with the G# on
the high E string,
which moves to
the descending
pattern G, Gb, F,
and E on the low
E string. The solo
closes with a
couple of very
fast whole-tone
ideas in F, one of which is illustrated in Ex. 9. There are a couple of passing tones that embellish
the beginning and end of the lick (Ab and Gb respectively) and there is a Bb on the and of two,
but the sound is unmistakably whole-tone. Hopefully after hearing how Oz uses these concepts
you can take your solos into some new creative areas.

Comping Tips

New York City funk/jazz master Oz Noy knows comping. He knows a thing or two
about soloing as well. It stands to reason that he’s also pretty good at thinking
about both concepts at once. These examples were culled from Noy’s
improvisation on a mid-tempo funk groove with a straight eighth-note rhythm, as
heard in his cover of “I Feel Good” from his latest album, Who Gives a Funk, but
they can be played at any tempo and with a swung eighth-note feel as well. Also,
some of the chords are “rootless voicings,” with the root ostensibly being supplied
by the bass. —Vinnie DeMasi
“Whenever I solo, especially in a trio context, I like to conceptualize my
improvisations as a musical interaction where I’m comping behind myself,” says
Noy. “I’ll play a line and then answer it with a chordal lick in a call-and-
response dialogue fashion. When I sound the chords, I’ll almost always throw
on a DLS Effects RotoSIM Leslie speaker simulator to give it a Hammond organ
vibe. If you ever see me play live, you’ll notice I have my foot on the pedal for
most of the show, frequently switching it on and off.

“Ex. 1 is an example of a classic question-and-answer phrase over a straight-

ahead I-IV blues or funk vamp in the key of D. If I want to modulate outside the
key center however, then playing a chord to set up the harmonic background first
is a great way to lead the listener’s ear and make it sound more musical. I like
modulating up or down a half-step during solos, since I feel it provides interesting
melodic and harmonic tension.

Ex. 2 is an example of how I could set up a brief jump to Eb when soloing in D. By

sounding the Ebmaj9 chord first, the move to the new key center seems less
jarring and more melodic. “This same strategy holds true when playing altered
chords and scales. The D7#9 groove at the beginning of Ex. 3 is textbook funk, but
it opens the door to creating lines with ‘out’ notes such as the augmented fifth
[spelled enharmonically as Bb] and augmented ninth [F]. This also works for the
G7#5 in the 3rd bar which prepares your ear for the D# note. Another approach I
like to use is based on something you’ll often hear in Miles Davis’ music, where
he’ll play a simple diatonic line but have the ensemble answer with more
sophisticated harmony. Ex. 4 demonstrates my version of this idea, and even
though I’m providing both the melodic figure and the chordal accompaniment, it’s
done in such a way that it sounds like a musical dialogue between two distinct
voices.
One final concept I use when either soloing or comping is to think about note
clusters within the context of a scale. Ex. 5a is a fourth position D Mixolydian
mode. I’m taking small groups of notes from the scale to create Ex. 5b. The
construct is not so much based on chords per se, but rather on rhythms and
melodic shapes within the scale’s framework.”