Half a Step Away from Right

The old jazz improviser’s adage is true: You’re never more than half a step away from the right note. You can justify any clinker by calling it a chromatic neighbor as long as you play it like you mean it and resolve it to a chord tone or to the correct upper extension. That raised seventh you played over the dominant chord–that was intentional, right? Love how you used it as a leading tone to the chord root! The major third you landed on in that minor seventh chord–how clever of you to create such unexpected tension en route to the minor third.

I’m joking around a bit, but what I’m saying is perfectly true: the difference between a clinker and chromaticism lies in how you handle the note.

Knowing about the half-step difference can help you when you’re sitting in with a group and find yourself playing a tune by ear whose harmonies you’re not familiar with. Barring tunes whose chords are all purely diatonic, you’ve got to identify the qualitative differences in borrowed chords. Modulations are a different matter; often, though, you’re dealing with just a chord or two out of the norm. Can you identify the note (or notes) that has been changed? It has only been raised–or lowered, take your choice–by just a minor second; otherwise, it would be diatonic to the scale.

Often the sixth note of the scale will be lowered to serve as the minor third in a IVmin7 chord, or as the flat 5 in a IImin7b5. Or the fourth may be raised to serve as the major third of a secondary dominant (V7 of VI). Or the tonic may be raised to serve as the major third in a V7 of II. The point is, if something in the harmony you’re hearing creates a clear qualitative difference, try to identify the tone or tones involved. You may be able to simply skate over the altered chord using a diatonic scale, as you can in rhythm changes, but you really should pay attention to it so you can make judicious choices about how to handle it. Doing so isn’t necessarily a matter of using a different scale; think instead of using the same scale with a note or two in it changed, or perhaps a note added. Your scale options can become more involved, of course, but it pays to start simply until you know what you’re dealing with.

Some tunes will stretch your ears if you work with them; others are too complex to simply jump in on. Speaking personally, my ears have their limitations. If a tune has a lot of modulations and odd harmonies, I have no problem with sitting out that number. But if I think I stand a chance of playing something convincing over unfamiliar territory, I’ll give it a try. Such on-the-spot listening and response is part of the learning curve of an improvising musician. Mistakes can be embarrassing, I’ll grant you, but don’t be afraid to make them. How else are you going to learn?

If you found this post helpful, then make sure to check out my jazz page, featuring many more articles, solo transcriptions, and resources of interest to jazz instrumentalists.

September 10, 2010 by
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The Augmented Scale

…John Coltrane and Oliver Nelson brought [the augmented scale] to the masses in the late ’50s and early ’60s. In more recent years, tenor legend and bandleader Michael Brecker (who passed away in January of this year) made good use of the scale, and required that Mike Stern, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and other guitarists who played for him over the years also know how to harness the pattern’s power.

–from “Secrets of the Symmetrical Augmented Scale” by Josh Workman, EQ online edition

If you want to lend a touch of mysterious, Eastern-sounding chromaticism, angularity, and symmetrical sequence to your solos, consider the augmented scale. I’ve dipped into this unusual, colorful scale from time to time, and lately, in spending more time exploring its sounds and possibilities, I’m becoming captivated with what it has to offer.

The augmented scale is a hexatonic scale–that is, it only has six tones. It is also, like the diminished and whole tone scales, a symmetrical scale. This means that the interval relationships between scale degrees are repeated to create a symmetrical pattern. In the case of the augmented scale, moving upward from the tonic, the scale intervals are: minor third, minor second, minor third, minor second, minor third, minor second.

Here’s what that looks like on the staff.

C augmented scale

There are a couple easy ways to understand the augmented scale. One way, using the C augmented scale to illustrate, is to think of approaching each note of a C augmented triad with its leading tone–i.e. the note B leads to C, D# leads to E, and F## ( or more simply, G) leads to G#. Note that while in this approach you begin with the note B, the actual tonic of the scale is C.

Another way to picture the augmented scale is to superimpose two augmented triads with roots a half-step apart, then organize the resulting tones linearly in a scale. In the case of the C augmented scale, you would superimpose C+ on top of B+. Again, the actual tonic of the scale is C.

A variation of this approach is to superimpose two augmented chords with roots a minor third apart from each other. To get a C augmented scale, you would superimpose Eb+ (same as D#+) on top of C+.

As is also true of the diminished and whole tone scales, the symmetrical nature of the augmented scale makes its root ambiguous. The repeated pattern of a minor third and minor second produces not just one, but three possible tonics separated by a major third. In other words, when you learn the C augmented scale, you’re also learning the E augmented and G# augmented scales. This means that when you’ve learned the C, Db, D, and Eb augmented scales, you’ve learned all the rest as well. Nice, eh? You get all twelve scales for only a third of the work!

There’s plenty more to say about the augmented scale, but I’m not going to try to cover it all here. Dig inside the scale and discover its possibilities for yourself. Here’s a simple pattern to help you get started. The pattern is in C (and E, and G#/Ab). Memorize it, then transpose it to Db, D, and Eb.

C augmented scale pattern

Oh, yes–lest I forget, you’ll want to know how to apply the augmented scale. I’m still working that out myself, but here are a few pointers. Use the C augmented scale with
* a C+ or CM7.
* a C7 or C+7, but watch how you handle the #7. The chromatic tones can be viewed as passing tones, or they can become upper extensions if you alter the chord.
* a B7(b9) or B7 altered chord.
* an Am, Am6, or Am#7 chord.

You can also use the augmented scale with “Giant Steps” the same way you’d use a blues scale with the blues. But that’s a separate post.

This scale doesn’t come easily, but it’s well worth acquiring. However, it’s a more advanced study. You’d be wise to make sure you’ve got your basic major and minor tonalities down, including your cycle of dominants and ii-V7-I patterns, before you go digging into the more abstract stuff. Just my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt as you find your own way. Whatever you do, keep practicing–and have fun!

August 24, 2009 by
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Using Sequence in Jazz Improvisation

Okay, campers, listen up: it’s time to talk about…

SEQUENCE.

Yes, sequence. A fundamental building block of music, and a very handy device in the improviser’s toolkit.

What is sequence? There’s nothing mysterious about it. Sequence is simply the repetition of a melodic idea beginning with different tones. Sequence can be diatonic within a key, and many scale exercises consist of scale material organized sequentially. Sequence can also be an exact, interval-for-interval repetition of a motif (or lick), which often–indeed, almost inevitably–will take you out of key.

The beauty of sequence lies in the coherency it brings to a solo. Sequence is a means of organizing melodic material in a way that the listener can immediately relate to. In the midst of a free-form flow of melody, sequence provides a sense of logic, a momentary theme for the ear to latch onto and follow through one or more permutations.

In its simple, diatonic form, sequence creates interest as you navigate your way through a single scale, chord, or ii-V7-I cadence. But sequence can also be used to take you out of key The strength of repetition has a way of making “wrong” notes sound right–a quality that becomes increasingly important when you’re playing tunes with little in the way of harmonic interest. When you’re in the midst of a two-chord jam, diatonic scales get boring pretty quickly. You’ve got to create energy. How? By using chromaticism–tones outside the key center that add color. Sequence is a great way to do so in an organized fashion.

Now, one picture is worth a thousand words, right? “Don’t tell me, show me,” is what you’re thinking. Relax. I’m not going to leave you hanging without a few examples. I’ll provide some material you can practice in an upcoming post. Right now, I just want to introduce the concept of sequence and whet your eagerness to get a few exercises under your fingers.

“But I want to start noooowwww!!!”

Patience, Grasshopper. It’s Saturday afternoon, it’s spring, and I want to get out and enjoy the day. Stay tuned, though. I’ll be back with a few goodies. Promise.

March 28, 2009 by
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