Can you explain how improvisation is different in modal jazz vs. improvisation over chord changes?
I understand that instead of targeting the tones found in chord progressions, Miles Davis etc. focused on playing the tones in D Dorian mode for "So What?" which has notes that could be actually dissonant to whatever chord-tones/walking bass being played. But how does one actually construct a modal solo and does one not think about at all the chord-progression being played at all or is chord consonance still very important?
Well, three things about modern Jazz to understand:
1. Dissonance isn't bad or good, it's just more or less tension.
2. You can alter chords with substitutions, effectively creating a "chord abstraction theory".
3. If you can get abstract about chords, and that lets you play similar chords where other chords are, then you can do the same thing with scales.
They then just play fewer chords. If you only have 3, or even 1 chord, then you can simply stay in one key and solo all day long. You can then go outside the key to add tension with dissonant notes by picking a new "abstraction".
This reduction in the number of chords in the song then lets you play with abstractions on the chords being used. You can start doing substitutions with chords that are similar to give the song a feeling of progression where there really is none.
If I remember correctly, Freddie Hubbard's "Mr. Clean" is just a F-7 chord for the whole song, but check out what they do with it:
Hey Zed, your video a long time ago about not being a corporate programmer-serf is what inspired me to take up guitar, so appreciate that. What you said about chord substitution, do you mean some chords are more dissonant sounding compared to its major chord counterpart (e.g., dominant 7 or half-diminished)? So in scales, you have different scalar patterns that also have different qualities (e.g., minor pentatonic to the minor scale) - but how do you actually then use the scales creatively instead of just playing over the minor pentatonic scale to a blues jam because it's a stereotypical bluesy scale.
I'm not sure if you are a musician or not, but for now just accept that, to a musician, each mode has it's own "feel". If you are playing in D Dorian, it "feels" different than C Ionian or G Mixolydian, even those these all involve the same primary notes.
Chord consonance in a modal solo is far less important than in blues or bop, but for sure there is a structure to whatever song you're playing (i.e. rules) and you need to know those rules in order to sound capable.
The old rules of bop and blues said that you need to hit specific notes at the right times to sound good. There were right and wrong notes. The newer rules that Miles introduced with Footprints (1958) and continuing with Kind of Blue (1959) freed him and his musicians to explore a lot more and "play around" in certain modes. (I say "play" in the sense of what a child might do, not "play" in the sense of "playing" an instrument). In a modal solo, the aim is to create a melody, not demonstrate capability by hitting the "right" notes as fast as possible. In bop, playing the 9th or 11th of a chord would sound weird, whereas in modal jazz you can linger over those notes and it could sound really nice.
Thanks for your answer. I'm a beginner guitar player interested in learning more about jazz theory.
The old rules of bop and blues said that you need to hit specific notes at the right times to sound good. There were right and wrong notes.
Do you mean here, root or chord-tone targeting? As a D chord comes-in, lead in with a 3rd or 5th chord tone and then the root note.
In a modal solo, the aim is to create a melody, not demonstrate capability by hitting the "right" notes as fast as possible.
Does the melody have to be constrained to tones in the mode; and how is call and response implemented here? In blues, one way it's implemented as the call being a solo fragment from the minor pentatonic scale whereas the response will be in the major pentatonic counterpart. When you are constrained to one mode of one quality, how do you construct a response that sounds somehow different?
Hi, not sure if you're still following this thread from yesterday, but I'll still try to answer your questions..
> Do you mean here, root or chord-tone targeting? As a D chord comes-in, lead in with a 3rd or 5th chord tone and then the root note.
You can do that, but you don't have to be that strict. You can play other notes. If the music says D7, you could play D,F#,A,C to be "safe". But you don't really want to constrain yourself to the notes in the chord, or your solo will sound kind of boring. I said in my other comment that you want to demonstrate "capability". This means knowing the song, knowing the style (rules), knowing your instrument, then once you have all that down, putting something of yourself into the solo. The chords are just guidelines, and they will go by quickly.
> Does the melody have to be constrained to tones in the mode; and how is call and response implemented here? In blues, one way it's implemented as the call being a solo fragment from the minor pentatonic scale whereas the response will be in the major pentatonic counterpart. When you are constrained to one mode of one quality, how do you construct a response that sounds somehow different?
Hmm, "how is call and response implemented" is a very interesting question. It's an interesting way of even asking the question. Jazz isn't really "implemented".
Anyway, call and response isn't done so much in modal jazz. What you're describing about switching between minor and major is more of a bluesy thing. I mean, I recognize what you're saying as a very technical description of what they do in songs like Nat Adderley's "Work Song", or Art Blakey's "Moanin'".
Most modal jazz songs will give you plenty of time in a mode to really stretch out a solo and experiment with different patterns. Coltrane could take a half hour long solo over a song like "Impressions" and keep it interesting. Its not really about constructing a "response" to a "call".
It's awesome that you are asking questions and trying to learn more about jazz theory, but I think you might be getting bogged down in details and missing the bigger picture. Theory won't really make you a better musician. Back when I was playing a lot, I would meet old guys at clubs who would put me to shame, and they didn't know the first thing about theory.
My advice to you is:
1. Listen. To as much music as you can. I'm in my 30s, so back when I really got all nerdy about this stuff, they had those deals where you could get "15 CDs for a penny". I would sign myself up for those under all kinds of alternate names. Get them delivered at work, at my parents house, etc. There was a period of several years where I would just nerd out and listen to everything I possibly could. Nowadays, people probably just download music from torrents. I think you should pay for the music if you can, but don't feel too bad about not paying for it if you can't.
2. Play music all the time. Have your instrument ready to go, and play along with your CDs. Find jam sessions in your area and go to them. The first time you go, don't bring your instrument, just listen. Each jam session has a "character" and you want to make sure that, as a n00b, you can fit in. Some sessions are more n00b-friendly than others. Some have sign-in sheets, and are mostly music majors trying to outdo each other. But don't worry, because people are generally nice, and the bar for being a jazz musician is set much lower than you think. You don't need to know theory or modes, you just need to be willing to listen. You'll meet all kinds of interesting characters and you'll learn a ton about music, and probably a ton more about things outside of music.
3. Practice. This will take years, but you need to know your instrument inside and out. You need to know scales and arpeggios. How different playing techniques alter the sound. Practicing jazz means playing lots of jazz. I don't know of any better study aids than the Jamey Aebersold Play-a-long books. Start with Volume 21, "Gettin' It Together" which just gives you a CD of every key in major and minor, and a few common blues changes, and then play it constantly. Then add Volumes 1 (intro to soloing), Volume 2 (blues), Volume 3 (ii-V7-I). Then add any other volumes you are interested in (and there are hundreds). Again, these can be pirated, but I think you should buy them if you can afford them, as they are very worth it.
4. Learn the history. Read books about jazz, and nerd out on Wikipedia. Jazz is a constantly evolving artform, so to really understand it, you need to know the context of the times in which it was created. Imagine what it was like for the early blues artists. Then it evolved into a commercial success with big bands that would travel around and play at dance halls. Imagine being a musician like Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie, who after playing the same music for years gets bored. They form small groups where they can really show off and the result is bop style. Coltrane comes along and gets bored with that and basically starts throwing different chords into the standard blues and rhythm changes. etc etc. Jazz is a conversation that took place over years. Basically (and this is the secret to everything in life) there are rules, then trendsetters break those rules in ways that lay down new rules, and this is a cycle that endlessly repeats itself. Miles "got" this more than anyone else.
Hey bhousel, thanks for your detailed answer here. I'll def. get James Aebersold's Vol 21 "Gettin' It Together" and try to get myself together. I'll also check out the local jazz jams around Boston, I went to a blues jam at a Cambridge bar where it was really overwhelming as lots of regular pro's congregated there but I think if I leave my ego at home, I'll go to more jams and play.
Yea also appreciate your tip about not getting bogged down on the technical detail. As a adult music-language learner, I might have a tendency to think in terms of structure to construct musical phrases. Appreciate your advice, I'll explore the avenues you have revealed here and let you know how it goes.
Chord consonance is still important in modal jazz. For the most part, the players have more freedom to stretch out on longer harmonic movement, rather than hopping around quickly like in bebop. If you look closely at transcriptions of the solos in kind of blue, some of the players do hint at chord progressions towards the beginning, middle, and end of their solos, which might be the dissonance you mentioned. At least, this is what I remember from back in music school. :)
I understand that instead of targeting the tones found in chord progressions, Miles Davis etc. focused on playing the tones in D Dorian mode for "So What?" which has notes that could be actually dissonant to whatever chord-tones/walking bass being played. But how does one actually construct a modal solo and does one not think about at all the chord-progression being played at all or is chord consonance still very important?