Improvisa*on,Using,Simple,Melodic,Embellishment,

Mike%Titlebaum%Director%of%Jazz%Studies%

Ithaca%College%%

©%2012%Copyright%Mike%Titlebaum%

Embellishment%Techniques%•  Begin%with%a%straighForward%melody%•  “DisHll”%this%melody%into%half%notes%and%whole%notes%•  Using%this%disHlled%version,%we’ll%pracHce%applying%standard%melodic%

embellishment%techniques:%–  Passing%tones%–  Neighbor%tones%

•  ConHnue%by%introducing%increasingly%chromaHc%(but%sHll%fairly%straighForward)%melodic%embellishment:%–  Double%neighbors%–  ChromaHc%Embellishment%

•  Apply%these%techniques%freely%•  Hopefully,%there%will%be%Hme%for%quesHons%at%the%end,%but%stop%me%

and%ask%for%clarificaHon%if%you’re%confused%•  First,%we%sing…%

Oh,%When%the%Saints%Go%Marching%In%

•  We’re%about%to%the%“ramp%up”%the%pace%a%bit%•  But%the%tempo%will%not%increase%•  Just%increasing%the%density/quanHty%of%melodic%embellishment%

•  Get%ready…%

Is%this%going%to%keep%being%“simple?”%

That%was%a%li]le%harder…%

•  Next%step%is%much%more%chromaHc%•  Requires%an%enHre%pracHce%rouHne%•  Technique%is%called%“chromaHc%embellishment”%(credit%to%Bill%Dobbins)%

•  What%is%it?%

ChromaHc%Embellishment%

•  DefiniHon:%Preceding/approaching%a%target%tone%with%chromaHc%pitches%above%and%below%the%target.%

•  QuesHon:%What%percentage%of%great%improvisers%use(d)%chromaHc%embellishment?%

Answer:%100%%of%them!%Audio%examples%played%three%Hmes%each%(Once%full%speed,%then%twice%slowly)%

ChromaHc%embellishment%exercises:%Two%different%cases%to%pracHce%

%•  Given%a%target%pitch%(for%example,%the%halves%and%wholes%in%our%disHlled%melody)%

•  Determine%the%pitch%above,the%target%diatonically%

•  Determine%whether%upper%diatonic%pitch%is%a%whole%step%or%half,step%above%the%target:%

ChromaHc%embellishment%%These%two%cases%turned%into%pa]erns%

ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Major%Scale%

ChromaHcally%%Embellished%Minor%Scale%

Freely%mixed%embellishment%techniques%

•  Mixing%these%is%one%way%we%move%from%playing%exercises%to%making%music%

•  Primarily,%everything%we’ve%worked%on%so%far%today%has%been%melodic.%

•  Now%we%will%also%alter%rhythms%to%make%it%more%interesHng:%– Adding%syncopaHons%– Delaying%or%anHcipaHng%a%target%note%by%an%1/8%

Ways%to%use%these%techniques%•  Compose%your%own%simple%line%of%halves%and%wholes,%and%then%embellish%it.%%Here’s%mine:%

•  Apply%to%other%songs%•  Let’s%try%it%with%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called%Love?”%

•  First%we’ll%sing%the%song…%

Ways%to%use%these%techniques%

Playing%“What%Is%This%Thing%Called%Love?”%

•  Note%the%AABA%song%form.%%%•  We’ll%start%with%the%melody.%•  Then%we’ll%play%a%simple,%newly%composed%melodic%line%of%half%notes%

•  Apply%embellishment%techniques%to%the%new%melodic%line%quickly%8%bars%each)%and%without%pause%

•  Spend%more%Hme%(a%full%32ibar%chorus)%chromaHcally%embellishing%the%new%melody.%

•  Ready?%%Try%to%follow%along…%

If%there’s%Hme…%

•  When%working%on%embellishments:%How%do%you%decide%which%is%the%right%note%to%be%DIATONICALLY%higher?%

•  Should%you%choose%the%next%higher%note%in%the%KEY%OF%THE%PIECE,%or%the%one%in%the%CHORD%OF%THE%MOMENT?%

ConHnuum%of%melodic%content%%of%great%jazz%improvisaHon%

CHORD,OF,,THE,MOMENT,

KEY,OF,,THE,PIECE,

The%big%quesHon%really%is:%%Which%%is%more%important%for%the%improviser?%%