A Step-by-Step Method for Teaching Jazz Improvisation

Ever wondered how to improvise like a Jazz pro? For this week’s blog, Shawn Goodman shares with us her step-by-step method for teaching Jazz improvisation. Shawn Goodman is an Indianapolis Jazz musician and educator. Her method focuses on learning how to hear chord changes. Musicians and music educators, take note of this great method!

Playin’ Changes:  A Step-by-Step Method for Teaching Jazz Improvisation©

by Shawn Royer

Being in the thick of the jazz education scene has brought to light a very important and disturbing fact… most educators do not know how to teach jazz improvisation.  It’s not their fault either!  Jazz pedagogy classes for music education majors at the collegiate level, if offered, are typically only a brief introduction to jazz history and may touch on scales used for improvisation.  Unless an educator already happens to be a fluent jazz musician, that educator typically seeks out books for tips on how to teach a jazz band.  Unfortunately, the available resources are typically self-help books, only teach blues scales, or are based on the idea that students need to know several scales, chords, and patterns on their instruments before they can improvise a great jazz solo.  What’s missing is a step-by-step method that educators can use to teach students of all ability levels how to navigate chord changes and improvise a solo that follows the chord changes.

My Step-by-Step Method to Teaching Jazz Improvisation is a very simple yet effective series of improvisation exercises developed to train the students to successfully navigate a series of chord changes with one important goal in mind: Land on a chord tone each time the chord changes.

Please keep in mind that these exercises must be taught as part of a “well-rounded” jazz education.  This means that listening to jazz, above all else, must always be the central focus of the curriculum.  There is no way to learn how to play in the style with jazz articulations without listening.  I also recommend scales (using jazz articulations) and simple patterns in all keys for technical facility.  These should be incorporated as a part of the year-long curriculum, but mastery is NOT necessary to begin using the Steps in class.

I recommend using this method first to teach a basic F or Bb Blues progression.  After that, use this method to learn various chord changes to other pieces.

Below is part of a worksheet for the Steps.  Have your students fill in their roots for each of these chords:

This Step-by-Step Method teaches students the sound of the changes, and trains students to focus on how to resolve melodic lines to each chord change.  The emphasis here is not on scales, but rather on chords and chord-tones.  There are no wrong notes, as long as students are playing the appropriate chord tone listed on beat one of each step.  Students may choose any notes from the chromatic scale for improvised beats.  However, students must be reminded not to get too creative on the improvised beats, or they will miss the next chord change.  As students become more comfortable with hitting each chord change, they can get more adventurous on the improvised beats.

THE STEPS:

1. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one of every measure. Rest all other beats.
2. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one of every measure. Improvise quarter-notes on beats 2, 3, and 4.  Don’t get too creative on beats 2, 3, and 4, or you will miss the most important thing- playing the root on beat 1!
3. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures in which the chord changes. Improvise quarter-notes on all other beats.
4. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the note which is a ½ step above the root you are resolving to.  Rest all other beats.
5. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the note which is a ½ step above the root you are resolving to.  Improvise quarter-notes on all other beats.
6. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the note which is a ½ step below the root you are resolving to.  Rest all other beats.
7. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the note which is a ½ step below the root you are resolving to.  Improvise quarter-notes on all other beats.
8. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the quarter-note which is a ½ step above OR below the root you are resolving to.  Improvise quarter-notes on all other beats.
9. Play the root of each chord as a quarter-note on beat one in the measures that the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the quarter-note which is a ½ step above OR below the root you are resolving to.  Improvise eighth-notes on all other beats.  Use bebop articulations for the eighth-notes!
10. Play the root of each chord as an eighth-note on beat one in the measures in which the chord changes. Precede each chord change on beat four with the eighth-note which is a ½ step above OR below the root you are resolving to.  Improvise eighth-notes on all other beats.  Use bebop articulations for the eighth-notes!

After completing steps 1-10, go through the same steps again, but resolve to different chord tones.

• First, resolve to the third of each chord on beat one of every measure
• Then, mix & match between the root and the third
• Next, resolve to the seventh of each chord on beat one of every measure
• Then, mix & match between the root, third, and seventh
• Mix & match between the third and seventh (no root)

Benefits of this Step-by-Step Process

• Allows instructors to easily assess the progress made by individuals within the large group setting by listening for unisons or harmonies when chords change.
• Allows for differentiated instruction as students take ownership of the learning process and choose when they are each ready to progress to the next step.  Students can remain on a step until they master it, then move through the steps at their own pace within the ensemble.
• Gives students the confidence and tools to improvise by providing structure and rules, and by allowing them to practice improvising with others, not just by themselves.  When students are ready to perform the exercise in trios, duos, or solo, they are ready!

I am currently working on creating an all-inclusive method for jazz educators, which includes this Step-by-Step method, along with more lesson plans, worksheets, improvisation exercises, and online interactive resources.  If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to receive an email when the resources become available, please contact me through email, [email protected], or through Facebook here.