[dgsVI]

When I was in high school back in the '70s, we worked up a handful of charts for competition purposes. Marching, concert, and jazz band... all approached the same way... go over the chosen pieces until we had it how the director wanted it. Jazz band of course was a little looser, once on stage for performances (competition or otherwise) he'd just count us off and then go stand at the side of the stage.

Anyway, in the process of doing things that way, we spent zero time on things like music theory, chord progressions, etc. In fact, until very recently, my interest in chords at all was practically nil. I mean, my instrument of choice only plays one note at a time (polyphonics aside) so what do I need to know about chords for?

Wish I had known better 30 some years ago. Nowadays, I have far less time available to devote to learning on my own. Find myself wishing I had a piano or electronic substitute, as I'm guessing that would make it much easier to learn to recognize chords, etc.

So, there are lots of improvisational jazz cats in here... how (if you can remember ) did you begin the process of learning all things chordal?

 

[rjm23]

I started recently studying improvisation. My teacher started be out with chords tones. So take a piece with the chords. Get a piece of blank sheet music. On the blank sheet stack the chords tones in the measure as they appear in the song. So for a Cmaj7 chord you would have stacked C-E-G-B (1-3-5-7). Say the next chord is A7, you would have A-C#-E-G (1-3-5-b7). Now set up a simple rhythm for each measure, say 2 eighth notes, a half note and a rest. To start play the "1" on the two eighth notes and the "3" on half note. Repeat measure after measure, going with the key changes. Play along with the song (this is something that Band In A Box is great for). What you end up playing is a very simple improvised solo. You can of course many changes to the note and rhythm patterns but stick with the chord tones. Try it. This should at least get you started.

Ron M

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

We had an improvisation class in High school (1972 and73) and played the aebersold records. Iwas on trpt back then. I copyed a Miles Davis solo off a record and probably remember that more than what I ate yesterday? Good times. Our band director was a bass player at North Texas State so he was hip to jazz. k

 

[MartinMusicMan]

Get an inexpensive keyboard, look on craigslist in your area, pick one up at a garage sale, search on ebay, or look on Musicians Friend or Amazon. Then google for charts showing how to form the different chords. Also look at youtube for chord vids. Play around on the keyboard. Play the chords on some simple songs from fake books. Learn to hear and see the chord form and arpeggiate it on the sax.

Or pick up a guitar and have somebody show you how to play a few basic chords on it, or google and look on youtube, then play some folk songs or blues or pop songs that you like.

Either way, you'll start to feel and hear chords and chord progressions in a way that you can use to improvise with the chords.

 

[ekdowlin]

Transcribe solos that you like and learn to play them EXACTLY like the recording. This will help you build a vocabulary. The Abersold play-alongs are great to practice with along with the books.

 

[Grumps]

... how (if you can remember ) did you begin the process of learning all things chordal?

I didn't begin with chords at all. That came much later. When I was a kid I used to just play along with my father as he played jazz on piano. I also trained my ears by figuring out tv show themes on the fly to teach them to my buddies. Then came playing along with records and adding my own parts.

 

[Phil1]

Move to New York City. ( Then get out of there as quick as you can ).

 

[Bebopalot]

Listening to the masters of improvisation and trying to figure out what they were doing and imitate them........ I guess. I really can't remember. I never was too much of a strict "the way it's supposed to be done" type of guy. I get bored with that and you can hear it.

 

[dgsVI]

Thanks for all the input guys... sounds like, as with most things, there is more than one way to skin a cat (granted... no way the cat's gonna like it ), and there is no short cut. Didn't think there were any short cuts, but I just feel that learning more about chord progressions, etc will be the most efficient way to break into it. Might bear fruit a little faster I mean to say.

A while back, I bought a copy of that book with the "Chord Wheel" on the cover. I had just started looking into it, when other distractions of life overtook me, and now I can't find the dang book! It's in the house somewhere, covered over with other stuff... I'll find it eventually. Is there any reason not to look for it?

 

[madhag]

this is coming from someone with no talent in composition/improv...
i use play alongs (mostly aebersolds, tunes picked by my teacher) and begin with playing just the chords, then scales, then play around with patterns. it's very rote and boring, but that really got the notes, my fingers and ears more coordinated in hearing and playing those chord changes. i like working with modal and 2-5's; those easier to handle as a beginner, at least for me. and put a lot of effort into jazz articulation. it doesn't sound right if it doesn't swing.

and of course listen to a lot of music and transcribe, and copy the licks i like.

 

[cleger]

Maybe some day I will learn how...

 

[Oric Muso]

When I first started I didn't have a clue what I was doing. They put charts in front of me but I didn't know what they were exactly. The little group I played with didn't have music, just charts, so I was having to learn tunes I didn't know and then try and improvise when I didn't always have the chart.
When I went back to playing the piano I started to play by ear and learnt blues patterns and how the structure of chords and rhythm fit with a melody. That hadn't really sunk in too muhc before. Getting the rhythm right can help a huge amount. With blues the chords patterns are usually fairly easy to cope with. Finding your way around a blues pattern is a great entry into improv, if you have a bit of a feel for blues.
Get the first Jamey Aebersold book. It's got some good tips and some patterns to play over. They usually tell you to play everything in every key, which is great if you want to get fully profficient. Most beginners and learners aren't at that stage so stick with a few basic keys/ sets of chords and get familiar with those before moving on.

 

[Phil1]

Just try to play a tune as is and when you make a mistake you are now improvising.

" Oh Mister Blakey how did jazz start?"

Art Blakey answering:

" Somebody made a mistake ".

 

[skeller047]

I started by playing along with the radio. When I learned that there were things called chords, I tried to learn how and why they went together the way they did, but didn't really get a clue about until college theory classes. But the most important stuff I learned by listening and copying.

That's the way to go. Theory study is good when you have a context, but if something you hear doesn't fit with theory go with your ear and your heart. And if someone or some book tries to sell you on chord scales, go to another source.