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    Colligan Jazz Vocab

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    saltybuddha
    The document is a blog post responding to a viewer's question about improving their jazz improvisation vocabulary. It summarizes that the viewer is studying jazz improvisation in a common way, by transcribing solos note-for-note, but needs to focus on smaller phrases to internalize. It recommends practicing by "plugging in" short one or two note ideas into chord changes of tunes, and combining "licks" with scale concepts. It also suggests transcribing simpler solos initially instead of more advanced modern players, and trying solos for their own instrument. The goal is to build vocabulary one small idea at a time through real practice, as with learning a language.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Colligan Jazz Vocab

    Uploaded by

    saltybuddha
    145 views5 pages
    The document is a blog post responding to a viewer's question about improving their jazz improvisation vocabulary. It summarizes that the viewer is studying jazz improvisation in a common way, by transcribing solos note-for-note, but needs to focus on smaller phrases to internalize. It recommends practicing by "plugging in" short one or two note ideas into chord changes of tunes, and combining "licks" with scale concepts. It also suggests transcribing simpler solos initially instead of more advanced modern players, and trying solos for their own instrument. The goal is to build vocabulary one small idea at a time through real practice, as with learning a language.

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    Jazz vocabulary article from George Colligan

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    The document is a blog post responding to a viewer's question about improving their jazz improvisation vocabulary. It summarizes that the viewer is studying jazz improvisation in a common way, by transcribing solos note-for-note, but needs to focus on smaller phrases to internalize. It recommends practicing by "plugging in" short one or two note ideas into chord changes of tunes, and combining "licks" with scale concepts. It also suggests transcribing simpler solos initially instead of more advanced modern players, and trying solos for their own instrument. The goal is to build vocabulary one small idea at a time through real practice, as with learning a language.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    145 views5 pages

    Colligan Jazz Vocab

    Uploaded by

    saltybuddha
    The document is a blog post responding to a viewer's question about improving their jazz improvisation vocabulary. It summarizes that the viewer is studying jazz improvisation in a common way, by transcribing solos note-for-note, but needs to focus on smaller phrases to internalize. It recommends practicing by "plugging in" short one or two note ideas into chord changes of tunes, and combining "licks" with scale concepts. It also suggests transcribing simpler solos initially instead of more advanced modern players, and trying solos for their own instrument. The goal is to build vocabulary one small idea at a time through real practice, as with learning a language.

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    jazztruth

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2011

    LABELS

    Viewer Mail: Improving Jazz Vocabulary


    I recently received in the comments a
    very long question regarding learning
    how to play, and it has inspired me to
    start a new section called Viewer
    Mail. I'm posting Anonymous'
    question (I edited it some) and then I
    will respond. Hopefully, Anonymous
    will find my answers helpful.
    Anonymous said...
    Hi George (sorry for the long post in advance, and thank you for your
    time). This is Anonymous from Toronto, and I started studying jazz
    improvisation very seriously about 4 years ago. I am 32, and very hungry
    for jazz improvisation related information. I found your blog via some of
    the interviews you posted. I just want to say this is SUCH a blessing and
    youre really COOL guy to want to dedicate your time sharing insights
    and experiences openly. Although there is a lot of information out there
    for jazz students, oftentimes they are not specific enough on describing
    the actual process of learning how to improvise, or more precisely, how
    to acquire and maintain a musicians jazz vocabulary in our brain.
    Could you shed some light please?
    For example, I started transcribing about 2 years ago, and Ive been
    transcribing a bit everyday and went through 4-5 solos in the past year
    (Aaron Goldbergs piano solos on Jimmy Greenes Introducing CD
    track: Con Alma, Flower and Fly Little Bird Fly). Ive practiced to the
    point that I have lines memorized. I can sing them in my head from start
    to finish. And Ive analyzed the harmonic ideas of his outlines (although
    the more I memorize the solo, I tend to not be conscious anymore of the
    harmonic and chord changes but its more playing out of muscle
    memory, and Im not sure if this is effective or not). Ive practiced some
    2 bar lines in all 12 keys on the guitar , and then move on to next line
    and repeat again next day or work on new projects. Usually I can only
    remember the lines for a few weeks.

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    2011 (9)
    February (1)
    Viewer Mail: Improving Jazz

    When actually improvising, I end up still going to my familiar few


    patterns and few licks. If I slow down, or just sing alone without the
    guitar, occasionally one of Aarons transcribed idea will come up while
    singing. Then, eventually, I get so tired of the transcribed solo and fear
    that Im not progressing that I move on to new solos for inspirations,
    and then the results are the same.
    Recently I read a book by Lee Konitz
    called "Conversation on the
    Improviser's Art", and he said that
    Lennie Tristano used to ask his
    students to write a chorus etude and
    memorize it. Ive been doing that over
    common standard progressions. If I
    can slow down time I hear really
    good ideas that I even surprise myself
    and have time to think how to connect
    changes linearly. But for me to be
    able to improvise in real-time at the
    rate this is going, well, i'm afraid I
    will be 80 years old before I succeed.
    Question 1. Is the way Im studying jazz improvisation normal? Or am I
    going totally the wrong direction?
    Question 2. Do you recommend a way to memorize lines and/or a
    system how to maintain your vocabulary, and how to discern which line
    you hear/feel so quickly when youre in the bandstand situation. Or, if
    you can just post any info you feel its important to share to this regard,
    or how did you practice when you first started, or just how to build your
    vocabulary. George- thanks so much!
    OK. Anonymous- Thanks for writing. Your situation is quite common.
    The larger question, and to put your entire monologue much more
    succinctly, is: How can I improve my improvisational vocabulary? Also,
    how can I use what I'm studying to improve my improvisation?
    Think of jazz music like a
    language. When you learn a
    language, you learn one word at
    a time. Gradually, over a period
    of time and much real practice
    with people who speak the
    language, you will develop
    fluency. But we must remember
    that you can only learn one word
    at a time. When you develop
    fluency, you will be able to
    memorize long passages of T.S.
    Licor de Manzana:
    Eliot or William Shakespeare, or
    doesn't necessarily help you speak Spanish
    what have you. But at the
    beginning stages, it's one word
    or concept at a time. When I learned Spanish, I was traveling to Spain a
    lot and I would write down vocabulary words and work on verb tenses
    everyday, and then practice with the locals. I knew I didn't speak very
    well, but the real time awkward practice really helped. (It forces you to
    think, even after five glasses of Licor De Manzana at 3:30 in the
    morning....)
    I believe it is the same with jazz vocabulary. You have to concentrate on
    the short phrases. Even 2 note ideas can go a long way if you are trying
    to apply them to chord changes. Let's go back to the spoken language
    analogy: you would never attempt to "learn" to speak English by learning
    Alec Baldwin's monologue from Glenn Garry Glen Ross. If you don't
    understand basic verb tenses, Baldwin's speech, while amazing, won't

    Viewer Mail: Improving Jazz


    Vocabulary
    January (8)
    2010 (45)

    ABOUT ME

    George Colligan
    I am an American jazz
    pianist/composer/educator who lives
    in Winnipeg, Manitoba(Canada)but
    also tours and spends much time in
    NYC, where I lived for 14 years.
    Hope you enjoy my new blog.
    View my complete profile

    really mean much to you.


    I am not saying don't transcribe entire solos ever. Eventually, you will be
    able to do that more easily. What I do recommend is to take small, small
    ideas from a wide variety of jazz players, and then work it into your own
    playing. And when I say "work it into", I mean that this could be
    described as "plugging licks into the chord changes". That doesn't sound
    very artistic, I know. However, this is the beginning of the process.
    When you are just starting to learn to speak a second language, it is the
    same; it's not very correct or profound, but you keep speaking, hope
    you'll be understood, and hang in there.
    I gave out an assignment recently of
    "Moment's Notice" where students
    will just "plug" one measure ideas
    into every ii V progression in the tune.
    This is very robotic and calculated; be
    that as it may, if you look at what
    Trane and Lee Morgan are doing on
    the recording, they are doing a very
    artistic and advanced form of this.

    The great Lee Morgan

    I also think you need to combine


    "licks" with "concepts". For example, maybe instead of thinking about a
    "lick", think about the scale that goes with the chord. Use the scale as if
    it was a a big drum kit with 7 drums. That combined with melodic
    shapes in the jazz idiom should give you a lot to think about.
    To further the analogy; your goal in speaking a language is to express
    your needs. Not to quote Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot's needs. Your needs.
    So you need to understand how the process works on a molecular level.
    If you take two and three note ideas and "apply" them to chord changes,
    and then start to experiment with how to move those ideas around and
    connect with other SMALL ideas, then eventually you will start to see
    progress.
    I like Tristano's idea of writing a solo chorus of your own and
    memorizing it. I have my students do this.
    It's like soloing in slow motion. Eventually, you want to be able to do
    that in time.
    I also wanted to comment on your choice of transcription subject. Aaron
    Goldberg is a fine pianist, but he's pretty advanced and modern. Why
    don't you try something like Dexter Gordon, or Hank Mobley, or even a
    Miles Davis solo? Something very simple. Maybe one chorus of Bird, or
    Freddie Hubbard? Aaron Goldberg is a weird place to start for a
    beginner. Again, it would be like me trying to learn Spanish by
    memorizing the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Now, eventually, I would love
    to get to that level, where I could speak on the level of Pablo Neruda's
    poems. In this way, you want a high level of fluency as a jazz musician.
    But you have to be patient.
    Also, why not try someone on your instrument? What about a Grant
    Green or Wes Montgomery solo? It's not essential, but you might want
    to at least check out some guitar players. Maybe some George Benson?
    Maybe something of John Scofield that isn't too hard?
    Above all, be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. (And with Roman
    contractors, it's a wonder they ever completed the job to begin with.) I'll
    be in Toronto in April, if you want a lesson, let me know. Email me at
    my website www.georgecolligan.com

    Posted by George Colligan at 8:05 AM


    Labels: Jazz Education, Viewer Mail

    3 comments:
    Joani Taylor said...
    This is a great lesson George. I have taught this idea ( but not as well put as you did
    here) at Jazz camps. Very well put.
    Joani Taylor
    February 8, 2011 11:17 AM

    Flute juice said...


    My teacher used to tell us to transcribe our own solos.
    February 8, 2011 4:30 PM

    Bill Kirchner said...


    Some excellent suggestions. I decided some years ago that most of my favorite
    jazz improvisers--from Louis Armstrong to Joe Henderson--are motivic players.
    Consider Miles Davis's 1959 solo on "Freddie Freeloader" from KIND OF BLUE--a
    perfectly shaped blues solo that begins and ends on (and develops from) the same
    three-note phrase. One of many possible examples.
    Learning to take a simple idea and develop it logically is one of the hallmarks of
    good jazz improvisation--and of life in general. In fact, jazz improvisation *is* a
    microcosm of life.
    February 8, 2011 5:08 PM

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