How do you do it?

[Ace]

Ok I know everybody thinks about improv. differently.

How do you guys go about soling and improv.?

Like chord tones... jamming.... scale work.... chromaticism.... give me the whole 9 yards.

I usually hear melodies to use in my head, and sort of transfer them, or use variations on 'em. Normally, I don't worry about if the note is a chord tone, or if it is supposed to be there. If it doesn't sound good, I won't do it again (most of the time.... he... ....).

So how do you all do it?

[jazzalta]

I know the Prof will want to weigh in on this one, but here's a little of how I approach the subject.

I am basically self-taught and started by learning licks and phrases etc. off recordings. I went the book route and spent a lot of money for very little return. It all came back to listening and I started picking up on the spirit or soul of jazz vocabulary. It helped immensely to use what I was hearing, so I invested in some Jamey Abersold products and band-in-a-box. That probably helped me progress faster than anything since I didn't have a group of similar musicians around to jam with.

My musical mentor was/is Joe Pass (through his recordings). I used his influence by arranging standards myself. Over time I'd add to these arrangements to make them a little more interesting. Now I rarely play the same arrangement twice.

I still use familiar language of the jazz genre, such as licks, arrpegios, parts of scales, etc. And I combine that with "what I hear." I have good days and bad days, and am yet to arrive at a playing level that I'd consider consistent. Like I said earlier I am self taught, but that hasn't stopped me from learning to read music (and sight read) or learn advance theory.

[Ace]

Anyone else?

[oldtimer3739]

After you have learned basic harmony (where chords come from) and and have internalized most of the scales, you should get yourself a copy of The Real Book and start learning the tunes. After you learn a tune (chords and melody) try transcribing them into 3 or 4 other keys to help you recognise the progressions in the tunes. You will soon find that many songs use the same progressions over and over, especially the great old standards. Also, I would encourage you to listen and transcribe your favorite solos. The benefits of this approach are multiple (ear training, familiarity with your instrument, rhythmic content, etc...) and you will never regret the time you spend transcribing. Also, I recommend ALWAYS try to make your practise time as musical as you can. Scales can be boring but if you use different rhythmic motifs, intervals and arpeggios based on the scales, you will have a more musical approach to practising.