Lesson with Michael A. Garman (the JAZZ)

Michael!

Here we go! ..."jazz harmony, style, notation, and ultimately chart-writing."

It's a big, bad world...so...where do you want to go today?

What I mean is, where do you want to start? Lemme know how much theory and stuff you already have; how much jazz do you listen to? Who do you like? ... or something. :whistling:

Well, I like to think my classical theory is alright, and I know that lends to jazz theory, but there are inclusions of such chords as #9, b13s, etc., and other things I am not sure the use of. I understand the concept of a 12 bar blues progression but I feel that is just so juvenile. I love Ellington, and have listened to a bit of Coltrane, Goodman, Davis, and other random people I don't remember.

I don't listen to too much as of late, but that is because a lot of stuff I am working on has been dominating my schedule. Do you think you could recommend a few listening assignments for specific techniques or talking points, and then we could discuss them?

- Specifically regarding chord structure, usage of instruments (combo vs. big band roles), and any other possibly important things.

Do you think you could recommend a few listening assignments for specific techniques or talking points, and then we could discuss them?

- Specifically regarding chord structure, usage of instruments (combo vs. big band roles), and any other possibly important things.

Excellent!

We'll start with a basic primer on the "jazz idiom" and how the instruments are used...idiomatically.

You mention "combo vs bigband roles" ... which can be stripped down to "soloist vs ensemble" roles. In a combo or small group, the emphasis is on the individual and (we're talking in generalizations here) improvisation. For larger ensembles, the unit is the main attraction - the cohesion and overall "togetherness" takes precedent over the individual soloists. Usually. With larger ensembles there's much more reliance on written material, which leads into and supports some solo stuff.

With smaller groups, the focus is on the unique individual, and their own interaction with the other players. That is not to say that written compositions are not important, but the compositional approach is different.

Rhythm section (guitar, piano, bass, drum) roles remain similar in both settings - time/harmony. In larger ensembles it's often important for them to work as part of the larger whole, and "catch" ensemble parts - i.e. play rhythmic figures with the horns, set up shots, time/feel changes etc... With smaller groups, this "ensemble" mentality is lessened, but the interaction and listening is still wildly important.

For bigbands, in the horns, you generally have some sort of hierarchy, with a "section leader" designated to dictate stylistic approach and to unify the sectional playing - articulations, swing feel, cut offs, vibrato etc. Having sections that blend well, and play consistently and together is the ultimate goal in most "Jazz" big bands.

NOW....listen!

Small group:

• Miles Davis - Bye Bye Blackbird (from ''Round About Midnight'). We all know the melody, which is given typically Miles-ian treatment here. Laid-back phrasing...
  
• Wayne Shorter - Mahjong (from JuJu). Notice the approach to phrasing from Wayne (tenor sax) and how the bass/drums maintain that loose intensity which drives the tune.
  
• Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (from 'Maiden Voyage'). Dig how they control the levels of energy through the head (melody) and build through the solos. Notice also, always, the unique approach to phrasing in jazz.
  
• 
  
• Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - The High Priest (from 'Ugetsu'). just to demonstrate how larger small ensembles can work - more maneuverable, but able to give that extra oomph for impact...
  

Big Band:

• Count Basie - Satin Doll (from 'Live at the Sands'). Swangin'. Notice how the rhythm section compliments any important figures and accents...
  
• Duke Ellington - Main Stem (from 'The Blanton-Webster Band'). Duke was wild - he managed to cultivate a tight ensemble, while incorporating VERY distinct individual soloists. Stunning!
  
• Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra - Ding Dong Ding (from 'Live From The Village Vanguard'). Composed by Bob Brookmeyer, this is an example of how Jazz Orchestra writing has evolved... very cool.
  

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I just grabbed those tunes randomly...if there's anyone/thing you want to check out, or any style you want to dig into, let me know.

Questions? Up next, we'll look at how jazz theory augments the traditional concepts of harmony and all that...jazz.

;)

Hope some of this helps!

Awesome, I'd like to join these lessons too. :)

The horns tend to come in in sections I feel... if I were writing like concert band music, I would pair like just lead alto and 2nd tmpt or something, whereas here it feels like sections speak in harmony, or leads take elongated solos with a riding accomp.

I think a proble I have in approaching jazz writing is giving away the power to the soloist. It isn't that I have to control it, I like the freedom aspect, but I don't know what is going to happen, and I guess it dont structure the harmonies and groups in such a way conducive to soloistic passages.

Anyway, I guess the next step is harmonies, unless there is some more we can talk about in this..?

(sorry for the late response btw, i would like to be more consistently prompt in the future)

The horns tend to come in in sections I feel... if I were writing like concert band music, I would pair like just lead alto and 2nd tmpt or something, whereas here it feels like sections speak in harmony, or leads take elongated solos with a riding accomp.

Umhummm...

In traditional Big Band writing, there's a definite saxes/brass/rhythm distinction...With more modern writing, you'll find a more orchestral approach. Voicing across sections, less emphasis on improvisation (or at least, less of a divide between written and improvised material), longer forms, more complex structures, more intricate counterpoint...

I think a proble I have in approaching jazz writing is giving away the power to the soloist. It isn't that I have to control it, I like the freedom aspect, but I don't know what is going to happen, and I guess it dont structure the harmonies and groups in such a way conducive to soloistic passages.

You need to have soloists in whom you have complete faith. For me, I'd never presume to tell someone what to play...however; as composers we can easily steer and aim the improvisors. BUT, sometimes, they take it in a completely different direction from your original vision...and it's something you have to learn to enjoy. My soloists give my music Life - it's constantly changing and the different perspectives keep it all vibrant and alive. Also, your chords might affect how someone improvises on them, but with decent players, you need not concern yourself with making them "conducive" . ;)

I'm away for a few more days...when I get home I'll lay some more listening on you.

Also, Nigel! Feel free to chime in if you have any questions... :)

I just started taking Jazz Records at UNT with Jay Saunders, and i expect that class will be a labor-intensive course that will expose me to a lot of records I should know. I also talked with Paris Rutherford about jazz arranging, and we spoke briefly about voicing, especially in piano. What can we talk about that kinda stuff?

Sorry for the delay....life is happening all around me.

Now, when it comes to piano, I have what's known as "arranger's piano" skills. I can fumble through most stuff, but I really need to think about it and it's wildly unmusical.

BUT, here's some stuff to consider when approaching piano comping and harmony.

Thirds and Sevenths are your new best friends. They define pretty much everything about most chords. Learn to love them, and where they like to go. Voice-leading can make ANY progression sound great, if it's done smoothly...likewise, it scrafty voice-leading can ruin even the simplest ii-V.

SO, When looking at these examples, pay attention to what happens to the thirds, and sevenths.

Here are some educational excerpts from some literature I found helpful. You might to well to buy some jazz piano specific books. Namely, the Mark Levine Jazz Piano Book...from which this is excerpted:

Three-note-voicings.

Mark Levine explains it, and demonstrates very well. See if that gives you somewhere to go.

Also, here's my take on simple ii-V-I movement: rooted, two-hand:

rootless, left-hand (useful for comping whilst the RH plays a line).

Dig also this page from Aebersold Vol 84. Some interesting ideas for voicing of dominant chords.

Not being a piano player, I can't really get into much more detail, unfortunately! Hope this helps.

I'm not a pro jazz player, but I play in my school jazz band, and gig around in combos and stuff. A lot of parts I get are overly detailed to the point that they are annoying to read. If you there is a specific way you want the piano to comp, like a special montuno pattern, or you really need the pianist to do double horn hit somewhere, than you should write it out, but in most cases the writing out the chords is all that's necessary. Often I will get a part in which the composer writes out note-by-note typical swing comping patterns every measure, instead of just letting the piano player do his thing. These parts often end up being 15 pages of notes, instead of what could have been 4-5 pages of chords.

The best way to improve your comping, once you know the basics, is by getting a fakebook and playing a bunch of tunes, preferably with other people, constantly experimenting with different voicings. Make sure you can play any chord in all it's inversions. be sure to build your chords off of not only 3rds, but 4ths and 5ths as well.

One way to look at jazz piano comping is that you always want to find the shortest path between chords. So let's say you're playing Cm7 to F7. The dryest, straightest way to play these chords is to just play them at root position: Cm7 being C-Eb-G-Bb, and F7 being F-A-C-Eb. But if you play this, you'll quickly notice it sounds awkward because there is such a big jump between the two chords. Instead of moving everything, let's look for common tones between the two chords, and keep them where they are, and then only move the notes that need moving. Starting on the Cm7 chord, we see that the C and the Eb are the 5 and 7 of the F7 chord, so we really just need to move the G and the Bb. The closest note to the G in the F7 chord is F, and the closest one to the Bb is A, so now we can go from Cm7 to F7 just by moving the top to notes down a whole step: C-Eb-G-Bb to C-Eb-F-A.

But this voicing still isn't great. Since the bass player probably has the root covered in the Cm7 chord, we can get rid of the C and add in the 9 just for colors sake. Let's use the voicing Bb-D-Eb-G. As you can see, we removed the root, added the 9 in the middle of the chord, and took the 7 to the bottom of the chord, creating a much hipper voicing. If we want to move that to F7, the only note we have to move to get the tonality is the Bb. The D can stay, as it's the 13 of the F7 chord, the Eb is the 7, and the G is the 9. You could argue that the Bb could stay as well, since it could be seen as the 11 of the F7 chord, and you'd be right. But if we want to stick in the 3rd (A), it'll probably conflict with the 11 (Bb) if we keep it in. Of course, we could keep the Bb, and not put in the A. Than the F7 chord would become an Fsus chord, and it is perfectly fine to make that substitution as long as it doesn't interfere with what someone else is playing. But for this demonstration, I'd like to keep it as an F7 chord, and move the Bb down to A. So for our new voicing of Cm7 to F7 we have Bb-D-Eb-G to A-D-Eb-G. Of course, you'll need the C and the F in the bass, but this should sound pretty good.

I think being able to comp is a useful skill for anyone looking to compose in any style. Once you've been creating harmonies on the spot playing jazz, creating harmonies for your pieces becomes extremely simple.