Improvising with 7ths
With
Tim RichardsTim Richards shows how to improvise using the notes of the chords themselves, a foolproof approach that sidesteps scales, with arpeggio and broken-chord drills to build fluency.
What's in the course
19 lessons (0h 29m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Improvisation Techniques
Now, when you're improvising, using notes of the chords is a really foolproof way of improvising.
Key Points
- You don't need to think about scales.
- You don't need to worry about blues scales.
- The notes of the chords are never going to sound wrong.
That's what I've done in composing this melody. You could use this principle to improvise your own melody as well.
Practicing Chord Notes
To get fluent with the notes of the chords, I'd recommend that you practice:
-
Arpeggios of the chords
- Start with the root on top.
-
Broken chord patterns
- Experiment with inverted positions.
- Not always with the thumb on the root.
Example: F Positions
- Root Position
- First Inversion
- Second Inversion
- Third Inversion
- Coming down as well.
These are important techniques for introducing variety to your solos.
Moving Forward
You don't want to always have the thumb on the root, which I pretty much did in Seventh Blues. We want to get away from that now.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
