Jazz Improvisation Techniques Using Scales

When using scales to improvise, most jazz musicians evolve their own techniques to create a sound that's more intricate than just running up and down a scale. One of the main techniques is to practice and become fluent with scale patterns.

Overview

We discussed this briefly earlier, but now we will delve into more detail. I will play all the patterns against the first two chords in the key of G from the Major Seventh Workout:

• G Major
• C Major

Each chord will last for one bar.

Initial Practice

If you've played along with the track and tried improvising, you've already played the scale of G over these two chords. Now, let's explore:

1. Three Note Group

In a swing feel, you can play the three-note group in triplets. It's beneficial to loop these patterns.

• Note: This is a two-bar loop.
• You can extend them further up the keyboard if you wish.

Here's the basic three-note group:
Instead of starting on the beat, it's often more effective to displace the pattern, like moving the bar lines. Play a pickup and position the last note of the three-note group on the first beat:
1, 2, 3, 4.

Have fun with that!
Try it in other keys and incorporate it into your improvisation.

2. Four Note Group

Next, we'll move on to the four-note group, which we covered earlier.

For G, this is your cell of four notes, and we will move that up one note at a time, playing the pattern straight in swing eighths.

• Remember: This is a two-bar loop.
• Feel free to take that pattern as far up the keyboard as you like.

Displacing the Four-Note Group

We will explore two ways to displace the four-note group for a more jazzy sound:

1. One Note Pickup

   • Put the second note of the group on the beat:
     1, 2, 3, 4.

2. Three Note Pickup

   • Place the last note of the four on the beat by coming in on three:
     1, 2, 3.

Both methods create a more interesting and jazzy way of playing the four-note group rather than just starting on the beat.

Playing in Thirds

The last technique we will examine, which is one of the most effective, involves playing in thirds, two notes a third apart.

• Alternatively, think of it as alternating notes:
  1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5 and so on up the scale.

Playing this straight:
1, 2, 3, 4.
This is the straight pattern.

Now, let's reverse the direction of some notes:
Instead of starting with G and B, we'll start with B and G.

This approach sounds much more interesting as we apply this technique:
1, 2, 3, 4.

Additional Techniques

Another option, especially in a swing feel, is to play something similar in triplets.

• Let's play the straight pattern in triplets:
  1, 2, 3, 4.

Final Thoughts

These patterns serve as excellent workouts. Make sure to pay attention to the fingering, don't use the same finger twice on consecutive notes. Feel free to extend the patterns right up the keyboard.

Happy practicing!
There's a two-octave loop for you to explore!