Improvisation- The Concept Practice · PDF fileIMPROVISATION & LICKS ... Scales can be any...

SUBJECT: ANCIENT HISTORY GRADE LEVEL: 6-8

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Improvisation- The Concept Practice Sessions

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IMPROVISATION & LICKS IMPROVISATION - THE CONCEPT PRACTICE SESSIONS

Practice Session 1 Play the Lesson Introduction Transcription Objective To inform your intuition and develop your musical instincts by playing the transcription and imitating the recording.

Task Listen to the recording and play the transcription as written.

Procedure 1. Listen to the introduction of the lesson (chapter 1) where I play the Hank Mobley solo or the original recording of, “Tenor

Conclave,” available on Amazon.com and iTunes.

2. As you listen, read along with the music below and pay attention to the details of how the right hand notes are played: phrasing, articulation, rhythmic feel and the overall expressive inflection. Also note the left hand: how and when the chords are played.

3. Play the transcription with your right hand and imitate Hank Mobley’s playing by emulating the elements of the recorded performance that you noted from listening to his solo. Try to listen for the four components of melodic construction (chord tones, arpeggios, chordscales and approach patterns).

4. Comp chords with your left hand using whatever technique you are most able. You should strive to comp using rootless voicings with added tension. The transcription with notated comping (from the lesson intro) is included below the right hand only transcription.

5. Playalong with the included accompaniment. The playalong lasts four choruses.

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Transcription of Hank Mobley soloing over “Tenor Conclave” from the album of the same name.

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Transcription continued

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Hank Mobley transcription including left handed comping from the lesson introduction.

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Self Assessment 1. Record your performance and compare it to the lesson intro.

2. How does your recording compare and contrast with the lesson intro recording with respect to phrasing, articulation, rhythmic feel and the overall expressive inflection?

3. Record your playing multiple times and listen to them again several days later. Letting time pass between recording the solo and listening to it can give you perspective on your playing that is more objective than when you are in the midst of making the recording.



Practice Session 2 Melodic Analysis Objective To learn to recognize the four components of melodic construction.

Task Analyze a transcription of Hank Mobley’s solo over “Tenor Conclave” for the four components of melodic construction: chord tones, arpeggios, chordscale fragments and approach patterns.

Procedure 1. Print this document (in color) and bring it to your piano or keyboard.

2. Make sure you have blue, red, green and yellow colored pencils or markers.

3. On the following pages you will find a transcription of three choruses of Hank Mobely’s solo over the tune “Tenor Conclave.” The solo is written with open note heads. Using your blue marker, color in the note heads of all of the chord tones. Look for 1, 3, 5 or 7 of the chord of the moment on beats 1 or 3 of each measure. NOTE: Not every note on a strong beat will be a chord tone.

4. Using your yellow marker, color in the note heads of all of the approach patterns. The most typical approach patterns are single or double chromatic from below, scale from above or double chromatic from above. For more information on these components see the Four Components of Melodic Construction and Improv Drill: Approach Patterns lessons.

5. Using your green marker, color in the note heads of all of the scale passages. Scales can be any stepwise pattern of notes, usually one of the major or minor scales or modes.

6. Using your red marker, color in the note heads of all of the arpeggios. Arpeggios move by skip and can be 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 of the chord of the moment.



“Tenor Conclave” transcription with open note heads

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“Tenor Conclave” transcription with open note heads continued



Self Assessment 1. Compare your answers with the answer key below. Correct any errors.

2. If you colored most of the patterns correctly, move on to the next practice session.

3. If you made several mistakes try it again; print out a fresh copy and color the notes in again. If you were able to color the patterns a second time with few mistakes, move on to the next practice session.

4. If you were unable to identify any of the patterns, review the lesson. Feel free to ask questions about anything that you don’t understand. Try it again, and if you can identify the patterns with few errors then move on to the next practice session. Otherwise, repeat this step until you can identify the patterns without errors.



Answer key to Hank Mobley note coloring exercise from above.

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Next Steps Congratulations! You are just getting started with melodic analysis! Continue to develop your skill with this concept by transcribing solos of your own choice and analyzing them for the four components of melodic construction.


Improvisation- The Concept Practice · PDF fileIMPROVISATION & LICKS ... Scales can be any...

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