Beginner Improvising on two (diatonic) chords e.g. Jambalaya

[Pete Thomas]

also i normally play the melody so playing the basslines over chords is quite chaotic at full speed.

Just think of, and learn, the bass lines as another melody.

 

[Pete Thomas]

and learn

The thing to not do is read the music and learn by repetition. The thing to do is know the scale and be thinking 1 3 & 5 based off the first note of the scale, and also 1, 3 and 5 based off the fifth note of the scale.

A new but if terminology: in each case we call note 1 of the chord the root.

The main learning bit is not the bass line, but learning the scale and the associated note numbers.

 

[Pete Thomas]

also i normally play the melody so playing the basslines over chords is quite chaotic at full speed..

I think you may be going about this the wrong way. You don't have to play the example I gave above,
it is just an example, you aren't supposed to try and read it. Once you learn the arpeggios of the two chords, you can play the notes as you wish. One per bar if you like so the tempo shouldn't even be an issue.

 

[eb424]

I think you may be going about this the wrong way. You don't have to play the example I gave above,
it is just an example, you aren't supposed to try and read it. Once you learn the arpeggios of the two chords, you can play the notes as you wish. One per bar if you like so the tempo shouldn't even be an issue.

Lol i know..im just trying to perform the whole of the carpenters version..was looking to see if theres a rule to the patterns..I do have to sort of go with the tempo don't i..Once these 3 songs are sorted ill have my set so will completely focus on the topic..it's a bit blurred lines at the mo..thanks for all the help..Eddie

 

[Pete Thomas]

I think it would be best to keep this on topic, ie re: the impro exercise. I think we already have a thread for Jambalaya in general, I'll see if I can find and move the last few posts.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I think it would be best to keep this on topic, ie re: the impro exercise. I think we already have a thread for Jambalaya in general, I'll see if I can find and move the last few posts.

General posts about the song now moved here:

Jambalaya - versions and keys - CafeSaxophone Forum

Hi does anyone know what key the original was in. I bought a copy transposed it but it didn't sound right against the carpenters version. Google is giving d major or G major music notes c major another site G major...

cafesaxophone.com

So to discuss the song in general do it on that thread, it will be most helpful if we keep this one to discussing the tutorial. Especially as I will be adding to it.

If you do any sound files based on this tutorial then you could either post them here or in the sound clips section and link back to any relevant post in this thread.

Probably best to post them here if they are more like exercises as opposed to an actual impro version.

 

[JayeNM]

Well I'm not a non-improvisor (though perhaps that's a matter of opinion), but I used to be one. Chord tones were definitely a much better "way in" for me than scales. And one of the first things I do when learning a new song is to arpeggiate the chords (with or without a backing track) to learn to find my way through the harmony.

It's a valid way and actually I do this too...but your reply made me remember about 2 years ago here there was a bloke who was posting essentially a 'diary' of his progress as a beginning player. At one stage he posted some vids of him doing just what you said....

...and it became an interesting thread as it turned into something a bit more contentious than I would have expected...with some members of a decidedly conventionally academic side espousing the modes concept and poo-pooing the use of the arpeggios as being a bit of a dead end.

I thinks some folks, who are say 'intermediate' or beyond players, forget or do not sympathize with how difficult it can be for a beginner, used to simply reading prescribed notes on a page, to actually figure out some sort of path on how to extend beyond that and start 'choosing' their own notes with some sort of methodology or road map.

 

[JayeNM]

General posts about the song now moved here:

Jambalaya - versions and keys - CafeSaxophone Forum

Hi does anyone know what key the original was in. I bought a copy transposed it but it didn't sound right against the carpenters version. Google is giving d major or G major music notes c major another site G major...

cafesaxophone.com

So to discuss the song in general do it on that thread

Thanks, but more importantly - where do we post our Jambalaya recipes... ????

 

[BigMartin]

...and it became an interesting thread as it turned into something a bit more contentious than I would have expected...with some members of a decidedly conventionally academic side espousing the modes concept and poo-pooing the use of the arpeggios as being a bit of a dead end.

I din't mean to get into a debate, just reporiting my own experience. But I can use the modes/scales much better if I know where the chord tones are at any given moment. And to know that, I have to play them. A lot. And even in a modal tune, just saying "play this scale" is too much freedom for me. It's helpful to impose some sort of limitation or structure (like triad pairs for instance) for my and the listeners' ears to latch onto.

 

[Jeanette]

Thanks, but more importantly - where do we post our Jambalaya recipes... ????

Well we used to have a section but they should go in the Breakfast room with the prefix recipe. There are plenty in there

Jx

 

[thomsax]

This is a good thread.

I was learning to play a guitar solo on tenor in a famous song with lyrics. The chord progression is; I, iv, IV and V. I could use the major scale and/or major pentatonic scale and mix in some from the "bop" scale. Playing the chord tones or using scales? An easy and well known song! But I struggled to play the solo. After some days I put away the sheet paper and I just played the lyrics on my saxophone! Of course, with the music theory in my back I understood the structure of the song better. How to get a nice flow and to have the important words to land on a good tone is also important. Sing the saxophone!