JeSuisSkeleton Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I have an improv exam tomorrow. We have two lecturers, and the one who's conducting this exam isn't so great. He doesn't teach us anything about improv and expects us to solo for FIFTY SIX bars over Brown Skin Girl by Sonny Rollins. How do I do this? I'm not a natural soloist at all; everything I play sounds gash or just goes into a pentatonic funk riff that doesn't fit at all. Hurrgh. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 [quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1121578' date='Feb 9 2011, 05:09 PM']I have an improv exam tomorrow. We have two lecturers, and the one who's conducting this exam isn't so great. He doesn't teach us anything about improv and expects us to solo for FIFTY SIX bars over Brown Skin Girl by Sonny Rollins. How do I do this? I'm not a natural soloist at all; everything I play sounds gash or just goes into a pentatonic funk riff that doesn't fit at all. Hurrgh. Any help would be greatly appreciated![/quote] I would go round his house tonight and cut the brake pipes on his car. NOTE the above is a joke. So pls do NOT do that. Alternatively, learn the melody. Then take a few parts of the melody - put them in a cup - shake them up a bit and pull them out again. A good basis for starting improv is the melody. It will give you a good starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodster Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Don't overplay, relax. If you can't sing what you're playing without running out of breath, you're playing too much. As Charlie Parker once said "if you leave some space, maybe some music will fall out" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Well? How did it go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeSuisSkeleton Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 It went alright. Turned out we all had to solo twice. Wasn't very pleased with either of mine but hey, it's done at least! I'm not a fan of the teaching. Handouts of Thelonius Monk quotes isn't teaching. Bah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Hubbard Bass Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 [quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1121578' date='Feb 9 2011, 05:09 PM']I have an improv exam tomorrow. We have two lecturers, and the one who's conducting this exam isn't so great. He doesn't teach us anything about improv and expects us to solo for FIFTY SIX bars over Brown Skin Girl by Sonny Rollins. How do I do this? I'm not a natural soloist at all; everything I play sounds gash or just goes into a pentatonic funk riff that doesn't fit at all. Hurrgh. Any help would be greatly appreciated![/quote] What music school are you attending? Best Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeSuisSkeleton Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Brunel University. Also, thanks for the suggestions guys! I implemented them and got better results than I usually do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Hubbard Bass Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1125002' date='Feb 12 2011, 02:58 PM']It went alright. Turned out we all had to solo twice. Wasn't very pleased with either of mine but hey, it's done at least! I'm not a fan of the teaching. Handouts of Thelonius Monk quotes isn't teaching. Bah.[/quote] Aren't they teaching you harmonic principles about improvising- actual musical concepts that you take home to practice? If not, you are being robbed. Best- Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeSuisSkeleton Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Joe Hubbard Bass' post='1129398' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:23 AM']Aren't they teaching you harmonic principles about improvising- actual musical concepts that you take home to practice? If not, you are being robbed. Best- Joe[/quote] Not really. We touched on guide tones briefly but it was literally "play the 3rd or the 7th!" stretched out over 10 minutes. That's my main issue with the class, they're judging people on their solos but not teaching us how to solo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Hubbard Bass Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) [quote name='JeSuisSkeleton' post='1129404' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:27 AM']Not really. We touched on guide tones briefly but it was literally "play the 3rd or the 7th!" stretched out over 10 minutes. That's my main issue with the class, they're judging people on their solos but not teaching us how to solo![/quote] That's a good exercise - to play the 3rd & 7th - but that should have been preceeded and followed up with a complete progression of 2-note combinations. Go over to my website and download the lesson Understanding Intervals: [url="http://www.joehubbardbass.com/cool-free-bass-stuff/"]http://www.joehubbardbass.com/cool-free-bass-stuff/[/url] This lesson covers the basic theory of intervals. To apply this to your bass, play all the 2-note combinations (intervals) through the Cycle of 5ths. Look on the theory lesson and it explains "interval inversion." When playing the interval combinations through the cycle, play the interval in both inversions as you go through the cycle. Also explore some fingering possibilities as well. Isolation drills using 2-notes is a great way of stripping things down so you can start to hear how these notes fit over a harmonic progression. This is basic stuff, but built in a progression will build a solid foundation and really help you to understand how to play and hear the notes on your fretboard. There are many exercises that I use to implement this. If you don't really know all the notes on your fretboard and where all the possibilities to play them are, then download The Random Note Finder Exercise on the same page. Hope some of that is useful to you. Sorry you are not being taught what you should be at an established University- shame on them! This is common though; many people who call themselves teachers do not have the capabilities (or the knowledge) to actually teach- especially when it comes to jazz improvisation. Best Joe Edited February 16, 2011 by Joe Hubbard Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffo Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Joe Hubbard Bass' post='1129553' date='Feb 16 2011, 01:00 PM']That's a good exercise - to play the 3rd & 7th - but that should have been preceeded and followed up with a complete progression of 2-note combinations. Go over to my website and download the lesson Understanding Intervals: [url="http://www.joehubbardbass.com/cool-free-bass-stuff/"]http://www.joehubbardbass.com/cool-free-bass-stuff/[/url] This lesson covers the basic theory of intervals. To apply this to your bass, play all the 2-note combinations (intervals) through the Cycle of 5ths. Look on the theory lesson and it explains "interval inversion." When playing the interval combinations through the cycle, play the interval in both inversions as you go through the cycle. Also explore some fingering possibilities as well. Isolation drills using 2-notes is a great way of stripping things down so you can start to hear how these notes fit over a harmonic progression. This is basic stuff, but built in a progression will build a solid foundation and really help you to understand how to play and hear the notes on your fretboard. There are many exercises that I use to implement this. If you don't really know all the notes on your fretboard and where all the possibilities to play them are, then download The Random Note Finder Exercise on the same page. Hope some of that is useful to you. Sorry you are not being taught what you should be at an established University- shame on them! This is common though; many people who call themselves teachers do not have the capabilities (or the knowledge) to actually teach- especially when it comes to jazz improvisation. Best Joe[/quote] Hi Joe, A mate of mine used to have lessons with you, A guy call Matt Hooper. P.s Vanishing Point is one alsome album Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Hubbard Bass Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 [quote name='fluffo' post='1129927' date='Feb 16 2011, 05:29 PM']Hi Joe, A mate of mine used to have lessons with you, A guy call Matt Hooper. P.s Vanishing Point is one alsome album[/quote] I'm in the process of putting a new band together. I've got loads of new material and hopefully I'll have some new tracks available by the summer. Best Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleblob Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Sorry if this sounds a truly dumbass question - but you say this is an improv exam. Just out of interest, how does one grade improv. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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