Jazz Improvisation with Andrea Fascetti: Chromatic Approaches Part 5

HI MY “BASS FRIENDS”…

IT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE TO BE HERE AGAIN.

I’M VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE WITH THESE LESSONS DEDICATED TO THIS NEW TECNIQUE CALLED ‘CHROMATIC APPROACH NOTES’, THAT I LEARNED FROM MY MENTOR CHARLIE BANACOS. AS I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST, I HAVE TAKEN THE IDEA AND MODIFIED IT ON MY OWN. I TRIED IT FOR MYSELF AND THEN FOR MY STUDENTS, AND IT WORKS! NO ONE WAS REALLY ABLE TO PLAY IT VERY FAST.

DURING PAST LESSONS WE HAVE STUDIED SOME NEW EXERCISES ABOUT CHROMATIC APPROACHES AND WE USED IT OVER MAJOR SEVENTH CHORDS, MINOR SEVENTH CHORDS, DOMINANT CHORDS AND HALF DIMINISHED CHORDS.AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE REPEATED OVER AND OVER THAT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE GREAT JAZZ PLAYERS YOU NOTICE THAT CHROMATICS ARE THE CORE OF BEBOP.
BEBOP IS THE FIRST “MUSICAL LANGUAGE” WE HAVE TO KNOW IF WE WANT TO DO A GREAT JOB WITH IMPROVISATION. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO LISTEN MODERN PLAYERS AND THE WAY THEY USE BEBOP LANGUAGE.

THIS LESSON I PROPOSE TO YOU IS THE FIFTH EXERCISE OF A LONG SERIES DEDICATED TO BEBOP STYLE. I HOPE YOU STUDIED ALL MY PAST LESSONS ABOUT THIS TOPIC. IF NOT, I RECOMMEND YOU TAKE ALL OLD LESSONS ABOUT THIS STUFF.

THIS TIME I’VE PUTTEN THE EXERCISES IN ACTION. I’VE USED SOME CHORDS FROM WELL KNOWN STANDARDS, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU CAN USE THE CHORD TONES WITH A CHROMATIC APPROACH. PLEASE PLAY IT AND NOTICE HOW THE CHROMATIC APPROACH WORKS, THEN COMPOSE A LINE ON YOUR OWN USING THE SAME DEVICES. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CHICK COREA OR A SUPERB CLASSICAL COMPOSER TO DO THIS. IT’S JUST AN EXERCISE. NO MATTER IF IT’S NOT GREAT FOR YOU. SO PLEASE, DO IT!

EXERCISES:

1) TAKE THE EXERCISE AND PLAY IT VERY SLOWLY… WITHOUT A METRONOME!
THEN WHEN YOU HAVE IT “UNDER YOUR FINGERS” YOU CAN PLAY IT VERY FAST!

2) ANALIZE THE NOTES I’VE USED AND WRITE ON A PAPER THE HARMONIC QUALITY OF EVERY NOTE (IS IT A CHORD TONE OR A CHROMATIC APPROACH?)

3) WRITE AN EXERCISE ON YOUR OWN, USING THIS TECNIQUE.

3) TRANPOSE THE EXERCISE IN ALL KEYS!

I KNOW IT’S MUCH STUFF… BUT… NO PAIN, NO GAIN, MAN!

STAY TUNED

CIAO
ANDREA