The Solo Section is a Part of the Chart Too! Making the Solo Section Work for Your Band

Mike Conrad Doctoral Candidate

University of Northern Colorado

Time spent on improvisation?

Chart is about 5 minutes long

Solo section is about 2 minutes long

That’s 40% of duration of the tune!

Are you spending anywhere near 40% of your rehearsal time on improvisation/rhythm section playing??

written-out solos

This clinic will focus on:

TOOLS you can give your students to play a confident and successful solo

Picking REPERTOIRE with the difficulty of the solo section in mind

Ways you can MODIFY or SIMPLIFY the solo section

Ways to create more INTEREST and VARIETY in the solo section

GREAT GREAT GREAT

GREAT AWKWARD GREAT

Tools for ImprovisationLet’s help our students be successful!

Chord Scales

At the very least, make sure the students are aware of which scales correspond to which chords

D Major 7 = D Major Scale

Bb minor 13 = Bb dorian scale

Guide Tones

The basic chord tones that define the harmony

3rds and 7ths

When the bass motion is in ascending 4ths/descending 5ths, 3rds go to 7ths and 7ths go to 3rds

Pentatonics

5-note scales from which students can easily create melodies

Can simplify otherwise complicated chord/scale relationships

Bb Major Pentatonic sounds on Ab Maj 13 (#11) sounds great!

Bb (9th), C (3rd), D (#11), F (13th), G (Maj 7)

“One Note Different”

Rather than thinking about switching from one 7-note scale to another 7-note scale, just identify the note(s) that changed.

Example: Bb Blues

Bb7 to Eb7

NOT Bb Mixolydian to Eb Mixolydian (Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab to Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db)

D to Db. Simple as that.

Solo Sheets

Make a separate sheet for anyone in the group who is interested in soloing on any given chart.

Include:

Chord/scale relationships

Guide tones

Pentatonic scale options

A couple of licks for them to get started (They can use these as a point of departure, expand on them, create their own, etc.)

Don’t Forget the Recordings!!! If you’re playing Mark Taylor’s arrangement of “Moanin’” by Bobby Timmons, listen to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with the kids!

The BEST opportunity for them to build jazz

vocabulary (and start to understand style)

We have to give students tools to be successful.

We can’t just throw them in the deep end with out a life preserver or swimming lessons.

Good luck!

jazz

vocab

RepertoireThink about the solo section!

What are the main things you consider when choosing music for your jazz band?

Lead Trumpet Range

Difficulty of Rhythms

Length of Chart

How does it fit in with the rest of my set?

Does it showcase my best players?

DO MY STUDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SOLO SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS CHART?

can I teach them how?

CAN MY RHYTHM SECTION PLAYERS PLAY THE SOLO SECTION CONVINCINGLY?

Music with difficult solo forms (too advanced for the students)

Three options:

1. Teach them how to play on that form

2. Simplify the solo section

3. Pick something else!

Vamps/Modal

Playing solos on modal jazz tunes is more attainable for young students than playing “changes”

Look for charts that have solo sections that use one or two chords/scales

“Gatito” by Matt Harris

“Kind of Blue(grass)” by Fred Sturm

Options for modificationMake the solo section work for your band!

Rhythm Section Options

Change Cymbal

Change Comping Instrument

Change Density, Register, etc. of CompingNo CompingChord SubstitutionsChange Groove

2 feel vs. 4latin/swing

Rhythm Section Options

Brushes!

Drums Drop Out

Bass Drops Out

continued

Stop Time/Hits

Use Material in Arrangement (intros/interludes) as a vamp for soloists

Soloist Options

Trading

Collective

Different Shapes/Energy Arcs

Think about the big picture shape of the solo section…

Ensemble Options

Riff Backgrounds

Improvised Long Note Backgrounds

Call & Response with Soloist and Band

Sing, Stomp, Clap (if stylistically appropriate)

Will the composer/publisher be ok with me modifying the chart?

When in doubt… ask!

Give the students some stuff to work with in their solos

Pick charts with the solo sections in mind

Modify

to fit your students

to make things more interesting/fun!

Recap

Questions for me?

Mike Conrad

mconrad@mconradmusic.com

563-940-5675

www.mconradmusic.com