You can free yourself from so many musical rules while playing improvisation.
I started learning piano when I was 17 years old. Do you remember what you were like when you were seventeen? You guessed it! I wanted to be popular.
Being a late starter, I have developed many shortcuts to train myself and make my audience recognize me as a good pianist.
I selected jazz piano as my goal. I liked jazz a lot, of course.
Other than that, I was mesmerized by the improvisation. I thought I could free myself from all the musical rules once I stated that I was playing improvisation. Of course, there is a chord progression and rhythm to keep up with. You can’t get out of the basic music settings. But one thing is for sure: no one can claim that you are not following the score or that you are making mistakes when playing the melody line.
So the more I learn jazz, the freer I feel. I am 66 years old and I enjoy playing jazz for this reason. So I have decided to start a program to tell about my joyous experience with jazz piano.
To improvise a melodic line, the first thing is that you have to recognize its base scale. Cannot be out of key scale. If the key of your favorite melody was C major, you couldn’t use any other notes than the notes that are included in the C major scale, basically.
Well, the truth of the matter is that since music is of human feeling, you can use any note. But if you use a note that is not in the C major scale, you must resolve a note that is in the scale. This is where you need to learn about harmony.
It’s complicated? No, it’s not. Theory comes after reality. The theory is established so that you can apply it universally. Also, you can earn money by teaching it. Right?
When building music theory, the basis is whether you are comfortable listening to the flow of notes. There is an exciting development. The development has to be resolved. In classical music, the “variation” is an example of improvisation of the main theme. Yes, now you know that there has been improvisation in classical music.
Do you listen to Miles Davis? When Miles played with Monk, Monk didn’t play the backing chord. No, I don’t remember the title. Miles didn’t want Monk to play, according to Monk’s discography. Because he had sensed that his chord progression did not match Mr. Monk’s.
Yes, they both do what they want to do in the session. Aren’t they arrogant? But you know they have the right to do so.
