Ideas for Improvisation and Solo Building by Greg Abate

Students who are learning how to improvise often need practical examples

On Chord Changes of "A Night in Tunisia" (original composition by Dizzy Gillespie)

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Students who are learning how to improvise often need practical examples to show how to move through the changes using various scales and chromatic tones. I would like to share with you some ideas that I wrote on three choruses of A Night in Tunisia so that students can study the practical aspects of "solo-building".

In my jazz workshops with students, I am often asked how I build solos over different tunes or chord changes. My answer is that creating solos is really an infinite process. Knowing and realizing this, one can rest assured that if the basic theory regarding chords and the key areas are understood, one can mechanically experiment with the scales to form a structured and fluid solo. As you will learn and experience, there are different scale choices to use as vocabulary for improvisation. It takes time to develop the chops and the idea. There is no substitute for good practice habits, good study and proper application.

After finishing these choruses, I looked back at what I wrote and played what I had written. Then I took a careful look at the melody and analyzed it to see how the outline fit certain scales or modes and labeled them.


In the A section, on the C7 chord in various parts of the choruses, I used the lydian b7 scale (the Be Bop Scale), the Be Bop scale with #11, (with F# Tri tone sub pentatonic on last A section), and the Bb diminished scale starting on C = ½ step, whole step sequence. Starting the scale on Bb gives a true tonic diminished scale formed as whole step 1/2 step. The Bb diminished scale is also relative to C# E + G diminished .

Using a diminished scale on Dom.7 chords form your diminished scale a whole step down from the Dominant chord root. Thus, on C7 play a Bb diminished scale. Using this scale the #9 b9 and #11 and natural 13th tensions are included, which gives a nice effect.

On the B- chord, I used the B-7 Dorian scale, B jazz melodic minor scale, and the B harmonic minor scale in different sections of where the B- appears. See if you can find the different scales on the B- sections.

On the C#-7b5 F#7, use a B harmonic minor scale, a B natural minor scale or C# locrian ( both B -and C# locrian are from the same diatonic mode of Dmajor). The other scale was a Bb diminished scale written through C#-7 b5 F#7.

Scales used do not have to start on the root but rather anywhere in the scale for improvising. In my scale examples on these chords, for example, using E minor on F#-7 b5 B7, I start the E minor scale on the F# playing through the B7.

On the bridge, F#-7 b5 B7, use the E natural minor or F# Locrian scales, both diatonic to G major. Also, an E harmonic minor scale, an E melodic minor scale and an A diminished scale was used.

On the E - the E dorian, E melodic and E harmonic minor scales were used.

On E-7 b5 A7, the D minor, D harmonic minor, and G diminished scales were used

On D maj 7, the D major Scale and D Lydian is used with the #11 or G #.

There are some chromatic notes as well indicated as "ch." but in the third chorus on the B- chord, the Eb is chromatic. It can also be analyzed as related to the V7 Be Bop Scale of E7 indicated below. Using this scale also works as Dorian Be Bop where the Eb goes to the D in the B minor7 as Maj 3 to b3. In the relative V7 E7, the Eb is going to the D as Maj 7 to b7. See how these scales are the same.

As a composer, I like to write melodies on changes of different tunes as well as composing an original tune in entirety. I would hope that you can play these choruses slowly and in time hear the different scales and how they function.
Scales can sound mechanical in the beginning when using them to improvise, but the more you practice them through the total range of your instrument, the more you will start to use them as part of your vocabulary. You will soon add more interesting variables with melodic leaps, causing intervalic melodies mixed with scale melodiess. We also must keep in mind dynamic levels, articulation and peaks in our solos.

After you play my ideas, make a practice session of your own by experimenting with writing some of your own ideas and then playing them.
If you are playing tenor or soprano, piano or flute, trumpet, piano, you can use this as a guideline of the theoretical content here written in D- concert as this is transposed to the alto sax key.

For practicing, also listening to jazz recordings is very valuable to hear the content and different styles of different players Copying, imitating, transcribing from, and applying these content and styles to your playing will bring new heights to your own individual voice.

Greg Abate is noted by jazz reviewers as being one of the best post-bebop alto players on the jazz map today. Although his style is unmistakably his own, it embodies overtones of Phil Woods, Art Pepper, Jackie McLean, and Charlie Parker.

After completing Berklee College of Music in 1971, Abate first made a name for himself playing lead alto saxophone with the Ray Charles Orchestra. In the mid eighties, he was hired by Dick Johnson to play tenor saxophone with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Following this two year stint, Abate struck out on his own and has since been doing what he does best. Bop. Since launching his solo career, Abate has been featured at major jazz clubs and festivals in the United States and abroad. He has recorded ten albums as a leader, performing with such notable artists as Richie Cole, Claudio Roditi, Frank Tiberi, and Kenny Barron.

Besides maintaining an active performance schedule, Abate shares his enthusiasm for music with students of all ages through private instructional workshops and clinics sponsored by Conn-Selmer, Inc.

Any comments or questions, e-mail gregabate@cox.net
For more information about Greg Abate go to: www.gregabate.com