Associate Prof.

Lance Van Lenten

NA

339-793-0204

Email: lvanlenten@berklee.edu
2L

Wed 9-10, Thurs 11-12, 12-1

Bring your instrument, class participation is an important part of your grade.

A grade of A or B will be applied to the Berklee Elective.

**
Please use a 3 ring notebook, it will be checked periodically. No cell phone use in class.

**Additional texts include: "Berklee Jazz Harmony" Book by Joe Mulholland and Tom Hojnacki;
"Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians and "Connecting Chords with Linnear Harmony"
by Bert Ligon; "Creative Jazz Exercises" Vol 1, 2, 3 by Lance Van Lenten; Hal Crook and Jerry Bergonzi
books, and other sources; supplemental class materials will be shared via Google Drive

2015 Theory in Performance Syllabus

Week 1a, Course overview, handout, approaches for improvisation, chord scales,
UNT/LNT, analysis, assignment, Intro Quiz

Week 1b, Ligon outlines, intro to melodic minor and harmonic minor modes, minor
harmony, assignment

Week 2a, continue melodic minor, start pentatonic scales, assignment

Week 2b, continue pentatonic scale, harmonic development, melodic development,
assignment

Week 3a, continue pentatonic scale, diminished scale, melodic development
continued, assignment

Week 3b, continue melodic development, symmetrical shapes, constant structure,
assignment

Week 4a, modal interchange

Week 4b, minor harmony

Week 5a, modal harmony

Week 5b, final quiz

Approaches for Improvisation

Approaches, such as those listed below, can be used to initiate and develop an
improvised solo. They are described with text, charts and exercises in this book.
A solo Approach can be practiced as a technical exercise until it becomes a
subconscious part of Improvisation. Space between phrases, varied articulations
and dynamics should be applied to all improvisation Approaches.
Horizontal Playing Simplifying chords and progressions to a general tonality and
common tones; altering pitches in basic scales to fit changes; using rhythm, repetition,
space, etc to make small amounts of material interesting.
Vertical Playing Relating to the differences within chords in a progression; use
guide tones and tensions to let the listener know that you can navigate through the
song progression. Resolve phrases into target notes such as the 3rd, 5th and resolve
tensions.
Patterns Creating motion using patterns; draw the listener in with a pattern
sequence; imply tonality (such as II-V pattern, blues lick, etc), imply tonality or raw
chromaticism as an effect (also known as intervallic improvisation) usually end on a
chord tone or tension to complete a phrase.
Melodic Development (Motives) Using a melodic/rhythmic motive or multiple
motives (or intervals) to engage listener (material from the song is effective); embellish
with approach notes; create melodic variation using contour, transposition, extension,
fragmentation, etc. Creating "call and response" phrases.
Color (Tensions/Non-harmonic Notes) Using tensions and non-harmonic notes to
brighten or darken melodic lines (for example: Lydian brightens Major chord,
Phrygian darkens minor chord); use super scales (different root from chord for
example B minor pentatonic on CMaj7); and super chords derived from extensions
and non-parallel sources.
Pedals (Pitch and Rhythm) Emphasizing a common tone or pivot note is very
effective in rock, blues and modal music; repeated rhythmic figure (such as a hemiola)
to interact with rhythm section commonly done on modal songs.
Harmonic Development Implying more harmonic movement such as adding miniprogressions (passing and substitute chords), substitutions, super chord progressions;
anticipation chords/progressions, secondary dominant chord cadences, etc.
Rhythm Focusing on the center of the beat, laying back (tail end of beat), pushing
the beat against the rhythm section (forward motion); adding chromatic approach notes
and tension/resolution to create a sense of moving forward.
Vocal Phraseology Using vocal effects; rhythm of lyrics or verbal phrase; use
pitch shaping, emotion, dynamic contrast, articulations, bluesiness space.
Sound Painting Treating the rhythm section sound as a canvas; impressionism;
atonality; shading and density sound as a color rather than a harmonic unit;
think of images, nature, emotion, etc.
Styles and Effects Using: stylistic interpretation based on the genre of music (rock,
blues, bluegrass, avant garde jazz, etc); use range to create interest; effects unique
to your instrument; use varied articulation, bends, vibrato, growls, etc. Creating
peaks and valleys in your solo.

Scales and Their Relative Chord Types

Scales have a recognizable shape that can be manipulated by the improviser. The
placement of approach notes to chord tones within a scale and the resolution of color
(tension) and passing (harmonic and non-harmonic) tones to chord tones create motion
and interesting shapes.
Scales that are both parallel (from root of chord) and non-parallel (different root than
chord) fall in three general categories:
Tonic sound (T) This type of scale sounds like the given chord because it includes
many chord tones along with some tension tones (color tones) and no or just a few
passing (non-harmonic) tones*.

Color sound (C) This type of scale contains enough color tones (tensions and passing
tones) to give it different degrees of brightness or darkness. The resolution of color tones
creates a variety of shapes and temporarily shifts the focus on tones other than the root
of the given chord.

Passing sound (P) This is a scale that is especially dissonant against the given chord
because it primarily contains passing tones. It works in weak harmonic stress areas such
as a V7 that resolves into a target I chord, the transition of a modal progression section
or as a passing scale in combination with a tonic or color scale.

10

Bert Ligon Ex. 1

Upper Neighbor Tones (UNT's) p. 20
Major - Minor

13

17

21

25

29

33

37

&b

b
&b
b
&b
&

bb

&

bb

&b

&b

&b

&b

b 4
&b 4

b
b

w
b

b
b

b b

b b
b
b

b b

b b

b b b b b r

b b b b b

Bert Ligon Ex. 2

b G m7 C m7
F7
b 4

& 4
n
bn
Charlie Parker
B

#
&

UNT LNT CT - Major

17

&

&

C m7

F7

UNT LNT CT - Minor

b b #

# b n

b n #

#
b n

# J

Tom Harrell Arpeggio UNT, LNT

Joe Pass

G7

3
# #
# ba

nn

LNT UNT CT - Minor

Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson

D m7

21

G7

LNT UNT CT - Major

& # b n n

13

D m7

& # b n

C7

b b

D m7