Jazz: Plan your work, work your plan

Topic Sequence (Aebersold) Time

Slow Melody/Sight Read 4

2 Scales/Arp/3rds, 2 Ex./Licks 16
Improv App./Key Fluidity 10
Transcribed Solo 10
Special Disciplines 10
Tune Learning 10

Special Disciplines:

Doodling; Etudes
Methods (Crook, Winding)
Feel; Use of all Rhythmic Levels; Intensity Building, etc.
MAKE
Tune Learning: Aebersold & McWains Jazz Practice Ideas with Your Real Book
MUSIC
Note/play Tonal Centers; then play Root/tonic of each scale
First 2 Notes &/or Ditonic Playing (2 diatonic pitches, 1 stable & 1 tension)
First 3 Notes &/or Tritonic Playing (R25 & R45 on all diatonic tones except 3, 4, 7)
First 5 Notes
Pentatonic Scales
o Maj. Pents.: Convert to minor pentatonic: w/ added #11, becomes blues scale; easy pivoting
o Min. Pent.: @ Root, the 5th, and the 2nd (uses nat. 6, or Maj. #11) all work
(Degrees correspond exactly to relative Major; Min. pent. on vi = Maj. pent. on I)
ii-Vs: same pentatonic works for both chords
Blues Scales at the Root and the 5th work well
o Think of Blues scales as minor as well.; blues on degrees 1, 6, 3, 7, #5, b2, and b13 offer sounds
Hexatonic (double triads; adjacent and non-adjacent)
1-2-3-5, 5-3-2-1 1-3-4-5, 5-4-3-1 3-1-3-5/4-2-4-6/etc.
Triad(s) of scale
7th Chords (root position & permutations) Other Ideas:
9th Chords (root position & permutations)
Start on different scale degrees.
Entire Scale Up/Down
Chromatic approaches/pickups.
6th Chords (root position & permutations)
Chromatics via circle of 5ths reps.
Up 9th chord, down scale; vice versa
Chordal anticipations as links.
In 3rds, 4ths, etc.
Harmonic Hierarchy
Guide Tones (3, 7)
(Set Parameters) Compose Solos
Common Tones (Newly-available tones w/ CTs is hip)
Contrafacts & Hybrid Contrafacts
(Shifting) Continuous Improvised Subdivisions
Secondary Scale Options
o Minor Options: Dorian, Minor Pentatonic, Phrygian, Aeolian, Locrian/Half-dim (-7b5), Locrian #2,
Minor Bebop (3-4 & 5-6), Harmonic/Melodic Minor, Blues, Diminished
o Dominant Options: Dom. 7, Major Pentatonic, Bebop, Lydian Dom., b9, #9 (alt.), Tritone Sub,
Spanish/Jewish Scale, Hindu, Whole Tone, Blues