phrasing soloing improvising song writing harp blues harmonica

If I come across a really cool lick and I want to ensure that it finds its way into my vocabulary, I write it on a sticky note and sit it in my harp case. In practice or performance every now and again my eyes are caught by that neon pink sticky and it reminds to use that lick as soon as I can fit it in. When I find myself placing that lick into my soloing without the visual cue of the sticky, then I crumple it up and throw it away... mission accomplished.

If you've been studying with me for over a year (first year students can ignore this, you're still focusing on your fundamentals) applying the Chorus Forms should be 1/3 of your practice time. The concept is simple... take a lick out of the song you're working on that day and apply the Chorus Form process...

A = that day's lick

Play it as these Chorus Forms with a jam track:
AAA
AAA with Fills
AAB
AAB with Fills
A B/A C
Move your lick up/down an octave
Work with fragments of your lick continue reading...

One of the purposes of my study songs is to give you "been there, done that moments" so that when you play to a particular groove, you have material to play. For example... you're about to do a solo in a slow blues, you could use any chorus from "Blues Creapin' Over Me, Version 1" (Accompaniment Study 3) "Blues Creapin' Over Me, Version 2" (Accompaniment Study 5), "My Blues" (Bending Study 3), "Blues for Paul deLay (Tongue Blocking Study 5), "Blues for Big Nate" (Jerry Portnoy Artist Study) or "Lonesome Bedroom Blues" (William Clarke Artist Study). continue reading...

“A good sideman has the ability to make someone’s music sound and feel like HIS. A good sideman is able to contribute to someone’s concept without losing their personality in the process.” Ron Carter Masterclass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2qfW-jCS4 @ 35:44)

Here's a cool quote from jazz bass player Percy Heath in regards to musicality (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew-spMuMqK4 @ 36:29).

"You have to learn all those notes and scales and everything... that's a beautiful foundation... but then you have to spend a lifetime finding out what to leave out."

Listen to "How Jazz Works, Part II" on the "Jazz Insights" podcast (AM 1690) with Dr. Gordon Vernick. Jazz, being blues' close brother (remember, Little Walter's playing style from "Juke" on is based on the Jump & Swing Blues style of phrasing), uses many of the same phrasing elements.

iTunes Podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jazz-insights-dr.-gordon-vernick/id3...

The musicians you're playing with also want you to use more space than you're usually willing to give. Improvising with no space is a one-way conversation... you might as well just play to a jam track on stage. Leaving space gives the band the opportunity to help lead you to chord change and play supportive licks/fills that add excitement to what you're doing. Leaving space, and playing longer-held notes, also gives you the opportunely to hear more of what the band is playing. continue reading...

"The listener wants more space (rest between phrases) than the player is usually willing to give."

Space gives the listener a quick moment to digest what you just played, just like the small pauses in speech allow us to quickly digest what someone is saying. No pause equals a story difficult to follow. These quick moments of rest allows the listener to recognize theme and variation easier, thus making your Chorus Form work that much more effective. continue reading...

A cool lick that goes to the top (on top of the rhythm section... the soloist) is turned into a HEAD by repeating the lick within the first 12 bars (one chorus) using one of the Chorus Forms. The rhythm section is playing a generic groove in support. continue reading...

There are two elements in blues songwriting... the HOOK and HEAD... both of which have one element at their core... a cool lick.

A cool lick that goes to the bottom (the rhythm section) is turned into a HOOK by repeating and sequencing (transposing to match chord change) throughout the twelve-bar progression, and continuing throughout the entire song. So, in this case, the lick BECOMES the groove. "I'm Ready" and "Tramp" are great examples of this and "I Ain't Superstitious" is a good example of a modified version of this.

Tomorrow we'll dig into the Head.