Bluegrass to Jazz I

[montana]

This is a follow up to my post concerning Jazz tunes with same changes. Please realize I am not a jazz player. The first two tunes to try if you are like me are: 'So What' by Miles Davis and 'Impressions' by John Coltrane. Both have simular chord changes just Dm7 and Ebm7. You can find jam tracks to play along with on you tube and the melodies are pretty sequencial. Maybe someone who knows more could give improvising scale ideas. I'll be working these two tunes than come up with another suggestion soon.

[Pete Martin]

Impressions is Dm7 for the A parts and Ebm7 for the B part. The form is AABA.

Part A: You could play the D Dorian mode, which is just the notes of the C major scale D E F G A B C D. You could play the Dm7 bebop scale: D E F G A B C C# D. That makes the chord tones of Dm7 every other note, which works great with 8th note soloing. You could play Dm pentatonic: D F G A C, mostly the same notes with a few removed. You could play G Lydian Dominant D E F G A B C# D being careful how you used the C# note. You could use D melodic minor: D E F G A B C# D, once again being careful how you use the C#. You could use D harmonic minor D E F G A Bb C# D, being careful again of the C# note.

Notice how most these are contained in the Dm7 bebop scale?

Part B: take everything up 1/2 step.

This only scratches the surface. Lots of modal jazz players like to go outside and come back in. In that case anything goes (all 12 chromatic notes) that you can make work.

[Pete Martin]

Forgot the D blues scale: D F G G# A C.

[montana]

Figured that out C scale starting on D. All the notes of both tunes fall into that scale and play starting with little finger on 4th string all notes in close position.

[montana]

Didn't realize they were AABA form. Thanks

[StuartE]

If you've found these to be good for beginning to make a transition from bluegrass to jazz, that's great, but "So What" and "Impressions" are almost too sparse with their changes, imo, for a beginner's jazz tune. 16 bars of one chord, 8 of another and then 8 of the first. That requires lots of playing on one scale form, in this case, the dorian scale/mode.


Great explanation from Pete Martin, who is a real guru for anyone wanting to learn jazz on the mandolin, on dorian and other scales for those two tunes.

Pete has some great resources on how to play jazz on mandolin on his website. Including chord scale theory, i.e. which scales to play with a chord and which notes to emphasize or downplay.

If you haven't seen it yet, you might also want to take a look at Ted Eschliman's book and CD set Getting Into Jazz Mandolin. Ted's also a Mandolin Forum member. You can also buy the set direct from him. And check out his excellent Jazz Mando website.

Dix Bruce has done some book/CD and DVDs for Mel Bay on jazz, swing and hot club mandolin. Here's a link to the DVD, book/cd sets in the right column.

I'm just in the process of learning mandolin, having more mastery on guitar, and find tunes with more changes to be helpful in learning the fretboard.

[Pete Martin]

If you've found these to be good for beginning to make a transition from bluegrass to jazz, that's great, but "So What" and "Impressions" are almost too sparse with their changes, imo, for a beginner's jazz tune. 16 bars of one chord, 8 of another and then 8 of the first. That requires lots of playing on one scale form, in this case, the dorian scale/mode.

I very much agree with Stuart on this point. In my private teaching, I start folks on simple 2, 3 and 4 chord tunes with no substitution chords. Easy swing and Western Swing is a GREAT place to start.

2 chords: Mack The Knife, Take Me Back To Tulsa
3 chords: Marie, any blues, Stay All Night, Bluebonnett Lane
4 chords: Lady Be Good, Honeysuckle Rose, Coquette

There are a LOT more of these.

I show Mack the Knife as a first tune here
http://www.jazz-mandolin.com/getting%20started.html

Also look at the video on "Using Jazz Phrasing and Timing" here
http://www.jazz-mandolin.com/instruction%20videos.html

Best of luck!

[montana]

Well for me those two tunes have worked well. Can play along to BIAB file and play minor 7th inversion all over the neck. Playing closed position scale got two tunes memorized and can jam on. Just started on 'Tune Up' which Pete teaches. Will get a lot more jazz chords down and play some major scales.

[StuartE]

"Tune Up" is a really great tune, and good for developing jazz players, as well as the more advanced.

It has four sections of four measures. Each four measures moves through a ii-V-I(-I) progression. (e.g. starting with Em7|A7|DM7|DM7). It moves from D Major to C Major to Bb Major, returning to D Major.

The very valuable learning jazz standards website has a page on Tune Up with videos by Grant Green, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, and Chris Potter and a modestly-priced backing track.

[montana]

Stuart, I have Band in a Box so make back up tracks. There is a version of the Real Book for BIAB so I get all the lead sheets from it. Used Pete's instructions for the chords and now I'm strumming along and playing the melody. Play a little improv using close position D,C,Bb major scales will next work on running arpeggios. Check out 'Miamijazzguitar.com' for two nice exudes on Tune Up.