Have you ever felt like you’re missing a piece of the puzzle when it comes to improvisation? As if you’re following all the rules, yet still not playing the music you want to…
Every musician has felt the sting of this frustration, especially when listening to all those important records and amazing players. It seems like the best improvisers are playing by a different set of rules!
They can instantly play creative musical ideas, they aren’t restricted by pesky details like the chords or the progression, and they deftly craft intricate solos in the blink of an eye…
It’s as if there’s a missing link in the learning process where the rest of us are trapped and the hallowed place where these legends create their musical magic night after night.
You’ve probably asked yourself:
- How are these players thinking about chords and progressions?
- Where exactly are their ideas coming from?
- How are they able to seemingly play anything they want??
While great players have amassed a ton of skills, one big differentiating factor is that when they improvise, they are playing thematically…
And for any serious player, this is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome – bridging the gap between the world of theory and actually playing musical ideas over the chord progressions and forms of the jazz repertoire.
So how exactly do you close this gap between where you are now and where you want to go as an improviser?
The tricky part is, the way we first learn the elements of music and the way most education resources teach us to improvise isn’t how you’ll actually think as you solo or how the best players are creating solos in real time!
Rather than always starting the creative process with music theory, the goal is to start improvising with ideas, what we’ll call “thematic” playing.
And in this PRO lesson we’ll lay out a guide to get you there. Below you’ll learn the essential skills you need to start and then we’ll take a close look at how the best players create thematic ideas over the elements of the jazz repertoire.
Let’s get started…
What is a theme?
Before we jump in, it’s a good idea to define what we mean by the word “theme.”
A quick look in the dictionary tells us it is:
- An idea that recurs or pervades in a work of art or literature
- A prominent or frequently recurring melody or group of notes in a composition
Essentially, a theme is a unifying thread in an artwork that creates coherence and gives the work character. A device that sets the tone and gives the audience something to follow – crumbs in a story that is unfolding in real time.
In music, this can be a theme that recurs throughout the entire work or just a simple musical idea that pops up for one solo chorus or a few phrases. Rather than a random mishmash of notes, you have a solo focusing on a logical continuity of ideas.
Remember, thematic playing isn’t an isolated exercise that’s separate from the rest of your playing, it’s actually the goal of improvising – what taking a solo is supposed to be! Beyond playing notes that match each chord, what musical ideas & emotions are you sharing with the listener?
The players and solos that stick with you are the ones that contain thematic elements – ideas with musical intent, motifs, and an established mood or feel.
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