When you think of intricate and flowing chromatic lines, you probably think of Miles Davis. In particular, those amazing musical phrases he often played with his second great quintet in the mid to late 1960s…
This clip of “Agitation” is a perfect example of this magic with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter:
We’d all love to play a flowing and exciting solo like this, but where do you even begin figuring out the notes?
More importantly, how can you use these ideas over the chords and tunes that you actually play??
Learning intricate chromatic lines that utilize close half-step motion can be tricky, but figuring out how to apply these lines to the standard chords and tunes we often play can be even trickier!
Rather than jumping right to these later records and trying to steal individual licks, today we’re going to study how Miles applies a chromatic approach to familiar chords and tunes.
Think of this lesson as a bridge between typical bebop language and the free chromatic lines you hear on those later Miles records…
To do this we’ll dive into some specific techniques from a few of Miles earlier solos over the blues and rhythm changes.
In this lesson we’ll select a few key phrases, highlight specific chromatic tactics, and dive into the deeper techniques behind them.
The goal is to have a path to start implementing these ideas into your musical approach, and to add to your existing language over familiar chords and harmonic progressions.
Let’s get started…
3 Chromatic Miles phrases
Below we’ve selected a handful of iconic solos over familiar song forms and isolated three chromatic phrases.
Specifically, we’ll look at how Miles uses chromatic lines over the blues form and ii-V-I progressions.
In other words, chromatic language that is tied to functional harmony and the tunes that you’re likely to encounter in your own playing.
With this in mind, let’s start with a Blues…
1) Walkin’ from ‘Four and More’
The first chromatic phrase we’ll look at is from the tune Walkin’ on the live album “Four & More” recorded in 1964…
Check out the line Miles plays at [0:52] , starting the fourth chorus of his solo:
Here, he begins with a chromatic passage starting on a Db and descending in whole-steps that move down by half step:
This is a chromatic pattern that you often hear is his playing during this period, and it’s effective in creating linear motion and movement within the space of an octave or less. (We’ll dive more into this pattern in the sections below…)
It’s important to note that Miles is playing this line with an awareness of the underlying harmony and song form. The harmonic context is an F7 chord – he doesn’t begin there, but gets there in the 3rd bar:
This is a great way to expand or augment common lines, language, or techniques that you often play. For instance, compare a basic bebop line over an F7 chord to the line Miles plays:
The same musical skeleton is there, however here it is referenced in passing rather than being the focal point.
Chromatic motion is also useful in aiming for goal note or arrival point in the progression. In this line Miles is aiming for the IV chord (Bb7)in the 5th bar.
The chromatic motion ends momentarily on the #9 then continues, finally landing on the b7 at the end of the phrase…
A few key points to keep in mind:
- Even though the phrase is highly chromatic he is aware of the form and harmony – often highlighting and resolving to chord tones
- Focusing on the I to IV movement in the Blues form
- Utilizing the tactic of chromatic motion in descending whole-steps
- This phrase is both inside and outside of the harmony
2) Dr. Jekyll from ‘Milestones’
Next, let’s check out another chromatic phrase from Miles over the blues, this time from the classic album ‘Milestones.’
Take a listen to the track Dr. Jekyll, a Jackie McLean blues originally titled Dr. Jackle…
At the very beginning of his solo, [0:18] Miles plays the following phrase:
He starts with a simple melodic idea, applies some blues language over the IV chord, and then plays a phrase with chromatic techniques over the ii-V leading back to the top of the form.
In this excerpt, Miles uses the tactic of chromatic enclosure to navigate the last four bars of the form.
Let’s take a closer look at this chromatic line over the ii-V and turnaround leading to the next chorus:
Zooming in, you can see how he applies this enclosure tactic to each chord. On the G-7, he begins with the chromatic enclosure that leads to a typical enclosure:
On the C7 chord, he encloses the 3rd of the chord:
And on the final F7 chord, he encloses the 5th and root, expanding upon a descending diatonic scale:
This is an effective way to create a statement with more shape, tension and release, and interest. In fact, the first part of the phrase might look like this without the chromatic enclosures:
Delayed resolution
Another tactic you hear in this phrase is delayed resolution – not resolving on the bar lines, but arriving at each chord slightly later.
Because of the chromatic nature of the line and enclosures, he can delay the arrival of each chord, as shown in the line below:
Also notice how he plays two ii-V’s in a row that are nearly the same!
A few key points to keep in mind:
- Utilize chromatic enclosure of the basic chord tones
- Try enclosing the enclosure!
- Insert chromatic enclosures into standard lines and language
- Try delaying the arrival at and resolution of chords in a progression
3) Oleo from Relaxin, with the Miles Davis Quintet
For the final musical phrase, we’ll look at how Miles applies chromatic techniques on the “A section” of Rhythm Changes…
This is an example of a chromatic phrase from an earlier period, recorded in 1956, over I-VI-ii-V movement common in the jazz standard repertoire.
Here we find a combination of the two techniques we looked at above – chromatic enclosure and a descending chromatic pattern in whole-steps.
Let’s start with the first part of the phrase which features chromatic enclosure:
Over this I-VI-ii-V progression, Miles begins on the root (Bb), emphasizes the b9 of G7, and uses a chromatic enclosure to land on the 3rd (Eb) of the C- chord…
Over the F7 chord he highlights the altered notes, #9 and b9, and chromatically encloses the 5th (F) of Bb.
In the second part we find the descending whole-steps moving down chromatically:
Here he starts with chromatic enclosure and ends the phrase with chromatic whole-steps:
A few key points to keep in mind:
- Aim for important chord tones & begin lines with chromatic enclosure
- Use a chromatic pattern as a bridge to your next arrival point
- Try applying chromatic motion on V7 chords before resolving to I
Develop Chromatic Technique
So how do you begin implementing these chromatic ideas from Miles into your own playing?
Before you jump in and start trying to apply these lines in your solos, it’s a good idea to polish up your chromatic technique in the practice room.
Remember, the larger goal is to be creative and eventually improvise with these tactics rather than simply trying to force in licks over particular chords.
Here are a few ideas for developing a chromatic vocabulary in your practice routine…
1) Ingrain Basic Chromatic Movement
First, review and ingrain chromatic motion in your fingers, ear, and mind – developing the ability to move by half-step through the entire range of your instrument.
Start with the chromatic scale from root to root and expand to the top and bottom of your range, working to the point where you don’t have to think about it.
Beyond the basic chromatic scale, it’s also important to explore different variations, directions, patterns, rhythmic groupings, and melodic shapes in your practice.
For instance, you might try ascending triplets from each note of the chromatic scale:
Or four note groups that descend:
Or even a chromatic pattern that changes directions:
The possibilities are endless, keep exploring and testing your technique!
2) Apply chromatic motion to a harmonic context
The next step is ingraining linear chromatic motion within the context of a chord or a specific sound…
Keep in mind that much of the improvising we do is in a harmonic setting, usually within a defined chord progression or harmonic framework – i.e. playing tunes:
This means we need to understand how to apply chromatic ideas within the structure of chords and chord progressions!
A useful exercise is applying chromatic motion to the basic chord types you’ll find in any jazz standard. You might try this exercise on a Major 7 chord that focuses on chromatic movement between each chord tone:
This will help you to start picturing and hearing chromatic movement with a the fundamental chords you’ll encounter in jazz standards. Continue this exercise with minor, dominant, and half-diminished chords.
Ultimately the goal is to think of these chromatic techniques or phrases as another device or language tactic that you can use over the chord structures and tunes that you frequently play.
2 Chromatic Tactics from Miles’s solos
In the solo excerpts above, there are two main techniques Miles uses in his chromatic lines and phrases. They are:
- Chromatic motion in whole-steps or major 2nds
- Chromatic enclosures
Let’s isolate each technique and look at some exercises for ingraining them in your playing…
1) The Chromatic Scale in 2nds
The first technique you see in the excerpts above is a chromatic sequence that moves in whole-steps chromatically, like this phrase in the Walkin’ solo…
This sequence of playing whole-steps from each note of the chromatic scale is central in creating close chromatic lines in your solos.
To ingrain this pattern, take a chromatic scale:
Now, play a whole step above each note (or below), continuing the sequence to create a pattern:
In essence, you are playing the chromatic scale in 2nds, skipping every other note. Each interval can go up, down, or alternate within the larger scale that is either ascending or descending. Practice this pattern in all directions:
- Ascending whole-step moving up and down the scale
- Descending whole-step moving up and down the scale
- Alternating directions (ascending & descending whole-step) moving up and down the scale
2) Chromatic enclosure of goal notes or chord tones
The second technique you find in Miles’ phrases is chromatic enclosure, like you hear in this phrase from Dr. Jekyll…
Chromatic enclosure simply means selecting a goal note and approaching it from a half-step above and half-step below, for instance approaching a C on a C7 chord:
This is a useful way to approach or emphasize a goal note and a great tactic for starting any line with chromatic motion.
A good way to practice this is by taking a major triad and chromatically enclosing each note. Try this with a C major triad:
Try this with different types of chords and triads – Major, minor, dominant, diminished, augmented, etc.
You can also create musical ideas simply by chromatically enclosing the root, 3rd, and 5th of a chord. For instance you might apply this technique to the major triad of a Major 7 chord:
Practice this line in all keys and see what variations you can come up with!
Chromatic Tactics for solos
Now we’ll focus on some ways to put these techniques from Miles solos into use in your own playing.
Here are five tactics for incorporating chromatic ideas into your musical phrases…
1) Start lines with a chromatic enclosure
One of the simplest ways to incorporate some of these linear chromatic techniques is by applying chromatic enclosure.
Instead of starting directly on a chord tone of a chord, approach it with a chromatic enclosure. Here are a few examples using an arpeggio and a line from Charlie Parker…
Try taking an arpeggio from the 3rd of an F Major chord and approaching it with a chromatic enclosure (or add another one leading to the final note)…
Or take this Charlie Parker line from his solo on How High the Moon, (which already contains a chromatic enclosure of the C in the 2nd bar):
Now start the line with a 3-note chromatic enclosure:
Try this technique with the scales you practice, in the melodies you play, and at the start of your musical ideas – a small chromatic approach can open the door to an entire world of chromatic movement!
2) Insert a chromatic tactics into existing language
Rather than starting chromatic lines from scratch, another useful idea is to take the lines and language that you already know and insert chromatic language into them.
For example you may have a ii-V-I line or technique that you know:
Start by applying chromatic enclosures to key chord tones in this line, for instance at the start of the line, the move to the V7 chord, or the resolution to I:
Or use a chromatic pattern descending in whole-steps over the V7 chord:
Suddenly a familiar or predictable line becomes something entirely new!
3) V7 Alterations with chromaticism
The dominant (V7) chord is an ideal spot for creating tension before resolving to the I chord, and as such, it’s a great spot for applying these chromatic techniques.
Chromatic motion on dominant chords goes hand in hand with altering the upper structures of the chord. For example, take a listen to the phrase Miles plays over the C7 chord in Dr. Jekyll…
Starting on the b7, he encloses the root of the C7 chord using the b9 and resolves to I by enclosing the 3rd.
By focusing on the chromatic motion between b7 up to the major 3rd of a dominant chord you will pass through the b9 and #9 along with the major 7th and 9th:
An endless number of chromatic variations can be created within the space of this interval! For instance, you might try a whole-step pattern from #9 down to enclosure of chord tone on the I chord
4) Chromatic motion aiming for arrival points in a form
Chromatic motion or patterns create linear motion and melodic consistency while also breaking free of the underlying harmonic constraints.
…in other words, creating tension that can be resolved back to the original progression and form.
One way to utilize this in your playing is by aiming for arrival points in the progression and leading into them with a chromatic technique.
Try this on a blues – you might aim for the IV chord in the fourth bar and approach it with some sort of chromatic phrase:
5) Practice chromatic freedom
Finally, simply get accustomed to playing freely with chromaticism. Start a phrase utilizing some of the techniques above and get used to chromatic motion and flow, going in and out of sync with the underlying progression:
Purposely start outside or far away from the home key and let your ear bring you back into the harmony or key.
Find your Chromatic approach
Remember, these chromatic techniques are just another tool to add to your musical toolbox, a tactic that will augment you language and existing melodic techniques…
But they aren’t a replacement for learning harmony, practicing tunes, or ignoring language.
Select one tactic to start incorporating into your practice routine. You might:
- Review chromatic scales and patterns
- Apply chromatic movement between the chord tones of a chord
- Work on chromatic enclosure
- Learn the Miles phrase on Dr. Jekyll
- Practice whole-steps ascending or descending from each note of the chromatic scale
- Isolate the Miles line on Oleo
There is a mountain of information to dive into here, so pick one area and start exploring!
