Harmony and Improvisation
Make choices inside the chords.
Triad-Tone Solo
- Goal
- Improvise with just the notes of the chord.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Play or loop four bars of C major.
- Improvise using only C, E and G.
- Vary the rhythm.
- How to check it
- Short, connected motifs matter more than many notes.
- Next
- Add D as a passing tone.
Guide-Tone Line
- Goal
- Hear the smoothest path through a ii–V–I.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Play Dm7–G7–Cmaj7.
- Over it play F–F–E: the third of Dm7, the seventh of G7, the third of Cmaj7.
- How to check it
- The line moves by the smallest steps and sounds connected.
- Next
- Build a second line: C–B–B (seventh, third, seventh).
Call and Response
- Goal
- Answer your own musical idea.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Improvise a two-bar phrase.
- Leave two beats of space.
- Answer it.
- How to check it
- The answer keeps one recognizable feature of the call.
- Next
- Change the rhythm while keeping the contour.
Developing a Motif
- Goal
- Grow a short idea instead of replacing it.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Create a three-note motif.
- Repeat it over eight bars with one rhythmic change.
- How to check it
- The motif stays recognizable.
- Next
- Move it up or down a step.
Landing on Chord Tones
- Goal
- Arrive on the third at each chord change.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Play Cmaj7–Am7–Dm7–G7.
- At each change land on the chord's third: E, C, F, B.
- How to check it
- You hear intended arrivals, not scales wandering.
- Next
- Land on the sevenths instead: B, G, C, F.
Pentatonic Limits
- Goal
- Make music from five notes.
- Level
- Beginner
Steps
- Start a C drone.
- Improvise for sixteen bars using only C–D–E–G–A.
- How to check it
- Do not fill every beat. Use silence and repetition.
- Next
- Limit yourself to three pitches.
Blues Phrase Spacing
- Goal
- Leave room between ideas.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Play or loop a slow twelve-bar blues.
- Play two-bar ideas, each followed by two bars of space.
- How to check it
- Each phrase has its own identity and the time feel holds.
- Next
- Develop one idea through the next chorus.
Dorian and Aeolian
- Goal
- Hear the one note that separates two modes.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Improvise four bars in C Dorian.
- Improvise four bars in C Aeolian.
- How to check it
- Lean on A natural in Dorian and A♭ in Aeolian so the difference is clear.
- Next
- Compose one two-bar phrase for each mode.
Hearing the Tritone Substitute
- Goal
- Compare a dominant with its tritone substitute.
- Level
- Advanced
Steps
- Play G7–Cmaj7.
- Play D♭7–Cmaj7.
- How to check it
- Hear the shared tritone (B and F, spelled C♭ and F in D♭7) and the different bass motion.
- Next
- Voice-lead the thirds and sevenths into Cmaj7.
Improvised Ending
- Goal
- Bring a phrase home.
- Level
- Intermediate
Steps
- Improvise a four-bar answer.
- Resolve to the tonic on the last beat.
- How to check it
- The cadence sounds prepared, not accidental.
- Next
- Make another ending that delays the resolution.
Other chapters: Pulse and Rhythm · Pitch and Intonation · Ear Training and Listening · Technique and Coordination · Phrasing and Expression · Sight-Reading · Ensemble and Accompaniment · Composition and Creativity · Performance and Feedback
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