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Improv. Book Recomendations

MarkM13

MarkM13

Mar 29, 2015
472
574
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CT - USA
www.m13productions.com
#1
Greetings,

I'm wondering what improv books might be your favorites. I'm very comfortable with theory, have my major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales down from various points on the fretboard. However, I'm looking for practical and musical application of them and others such as diminished, dim. whole tone, Lydian Aug. etc.

So what works really well for you?
Mark

PS I've been looking into Pat Martino's Linear Expressions Expressions Book. For guitar but I don't need a bass specific book.
 
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#2
My preferences based on what you have here...
Bass Guitar Grimoire (to expand some odd modes that you might not otherwise use)
Chord charts (fake books and real books, to practice your improvisation on)

Once you have the basic theory. It is more about improvising over a pile of chord progressions and trying new things as you go. You will eventually figure out some go to modes based on what the key/chord structures dictate. You might also find some go to deviations from what might be normal. IMO improv is a balance of knowledge, listening to others (both others improvisation/jazz work and others in your group if you are playing with a group), and just doing it. Dedicating time to improvising over chord charts with a beat in the background is the best way to achieve the last piece (which sounds like the piece you are asking about here to me).
 
#7
It all depends.

Are you thinking basslines or solos?
I think jazz really got me motivated to explore using my theory in practice. So may be buy a Real Book and learn some tunes.
Go transcribe some of the bass lines.

The suggestion to learn the blues was pretty good. I made some observations on the blues on the "Do I need to learn modes" which no one took me up on.

Dont be shy if you have more questions .
 
#9
iReal Pro has a lot going for it.
Playing every melody you can think of (from your head, not sheet music) will help connect the ear to hand co-ordination.
To my humble way of thinking, the goal is to try to take the melody in your head and put it in your instrument. The older I get the more I'm bored by people who wank out scales, chords and other things that show a knowledge of theory. I think theory is good, I've studied it all my life, and it is a fundamental that is not to be ignored. That said, if I was going to go to a lecture on famous artwork, a very brief mention of how to mix paint would be interesting, but I'd really like to hear about composition, and artistic content.
There's a good bit of conversation in music about juxtaposition of scales, modes, and altered harmonies, but a well timed note will move a soul more than discussion about a flat 5 on a secondary dominant.
Books are fine, but don't use them as a distraction from embracing artistic thought.
 
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#12
MarkM13 said:
Greetings,

I'm wondering what improv books might be your favorites. I'm very comfortable with theory, have my major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales down from various points on the fretboard. However, I'm looking for practical and musical application of them and others such as diminished, dim. whole tone, Lydian Aug. etc.

So what works really well for you?
Mark

PS I've been looking into Pat Martino's Linear Expressions Expressions Book. For guitar but I don't need a bass specific book.
Click to expand...
Hal Crook's How to Improvise is a valuable resource; I recommend it highly.
 
#13
+1 on transcribing. For improvisation, training your ear is far and away more valuable than anything you can buy. If you insist on buying, Jamey Aebersold (jazzbooks.com) offers books full of transcriptions of many of the greats but it’s almost all double bass: Ron Carter, Rufus Reid, Bob Cranshaw, Paul Chambers, ...

Doing the transcriptions yourself is better for learning, though.
 
#15
MarkM13 said:
Greetings,

I'm wondering what improv books might be your favorites. I'm very comfortable with theory, have my major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales down from various points on the fretboard. However, I'm looking for practical and musical application of them and others such as diminished, dim. whole tone, Lydian Aug. etc.

So what works really well for you?
Mark

PS I've been looking into Pat Martino's Linear Expressions Expressions Book. For guitar but I don't need a bass specific book.
Click to expand...
The Inside Improvisation series by Jerry Bergonzi is excellent. Each book contains a CD of play-along tracks.

If you only get one, get Volume 6 'Developing a Jazz Language'. The stuff in there can be applied to any genre, not just jazz, and there's enough material in there to keep you busy for years.
 
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#19
I wouldn't go by book but by method.
The way I approach it with students is to take easy melodies and change them step by step, thinking of the elements one can play on.
Starting with a two or three chord sequence happens as an overall second step. Depends on the student however.

Transcribing too can be good.
Boks? not so much (Imho/e).
 

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