Jazz Improv help?

[Tyler Jones]

Hi I'd like some general advice on how you guys learned to jazz improv fluently and confidently. Like I know all about using blues scales and things like different modes for different seventh chords in a progression and I have tried looking on youtube to find other bassists soloing but I'm still having a lot of trouble getting a good grasp on it. I feel like I know WHAT to do just have trouble GETTING to it. Right now my own personal jazz collection is better for inspiration than youtube is but still could some of you help me understand (if that's a good word choice, possibly not) it? How have you become good at it?

 

[skwee]

Start *singing* improvised lines over chord progressions, whether to a recording or Jamey Abersold. Then try to play like the lines you have sung. Try quoting other tunes. Try to think melodically, don't just blow through scales and modes. You're trying to find melodies, using the technical side of things to give you the notes to choose from, or avenues of attack.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I'm not good at it, but, yes it's melody. You use all that mode stuff to find the notes of the melody. Then play the melody your way. Gotta hear the tune somewhere in there. Running scales, modes or patterns will never sound like the tune.

 

[mambo4]

Good solos come from really knowing the melody and the harmony of a song.

Over in the Double Bass forum is an awesome article by Ed Fuqua on "REALLY learning tune"

 

[Tyler Jones]

Thanks guys yeah ik right now all of my solos sound really really melodic and then it feels like they should be idk whatever the opposite of that would be. Scale-based or something. thanks mambo that really helped me.

 

[Rudreax]

Transcribe solos from the masters. Best way, hands down. Also, find a teacher to help you with jazz in general.

 

[AgostoMortal]

TRANSCRIBE, is the deeper and more direct and efficient way. You will learn a lot of things from it: vocabulary, harmony, time-feel, phrasing, form and shape of the solos, rhythm, sound, etc.