Learning to Improvise

[Nightwolf55]

Hello,

I've been recently practicing to read transcriptions, and slap bass. However, what I also really want to learn how to do is improvise. I realize that this requires knowledge of scales and chord changes.

As a hobbyist, I don't know if chord changes are charted on paper or document, like transcriptions are, but if they are, can you tell me more about them and where online they have them, as well as tutorials?

Also, may I have tips about learning how to improvise? It seems like it would be fun to take a song that I really like and play my own thing over it. Is it possible to extract chord progressions out of songs (on my own) so that I can get better at playing along with it? Is it easy and/or recommended to help me learn?

I might have rambled a bit, but any advice appreciated.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Improvise what? No think on that for a moment. Most want to improvise the tune. So you first have to be able to play the tune and then add your interpretation of that tune. You improvise the tune.

If you are looking for the magic pill, something like one of the scales or modes or even chord tones to be your way to improvise - good luck. It will sound like you are improvising scale notes, pentatonic notes or chord tone notes, i.e. running your scale exercises.

Melody is what you are looking for. Specifically the melody of the song being played. The head, the repetitive phrase........

Now most of us mortals start off improvising a lead solo by playing notes of the chord's pentatonic scale, and hoping it sounds something like what the big boys do. IMO the big boys start with the tune - and then add the embellishments.

See what Hal has to say;

Good luck.

 

[NoiseNinja]

If you can hum a melody over the tune, you can find that same melody on the bass, it's as simple as that... But of cause it makes it easier if you know the chords of the song and some scales.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

Improvise what? No think on that for a moment. Most want to improvise the tune. So you first have to be able to play the tune and then add your interpretation of that tune. You improvise the tune.

If you are looking for the magic pill, something like one of the scales or modes or even chord tones to be your way to improvise - good luck. It will sound like you are improvising scale notes, pentatonic notes or chord tone notes, i.e. running your scale exercises.

Melody is what you are looking for. Specifically the melody of the song being played. The head, the repetitive phrase........

Now most of us mortals start off improvising a lead solo by playing notes of the chord's pentatonic scale, and hoping it sounds something like what the big boys do. IMO the big boys start with the tune - and then add the embellishments.

See what Hal has to say; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NehOx1JsuT4&feature=relmfu

Good luck.

Interesting video. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Nightwolf55]

Improvise what? No think on that for a moment. Most want to improvise the tune. So you first have to be able to play the tune and then add your interpretation of that tune. You improvise the tune.

If you are looking for the magic pill, something like one of the scales or modes or even chord tones to be your way to improvise - good luck. It will sound like you are improvising scale notes, pentatonic notes or chord tone notes, i.e. running your scale exercises.

Melody is what you are looking for. Specifically the melody of the song being played. The head, the repetitive phrase........

Now most of us mortals start off improvising a lead solo by playing notes of the chord's pentatonic scale, and hoping it sounds something like what the big boys do. IMO the big boys start with the tune - and then add the embellishments.

See what Hal has to say; Hal Galper's Master Class - Technique, Part 2 - YouTube

Good luck.

thanks for your reply. i'll look at the link later today.
When I said improvising, I meant in terms of not only soloing, but also if I were at a jam session, etc.

 

[Nightwolf55]

just watched the video. I understand it a little more now, thanks

 

[MalcolmAmos]

thanks for your reply. i'll look at the link later today.
When I said improvising, I meant in terms of not only soloing, but also if I were at a jam session, etc.

That does bring up an important item. Jamming with a group. Jamming the melody or jamming a chord progression and the bass line that goes with it?

Melody has been addressed. Now jamming the bass line. IMO we/I assume and then listen for the chord progression, i.e grab a 12 bar blues progression or a ii-V7-I or the old standby I-IV-V7-I and then listen to see if that is going to work. If it works we then grab our favorite bass lines that we have stored in muscle memory - and use as many of the chord tones in them as needed for this song.

That's what I do, that does not make it the only thing that can be done, just what I do. Interested in what others may add. Specifically how they go about nailing the changes with out any sheet music around.

 

[Nightwolf55]

I'm risking sounding like a total newbie, but i'll ask: what's the difference between jamming to a melody and a chord progression? I thought/figured that melodies contained chord progressions...

Is it that melodies are for soloing and chord progressions are for song structures?

I'm going to start practicing improvising to chord progressions later

 

[HeadyVan Halen]

A Melody is what is played over a chord change.Think of your favorite song. Sing it. That's the melody.

Melodies are able to be sung for the most part (this is my opinion). You can have different melodies during a solo. When someone says "he plays melodically" it's usually easy to listen to for the most part.

i.e Jaco's solo on Havona, especially the beginng is very melodic to me. Not many fast runs, just very 'singable'..no the rest is a different story.

<side note> I usually slip in the melody of "So Fresh So Clean" to my solo's and then run somewhere else with it. That's an example of 'quoting a melody' within a "solo"

 

[Nightwolf55]

A Melody is what is played over a chord change.Think of your favorite song. Sing it. That's the melody.

Melodies are able to be sung for the most part (this is my opinion). You can have different melodies during a solo. When someone says "he plays melodically" it's usually easy to listen to for the most part.

i.e Jaco's solo on Havona, especially the beginng is very melodic to me. Not many fast runs, just very 'singable'..no the rest is a different story.

<side note> I usually slip in the melody of "So Fresh So Clean" to my solo's and then run somewhere else with it. That's an example of 'quoting a melody' within a "solo"

got it. thank you

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I'm risking sounding like a total newbie, but i'll ask: what's the difference between jamming to a melody and a chord progression? I thought/figured that melodies contained chord progressions...

Is it that melodies are for soloing and chord progressions are for song structures?

I'm going to start practicing improvising to chord progressions later

Yes, pretty much. Solo instruments play melody, accompaniment instruments play harmony (chords).

Our bass is primarily an accompaniment instrument. But, can be used to play melody, i.e. treble clef.

Think of it that way. Treble clef for the tune and bass clef for the harmony.