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ok heres a thing thats been bothering me. how the heck do you make solos for jazz music? i can never get a straight answer and its bugging me. so if there anyone out there that can take time to explain it or give me a link to somewhere that will it would be very nice

You listen a lot and emulate others. You learn a lot of tunes and get to know the patterns and melodic shapes that people use. You ornament and improvise around those melodies, learning how to use consonance and dissonance to manage the buildup and release of tension in a tune.

There are some things out there that will help you understand soloing. Many people like Aebersold play-a-longs. ( www.jazzbooks.com ) It's also very helpful to play in a big band. Many parts are written-out, and it can help you get an idea for what an improvised solo feels like.

Also, solo jazz piano is more difficult than trio, and trio is harder than quartet/quintet work. I always suggest to my students that they get ensemble experience right away - that way you get a chance to interact with other musicians.

I do a lot of exercises in my classes with improvising pitches to a set rhythm, playing back short phrases by ear, and improvising from one guide note to another.

Also, when learning how to do it, repertoire choice is important. Get comfortable with blues first, then move on to easier swing tunes and cool jazz. Save the fast bop for later.

Kreisler hit the nail on the head.
The Jamey Abersold books have some useful information, and the key here is listening. Jazz chords aside, the solos are a mish-mash of different scales, depending on the tune, may times a modal scale works well, but mixing it up with other conventions...runs of minor thirds or whole tone scales....lots of other ways to break up the predictability of the scale. I often look at the structure of the chords and choose a scale which reflects the notes of the chords. As the chords change, so do the scales. This should help a ton...just don't play scales that contradict the harmonies of the chords.

http://www.manythings.org/midi/search.htm
http://www.manythings.org/midi/
http://www.songtrellis.com/
http://www.songtrellis.com/changesPage
http://www.jazzpianists.com/PianistsSites/
http://www.apassion4jazz.net/keys.html
http://psrtutorial.com/Resources/musiclessons.html
http://www.seventhstring.co.uk/fbindex.html
http://musicmoz.org/Styles/Jazz/Magazines_and_E-zines/Links/
http://www.lucaspickford.com/transpiano.htm
http://www.keithjarrett.org/links/#Transcriptions


Maybe a little over kill on the links but it should keep you busy for a while hopes this helps dpvjazz

In a nutshell, there are a few basic scales and chord progressions that most jazz tunes are built upon, and jazz improvisation involves using those scales as a pool of notes for weaving new melodies for a given tune.

You've been given the best advice here....listen.

Have fun,

-- ipgrunt

ipgrunt's suggestion is the heart of it IMO.

For starters, have a look at a book called "Jazz Keyboard Toolbox" by Bill Cunliffe, published by Alfred.

I use the "Jazz Piano Book" by Mark Levine to teach scale and chord theory.

Z
www.UpbeatMusicStudio.com

Mark's book is good. I too use the book and it has filled in quite a few gaps in my knowledge of jazz piano techniques. However, I've heard more than one experienced classical player complain that the book seems to begin a discussion in the middle, and cut it short before the end.

Mark also wrote a book titled the Jazz Theory book which has more material, but does not strictly focus on the piano. My advice would be to take a look at both books.

...unless you have a strong, innate sense of hearing linear harmonic counterpoint in a consistantly lyrical way!

I tend to view phrasing as paramountly significant, of equal importance to the individual components that compromise any linear stretch. The notes themselves each having their own life within the context of the phrase. Their own dynamic. It's this accentuation of dynamics that gives a "jazz" stretch its atypical propulsion. It's "swing", without resorting to "pushing" every other eight note.

Where you place the emphasis, on which note, will shape, then reshape your line, helping it evolve along an "instant composition" state of mind rather than a predictably patterned, cliched one.

The greater the dynamic control exercised of each individual note of a phrase, the more interest, punch, and propulsive energy the stretches will have.

If you want to play "jazz", rather than simply read and then memorize a repertoire of book learned cliches (which results in patchwork playing), recordings are your superior choice. Listen to jazz. Not just pianists, but all instrumentalists. Pick the musicians that you like most. Start with the linear. Single lines. Simple solos, ranging from the ultra simple, for instance, from Bob James' "1-finger" solos on the CTI recordings to the other end of the spectrum, Lennie Tristano's, Lee Konitz's, or Warne Marsh's brilliant, ultra complex, arhythmically phrased 200+ note stretches:

http://members.aol.com/virtuosic1/music/TristanoTFTpg1

Listen, listen, listen! Start by scatting the lines. Not just the notes but most importantly, the phrasing as well. Once you can scat sing with the recording, sit down and play the line as you scat it. The same way, with all of the dynamics imparted.

After awhile, you'll find that the only difference between the stretches of Charlie Parker and JS Bach is the phrasing of the components themselves.

In my case I became attracted to certain styles and as I go back right to 1945 or so when I started my jazz piano addiction, these styles are still my basis for inspiration.

You may like to listen until you find the style you like the most and try to copy that. Virtiosic1 has it wrapped up in his advice I think.

Just that all jazz pianists like to develop their own style I believe.

Best of luck.

Alan

Alan, who are the players that were most influential in your development?

Good advice.

May I ask what format the file in your link is? I get nonsense when I open it.
Thanks.

virtuosic1

The pianists that influenced me the most were;-

Teddy Wilson (I actually met him after a concert in York, England in c1968) A true gentleman..... just like his playing.

Erroll Garner, Also met him, another really nice guy. I play rather to his style but not at his amazing ability and such difficult keys.

The earlier Jazz 'greats' like Earl Hines, Fats, Tatum (though impossible to copy Art) with my ability.

I also like Ralph Sutton very much. Inspiring they all are but I have my limits and I just play to please myself.

I have to be happy and carefree, otherwise I lose concentration and my ear is not fully 'on the ball'. I have a fantastic love of the piano, always have. I want to get into the rhythm, be my own group, on my own! No distractions!

I see others giving advice, saying that you or they should listen to their mentors and I do beleive that's essential to those wishing to play jazz as newcomers. Of course modern jazz is a different situation and the styles are less easy to quantify in my opinion.

Anyhow, I play as I have said above, as best I can, probably combining a few styles.

Thanks,
Alan