Foreword PART 3: WORKOUTS Melodic Minor Workouts How to Practice Workouts... 26

Transcription

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreord PART 1: BACKGROUND PART 2: THEORY Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale Diatonic Seventh Chords Ho to Practice Diatonics Melodic Minor Scales ith a Passing Tone Ho to Practice Melodic Minor Scales ith Passing Tones Application of Melodic Minor Scales to Various Chord Types Summary of Melodic Minor Chord/Scale Relationships PART 3: WORKOUTS Melodic Minor Workouts Ho to Practice Workouts PART : APPLYING MELODIC MINOR SCALES to Minor II-V-I and V-I Progressions ith Passing Tones to Minor II-V-I Progressions ith a Passing Tone Scale Applied to a V-I Progression PART : USING THE MELODIC MINOR SCALE IN IMPROVISATION Selected Repertoire Notes on the Recorded Tracks TRACKS Concert Instruments B Instruments E Instruments Bass Clef Instruments

2 HOW TO PRACTICE MELODIC MINOR SCALES WITH PASSING TONES Stage 1: Practice individual scales Stage 2: Put it all together The first step is to learn the scales one or to octaves (depending on your instrument and your range on it). Set the metronome at a playable tempo clicking on beats 2 and and begin. As you become more comfortable increase the tempo. Select a scale and practice its different starting points, (, third, fifth and sixth). This ill reinforce the fingerings and help get the sound of the scale in your ear. Practice all the scales beginning on the third. Take them around the circle. Next, do all the scales starting on the fifth, then finally the sixth. It is extremely useful to practice not only individual scales but also to practice possible resolutions. After all, that is hat you must do hen you improvise. When chaining the scales together, concentrate on the resolution. Select a target note (the, third, fifth or sixth of the chord) to hich you are going, and practice resolving smoothly and musically. Make up some rules for yourself. Here is an example. I am going to play the melodic minor scales ith passing tones. The chords ill resolve around the circle of fourths and ill move at a rate of one every to measures. I am going to arrive on the of each chord by playing a hole-step under and a hole-step over the target note. (Track 3) Example 10 - Chaining melodic minor scales ith passing tones around the circle (Track 3) # # Bb # Eb b J Drop don an octave hen the range gets too high. 19

3 The folloing example gives eight ays to practice the melodic minor scale ith a passing tone around the circle of fourths. Remember the target note principle. You can approach the target note in a variety of ays. Example 11c, e, g use notes from the scale. 11a uses a hole-step over. 11d uses a half-step under, and 11b, f and h uses a half-step over. Example 11 - Eight ays to practice resolving melodic minor scales ith passing tones around the circle of fourths A # J B # n # J C # b # J D # # E # n F # G # H 20

4 Assignment: Using the target note principle, devise your on resolutions and chain these scales together by descending or ascending in half-steps. APPLICATION OF MELODIC MINOR SCALES TO VARIOUS CHORD TYPES Mastery of the melodic minor scale can help you simplify harmonic progressions that may at first seem difficult. Example 12 gives several different ays to harmon - ize the C melodic minor scale. Example 12 - C melodic minor scale harmonized Δ # Aø B7 F13 (# 11) Eb b Δ # D13sus 9 G7sus,,,,,, b The chords in Example 12 at first glance look dissimilar, but in reality the opposite is true. They are actually all very closely related. Look at Example 13 and note the number of common notes present in these different chords. Each chord used in this example is a possible choice to harmonize a melody that is in C melodic minor. Thinking the other ay C melodic minor is a scale that orks ell over each of these chords. Example 13 - Chords of Example 12 Δ b A o 7 b # B7 # b D13sus 9 b Eb Δ # b # F13 11 b G7sus 21

5 APPLYING MELODIC MINOR SCALES WITH PASSING TONES TO MINOR II-V-I PROGRESSIONS The next step is to add the passing tone beteen notes and 6 and to start the scale on the, third, fifth and sixth scale degrees. Example 23 gives eight different ays to practice the melodic minor scale ith a passing tone in a minor II- V-I context. Practice these patterns in all keys. Use Track 1 of the accompanying CD as a play-along accompaniment. When practicing, the concept is the same as previously discussed. Use the melodic minor scale ith passing tone over the half-diminished, altered dominant and minor chords. Target the, third, fifth or sixth of each chord. Resolve smoothly to the target note. Example 23 - Eight ays to practice the melodic minor ith a passing tone scale over the minor II-V-I Progression A Bø D melodic minor scale E7alt. F melodic minor scale A A melodic minor scale B C D E # # # # # # # # (1/2 step under) # # # b # # n # # # # # A Bø D melodic minor scale E7alt. F melodic minor scale A A melodic minor scale B C D E # # n # # n # # # n # (omit the 1/2 step) (omit the 1/2 step) n # # # n # n # # # n # n # 3

6 Example 2 - Chord progression from movement II of SONATA FOR SAXOPHONE AND PIANO by Bill Dobbins 1 c Ó # Œ F. F b b # n f p # n # n # P # # # # Bb 11 b E b 7 # # 9 # DΔ 11 C # 7 # # 9 (C mm) (Emm) (Dmm) F# 11 b # B7 D# 7/E E7 # # 9 b A 11 # D7 C# Δ # 11 # C7 (Amm) (Cmm) (Fmm) (Cmm) (Fmm) b 11 Bb 7 # # 9 Bb 7/E b Eb 7 # # 9 b D 11 b G7 b 9 # CΔ Bø E7 # Eb Δ/A A13 # 11 Ab Δ # # E7 AΔ 9 # F7 Bb Δ # # A7 (A mm) (Bmm) (Emm) (Fmm) (A mm) (Amm) (Dmm) (Fmm) (Emm) (Fmm) (Fmm) (F mm) (Gmm) (C mm) (B mm) Ab Δ # /D G7 # # 9 Û Û 21 F# 7 # # 9 Û #. (A mm) (Gmm) Together ith Bill Dobbins I recorded his Saxophone Sonata for Albany Records on a CD entitled Jazz Sonata. Example 26 is a transcription of my improvised solo in the second movement of this ork. In it you can see that, along ith diminished material, the melodic minor as used quite often. It should be noted, hoever, that there as not a conscious effort to use melodic minor sounds. This analysation came several years after the solo as recorded. 38