As improvisers, we compose a melody in the moment. That means we make the same choices a composer make, but instantly, in the moment. In order to do that we must master some foundational elements that create music and develop our ability to anticipate.
One of those foundational element is connecting the changes and we are going to discuss two ideas to help us to do that:
• the magic formula that allows us voice lead the changes
• using the subV
The magic formula is a way to practice the changes that is tremendously helpful to memorize the harmonic progressions, improve your ear training and develop your technique.
When you practice the exercises, you first look for accuracy and ease of execution. Start slow, use the metronome, embrace the process of repetition and increase the tempo.
This is the part of your practice session that is NOT creative but that is a prerequisite to the creative part! That part should come right after you have practiced the exercise in a systematic fashion. Now you want to improvise, have fun, with that exercise. You focus your creativity on that melodic and/or harmonic material.
Video Arpeggios lesson, voice leading and subV:
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The first exercise in this arpeggios lesson, voice leading and subV is simply playing the magic formula 3 5 1 7 in quarter notes when you have one chord per bar and in eighth notes when you have two chords per bar. This way of playing the arpeggio connects all the chords of the harmonic progression in a very melodic way thanks to its great voice-leading.
Once you can go through the changes in quarter notes and eighth notes, be creative with this and have fun improvising!
Next, we can add some implied chords. When you have a II-7 chord alone, you can add the related V7: after the first chord Bb-7 you can add the related V7 Eb7. In front of Gb7 you can add the related II-7 which is Cb-7. Even between F∆ and A7 you can add the chords in the cycle of fifths Bb∆ and Eø7.
Again, once you are comfortable with this exercise, be creative with it!
In the second idea we look at how to voice-lead the subV when possible. In general you can use a subV when there is a resolution. When E7 is resolving to A∆ you can add Bb7 before or after E7.
Here we see that it works event when it goes back to Bb-7 because the minor third (Db) is the enharmonic of C#, the third of A∆.
Now that we have practiced these options, we are more comfortable using them in a creative way, editing the rhythm, fragmenting, augmenting the motif, adding passing notes and so on.
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