Music theory is over complicating the
study of jazz guitar and jazz improvisation.
Guitar teachers filling their
curriculum with music theory have over complicated the study of jazz guitar. Students
are left believing that the keys to performing jazz music are through the study
of scales and modes. In addition, there are a plethora of music educational
systems that further perpetuate the complication of the study of jazz guitar.
To fully understand how to play
jazz guitar, one must study the forefathers of the jazz guitar and their
approach to jazz guitar. Furthermore, one must also understand the difference
between music theory and practical musical performance concepts. West Montgomery is
considered one of the greatest influential jazz guitarists of all time despite not
having the ability to neither read music nor have any musical theory training;
however, he had an intimate knowledge of jazz harmony and block chords, which
is the practical musical performance concept that all of the master jazz guitar players utilize.
Jazz guitar performing and solo
improvisation has 0% to do with scales and modes and 100% to do with chords. The
masters of jazz guitar play melodies and improvise on solos based off of chords
with the understanding of chord tones not scale tones. For example, if a jazz
guitarist solos over a progression of C Major 7 to Am7 to Dm7 to G7, he is
literally seeing triad block chord shapes and chord tones of (C E G) to (A C E ) to
(D F A) to (G B D) with an understanding of the non chord tones around them. Visually seeing and playing on those
chord shapes allow jazz guitarists to move freely up and down the
guitar neck, without having to think about what they are playing. This allows jazz guitarist to rely solely
on pure creation and inspiration. In addition, the jazz guitarist sounds in
tune and melodic as well as sonically creating hills and valleys in their melodic
lines.
Guitar players who rely on scales usually
never sound melodic, and they run the risk of playing notes against chords that
create harsh sounds. For example, in the key of C Major the C note will not
work every time you play it. If you play it against a G chord you will hear an
unpleasing sound of minor seconds between the B and the C notes. The same goes
for an F note against a C Major chord. You will hear an unpleasing minor second
sound between the E note and the F note. In addition, the key signatures of
jazz standards are irrelevant as a result of the many non-diatonic chords
within the song. Playing a C scale will further create harsh sounds if played
against certain non-diatonic chords.
In summary, theoretically you can
analyze any piece of music and the notes that make up the song and conclude an
underlining scale motive. However, if you study the great jazz guitarist you
will understand that their actual performance was based off the practical
concept of playing on the chord changes and not playing scales. There is a huge
difference between theory and practical concept.
In conclusion, the three simple
practical concepts that all jazz musicians understand is:
1.
Understanding chords and chord tones.
2.
Understanding that 75% of the jazz standards
runs the cycle of 5ths.
3.
Conceptually viewing the I Major Chord and vi
minor chord the same and ii minor chord and the V7 chord the same.
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Here is a youtube video of Wes Montgomery supporting the musical concept of the above article. Watch his fretboard hand closely you will see his hand moving and outlining chord shapes not scales. His hand moves all over the guitar neck in barre chord locations. His hand does not move in a scale direction. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFlTUEz0xpI
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