Anyone have any tips or special techniques on improvising Jazz peices?
I'm trying to improvise Autumn Leaves.

its in G major and the chords are as follows:
A minor 7th
D 7th
G major 7th
C major 7th
F# minor 7th w/ Flatted fifth
B 7th
E minor

just to clear any possible confusion, start with e, f#, g then go into the A minor 7th. I'm pretty sure its a popular song. If u guys still don't know what it sounds like, heres a video (i'm not sure if its in the same key):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vNH01Ljr76w

The easiest way would be to play the blues scale. You can play any of the notes in the blues scale and they will always sound right. In G Major the blues scale is...

G - Bb - C - Db- D - F(natural) - G

While playing around with the blues scale, make up some licks that you like and write them down. Practice them so that way when it comes time to improvise, you have a basic idea of what you want to play.

but the song is more ... meloncholy. i don't really know how to apply the blues into it.. if u want, i would write out how to song is played so it can be made more clear

I think jazz chords are more fitting.

My teacher just told me today that I might have an intrest in the jazz sylibus because I like classical jazz so much. The problem is it requires that you not only memorise songs but inprovize. Her final note on it was if I wanted to do it I need to know and master all the chords, arpegios for each one and also its progression.

Moral : do what my teacher said.

Ah but that is the beauty of the blues scale. It works for everything; it is not limited to the blues. This is because the pentatonic scale is built into the blues scale.

The only other option I can give you is to know the progression of the chords like the back of your hands. I would assume that all of the chords in your piece are jazz chords (the existence of the seventh). So basically you have to play around with those chords before hand and make little licks you like from them. Write them down and practice them so when you go to play improvised, you have an idea of what you want to do and a pocket full of licks to play in any order you like. It would probably be even ok if you brought your licks to the stand with you; no one in the audience would really notice (unless of course you stare the whole time at your stand or this is a solo gig). After all, the audience thinks your a professional when really you don't know what you are doing half the time. :lol:

EDIT: Oh I almost forgot something, It is also good to play bits and pieces of the head in your solo.

Tip.

Always start on a note in which the chord is in. THat's all you really need to know. If you do that for every chord, just go along with your own interpreation, and comp. to your mind's delight!

I'm just starting to comp. better since I've been in the higher jazz band as the piano player.

Good luck. :bleh:

If you want, try using mechanical formulae at first.

For the bass:

Grind the chords in exactly the same way going up those rising 4ths on the left hand. Easy pattern: rise up a third and go back to your original note before passing on to another chord.

A B C A
D E F# D
G A B G
C D E C
F# G L F#
B C D B
E F# G E

This should give you a continuous bass line on which to improvise. And if you feel at ease, feel free to vary the chord sequences without leaping too much (keep the bass melody as least skippy as possible).

For the main melody:

Start off by playing the main melody of Autumn Leaves. Then, play it again, but add accidentals from the blues scale to spice up your melody. That's the key to start improvising: ornementation.

This version of Autumn Leaves could inspire you ...

http://www.ian-mcguire.com/music.html