Recycle Your Existing Jazz Licks

by | Jazz Improvisation

Regardless of what level we’re at, the fact is that as improvisers we all have pet licks we tend to fall back on. These so called jazz licks are pieces of something we might have learned from a transcription which has become part of our habitual improvisational vocabulary.

I probably don’t have to tell you that habits happen “automatically”. So, there is very little cognitive effort involved. Therefore we find ourselves recalling and playing these pet licks every time we improvise. However, unless you are a seasoned improviser, you probably find yourself always playing that dorian lick over that same II-7 chord….but what if you could play it over any chord anywhere in a progression? Interested in learning how? If so, read on…

In this video lesson, I introduce you to a procedure that many great soloists employ to continually expand their existing improvisational vocabulary. It’s known in some circles as modal conversion.

If you can identify the intervals or scale degrees that make up a given phrase, this resource can help you double, triple or even quadruple your existing vocabulary! That dorian lick can now be converted to mixolydian to be used over the V7, to ionian for the Imaj7, and so on…

What I find so cool is that when we play any lick (btw, I hate that word) that has undergone modal conversion, it takes on a whole new color. Furthermore, with a little practice you’ll find it easy to recall because essentially it’s the same lick you’ve always played, only that with one or two changed notes.

In this video I demonstrate the “step by step” procedure using 3 phrases from my free e-book, 20th Century Jazz Guitar. For my examples I use phrases by Pat Martino, George Benson and Joe Pass. So here is a worthwhile opportunity to analyze and maybe learn 3 great phrases to be used over a wide variety of chord types.

Before I sign off, I have a small disclaimer to add here…. I am not a big fan of memorizing licks. I believe jazz is a language and you should learn its grammar to structure your phrases, in the same manner we do so when speaking English.

What we are doing here should mainly be used as a means to analyze how a great player uses the grammar. That way we can model it to create the feel and sound of a line or phrase we want to emulate in our playing style. Having said that, if you are not familiar with the elements of jazz grammar…or how to develop them to improvise without memorizing licks…I want to invite you to check out my online Bebop Guitar Improv Series.

If you have any comments or questions I’d love to hear from you, so please be sure to drop me a line in the comment section.
Suggested:

Implying The Changes In A Jazz Guitar Solo

How To Expand Your Jazz Vocabulary

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