Pattern Movements through changes

Everyone wants to have more and more vocabulary in their improvisation. The more choices you have, the higher the probability that you can chose the correct one at the correct time.

An excellent way of achieving this is to look at different ways of viewing how you have to play over changes. I am interested in moving shapes over the changes, rather than playing the changes just within their own shapes.

You are still playing the 2/5/1 or whatever the change is, but stepping back.

For example, moving a triad in whole tone steps over the dominant chord, choosing to start on the 7th, it will lead nicely to a resolution of your choice. All of these pattern movements have to be practised so that the player hears them, and does not just play them with theory in mind. It then opens a new path and world over to the player.

Then, bolder steps can be taken, moving shapes all over a tune, using the changes to guide, but letting the shape in question give the tonal qualites. Once again, this has to be heard by the player, not played with the brain. The only way this can be done, is to practise the shape, and the movement in to the brain.

Using pattern movements through changes, players can build solos to new heights. The listerner will latch on to the shape and the movement in question and be guided by the player, so that when a resolution or other changes are made, a real impression is left on the listerner (hopefully!)

 Good Luck!