Chapter 9

Navigating Changes:

Linear Improv Concepts

Chord Outlines and Chromatic Approaches

Making changes, getting “inside” the chords, playing with vertical content—no matter how you put it, this is every aspiring
jazz guitarist’s goal, and it’s difficult to achieve. Why is this? The overwhelming amount of published material makes it difficult for
many students to choose a starting point for study and to understand navigational concepts for organizing the fingerboard.
Many guitarists begin their linear improv studies with scales, which is fine. After all, the chords we’re trying to improvise
over are in the scales. Chord/scale theory, right? Scales are a great source of improv material. But it’s easier, initially, to get
“inside” the chords by orienting towards chord tone content instead of scales as an improv generator. I’d rather play chord content
like this:

Fig. 9.1. Improv Using Chord Tones

It’s easier than trying to jam scales into the time allotted for each chord.

Fig. 9.2. Jammin’ the Scales

Scales, by nature, are long and even, so a lot of us start out trying to run long lines of them over changes when improvising.
Chord content, however, can be triadic or outline low-degree seventh chords, so initially there are fewer notes to deal with (three
and four respectively), and then we can relate to chord shapes on the fingerboard we may already know when playing chord
outlines. We’ll look at some ways to utilize scales in the next chapter, but first, let’s narrow our focus to chord content.
 Chord outlines can be pretty dull, especially if consistently played from the root up. Connecting inversions of different outlines
and varying direction of the lines helps, but the sound can be very “inside.” This is where the use of chromaticism comes in.
Chromatics add interest when mixed into a chord tone line. This is one of the hallmarks of bop improvisation: outlines with
chromaticism. The boppers used chromatics in scale lines, too, as well as other devices, but let’s focus on chord outlines with
chromatics.
This is where many of us have trouble navigating the fingerboard. How do we organize chromatics within the chord outlines?
Does chromaticism come from the chromatic scale? And how do we mix the two elements together? Joe Pass was very fond of
saying, “Where there’s a chord, there’s a line.” Joe would use an approach like the following.

1. Take a simple scale fingering.

Fig. 9.3. C Major Scale

 2. Play a chord like CMaj7(9), that had its chord tones in the scale shape.

Fig. 9.4. CMaj7(9) Chord

3. Play the chord’s arpeggio out of the scale fingering.

Fig. 9.5. CMaj9 Arpeggio

4. Then proceed to make a jazz line out of the chord outline and adding chromatics.

Fig. 9.6. Jazz Line on CMaj9

Sometimes, there were a couple of passing scale tones, too! It is easy to see the relationship between the scale, arpeggio, and
chord shape, but it can take a long time to figure out how to organize the chromatic notes. What gradually becomes clear is that
the chromatics are between the notes of the low chord degrees (1, 3, 5, 7). Navigationally, the approaches needed to be on the
same string as the target chord tone. Here’s the way to organize the chromatics.
Fig. 9.7. The Twelve Chromatic Approaches

All the above chromatic examples resolve into the pitch C, but it could be any chord tone on any type of chord. What is
important is the distance, direction, and amount of chromatics in relation to the chord tone. You can make a great bop line exercise
out of low degree outlines mixed with varying amounts of chromatics. Start with a two-octave arpeggio using a couple of different
fingerings. One in position, one diagonal, for instance.

Fig. 9.8. Two Fingerings for a CMaj7 Arpeggio

The example in figure 9.8 is CMaj7, but the arpeggio could be any chord outline. Notice the high note only goes to the
seventh of the chord. You can use any fingering that feels good to you, but the approach note and its target tone should be on
the same string.
Now, start your exercises by adding one of the chromatic approaches to the outline, like this example of a one-half-step
approach above the root. Start the line on or off the beat, whatever feels good.

Fig. 9.9. One-Half-Step Approach above the Root of CMaj7

Then, to the third of the chord:

Fig. 9.10. One-Half-Step Approach above the Third of CMaj7

 Then, to the fifth of the chord:

Fig. 9.11. One-Half-Step Approach above the Fifth of CMaj7

And, finally, to the seventh of the chord:

Fig. 9.12. One-Half-Step Approach above the Seventh of CMaj7

Note that the approach in the last example is a chord tone as well as an approach. This results in a doubling of the note C as
the arpeggio descends. Continue your exercises in twelve keys, using both fingerings to all four chord tones on the major seventh
chords. Then, use the same half step above approach on the major 7♯5 chord, major 7 5, etc., repeating the previous procedure
until you go through all eleven chord types.
This has the potential to be very time consuming! If you look at the math: twelve approaches x eleven chord types x four
chord tones x twelve keys = 6,336 exercises! And, don’t forget two fingerings 6,336 x 2 = 12,672 exercises! Why would you take
the time to do this? This is an immersion exercise.
Constant repetition helps burn these moves into your subconscious, where motion becomes auto-intuitive. Only extensive
repetition accomplishes this. This also forces you to make decisions about fingering and orientation, which is great, and no one
does them exactly the same way.
Try to sing what you play. A word of warning, however: move from side-to-side into the chord shapes, and keep the
chromatics on the same string as the target chord tone. Play loose, and get used to the movement. Move and avoid stretching. It’s
better for the phrasing quality, and it’s better for your chops! Limit the amount of time spent playing repetitious material. Like the
scale practice, 25 minutes is a good place to take a break.
Two-octave exercises cover a lot of ground, but we can improvise with smaller pieces of them, too. Remember the smart
boxes. We’ll plug these chromatics right into more bite-size parcels, but a thought or two before we do: the exercises target one
chord tone per exercise, but in application, chromatics can be used on all the chord tones—even in the same line. There was an
example of this idea in chapter 4. Remember this?

Chromatic with Multiple Targets

Slow w/Guitar Slow w/o Guitar

Fast w/Guitar Fast w/o Guitar

Fig. 9.13. Chromatics with Multiple Targets

Chromatic approaches can be combined together, like this:

 Combined Approaches in Outline
Slow w/Guitar Slow w/o Guitar

Fast w/Guitar Fast w/o Guitar

Fig. 9.14. Combined Approaches in Outline

The first bar of 9.14 combines two of the approaches together. This is a good example of a smart box phrase: less than two
octaves register-wise, a clear G–9 outline, and multiple approaches moving side-to-side into the outline. You’ll have noticed that I
slipped a passing scale tone into this line in bar 2. We’re focusing on chromatic approaches here, but always feel free to add
content to your lines that helps make them musical.
It’s time for you to start writing some lines yourself! You can start by imitating some of the examples I’ve written here. And
the operative word here is write (in pencil, with a good eraser)! You’ll find that composing lines is a good way of maintaining
quality control. What you don’t like, you can erase. What you keep becomes part of your vocabulary. Compose lines that contain
major, minor, and dominant chord outlines. They can vary in length from one to eight bars or be whatever length you like.
Try recording vamp loops of the chords you’re playing over, and play your lines with them. Recycle sections that you like and
alter them to fit different chord types. For example, a minor 7 line can become a minor 7 5 line. When you’re pretty successful
at that, try moving from one chord to another like this:

Connecting Two Chords

Slow w/Guitar Slow w/o Guitar

Fast w/Guitar Fast w/o Guitar

Fig. 9.15. Connecting Two Chords

Example 9.15 contains a few surprises worth examining. Some of the fingerings are a little different, including playing
multiple notes on the same string with the same finger. There’s an example of what’s termed a delayed resolution in the beginning
of bar 7 and an example of a line cliché beginning later in that same bar. Analyze and incorporate! You can use these same
ingredients in your own lines. Just make sure that you can find the underlying structures that you’re building on. With all the stuff
 that’s happening in 9.15, the two basic structures are:

Fig. 9.16. Underly ing Chord Structures

You’ll notice that I’ve labeled the preceding chord structure examples as A–7 and C–7, even though both outlines contain the
ninth of the chord. Think about them any way you like, but ultimately they are still minor seventh chords. Joe Pass tended to think
this way, too. Chords and resultant lines were major, minor, and dominant in nature. Keep things simple!
I hope this helps you to create some boppin’ jazz lines and facilitates connecting some chords together! Make sure that
you’re playing your lines over audio to see how they fit. Now the big challenge! Playing over a jazz tune. The hardest aspect of
creating good solo lines is that the chords can be progressing one to the next rapidly. It’s one thing to connect chords together in
an extended vamp and another thing when the chord duration lasts only two beats! Here are some ideas to help you cope:

Use chord outlines and partial outlines when the chords are going by quickly.

Use chromatics, delayed resolution, etc., sparingly.

Try connecting chord structures on the same string groupings.

Use space in your lines—a great musical resource!

Imitate the quality of lines from players you dig (they don’t have to be guitarists).
Here’s an example of a solo on rhythm changes. Only the solo is included here, with fingerings.

Solo on Rhythm Changes

Slow w/Guitar Slow w/o Guitar

Fast w/Guitar Fast w/o Guitar

Fig. 9.17. Solo on Rhy thm Changes