To begin, if you are wanting the lines you play when improvising to sound more melodic, then there is no one better to listen to and study than Chet Baker. In fact, I believe the reason Chet Baker's trumpet playing is so melodious is a result of his singing; he's a vocalist (and a very good one!). I tell students all of the time that you must be singing in your head when playing (especially when improvising) if you want to play with a relaxed articulation and sound that is common in jazz.
In addition to internally "singing" when playing we should focus on thinking linearly while improvising. In other words, vertical thinking focuses on playing each individual chord while a horizontal (linear) mindset stresses chord/scale relationships; one scale stretched over as many chords as possible. Again, no one does this better than Chet Baker and it is on full display throughout his solo over Autumn Leaves. A casual glance at Chet Baker's Autumn Leaves solo quickly reveals the musical purity laced throughout his playing. Chet Baker handles the Major II-V-I Progression (Bb-7, Eb7, AbMaj7) with the Ionian Mode (Ab Major Scale played over all three chords - Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G). Likewise, he treats the Minor II-V-I (G-7b5, C7b9b13, F-) with the same sensitivity by using the F Harmonic Minor Scale played over the entire progression (F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E). Not only does Chet Baker use traditional chord/scale relationships when improvising over the Major and Minor II-V-I Progressions he stays loyal to the scale 99% of the time; in other words, he does not play notes "outside" of the harmony.
Finally, it is vitally important to closely examine the Rhythmic Vocabulary Chet Baker uses to support his melodic lines. Again, a casual glance at the Autumn Leaves solo reveals a very traditional approach to jazz improvisation. Chet Baker's Autumn Leaves solo overwhelmingly uses various quarter/8th note combinations. In fact, many of the rhythms he uses throughout the solo are the very same rhythms we set out to discover, learn, and play in the previous three JazzPianoSkills Podcast Episodes (August 3rd, August 10th, August 17th) which I encourage you to spend time studying and practicing.
So many lessons Chet Baker teaches through his Autumn Leaves solo but maybe the most important lesson of all is to keep it simple, do not overthink (which always leads to overplaying!). Chet Baker approaches all three aspects of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) with great simplicity and musical purity; we would do well to follow in his footsteps!
If you have not listened to my Chet Baker, Autumn Leaves Episode then I would encourage you to do so. If you are a JazzPianoSkills Member be sure to use the Podcast Packets (Illustrations, Lead Sheets, and Play Alongs) for this episode to help you maximize your musical growth.
Thanks for being a JazzPianoSkills Member. It is my pleasure to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano!
Jazz Pianist and Educator
Hello, I’m Dr. Bob Lawrence – the founder and President of The Dallas School of Music and JazzPianoSkills, a site dedicated to helping aspiring jazz pianists discover, learn and play jazz piano.
I am a native of Rock Island, Illinois (located a couple of hours west of Chicago). Growing up in a musical family and continuously hearing the Dixieland sounds of Bix Beiderbecke, I was destined to be a professional musician from early on. Many gifted and accomplished local jazz musicians were enormously influential during my early years of formation in the Quad-Cities (Al Frandsen, Warren Parrish, and Jack Scott, to name just a few).
After receiving a Bachelors's degree in music from St. Ambrose University, I headed south to attend graduate school at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). Considered by many the best collegiate jazz program in the world (which it is), NTSU (UNT) is where I would have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of learning from jazz legends Dan Haerle, Rich Matteson, and Jack Peterson. It was a fantastic environment, a constant thrill, and a dream come true!
Likewise, during my master's and doctoral studies at the University of North Texas, I was blessed to have the opportunity to study with internationally renowned music education philosopher and sociologist Dr. Hildegard Froehlich. Under her guidance (and wisdom), I conducted extensive research on community music education which was the focus of my dissertation.
My passion for teaching, music education research, and entrepreneurship le… Read More
Greetings JazzPianoSkills Fam! This week I released part one of a two-part interview I did with jazz legend Jamey Aebersold. Needless to say, it was a thrill to officially meet Jamey - after all, I've known him my entire life through his innovative…
Greetings, JazzPianoSkills Fam! We just completed our Key of Bb Major Harmonic Workout (March 8th Episode) and our Key of Bb Major Melodic Workout (March 15th Episode), and this week we brought the jazz piano skills from both of those workouts toge…
