How To Solo

          My own approach to soloing is to focus less on perfection and more in my overall spontaneity and expression as a performer,  At the same time I try to be aware of the overall momentum of the arrangement as a whole.  

          My own belief is that a lot of Jazz Musicians don't realize their role as arrangers. Although it is true that Jazz offers a lot of freedom for the soloist, the soloist also has a responsibility to think about the overall arrangement and create a build or make sure the wave is being embellished.  If you don't, the solos will be long and directionless and the audience members might start doing the subtle watch glances. As long as a solo has some kind of energetic momentum, it'll definitely hold the listener's attention.  From this perspective, I tend to focus less and less and perfection, and more and more in focusing on ways I can engage my listeners and keep them on their feet...  as I do this; however, I find that the demand for better technique drives me to strive to develop my technique as well.

In conclusion, I think it all comes down to one thing...  in Jazz one, two, hundred are a million mistakes are always forgivable... The one thing that's NEVER forgivable is punishing an audience for coming out to hear live music by putting them to sleep.

The Key Principles:

• Learn to control your tone and play in time. The demands are different from instrument to instrument. Regardless, before you start thinking in terms of solos, think of that one note and how you can get to the point that you can play it with dynamic, clarity, consistency, and with a natural feel.

• Learn to play simple melodies before you start focusing heavily on your Jazz Improv.  Also, if you're weak melodically it's very difficult to make it through a gig being totally dependent on other musicians to front for you. Trust me, I back in the day I tried...

• Memorizing solos is fine as a learning tool, but you also need to learn how to run chord changes. If you can do this you can play virtually any tune on the spot, as long as you have the right chords.

• Practice by working on "swinging" diatonic seventh block chords and connecting them. By this I mean simply playing up and down the block chords belonging to the changes in the tunes, but bringing them to life by playing them with different rhythms and feels.  Also, learn how to play them from various intervals... for example licks off the third, licks off the fifth (or flat five), licks off the seventh, the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, etc.   And don't forget to experiment with the use of chromatic pick up tones.

• If you decide to transcribe and learn solos, make sure you understand them too. Your goal is to internalize the sounds as well as understand the devices the soloist is using so you can make them your own.

•  It usually only takes one or two ideas or patterns to bring a solo to life...   One concept that I've been using with my students is rhythmic motifs and scales.  These are rhythmic templates that you apply to scales, and it makes them sound very melodic. 

• Gospel players think in terms of HOOKS... Your solos need to have at least one hook that makes them catchy... and that's what a hook is... a gimmick or a catch that makes them grab the audience.

• Regardless of your instrument, study Jazz harmony deeply.  Great Jazz solos RIDE the changes and comment on them...  If you understand the chord changes and alternate substitutions the soloist is blowing on, you take the harmonic concepts and turn them into a wealth of improvisational ideas.


• Don't overplay.... Phrasing is said to be one of the most difficult things to teach in Jazz... Regardless of your instrument, take time to breathe...  One good way of improving your soloing is to listen to the big bands and study their figures.  Sure, you can study very complicated Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter solos, however, before you decide to fly, you need to get your feet swinging and on the ground.  By studying big band horn figures you can learn basic lines which can be worked into your repertoire and then mixed in with all the "wild" stuff.  Also, listen to the great bebop singers as well - - remember, the human voice is the only human instrument that connects directly to the brain.

• Don't be afraid not to play.  In speech sentences have commas, periods and people pause for reflections.  Solos too are the same.

• Tap your feet...  Nothing is worse than accompanying a soloist who can't play in time. - - To boot, if you're blowing your changes in different time than the bassline you lose the effect of the counterpoint and bottom that he's offering you.

• Keep your solos short and to the point... Don't get into the habit of simply blowing and blowing until you get tired.  Tell a story... keep it short, have a beginning middle and end. 

• The best way to begin a solo is know how you're going to end.

• RELAX and build ! ! !  <-- Actually, this is the hardest part of playing a solo.  When it comes your time to play its easy to get excited and start acting all hyper and silly... then suddenly finding out that you have nowhere left to go.

• Don't be afraid to have a "formula" for how you begin, develop and end your solos... Many of the greats did... Its simply a blue print to help you along and when inspired, you can go anywhere you want with it.  For example,  start off with a repetitious lick... towards the middle get more notey, and by the final chorus put it into some big fat gushy gimmick.  

• Record your performances... I find that the way this helps me is that I get so sick and tired and embarrassed over what I perceive as my weak points and limitations, it forces me to go back to the drawing board and improve. - - A clear sign that my Jazz playing has been making some progress is when I listen to a tape that sounded great a few months ago, then find myself cringing as I listen to it again.

• Remember that if you're a true artist you will always be growing and your style will always be changing.  To be human is to evolve... such is true with art... Do not think of your music goals as having a final point... merely a series of directions pointing at other directions and implying other goals.

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