Description

Melodic embellishment is the use of tones outside of a chord to decorate and ornament chord tones. It is an essential and perhaps the most important component of improvised jazz melody. In their improvised solos, improvisers interpret chord progressions by playing notes that suggest, move around, point toward, highlight, or resolve to the notes of each chord. The tones that are used to embellish a chord, often referred to as non-chord tones, are generally more dissonant and less stable in relation to the chord tones being ornamented. The principle of tension and resolution, accordingly, is almost always involved. These studies are an attempt to acquaint the improviser with this principle and its application through the embellishment of a number of chords and progressions that regularly appear in jazz.

The chromatic scale embellishments are quite versatile and can be used over any chord or chord progression since they are uniform and tonally inconsequential. These embellishments can be used as connecting material or passing figures between other melodic figures including arpeggios, scales, or any embellishments that are harmonically well-defined. Chromatic scale embellishments can also be used freely to maintain eighth-note rhythm and direction without concern for the scale/chord relationship.

The Chromatic Scale Tone Embellishment PDF has 32 exercises that provide various patterns and exercises that decorate and ornament the tones of the chromatic scale. Purchase includes a MIDI file. To listen to page one of the exercises (the posted image), click here→

(4 Pages)