[Dixielandjazz] Melody,Chords,Harmony

[Ken Gates]

Listmates-----
I'm not a musician.  But I do play music----and I improvise----not
quite at performance level---but sometimes some good stuff.
Anyway, I took up the clarinet at retirement age (5 years ago).
Don't read---didn't want to play if I couldn't play by ear.
Here's my point.  When I first decided to learn to play (self taught)---
I asked a local professional jazz player for some advice as to how
to go about learning to improvise.  He asked me if I could sing harmony
---improvised harmony that is.  And yes--I can.  He said that anyone
who can sing harmony can improvise.  And that is, I think, the "method"
I use when improvising.  I hear the melody going through my head---I
have no idea what the chord is---but I hear a harmony note---and walla--
I have a suitable note to substitute for the melody note.
One more thing.  I play once a week with an old time professional piano
player.  He has helped develop my ear by playing chords to an unknown
song--or just playing a chord progression that is suitable for OKOM.
I have to determine the key--then play some suitable notes.  When I catch
on to the chord progression etc--he changes key and progression.  It
doesn't result in great music, to be sure.  I'm not all that good at it.
But
I improve some each week---and it sure helped develop my ear.
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Seems to me the stages of development for me were----
1---Play the melody by ear (in several keys)
2---Make simple embellishments---add some notes--change a few melody notes.
3---More complicated embellishments lead into variations of the melody.
4---Complex variations lead eventually to only occasional references to
melody.
5---Making a new melody over the chord structure.

I'm only at level 3 (at my best) and probably only get to levels 4 and 5
when lost.
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Steve Barbone referenced Benny Goodman as a chordal improviser.  My ear
has him pegged as a master of complex embellishments and variations with
superb technique.  The melody always seemed to be present!
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And thanks for listening---
Ken Gates  (Siding with the melody and variations---as opposed to chordal)