If you’re looking for ways to make my jazz guitar soloing more rich by making more of what you already know and do? Here’s some suggestions.
1. Explore Harmonic Extensions and Tensions
- Add 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths: Use chord extensions to create more colorful solo lines. If you know a basic chord shape or arpeggio, try adding a 9th or 13th to your lines.
- Use Tensions (b9, #9, b13, etc.): Adding these over dominant chords creates more tension and a sense of movement toward resolution.
2. Chromatic Passing Tones and Enclosures
- Chromaticism: Slip in chromatic notes between chord tones to add more fluidity and complexity. This works especially well in jazz where tension and release are central to the style.
- Enclosures: Approach target notes by playing notes above and below them chromatically before landing on the target. This adds a bebop flavor to your lines.
3. Rhythmic Variation
- Syncopation: Vary the rhythm by playing off the beat or using unexpected accents.
- Polyrhythms: Experiment with rhythms that contrast with the underlying groove (e.g., playing 3 against 4).
- Space and Phrasing: Use more rests and give your phrases room to breathe. This can make even simple ideas sound more profound.
4. Use Motifs and Develop Them
- Motif Development: Take a simple melodic idea (motif) and develop it throughout your solo by repeating it with variations in rhythm, note choice, or phrasing.
- Call and Response: Play a motif (the “call”) and answer it with a contrasting phrase (the “response”). This creates a conversational quality to your solo.
5. Arpeggio Superimposition
- Superimpose Arpeggios: Use arpeggios from related chords over the underlying harmony. For example, over a G7 chord, you could play arpeggios from G7, Bm7b5, or Dm7 to outline different harmonic textures.
6. Chord Substitutions
- Triad Pairing: Use two triads over a dominant or tonic chord to create harmonic tension. For example, over a Cmaj7, use G and D triads for a fresh sound.
- Tritone Substitution: Solo as if playing over the tritone-substituted chord. For example, over a G7, you could superimpose lines from a Db7 arpeggio or scale.
7. Altered Scale and Modes
- Altered Scale: Over dominant chords, use the altered scale (7th mode of melodic minor) to add tension and chromaticism.
- Mixing Modes: Take advantage of different modes over chords. For instance, instead of always playing the major scale over major chords, try Lydian (raise the 4th) or even Dorian.
8. Double Stops and Intervals
- Use Double Stops: Playing two notes at once, especially 3rds, 6ths, or 4ths, can thicken your sound and add harmonic interest.
- Intervallic Soloing: Try basing your lines on larger intervals like 4ths or 6ths to break away from scalar patterns.
9. Diminished and Whole Tone Ideas
- Diminished Runs: Use diminished arpeggios and scales to create tension, especially over dominant chords. Since diminished scales are symmetrical, they’re great for quickly moving up and down the fretboard.
- Whole Tone Scale: Over augmented or dominant chords, the whole tone scale offers a dreamy, unresolved quality that adds a modern edge.
10. Use Different Pick Techniques
- Hybrid Picking: Mix fingerstyle with picking to create more dynamic texture in your lines.
- Economy Picking: Improve the smoothness of your phrasing by using economy picking to reduce pick hand movement.
11. Octave Lines (à la Wes Montgomery)
- Play lines in octaves for a richer, fuller sound. It also forces you to slow down and be more deliberate with your note choices, adding a lyrical quality to your soloing.
12. Explore the Guitar’s Full Range
- Play Across the Neck: Don’t just stay in one area of the fretboard. Use vertical and horizontal movement to fully utilize the guitar’s range, making your solo sound more dynamic and interesting.
13. Utilize the Blues Scale Tastefully
- You probably already know the pentatonic and blues scales. Even in jazz, a well-placed bluesy phrase adds depth to a solo, especially over dominant chords.
By focusing on these elements, you can add new layers of complexity and richness to your jazz solos without needing to learn entirely new material. Experiment with combinations of these techniques in different contexts to find what works best for your style.