Keyboard as Trumpet Improv Resource

jhatpro

I just got a Roland Juno Di mobile synthesizer and while I’m a rank beginner on keys I’m wondering how I can best use it to improve my improv skills on trumpet.

Any suggestions?
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
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brassmusician · Veteran Member Joined: 25 Feb 2016 Posts: 273

Grab the C version of your favorite jazz standard and learn to voice the chords (plenty of online help available or an Aebersold volume usually has them) and then play the chord progression. It may be easiest to play the root of the chord in your left hand and rest of the chord in your right hand. Go really slow to begin with. Have fun.
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PH · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:20 am Post subject:

khedger · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 4:48 am Post subject:

also Hal Crook has a keyboard/chord book out that's pretty good. Another thing you can do is play the chords in your left hand (this can just be in 'root' position, and you don't have to do them 'in time') and experiment with different scales that sound good in the right.

jhatpro · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:56 am Post subject:

Thanks, guys!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

TrumpetMD

jhatpro · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:01 am Post subject:

More great tips and resources - thanks, Doc!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Turkle

kehaulani · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:15 am Post subject:

If you don't already know it, learn functional theory; learn why certain chords have the construction that they do and how they move harmonically. How they move towards their tonic, which may be implied rather than obvious.

Know that many jazz or standard tunes modulate momentarily and frequently, so the scales you use are based, not always on the overall key that you're in, but on the context of momentary modulation.
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JetJaguar · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 11:41 am Post subject:

This is just from my memory of reading the book. I have not looked it up, but as I recall, in Dizzy Gillespie's autobiography, he said that Miles Davis once said asked him how he (Miles) could get to play with such speed and complexity as Dizzy. Dizzy told him that it was his (Dizzy's) time spent on the keyboard that enabled him to get that way.
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kehaulani · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:32 pm Post subject:

There was no connection between his physical dexterity and playing piano made. Miles asked him how to be a better improviser and Diz answered, "Learn to play piano", meaning the character of scales and harmonic movement.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

EBjazz · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:21 pm Post subject:

Just start banging out chords! I would start with this ii-V-I voicing and transpose it up and down by WHOLE steps. Then start over in G.
http://www.piano-play-it.com/images/Dm79-G79-Cmaj79.png

Then try some simple blues chords, always playing the root in your left hand. Try to avoid the habit of block chords, instead use the voicings above that keep the common tones with just one or two notes moving.

Eb
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Denny Schreffler · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:47 pm Post subject:

I thought that I might have seen it in a video, too, but I can't find it -- In person, I've heard Arturo mention that he will vizualize the piano keyboard as he imporvises.

I found that very interesting because I do the same thing, albeit with nothing close to Maestro's ability.

-Denny

Turkle

Coolcol123 · New Member Joined: 26 May 2017 Posts: 5

Great tips, thanks for all the posts!

chuck in ny · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:51 pm Post subject:

dizzy and i believe miles were always going on about how we needed to develop some piano playing to better understand music. great subject.

khedger · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:44 pm Post subject:

I was just browsing through the book for Aebersold's ii-V7-1 volume today and in the back discovered a table of piano voicings for a crapload of progressions. Practicing these will help get these progression into your ear and give you some theoretical basis for learning this fundamental progression. Once you can handle these, you could then start thinking about (and practicing) the chord scales that go along with them. Then transfer this practice to the horn.