This is the third installment of my posts about using drone tracks. Today we’ll delve into how we can put it all together in the context of jazz and improvisation!I'm borrowing this exercise from a fantastic trombonist and improviser based here in NYC - Ryan Keberle. If you don't know Ryan, you definitely want to hear his latest project called Catharsis: check it out here:
http://www.ryankeberle.com
Ryan gives a fantastic lesson on this exercise as part of Michael Davis' Hip Bone U, check that out here:
http://www.hipbonemusic.com/
We’re going to set the drone track, and then freely improvise melodies, while retaining our attention to playing with great sound intonation.
The idea behind this exercise is to free your mind, and just play. We're exercising our ear and our creativity to create something from nothing. You'll never know when the moment will rise that you'll need to improvise something right on the spot!
We'll use the drone tracks to give us some kind of key relation, but don't feel tied down to that key! Explore how all different tonalities feel over top of that bass note.
Challenge yourself to improvise for the full 5 minutes of the drone! Before long you'll need to play it again just to get through all of your ideas!
Download the drones: http://www.nickfinzermusic.com/store/#store-item=57e07c9e6edca0176caa7997
See ya next time - have fun!
Nick