☀️ Don't Forget About the Melody!

When we practice improvisation, it can be easy to get caught up chasing new things.

• New scales.
• New licks.
• New chord substitutions.

Those things can be great, but in that quest, it can be easy to overlook one of the most powerful tools we have as improvisers: The melody. 

The melody is the foundation of the tune. If you have a deep understanding of it, your improvisation naturally becomes more grounded and musical.

When you listen to great jazz musicians, you’ll often hear them referencing the melody in their improvisation. Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes it’s subtle—but it helps give their solos a sense of cohesion and direction.

As I heard the great Hal Galper often say: “Let the melody be your guide.”