What is the point of guide tones?
Breakthrough Concept:
Improvisation is the art of the resolution.
I had a student ask a question the other day, and it got me thinking. What is the point of guide tones?
In my previous blog posts, I talked about the following concepts.
You know that guide tones are the 3rds and the 7ths of the chord, and you know that they are like the guardrails of improvisation.
When you practice guide tones, you start on either the 3rd or the 7th of the chord, then go to the nearest 3rd or 7th of the next chord for good voice leading.
You practice guide tones to be able to hear the 3rds and 7ths of the chord.
You know that you can use the guide tones as “shell voicings” - which works great for arranging and pianists that are just starting out.
You might still wonder, why practice guide tones?
In my last blog post, I talked about my philosophy that there are no mistakes in jazz, just pivots. The key to understanding that concept is embedded within the ability to hear and resolve. To be able to resolve to a guide tone or a chordal tone is the art of improvisation.
Take Freddie Hubbard’s solo on Dolphin Dance, for example. He consistently resolves each phrase across bar lines to the 3rd or 7th of each chord. Sometimes he starts on or resolves to a “color tone,” or an extension of the chord. Sometimes he resolves to the 5th or the root. Either way, he is a master at resolutions, and as a result his playing is difficult to ignore.
How to Practice Guide Tones
Practice a ii V7 with the following constraints:
Play only the guide tones
Try to connect them smoothly
No scales allowed
Practice Example (Freebie download!):
Play along with with the backing track. Scroll down to view a video tutorial as well.
If you want:
Step-by-step guide tone exercises
Blues and standard applications
A clear daily practice system
Join the Jazz Improv Institute community and start building real improvisational fluency.
Happy practicing!
View the video below to learn more about guide tones. Put your requests in the comments on YouTube!
