accelerating the line

So ... feel like your lines are a bit on the pokey side these days ...? Maybe want to amp things up a bit ...? Read on ...

While recently mentoring a learner with their single line ideas, the idea came forth for ways to create a greater sense of urgency, forward motion or simply to energize our lines. There are some "theoretical" ways to approach this as well as purely "artistic statement" ideas. Of course, rhythm will perhaps play the biggest role in accelerating our lines but as we'll see, it's not just in rapidity of pitches articulated that accelerates.

Perhaps the most common rhythmic accelerator is to simply start our ideas with a bit of a nudge, often termed a pickup when the music to be played is written out.

Here we wait on starting the line, then "nudge" it off via the eighth note on the "and of four." Example 1.

Feel the lift it gives the line? Let's take it away and see what happens. Example 2.

A bit flatter yes? Although the swing thing is potentially there with quarter notes on the beat, the line seems like more of a declaration, not something on the move. In this next idea we let the barline go by again and then jump star the line with the eighth note pick up. Example 3.

Similar results eh? Such a simple idea bit very cool not only in accelerating the lines but also getting them "off the ground" to swing. In this next ideas we simply reduce the pick up value to the sixthteenth note in a Latin feel. Example 4.

This last idea is very popular among today's hipsters, as the Latin sounds are such wonderful dance grooves and way fun to play. The trick is ... it's not all that easy to play. Listening to Latin sounds is the key, simply sing along and get in the woodshed.

Are there melodic devices to accelerate the line? Harmonic? Absolutely, we have it all here and of course where the line goes, the changes are often sure to follow. Vice versa of course. In the melodic and harmonic parameters, it's often about the creation of tension and it's release and there are a few beginning components that can work the acceleration magic. Once these components are in place, there is a huge business for this kind of activity, namely "substitution."

In these next few ideas, we will simply substitute in a dominant color for tonic in motion from One to Four. The dominant chord becomes the accelerator element. To start off, here is the vanilla tonic to Four motion. Example 5.

Nice line eh? Triads always work. Here is the above motion altered to include the dominant color which accelerates the feel to Four. Is it the tritone within the dominant that creates the wee bit of accelerating? Tis is indeed. Here is the lick. Example 6.

Interesting and subtle yes? Sense the bit of release when the Four chord is struck in bar 23? Just a little bit of tension can go quite a ways eh? In this next idea we advance the quality of the dominant substitution by including it's Two chord. Example 7.

Hip to the sleek Two / Five / One cadential motion? Tis indeed a key one for the emerging jazzer. The perfect quick modulator, the Two / Five / One motion can get us from key to key in a hurry. Much of the jazz literature from the 30's towards the present relies on this combination of color.

We can further move things along by adding in a bit of the diminished color into the dominant chord. In this next idea we simply add the flat nine ( b9 ) into the chord. Example 8.

Cool huh? Again the idea that by increasing the tension or tonal gravity of the line, we can oftentimes create a greater sense of urgency or acceleration of the line. In this last idea, we simply sub in the diminished color between the tonic ( One ) and Two. Termed the "sharp one diminished chord", we accelerate the motion between One and Two. Example 9.

Some of the "blueprint" harmonic formulas of the jazz language use the above motion as there stock changes. Modern versions of rhythm changes for sure. Coolness emerges that in advanced playing, that once hip to the possibilities, these accelerators are often used whether written in to the music or improvised.

What about the minor tonality? Can we also accelerate the elements? Yep. One common accelerator in the minor tonality is the using the augmented dominant color moving towards the tonic. Example 10.

Note that the dominant chord in bar 39 above retains the pitch B natural, a non diatonic pitch in the natural minor tonal environment. We can further accelerate the augmented color by using more of the pitches of the whole tone scale. Example 11.

Hip to the whole tone scale? Simply a group of pitches formed with the whole step interval exclusively.

Review. That in accelerating the line, we can use the rhythms, pitches of the melody or chord quality. Each have their own unique ways of creating greater tension in our music, so that our resolutions are all the more refreshing. Cool?

Where to next?

review new ideas

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