Playing the Changes Using Target Notes

When I was a beginner jazz improviser, the thing that I wanted more than anything else was to be able to play the changes.

In my mind, that was the thing that distinguished me from my jazz heroes. They were playing amazing jazz solos and spelling out the changes flawlessly.

So, in today's video, I want to talk about a technique called the target notes — how you can use them to start creating jazz lines and some exercises to get you started.

💥Important Links and Resources💥

Further reading:

[aljerones]

To choose target notes, my appraoch has been to know the chord tones, first. I believe that understanding that the 3rd and 7th underscores the quality of a chord gives me a great place to start creating.

After choosing my target notes from the chords, I often find that the line I've chosen, influences my voice leading.

The rest, such as rhythm, devices - like enclosures, passing tones, glissandos, licks etc. - are the "shades" I use to transition between the colours that chord tones delineate. .

This is how I see it and so, my approach to improvisation is such:

... Slowly ...

1. Practice my chords (major, minor, dominant half diminshed, full diminshed through the circle of fourths).
2. Learn a new standard every month (and a half - sometimes). I make sure I can recall and play the changes throughout the song's melody.
3. I learn a solo with the song and analyze it. Since I do all this work, anyway, I choose songs I like. 😊
4. Re-use any material learnt from one solo of one song in other ones I've learnt previously. (reinforcement)
5. Practice exercises of short patterns through all 12 keys to improve my ears and better technique. Exercises include: approach notes, enclosures, chromaticisms and diatonicisms etc.
6. Keep at it again and again and again.

I know I'm getting better when:
1. People tell me I sound great/better.
2. I find I'm more relaxed when I play a song I used to be intimidated by or used to get tense/stressed while playing.

[dawnnwilliams]

I’m a newbie bass player (two years), a lot self taught with help. Target notes are very important in walking and I agree it’s important to really practice and know the target notes. I find your lessons very helpful, so thank you.

[MorningCarnival]

I’m just starting and this is very useful. Thanks

[thebooda]

This was fantastic! From not being able to watch the previous video to being totally drawn in with this video, WoW fantastic! I am going to take a look at your course suggestion. This was extremely informative and clarifying to a complete beginner to Jazz. Thank you and great job.

[danielepaolo]

I connect chord tones using passing notes hehehe . You are great! Thanks 👍🤣

[faustobalboa]

Thanx a lot for this video, now i have plenty work to do! Thumbs up!

[jamieburrell]

5:03 I don't know if it qualifies as a technique, but I have recently adopted a system of purely comping chords with extensions over a songs form for a good hour (Always with bass/drums backing track) to get familiar and comfortable with where those extensions are related to both the chord and arpeggio. Plus its fun comping on guitar :D

[joehernandez]

Great stuff. I try to learn the chord changes in every position first. Once I get that down I can visualize the whole chord and extensions when I’m playing a solo. I’m not that good at it yet but this has helped tremendously.

[חנוךשטיין]

I usually start with arpegio, and the im triying to connect the melody throughout the chord changes, by using the thirds, routs, fifths, approach notes and some moden licks.

[OSAMAMAful]

Great video!! Thanks a lot.
I have one question though, if I am improvising over a chord progression, Am Dm, using Am scale (which is same as C major scale), and if I emphasis over C note in Am chord instead of A note, wouldn't it become a C major scale improvisation instead of A minor scale improvisation? Please let me know!

[eunsig]

Hi Brent. Thank you for the video. I listened to an podcast episode of yours that talked about composing with target notes and I have been practicing that in my solos. I was wondering how composing a solo based on target notes compares to composing a solo with memorised licks. Are they both equally used? Should I prioritise one over the other in my practice session? Thank you again in advance. :-)

[JSDJerry]

Just bought the book. One question. I know 3rds and 7ths are important, and it’s also important to connect notes.
But, if I create my own target note maps, do I just listen to see which sounds better? I assume there can be
Many maps.

[leonrickert]

Is there a difference between using Target Notes and using Voice Leading? Or is it the same?
Ps.: Awesome Videos, thank you for the help!

[eternalcowboy]

I'm learning to do this now and having some struggles making it happen...