PERSONAL PROJECT: PEP7

WOODY
AND ME

By Nick Walters
CONTENTS

Page 3

List of Musical Examples

Page 5

Acknowledgements

Page 6

Introduction

Page 8

Part 1: The Improvisational Style of Woody Shaw

Page 23

Part 2: My Attempts To Play Like Woody

Page 35

Conclusion

Page 37

Appendices

Page

Bibliography

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Ex. 1 Sashianova bars 43 46
Ex. 2 Rosewood bars 53 54
Ex. 3 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 55 57
Ex. 4 You Stepped Out Of A Dream bars 47 51
Ex. 5 Pentatonic Scale

Ex. 6 In Case You Havent Heard bars 65 71

Ex. 7 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 8 10
Ex. 8 The Legend Of Cheops bar 85
Ex. 9 The Legend Of Cheops bars 41 48
Ex. 10 Rosewood bar 8
Ex. 11 Rosewood bars 19 20
Ex. 12 The Legend Of Cheops bars 33-34
Ex. 13 If complete solo
Ex. 14 - What Is This Thing Called Love bars 37 41
Ex. 15 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 70 72
Ex. 16 In Case You Havent Heard bars 113 120
Ex.17 Zoltan bars 25 27
Ex. 18 Zoltan bars 17 19
Ex. 19 Zoltan bars 53 56
Ex. 20 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 11 17
Ex. 21 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 70 73
Ex. 22 Rosewood bars 38 40
Ex.23 There Will Never Be Another You 1st version bars 8 10
Ex. 24 Pentatonic Exercises
Ex. 25 In Case You Havent Heard 1st Version bars 4 8
Ex. 26 There Will Never Be Another You 1st Version bars 20 22
Ex. 27 In Case You Havent Heard 2nd Version bars 41 45

Ex. 28 Exercise linking C and D flat pentatonic scales

Ex. 29 There Will Never Be Another You 1st Version bars 30 34
Ex. 30 In Case You Havent Heard bars 69 71
Ex. 31 Mode For Joe starting at TIME

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the staff of Trinity College of Music, without whom I could not have
completed this project. Special thanks go to Martin Speake, my project supervisor, Simon
Purcell, the Head of Jazz, Chris Batchelor, my trumpet teacher, and Sophie Fuller, course
director for personal projects. I would also like to thank Aidan Shepherd, Rebecca Nash,
Diccon Cooper and Keith de Barra for recording the tracks on the accompanying cd with me.

INTRODUCTION
Woody Shaw (1949-1989) was one of the key jazz trumpet players from the mid 1960s right
up to his untimely death at the age of 44. He had a very distinguished career, performing
and recording with many of the all-time great jazz musicians, including Eric Dolphy, Horace
Silver, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey, Kenny Garrett
and Freddie Hubbard to name but a few. He is held in high esteem by many jazz musicians,
especially trumpet players, and is commonly regarded as the last innovator in the trumpet
lineage1. He has been one of my favourite players ever since I was first introduced to his
music around three years ago. The aim of this project is to discover what it is about Woodys
music that appeals to both myself and others so much, and to try to develop some of these
ideas into my own playing and approach to music.
This project is a piece of practice based research, and is split into two parts. The first is an
in-depth study of Woodys style based on careful analysis of 9 solos I have transcribed from
different stages of his career. I have discovered several key elements of Woodys approach
to music which I will discuss at length providing musical examples to back up what I say
the complete transcriptions will be available as appendices at the end of the project. The
second part of the project will document my attempts to incorporate some of these key
aspects into my own playing style, complete with musical examples and transcriptions of my

1 Alan Goldsher, Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
(Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002), 31.

own playing. It will describe the reflective approach to practice I have been taking in the past
few months.
The idea of practice based research is one familiar to all jazz musicians, and whilst I have
some experience in this field I will be looking to refine my techniques over the course of this
project. The main way of developing as a jazz musician is through practice based research,
whether in a formal setting like this or the less formal setting of the practice room and the
jam session. All jazz musicians are constantly researching new ways of approaching the
music, and none of this research can be separated from the practical aspect of performing
jazz music. My goal in this project is to develop this skill, crucial to the development of jazz
musicians, to help me improve the way I learn in the future.
In the course of compiling my thoughts about this project I have been keeping a blog, the
address of which is http://nickwalters.wordpress.com. I have found the process of
documenting my thoughts in the form of a blog extremely helpful and I aim to maintain it after
the completion of this project. Some areas of this project are lifted straight out of blog entries
I have made.

PART 1:
The Improvisational Style of Woody Shaw

...my big goal is to play the trumpet like nobody else has played it. I dont know if Ill do it, but I
would like to sound like Woody Shaw. I come from the tradition of great trumpet masters of
the past like Dizzy [Gillespie], Brownie [Clifford Brown], Lee [Morgan] and Freddie [Hubbard].
But I want to sound like Woody Shaw. Ive been heavily influenced by Trane [John Coltrane]
and Eric Dolphy and saxophonists in general, so I see a unique course developing in my own
style. I think I sound like Woody Shaw.2

To help me better understand Woodys approach to music I have transcribed 9 of his solos
from different stages in his career. The solos are (in chronological order):

Zoltan from Larry Youngs Unity (1965)

(Appendix 1)

If from Larry Youngs Unity (1965)

(Appendix 2)

Sashianova from Little Reds Fantasy (1976)

(Appendix

3)

In Case You Havent Heard from Little Reds Fantasy (1976)

(Appendix

4)

Rosewood from Rosewood (1977)

(Appendix

5)

The Legend of Cheops from Rosewood (1977)

(Appendix 6)

2 Chuck Berg, Woody Shaw: Trumpet In Bloom, Downbeat Magazine, August 1978,
<http://www.woodyshaw.com/downbeat1_cberg.pdf> (accessed 11 May 2010)

What Is This Thing Called Love from United (1981)

(Appendix

7)

There Will Never Be Another You from Solid (1986)

(Appendix

8)

You Stepped Out Of a Dream from Solid (1986)

(Appendix 9)

From these, and from wider listening, I have developed ideas about the key elements of
Woodys style I am most attracted to. I shall now talk about each of these elements in turn,
providing, where appropriate, musical examples to back up what I am saying.

SOUND
Woody has a beautifully full and fat sound in all registers of the instrument, and this sound is
one of the things that most attracts me to his playing. Producing a good sound was also one
of the most important things to Woody. In a 1978 interview with Downbeat magazine he said:
I still believe the main thing about trumpet is that tone. I like to hear a big fat round pretty
sound. I dont care what a cats playing, if hes got a big round pretty sound, hes got me. 3

Vibrato
Woody has a tremendous sense for the tasteful application of vibrato. He possesses a wide
vibrato, similar to some early jazz trumpeters such as Louis Armstrong 4, but he uses it
sparingly, and to great effect. Often the last note in a phrase is coloured with a tinge of
vibrato, and at other times he rests on a note briefly in the middle of a phrase with a hint of
vibrato.
Articulation
The way Woody articulates notes is very important to the sound he generates and to the way
he plays in time. His tonguing skills are highly developed and he is able to articulate
3 Berg, Woody Shaw: Trumpet In Bloom, [online].
4 Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), an American jazz trumpeter and singer widely regarded as having
had a profound influence on the early development of jazz.

incredibly fast passages involving larger intervals which would be impossible on the trumpet
without being articulated. He is also able to maintain fast tongue speeds for long passages
without his tongue getting tired and the notes becoming uneven. His range of articulation,
from soft, legato tonguing through to spiky and accented is vast, and he frequently uses
different types of attack to provide contrast in his lines.
Inflexions
Woody also breaks up his lines with all sorts of inflexions for example, smears, falls, trills,
ghosted notes and false fingerings, to name a few. These help to create interest and provide
contrast with the smooth, legato lines he also plays.

RHYTHM
Time-feel
One of the main reasons Woody always sounds great is his amazing time-feel. It doesnt
matter how advanced harmonically or melodically a phrase is, if it does not sit in time
rhythmically then it will sound strange and wrong. Musicians like Louis Armstrong and Lester
Young5 still sound great today because they have what jazz musicians refer to as great time
the ability to make notes sit in exactly the right place, the ability to swing. Woody Shaw
was also blessed with this ability.
For me, Woodys solo on Sashianova from the 1977 album Little Reds Fantasy is a perfect
example of his great time-feel. The tune has a medium-up tempo latin feel, and Woodys
quaver lines all sit really well with the rhythm section creating a strong sense of dynamism
and momentum. He plays right on the beat, whereas a lot of players (myself included) tend
to drag behind the beat which diminishes the energy and intensity. He also shows his
astounding technique with strongly articulated double-time phrases for example:
Ex. 1 Sashianova bars 43 - 46

5 Lester Young (1909-1959), an American jazz saxophonist who came to prominence in Count
Basies band and is remembered as one of the most influential players of his instrument.

Woodys strong time-feel is strongly linked with his incredible skills of articulation mentioned
earlier. The ability to maintain tempo through long lines of incredibly fast semiquavers is one
that will have taken many years of dedicated work.

Harmonic Anticipation
Woody commonly anticipates an upcoming chord by several beats, creating tension which is
swiftly resolved when the underlying harmony catches up with him. Here are a few
examples:
Ex. 2 Rosewood bars 53 - 54

E
x. 3 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 55 - 57

Ex. 4 You Stepped Out Of A Dream bars 47 - 51

10

This anticipation results in much more fluidity and rhythmic variation. The approach is
especially useful when playing standards or other tunes where the harmonic rhythm is
generally set at one chord per bar. Phrases of unexpected lengths which transcend barlines
can create excitement and tension for the listener.

HARMONY
Pentatonic Scales
Woody was a keen user of pentatonic scales in both his improvising and his composing.
Many people have commentated on Woodys intervallic 6 approach to improvising by this
they are referring to his use of larger intervals, such as 4ths and 5ths, which were not
commonly heard played by trumpet players at the time. Both 4ths and 5ths are essential
features of the major pentatonic scale, used extensively by Woody in a variety of situations.
Here is the C major pentatonic scale with all the possible 4ths and 5ths shown:
Ex. 5 Pentatonic Scale

In an interview with the Musician magazine, Woody says:

6 Goldsher, Hard Bop Academy, 32.

11

Larry [Young]7 was the first musician I worked with who utilised the pentatonic scale, and he
turned me onto African and Oriental music to hear the many different kinds of music made in
this scale. I realised after listening to these records, you dont need a lot of notes to make
complex, intricate and brilliant music, and less is often more. I attribute much of my harmonic
knowledge to Larry Young...8

By 1965 and Larry Youngs album Unity, Woodys interest in the pentatonic scale is clear.
The first tune of the album, Zoltan, was written by Woody based on the March from Zoltan
Kodalys Hary Janos Suite9 and the tune is composed entirely of pentatonic scales (see
Appendix 10 for a lead sheet). This is an early example of possibly Woodys favourite use of
a pentatonic scale the use of the major pentatonic scale based on the ninth of a tonic
major chord. For example, he might play a D major pentatonic over a Cmaj7 chord. The
result is a lydian sound due to the #11 found in the pentatonic scale in this case, F#. Here
are a few examples of Woody putting this into practice:
Ex. 6 In Case You Havent Heard bars 65 71 (E flat pentatonic scale used over D flat
maj7#11)

Ex. 7 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 8 10 (E pentatonic scale played over D maj7)

7 Larry Young (1940-1978), an American jazz organ player. Like Woody, Young was from Newark,
New Jersey.
8 Lois Gilbert, [Untitled Article], Musician Magazine,
http://www.woodyshaw.com/Press/article_woodyshaw.pdf (accessed 7 May 2010)
9 Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967), a Hungarian composer. The suite from his opera Hary Janos was
composed in 1926.

12

Ex. 8 The Legend Of Cheops bar 85 (D flat pentatonic scale played over B maj7)

Woody also uses pentatonic scales in other contexts. Here is an example of a basic use of a
pentatonic scale D flat pentatonic played over a D flat maj7 chord:
Ex. 9 The Legend Of Cheops bars 41 - 48

Another common use of the pentatonic scale is the dominant pentatonic scale played over a
major 7th chord in this case, E flat pentatonic played over A flat maj7 (a C flat is also
included as a passing note.
Ex. 10 Rosewood bar 8

Another device commonly used by Woody is the linking together of two separate pentatonic
scales in varied rhythmic groupings. He often uses two pentatonic scales a perfect 4 th apart,

13

creating a strong sense of tonality as this has a strong V-I sound. The following phrase,
linking F# and B pentatonic scales, can be found in several of his solos:

Ex. 11 Rosewood bars 19 20

Ex. 12 The Legend Of Cheops bars 33-34

Other examples can be found of Woody linking pentatonic scales a semitone apart and a
major 3rd apart however, these will be dealt with in a new section, discussing techniques
used by Woody when he plays outside the underlying harmony.
Outside Playing
Woody frequently ventures away from the underlying harmony of the tunes he plays on,
creating tension and excitement his skill at playing outside and then resolving inside is
one of the things I love most about his playing. In Woodys case, the term playing outside
generally refers to bitonality that is, Woody plays strongly diatonic material but in a
different key to the underlying harmony of the piece. One of the ways he does this is by the
classic technique of side-slipping. This is simply shifting up or down a semitone, as the two
sounds produced (eg. B major or C# major over C major) are two of the most dissonant
sounds possible. It is worth here looking at a detailed example, Woodys solo on the Joe

14

Henderson10 blues If taken from Unity. The tune is a blues in G (for a B flat trumpet), and
most of Woodys solo is formed by the juxtaposition of two major pentatonic scales a
semitone apart, B flat and B. B flat major pentatonic creates a bluesy, inside sound which
can fit throughout the chord sequence, whereas B major pentatonic represents an outside
sound which is dissonant with every chord in the sequence. Also of interest is the way
Woody changes at will between the two scales at different points of the bar, creating varied
rhythmic patterns and groupings.
Ex. 13 If complete solo

10 Joe Henderson (1937-2001), an American jazz saxophonist. Played with Woody on several
albums including Horace Silvers The Cape Verdean Blues (1965), Larry Youngs Unity (1965), and
Woodys Rosewood (1979).

15

16

Another device used by Woody as a means of getting outside is the combination of

pentatonic scales a major 3rd apart. In this he was influenced by John Coltrane11, whose
Giant Steps chord changes based on key centres a major 3rd apart revolutionised jazz
harmony in 1959. In later years Coltrane started superimposing Giant Steps changes over
modal vamps as a means of playing outside12. Here are some examples of Woody using

11 John Coltrane (1926-1967), one of the most significant saxophonists in jazz history, Coltrane was
a key influence of Woodys.
12 For more information see: Lewis Porter, John Coltrane: His Life and Music, (Michigan: The
University of Michigan Press, 1999), 222-230.

17

pentatonic scales a major 3rd apart to get outside note the use of pivot tones common to
both scales.
Ex. 14 - What Is This Thing Called Love bars 37 - 41

Ex. 15 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 70 - 72

Here is an example of Woody constructing a line using several pentatonic scales together in
his solo on In Case You Havent Heard. Note the way the E flat on the fourth beat of bar
118 is used as a pivot note between B and E flat pentatonic scales, again linking pentatonic
scales a major 3rd apart.
Ex. 16 In Case You Havent Heard bars 113 - 120

Another approach used by Woody in his solo on Zoltan is the superimposition of chords a
minor third below the actual chords. On several of the D maj7#11 chords, Woody plays B
major pentatonic scale, resulting in dissonance between the D# in B pentatonic and the D
natural in the bass. Also, in bars 17 and 49, Woody clearly plays phrases outlining F7 (using
the bebop scale) despite the underlying chord being A flat maj7#11, creating a clash
between the A natural of F7 and the A flat in the bass. He does a similar thing in bar 54,

18

outlining D7 over F maj7#11. The result is a strange sound where most of the notes used
are inside and fit with the underlying harmony, but one note is sharpened and gives the line
a brighter sound.
Ex.17 Zoltan bars 25 27 (B pentatonic played over D maj7#11)

Ex. 18 Zoltan bars 17 19 (F7 outlined over A flat maj7#11)

Ex. 19 Zoltan bars 53 56 (D7 outlined over F maj7#11)

Eric Dolphy13 was also a major influence on Woodys approach to outside playing:
...it was Eric Dolphy who really turned me around. The thing about Erics music is that you
could either play the changes or be free on it. He taught me to play inside and outside at the
same time. It had form and made a lot of sense. Eric is the one who helped me find my own
individual approach to playing trumpet.14

Combining Pentatonics, Bebop Language and Chromaticism

13 Eric Dolphy (1928-1964), an American jazz saxophonist. Woodys first recording was on Dolphys
Iron Man album. Dolphy invited Woody to tour Europe with him in 1964 but died before Woodys
departure.
14 Berg, Woody Shaw: Trumpet In Bloom, [online].

19

Woody was interested in all kinds of music and allowed them to influence him in a coherent
and personal manner. Talking in 1983 about his current quintet he said,
One of the characteristics of my band is that we play in many varied styles. We play in the
mainstream tradition, the avant garde tradition, and we play in the bebop tradition which is
the basis of modern jazz. What Im doing now is a culmination of all the experiences I
acquired during my 10 years as a sideman.15

Woodys artistry comes from the way he combines all of his experience to create his own
personal voice. In the 1960s, he spent time with Horace Silver 16 cementing his hard bop
language as well as exploring fresh harmonic territory with Larry Young and the avant garde
with musicians such as Eric Dolphy. He developed a style which combines bebop language
with pentatonic ideas and also with more atonal chromaticism with ease and at will. Example
19 above is one example of Woody using bebop language. Here is another example of
Woody showing how comfortable he is using bebop language and devices such as
enclosures:
Ex. 20 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 11 - 17

Here is an example of Woody beginning a line with an enclosure, moving on to pentatonic

material before ending the line with some chromaticism:
Ex. 21 What Is This Thing Called Love bars 70 - 73

15 Lindar Reitman, Woody Shaw: Linked To A Legacy, Downbeat Magazine, January 1983,
http://www.woodyshaw.com/Press/downbeat_1983.pdf (accessed 13 May 2010)
16 Horace Silver (1928-), an American jazz pianist who employed Woody in his quintet between 1965
and 1966.

20

Chromaticism is another method Woody used to link together pentatonic scales. In the
following example, Woody begins by linking C and G pentatonic scales to create a strong IV-I sound in C, then uses chromaticism to help shift a semitone lower and outline I-V in B
before again using chromaticism to set up a strong ii-V-I in F.
Ex. 22 Rosewood bars 38 - 40

PART 2:

21

My Attempts To Play Like Woody

Over the past few months I have been studying Woodys playing closely and deriving
exercises to help me incorporate some of the features of his playing I admire the most into
my own style. I feel I have made progress in this attempt even though there is still much for
me to do. To help me chart my progress I have made some recordings of the tunes There
Will Never Be Another You, What Is This Thing Called Love and In Case You Havent
Heard. The first set was recorded on the 12/3/10 and the second set on the 20/4/10, and
both sets of recordings feature Aidan Shepherd on piano, Diccon Cooper on bass and Keith
de Barra on drums. Also referred to is a recording of a showcase I did at Blackheath Halls on
the 11/5/10 with the same band except for Rebecca Nash playing piano instead of Aidan
Shepherd. The recordings can be found on the accompanying cd, which has the following
tracklisting:
1. In Case You Havent Heard - 1st version (12/3/10)

(Appendix 11)

2. There Will Never Be Another You 1st version (12/3/10)

(Appendix 12)

3. What Is This Thing Called Love 1st version (12/3/10)

4. In Case You Havent Heard 2nd version (20/4/10)

(Appendix

13)
5. There Will Never Be Another You 2nd version (20/4/10) (Appendix 14)
6. What Is This Thing Called Love 2nd version (20/4/10)
7. Mahjong (11/5/10)
8. LHC (11/5/10)
9. Mode For Joe (11/5/10)

22

I have transcribed my solos from both versions of In Case You Havent Heard and There
Will Never Be Another You, and I will be using examples from these to highlight areas in
which I am making progress as well as areas I still need to work on.
In trying to work out how I am going to best manage my practice time in order to see the
improvement I would like I have been heavily influenced by the ideas of the jazz pianist and
educator Simon Purcell17, particularly his article On Practicing 18 in which he introduces the
concept of the Improvisational Practice Cycle - a continuum of 7 stages (mirroring language
acquisition)19. The 7 stages are:
1. Attraction
2. Reproduction
3. Application
4. Manipulation
5. Modification
6. Transformation
7. Readiness
These headings have helped me to develop ideas taken from Woodys style of playing. As I
have been attracted by various ideas, I have slowly worked my way through the stages
initially reproducing Woodys idea exactly in a mechanical fashion, moving towards the goal
of being able to manipulate his ideas and transform them into something new. In some
areas, I feel I have reached the point where I am starting to transform Woodys ideas,
whereas in others I am still at the reproduction stage.

17 Simon Purcell (1958-), a British jazz pianist and educator. Purcell is currently Head of Jazz at
Trinity College of Music.
18 Simon Purcell, On Practicing, http://www.simonpurcell.com/media/ONPRACTICINGv6.pdf,
(accessed 8 April 2010)
19 Purcell, On Practicing, [online].

23

SOUND
This one of the most important areas of being a musician, and yet also one of the hardest to
know how to improve. I have been working a lot on my breathing, trying to put as much air
through the instrument as possible to hopefully achieve the fullest sound possible. I have
also been practicing long notes daily these are very important technical exercises for
trumpet players to practice their breathing abilities, as well as the ability to keep the muscles
of the embouchure focussed. These exercises have also helped me to slowly develop my
vibrato skills. I have gradually been working towards increasing the speed of my vibrato
pulses my vibrato is not as fast or as wide as Woodys yet but it is improving.
I have also been working a lot on improving my articulation and increasing the speed and
endurance of my tongue. To achieve this I have been practicing technical exercises, such as
those from Herbert L. Clarkes book Technical Studies for the Cornet, with a metronome and
gradually increasing the speed. My tonguing speed has been gradually increasing since I
first started focussing on it, and the results can be heard in my playing EXAMPLE.
In the recordings, my sound is sometimes good and full, although at other times it can be
harsh and brash. They have revealed to me that as my lip gets tired towards the end of a
solo I tend to overblow and use too much brute force to get the notes out EXAMPLE. This
is partly a stamina issue, but also a psychological one in that as I get tired I tend to tense up
which creates a vicious cycle the more I tense up the harder it becomes to play, so I tense
up even more. In my practice I have been utilising the play-rest approach 20 to try and help
me stay relaxed and not feel I have to play all the time. There is a definite improvement by
the last recordings, especially in Mahjong where my sound is nice and relaxed throughout.
However, in Mode For Joe, some of the old overblowing creeps back in this is something I
am going to have to keep tabs on.
I have also been practicing various types of inflexion and trying to incorporate them into my
improvising. This has been more challenging than I anticipated it is hard to add inflexions
to a phrase and make them sound natural. In the first recordings, I have a horrible tendency

20 The play-rest approach is an attitude towards improvising whereby rests between phrases are
encouraged and seen as just as important as the phrases themselves.

24

to fall off notes in a really ugly fashion an example can be heard at EXAMPLE. Fortunately,
I seem to have dropped this habit in the later recordings, and by the last recordings my
inflexions are beginning to sound more natural.

RHYTHM
Time-feel
Listening back to the first recordings I made, I was shocked at how inconsistent my time-feel
was. On all 3 tracks recorded on the 12/3/10 (tracks 1-3 on the cd) there is a definite
tendency to lag behind the beat. I was surprised to find that this was especially noticeable on
the medium tempo There Will Never Be Another You. With the help of my project
supervisor, Martin Speake21, I came to realise that the problem lay with my quaver feel. My
attempts to break up lines with different articulations were resulting in uneven quavers and a
tendency to play behind the beat.
Martin advised me to spend some time practicing with a metronome, firstly playing through a
set of changes using only crotchets to help cement my crotchet feel before moving on to
doing the same with quavers. Another exercise he introduced to me was to set the
metronome to 40 beats per minute, then play a chorus of quavers. The next chorus, play
triplet quavers, then semiquavers, then groups of 5, and so on. I found both of these
exercises tough at first, and I would commonly find myself out of time with the metronome
in contrast with the evidence from the recordings, I often found myself rushing. However, the
exercises proved extremely useful and I slowly became better at staying in time with the
metronome.
I also spent a lot of time playing the transcriptions of Woodys solos I had done along with
the recordings. Some of these were simply too fast for me to play, or contained passages I
was unable to play at full speed, so I slowed them down and then gradually increased the
tempo. Martin also advised me to listen to and play along with some Charlie Parker 22 solos
as he also has a great time-feel when playing quavers. I have transcribed his solo on Home
21 Martin Speake (1958-), a British jazz saxophonist. Speake is a tutor at Trinity College of Music and
has helped me enormously with this project.

25

Cooking III (I Got Rhythm), which can be found on the boxset Complete Charlie Parker On
Dial, and I have been gradually learning the solo whilst playing along with the recording.
So have these exercises been helping my time-feel? In the recordings made on the 20/4/10,
I feel there is an improvement, although there is still work to be done. Some phrases are
sitting nicely, but others still have a lumpy and uneven feel to them. The time-feel on What
Is This Thing Called Love is particularly shaky I am not pleased with this recording at all.
However, since these recordings were made I have been working on my time-feel a lot, and I
am far more pleased with the recordings of the gig on the 11/5/10, particularly on Mahjong.
There are still elements of the old unevenness, and I need to continue working on these
exercises, but on the whole I am pleased with the improvement I have made in the past
three months. I have gone from assuming that I was probably playing in time to an increased
awareness of the crucial need to play every phrase perfectly in time, and I think the result
can be heard in my playing.

Harmonic Anticipation
This is an area in which I havent done any specific exercises however, some elements of
it are creeping into my playing. Here is an example where I anticipate the F7 chord (over
which I play B pentatonic scale, a tritone substitution) by one beat.
Ex.23 There Will Never Be Another You 1st version bars 8 - 10

HARMONY
Pentatonic scales
22 Charlie Parker (1920-1955), an American jazz saxophonist widely considered one of the most
influential jazz musicians of all time.

26

Prior to starting work on this project I had not worked on pentatonic scales at all so I was
starting from scratch in this department. Two books have helped me immensely in this task
Jerry Bergonzis Pentatonics (Inside Improvisation Series, Volume2)23, and Pentatonic
Scales for Jazz Improvisation24 by Ramon Ricker. My first task was to gain fluency in all
twelve major pentatonic scales. I did this first by simply running up and down the scales,
then by missing out every other note thus emphasising the 4ths inherent within the scale,
and then by missing out two notes and emphasising the 5ths. These are the larger intervals
that were rarely played by trumpet players before Woody came along due to their difficulty
instead, 3rds and scalic passages were more prevalent. Here are four of the exercises I
developed and practiced regularly in all keys:
Ex. 24 Pentatonic Exercises

The use of pentatonic scales has been creeping its way into my playing, even in the first set
of recordings. I have been able to insert pentatonic scales in several of the ways Woody did
below are a few examples. Many of the lines are heavily based on the patterns I had
developed in my practicing.

23 Jerry Bergonzi, Pentatonics (Inside Imrpovisation Series, Volume 2), (Advance Music, 1994)
24 Ramon Ricker, Pentatonic Scales for Jazz Improvisation: The Ramon Ricker Jazz Improvisation
Series, (Alfred Publishing Co., 1976)

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Ex. 25 In Case You Havent Heard 1 st Version bars 4 8 (A flat pentatonic used over D
flat maj7#11)

Ex. 26 There Will Never Be Another You 1st Version bars 20 22 (B flat pentatonic used
over E half-diminished, E flat pentatonic used over A7)

Ex. 27 In Case You Havent Heard 2 nd Version bars 41 45 (F# pentatonic used over E
maj7#11)

I have also been developing Woodys idea of combining two pentatonic scales together, and
the contexts in which the linking of pentatonic scales could be used. Here is a table detailing
situations in which two linked pentatonic scales could be used (it only goes up to augmented
4th as the next interval, a perfect 5th, creates the same effect as a perfect 4th, and major 6th
the same as a major 3rd etc).
Interval Between
Pentatonic Scales
Minor 2nd

Major 2nd

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Situations for use

This is a classic device of side-stepping, creating tension by
slipping out of key with the underlying harmony before
resolving back in the home key. Woody uses this idea
frequently for example, see his solo on If. Pentatonic
scales a semitone apart can also be used over a V-I
resolution creating a tritone substitution for example, a D
flat pentatonic can be played over a G7 chord resolving to
either a C or D pentatonic over the Cmaj7 chord.
These can be played over a maj7 #11 chord. The two
pentatonic scales combined actually create a lydian mode
(for example, C and D pentatonic scales create C lydian
mode).

Minor 3rd

Major 3rd

Perfect 4th

Augmented 4th

These can be used over a dominant 7th flat 9 chord for

example, the linking of C and E flat pentatonic scales will
include all the notes of the C mixolydian mode plus an E flat
(the flat 9). The four pentatonic scales coming from the same
diminished axis (eg. C, E flat, F# and A) can also be
combined together in the same way the four triads from a
diminished scale can be combined over a dominant chord.
Finally, switching between pentatonic scales a minor 3rd
apart can be a way of playing outside, superimposing a fresh
set of chords.
It was Woodys linking of the E flat and B pentatonic scales
in tunes such as What Is This Thing Called Love and
Rosewood that got me thinking about how various
pentatonic scales can be linked together. In both cases, he
uses scales a major 3rd apart to leap outside the changes,
possibly influenced by the Giant Steps changes of John
Coltrane. He also uses common tones to link the two scales
together for example, the major 3rd of the C pentatonic
becomes the root note of the E pentatonic a major 3rd up.
The idea can be extended to include all pentatonic scales on
the same augmented axis (eg. C, E and G#).
Woody also uses this idea frequently as these two
pentatonic scales combined create a very strong dominant
tonic effect, strongly outlining a tonality. Sometimes this
outlined tonality fits with the underlying harmony, sometimes
it doesnt.
These can be combined over a dominant chord, alternating
between a simple, unaltered dominant sound and a heavily
altered tritone substitution sound.

I have been practicing these different combinations both rigidly in the form of patterns and
more loosely by improvising between the two scales. Here is an example of the kind of
exercise I have derived for myself:
Ex. 28 Exercise linking C and D flat pentatonic scales

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This is an idea on which I still have a lot of work to do. Some linking of pentatonic scales is
evident in the recordings I have done however, I have only really worked on moving
between scales a semitone or a major 3 rd apart as a means of playing outside the harmony (I
will discuss this further in the next section). I feel that the idea of linking two pentatonic
scales has much to offer, and I need to work on my ability to incorporate some of the other
intervals into my playing. Also, I havent even begun to work on one of the key elements of
the idea the varied rhythmic groupings which make the lines so exciting. So far I have
mostly been practicing using the fairly boring idea of one scale per bar. I aim to
systematically increase the range of rhythmic groupings I am comfortable with for example,
groups of seven, then groups of six, groups of five, and so on before beginning to try to
improvise lines with as much rhythmic variation as Woodys. It will be a long and difficult
process, but I think the results will be worth it.
Outside Playing
I have only recently begun attempting to play outside the harmony, and my study of Woody
has been my first attempt to approach the idea with a plan instead of just playing anything.
The first thing I looked at was side-stepping, the technique of shifting either up or down a
semitone in the course of a line, before shifting back to the tonic harmony. Inspired by
Woodys solo on If, I practiced shifting between pentatonic scales a semitone apart, and
tried out his idea of alternating an inside pentatonic scale with an outside scale a semitone
higher over the course of a blues sequence. I began to realise how outside playing is an
extension of one of the oldest ideas in music, that of tension and release. Here is an
example of me side-stepping bar 30 strongly outlines F major, then I outline F# major for
the next two and a half bars before returning to the tonic key, F major. This phrase is heavily
based on one of Woodys phrases in the transcription I made of him playing this tune (see
bars 62 66 of Woodys solo on There Will Never Be Another You).
Ex. 29 There Will Never Be Another You 1st Version bars 30 - 34

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I also spent a lot of time practicing navigating my way between pentatonic scales a major 3 rd
apart as I find the sound really appealing. I also like the way there is always a pivot note
between the scales which can act as a sudden change of direction. In the following example
I link the outside B pentatonic scale with the inside E flat pentatonic scale using the D# (E
flat) on the last beat of bar 70 as a pivot. Again, this idea is heavily based on Woody as he
commonly links B and E flat pentatonic scales.
Ex. 30 In Case You Havent Heard bars 69 - 71

The recordings I have made show that I am slowly getting to grips with outside playing,
although I am still at the stage where most of my attempts to play outside are heavily based
either on patterns I have been practicing or phrases of Woodys I have transcribed. I still
have some way to go before I achieve a more organic fluidity to my lines.
Combining Pentatonics, Bebop Language and Chromaticism
This is another area in which I put no specific practice, but simply playing through the
transcriptions I made of Woodys solos has helped me to start creating lines in my
improvising which combine these different fields together. The solo where this is most in
evident is my solo on Mode For Joe on the 11/5/10. Unfortunately I havent had time to
transcribe the whole solo, but here is one phrase I have transcribed showing use of bebop
language alongside pentatonic scales:
Ex. 31 Mode For Joe starting at TIME

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CONCLUSION
Overall, I feel I have come a long way over the course of this project. I feel I have gotten to
grips with why it is that Woodys playing inspires me so much, and I have successfully
managed to incorporate some of these elements into my own playing. The level of focus
needed to work on a project such as this has also helped me to understand which areas of
my playing need improvement, and I feel I am a better player now than I was before working
on this project the recordings are testament to this. Here are the ways in which I feel I have
improved:

I have successfully managed to incorporate pentatonic scales into my musical

vocabulary, and a study of the variety of applications possible has increased the
number of choices I have when confronted by a certain chord or sequence.

I have begun to explore new ways of venturing outside the harmony.

I have become aware of the importance of having a solid time-feel, and as a result
my time-feel has improved.

I have begun to incorporate vibrato into my playing, and the use of other inflexions is
beginning to sound more natural.

32

My tongue speed has improved, and I am able to articulate better at faster tempos.

However, this project has also made me more aware of my weaknesses. There are some
areas of my playing which I really need to work hard on.

I need to put in a lot of work to secure my time-feel and make sure it is always solid.

I need to relax more while playing to try and control my tone and not overblow. More
dynamic variation within phrases is also needed.

These are basic problems which are going to demand a lot of my attention as I try to
overcome them. Work is going to be needed to get rid of the bad habits I have developed
over the last 12 years. However, this project has also thrown up areas in which I am
exploring fresh territory. Here I can be a bit more creative and, hopefully, begin to work
towards developing my own personal voice on the instrument.

The idea of linking pentatonic scales is one that appeals to me, and I will need to put
in a lot of work to discover how this idea can be best applied.

There is still much for me to experiment with in the realms of outside playing.

I have found the use of practice based research in this project incredibly beneficial. I have,
as have all jazz musicians, been doing practice based research to help improve my playing
for many years, but this project has forced me to really focus on what I would like to achieve.
It has also helped me to come to terms with my weaknesses and to resolve to overcome
them. Not only have I completed this project a better player, I am also far better equipped to
focus my practice in such a way that, through reflecting as I have done in this project, I can
understand which areas most need my time and focus.
The study of Woody Shaw has been exciting and fruitful. I have emerged a far better
musician than when I started, but this is only the beginning. Now it is up to me to develop the
concepts and techniques I have discovered in my own personal way. Just as Woody was
influenced by all kinds of different music, I must now do the same and try to go my own
personal direction.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aebersold, Jamey, Volume 9: Woody Shaw. Jamey Aebersold Jazz, 1976.
Berg, Chuck, Woody Shaw: Trumpet In Bloom, Downbeat Magazine, August 1978,
<http://www.woodyshaw.com/downbeat1_cberg.pdf> (accessed 11 May 2010)
Bergonzi, Jerry, Pentatonics (Inside Imrpovisation Series, Volume 2). Advance Music, 1994.
Gilbert,

Lois,

[Untitled

Article],

Musician

Magazine,

http://www.woodyshaw.com/Press/article_woodyshaw.pdf (accessed 7 May 2010)

Gioia, Ted, The History of Jazz. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Goldsher, Alan, Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002.
Levine, Mark, The Jazz Theory Book. Sher Music Co., 1995.
Porter, Lewis, John Coltrane: His Life and Music. Michigan: The University of Michigan
Press, 1999.
Purcell, Simon, On Practicing, http://www.simonpurcell.com/media/ONPRACTICINGv6.pdf,
(accessed 8 April 2010)
Reitman, Lindar, Woody Shaw: Linked To A Legacy, Downbeat Magazine, January 1983,
http://www.woodyshaw.com/Press/downbeat_1983.pdf (accessed 13 May 2010)
Ricker, Ramon, Pentatonic Scales for Jazz Improvisation: The Ramon Ricker Jazz
Improvisation Series. Alfred Publishing Co., 1976.

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