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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Phil Woods: An Improvisation-Specific Performer’s Guide A doctoral document submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS In the Performance Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music By JEREMY LONG August, 2008 B.M., University of Kentucky, 1999 M.M., University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, 2002 Committee Chair: Mr. James Bunte Copyright © 2008 by Jeremy Long All rights reserved ABSTRACT Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Phil Woods combines Western classical and jazz traditions, including improvisation. A crossover work in this style creates unique challenges for the performer because it requires the person to have experience in both performance practices. The research on musical works in this style is limited. Furthermore, the research on the sections of improvisation found in this sonata is limited to general performance considerations. In my own study of this work, and due to the performance problems commonly associated with the improvisation sections, I found that there is a need for a more detailed analysis focusing on how to practice, develop, and perform the improvised solos in this sonata. This document, therefore, is a performer’s guide to the sections of improvisation found in the 1997 revised edition of Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Phil Woods. This guide will aid in the successful rehearsal and performance of well developed improvised solos that are solidly based in the harmony, and that incorporate melodies and rhythms found in the sonata. For each movement the harmony is analyzed to determine one or more scales that are commonly used with each chord. Second, I wrote exercises based on methods found in The Jazz Theory Book by Levine, A Creative Approach to Practicing Jazz by David Baker, Inside Improvisation, vol. 1 and 2 by Jerry Bergonzi, The Jazz Handbook by Jamey Aebersold, How to Practice Jazz by Jerry Coker, The Modern Sound: A Step Beyond Linear Improvisation by Walt Weiskopf, and a guide-tone exercise by Brad Goode. Finally, I composed example solos for the first and third movements that not only incorporated the scales, arpeggios, and exercises, but that are also based on the themes, rhythmic ideas, and the harmony of each movement. iii CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND MUSICAL EXAMPLES.......................................................................v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 Background II. MOVEMENT I ....................................................................................................................4 III. MOVEMENT II .................................................................................................................30 IV. MOVEMENT III ...............................................................................................................33 V. MOVEMENT IV ...............................................................................................................53 VI. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................55 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................57 iv LIST OF FIGURES AND MUSICAL EXAMPLES Figure 1.1, Scale chart ............................................................................................................................9 Example 1.1, Exercise with arpeggios ........................................................................................................6 1.2, Solo based on arpeggios .......................................................................................................8 2.1, Scale exercise based on Aebersold’s method .....................................................................13 2.2, Continuous Scale Exercise using quarter notes ..................................................................15 2.3, Continuous Scale Exercise with eighth notes and quarter notes ........................................16 3.1, Guide-tone line ...................................................................................................................18 3.2, Solo based on the guide-tone line .......................................................................................19 4.1, Woods sonata, m. 52 ..........................................................................................................20 4.2, Exercise using m. 52 motive ..............................................................................................21 5, Movement I example solo .....................................................................................................23 6.1, Woods sonata, mm. 100-103 ..............................................................................................24 6.2, Woods sonata, mm. 73-76 ..................................................................................................25 6.3, Woods sonata, mm. 47-48 ..................................................................................................25 7, Example solo with scale annotations .....................................................................................27 8.1, Bb7sus triad pairs ...............................................................................................................31 8.2, Triad pairs for B7sus, C7sus ..............................................................................................31 9.1, Piano, mm. 30-37 ...............................................................................................................34 9.2, Piano, mm. 42-45 ...............................................................................................................38 9.3, Piano, m. 53 ........................................................................................................................36 v 10, Improvisation section chords, mm. 30-53 ...........................................................................35 11, Arpeggio exercise ................................................................................................................37 12, Scale exercise ......................................................................................................................40 13.1, Diatonic seventh chord examples .....................................................................................43 13.2, Diatonic 7th Chord Pattern No. 2 through harmony .........................................................44 14.1, Movement III example solo .............................................................................................46 14.2, Five motives found in the example solo ...........................................................................47 15, Piano, m. 4 ...........................................................................................................................53 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Crossover music that combines Western classical and jazz traditions creates unique challenges for the performer when the music requires improvisation. In general, the performance level of the improvisation is weaker than the performance of the written sections of music. Artists are usually well prepared to rehearse and perform the written sections of music; however, many times they lack the knowledge and experience to successfully rehearse and perform a well developed improvised solo that not only incorporates the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic language of the piece, but also creates a dialogue between the soloist and the other members of the ensemble. The research into crossover music for saxophone is limited. I found only two dissertations that analyzed saxophone works that mix Western classical traditions and jazz improvisation, “A Performer’s Analysis of Phil Woods’ Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano” by David Brennan, and “Crossover considerations: Performing three works by Ludmila Ulehla, Phil Woods and Bill Dobbins” by John Mark Perrine. Brennan’s dissertation on Woods’s sonata is thoroughly researched, yet the coverage of the improvisational sections is limited. He gives general suggestions that are helpful, such as recommending standard scales for improvising, explanation of slash chords, and rehearsal techniques that recommend that “the saxophonist must first internalize the chord changes” to have a basis of melodic material in which to draw from when improvising;1 however, his analysis of the work focuses much more on the written music than the sections of improvisation. 1 David Brennan, “A Performer’s Analysis of Phil Woods’ Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano” (DMA diss., 1 This document, therefore, is a performer’s guide to the sections of improvisation found in the 1997 revised edition of Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Phil Woods. Due to the performance problems associated with these sections, this guide will aid in the successful rehearsal and performance