Beautiful Friendship, Improvisation
- Dr. Bob Lawrence
- Nov 21
- 3 min read
Discover . Learn . Play
Developing Improvisation Skills Through Etudes
Jazz Piano Skills – Week 3 Study
Every month inside Jazz Piano Skills, we take a deep dive into a classic jazz standard through a structured three-week process designed to build authentic, lasting jazz musicianship:
Week 1 – Harmonic Analysis
Week 2 – Melodic Analysis
Week 3 – Improvisation Development
And here we are—week three—where the rubber meets the road. This week, we begin applying the harmonic and melodic understanding of A Beautiful Friendship to improvisation through the study and creation of skill-specific etudes.
Why Etudes?
Improvisation is not random inspiration—it’s controlled musical decision-making rooted in:
Harmonic awareness
Melodic motion
Rhythmic vocabulary
Balance of scale + arpeggio movement
Etudes allow us to isolate specific aspects of improvisation and develop them with intention. Rather than simply “soloing over the tune,” we construct lines that reinforce essential musical behaviors.
For this episode, four short harmonic phrases from A Beautiful Friendship were selected, each used to create an etude with a single developmental purpose—rhythmic continuity, direction, triad motion, cyclical motifs, etc.
The Seven Musical Facts—The Foundation
As always, improvisation remains grounded in the Seven Musical Facts, a conceptual framework that keeps both practicing and playing clear, organized, and musical:
Music is sound and silence.
Sound is produced harmonically and melodically.
Harmonic sound = chords/voicings.
Melodic sound = scales and arpeggios.
Melodic motion moves either up or down—nothing else.
We decorate melodic motion with chromaticism.
Rhythm makes the musical facts interesting.
Understanding these facts ensures that what we practice conceptually translates into physical ability at the keyboard.
Chord Tones vs. Scale Tones: A Listener Question
This week’s featured question came from Pat Hughes of Danville, Illinois:
"What’s the difference between improvising with chord tones and scales?"
The short answer: There is no difference. Great improvisation demands both, simultaneously.
A better question is:
"How do I begin improvising using chord tones and scales together?"
The solution?
Stop practicing scales and arpeggios as separate technical drills. Instead, weave them together into unified lines—for example:
Insert arpeggio motion between scale steps
Insert scale motion between arpeggio tones
Move arpeggio placement between roots, 3rds, and 5ths
This is how vocabulary develops.
(Yes…this topic deserves its own episode. Stay tuned.)
This Week’s Etudes
Each etude is built from a specific 4-bar phrase from A Beautiful Friendship and targets one improvisational skill at a time:
These etudes are demonstrations—not substitutes for your own work. Use them as models, then compose your own etudes for each phrase. Self-composition forces internalization.
The Real Goal
Playing my etudes is useful. Composing your own etudes is transformational!
If you want to grow your improvisation skills, nothing is more powerful than designing your own lines based on targeted criteria—rhythm, contour, chromaticism, arpeggio placement, directional balance, and more.
That’s how vocabulary is acquired, stored, and recalled in real time.
Next Steps for Members
If you're a Jazz Piano Skills member:
Download the Podcast Packet (lead sheets, play-alongs, illustrations)
Attend the Thursday Masterclass (or watch the replay)
Engage in the Community Forums and check out the weekly Listening List
If you're not a member and want access to these materials, courses, masterclasses, and community:
👉 Become a member at jazzpianoskills.com.
Until Next Week…
Continue listening, analyzing, and—most importantly—building vocabulary through intentional improvisation practice. Let’s continue to discover, learn, and play jazz piano together through A Beautiful Friendship.
Visit JazzPianoSkills.com to join, and subscribe on YouTube at youtube.com/@JazzPianoSkills.
🎧 Listen Now: [Jazz Piano Skills Podcast: "A Beautiful Friendship, Melodic Analysis” – Episode] 📝 Become a Member: JazzPianoSkills.com 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: Jazz Piano Skills
Warm Regards, Dr. Bob Lawrence
Jazz Piano Skills
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