Counterpoint

This is a preview of the educational program A Jazz Improvisation Almanac which is under development for the Outside Shore Music Online School. Feel free to browse this preview and learn what you can from it. For a more completed product, though, check out the original freely browsable jazz textbook, A Jazz Improvisation Primer.

One of the basic tenets of the style I referred to as impressionism is that any instrument can take on any role at any time. You can adopt this principle whenever you are playing with musicians who do not insist that bassists should walk all the time or play any other particular repeating pattern. This section discusses some of the issues that you may face as you start to move outside the conventions of walking bass lines.

The reason for playing a walking line or other pattern in the first place is to provide harmonic support and a rhythmic pulse for the other musicians. However, arguments given in the section on Foundation notwithstanding, you are free to take on a more melodic role if you so desire. The interaction of your melody with those of the other musicians can be as equals, rather than your melody serving primarily as a foundation for their melodies. This is referred to as counterpoint:

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When playing counterpoint, you have considerable freedom in shaping your lines. For one thing, you need not be so concerned with playing roots:

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You may also use space and variation in rhythm as a soloist would:

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A common technique is to listen to the soloist and play simply while the soloist is playing a phase, and provide melodic commentary during pauses between phrases:

[EXAMPLE]

When playing in this fashion, your lines will tend to be somewhat disjoint, depending on the soloist to provide context. You may also proceed more independently, creating a line that stands on its own. The resultant interaction with the soloist will be more complex, but if your line is strong enough, the ear will be able to perceive the two melodies separately and resolve it that way:

[EXAMPLE]

You can create interest by creating lines that are simple in themselves but which result in tension against the basic harmony or pulse of the piece. For instance, in the following example, the bass is playing a walking line, but the note choices are unusual enough to create harmonic tension, and strong enough to be perceived as an independent part:

[EXAMPLE]

In the following example, it is the rhythm that defies expectations yet makes sense in itself:

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This two-against-three playing is a form of polyrhythm and is popular in modern mainstream rhythm sections.

You should keep in mind that the techniques discussed in this section result in complexity that some soloists, not to mention pianists and drummers, or audiences for that matter, may find confusing. You should remember that your role is still that of an accompanist, and that your job is to support the other musicians. Use your own judgement in deciding how much complexity you should create on your own.

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Counterpoint