Advanced Improvisation
Tension, resolution, outside playing
Tension and Resolution
All music is a balance of tension and resolution. Tension creates excitement, anticipation, and forward motion. Resolution provides satisfaction, rest, and closure.
In improvisation, you create tension by playing notes "outside" the expected scale — chromatic notes, tritone substitutions, or deliberately dissonant intervals. You create resolution by returning to strong chord tones on downbeats.
The key insight: tension needs resolution to work. Unresolved tension sounds like mistakes. Tension that resolves sounds intentional and sophisticated. The greater the tension, the more satisfying the resolution.
Outside Playing
"Outside" playing means deliberately leaving the key centre to create tension. Techniques include:
Chromatic enclosure: approach a target note from one semitone above AND below before landing on it
Side-slipping: shift your entire pentatonic or scale pattern up or down a semitone temporarily, then slip back
Superimposition: play a scale or arpeggio from a different key over the current chord
The rule: you must have a clear target to return to. Going outside without knowing how to come back sounds random. Going outside and resolving to a strong chord tone sounds like genius.
Tab Examples
Chromatic enclosure to a chord tone
e--6--4--5--------------------------- B-------------------------------------- G-------------------------------------- D-------------------------------------- A-------------------------------------- E--------------------------------------
Side-slipping the pentatonic
e--5--8--6--9--5--8--------- B---------------------------- G---------------------------- D---------------------------- A---------------------------- E----------------------------
Tips
- Tension without resolution = mistakes. Tension with resolution = sophistication.
- Chromatic enclosure: approach target notes from a semitone above and below
- Side-slipping the pentatonic up/down a fret is the easiest outside technique
- Always know where "home" is before leaving it
Practice Exercises
- Practice chromatic enclosure on every chord tone of Am
- Try side-slipping: play Am pentatonic, shift everything up 1 fret for 2 beats, shift back
- Solo and deliberately go "outside" for 2 beats, then resolve — practice controlled tension
- Listen to jazz players (Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel) for masterful outside playing