Playing Outside the Chord

Sure - everybody has an opinion on how to play “outside”. But until now, no one has made an in-depth exploration of the commonalities and differences in how the greatest jazz players on the planet have incorporated their inspiring, harmony defying techniques. With Playing Outside the Chord, David Kane invokes a thoughtfully curated selection of transcribed phrases that take the reader beyond the simple mechanics of what is being played and offer revelatory insights into what the players are (or might be) thinking when they play it. It’s a daunting, seemingly impossible objective; yet here it is, beautifully examined, notated, and explained in an accessible way that every musician can understand. 

"This book is a treasure trove, full of important information on chromaticism and its usage. From Bach to Schoenberg, Dave covers a lot of ground and the book is very well organized. He specifically addresses the melodic aspect of improvisation, including lines and phrases, rather than the usual emphasis on harmony. What's special is that he explores the “feeling” and overall effect of the lines on the listener. This book is all you need as a working guide towards understanding the implications of 20th century jazz and classical music.” -David Liebman 

LEVEL-UP!!! If you’re feeling uninspired, stuck, or limited by your current play, this is the perfect book to help you break those chains, stimulate your creativity, and take your playing and composing in compelling new directions. 

Enthusiastically endorsed by modern jazz luminaries such as David Liebman and Richie Beirach, Playing Outside the Chord is devoted to melodic phrasing that transcends conventional chord/scale relationships. This exciting technique incorporating the theory and practice of horizontal playing and extended tonality pioneered by jazz titans such as Michael Brecker, Cory Henry, John Scofield, Brad Meldhau, and Jacob Collier is a vital component of the modern jazz performance and improvisation toolbox. 

Featuring over 200 musical examples gleaned from classic solos, plus 15 extensive transcriptions of legendary performances, this book is skillfully designed to clue you in on the theoretical basis of “outside” play as practiced by these trail-blazing musicians. It systematically describes each type of technique used, including timing and source considerations, and by doing so unlocks a wealth of modern ideas that offer rich possibilities for the creative improviser. Kane’s insightful treatise on outside playing represents an important expansion of the ideas available to the dedicated student of improvisation. 164 pages.