BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
2809 / 18210 · Workshop 9 — “Take the A Train”: Dominant Color, ♯11, Secondary Dominants, and Writing Lines Through Static Harmony← prev⊞ allnext →

9.25Sustained dominant means you need melodic development

If D7 lasts several bars, you cannot depend on chord changes to create interest.

You need:

  • motif
  • rhythm
  • register
  • contour
  • sequence
  • call-response

This is an important improvisational challenge.