ENCLOSED - 10 "ii-V7alt-I" Phrases (pentatonic enclosures)

ENCLOSED - 10 "ii-V7alt-I" Phrases (pentatonic enclosures)

In this study I apply some of the enclosure concepts and ideas presented in Part II (Pentatonic Fury) of the ENCLOSED book series over basic ii-V7alt-I progressions in a major key.

These phrases are great for internalizing the concepts over standard chord progressions and developing a sense as to how to build your own improvisatory vocabulary from them.

(All phrases presented in the key of C Major)

The most basic explanation of an “enclosure” is the insertion of the surrounding pitches (above and below) of a selected note before the note is sounded. The relationship of these surrounding notes to the target note can be diatonic, chromatic or both. In some of the classic melodic vocabulary of the be-bop era this process was applied often on the chord tones of the various harmonic structures that were commonly used in tunes but the same process can be applied to any melodic fragment, scale, etc.

The order of the surrounding notes can also be changed. You can start with a pitch above the target note, then a pitch below the target note and then resolve to the target note. Vice-versa, you can start with a pitch located below your target note, then follow with a pitch above the selected note and finally descend to your target pitch.

For more info please e-mail: hristo@hristovitchev.com