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Teaching Music Improvisation
with Technology
Teaching Music Improvisation
with Technology

Michael Fein

1
1
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the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education
by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University
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© Oxford University Press 2017

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address above.

You must not circulate this work in any other form

and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-​in-​Publication Data

Names: Fein, Michael, author.
Title: Teaching music improvisation with technology / Michael Fein.
Description: New York : Oxford University Press, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016027884 (print) | LCCN 2016028834 (ebook) | ISBN 9780190628260 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780190628253 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780190628277 (updf) | ISBN 9780190628284 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Improvisation (Music) | Jazz—Instruction and study. | Music—Computer programs. |
Music and the Internet.
Classification: LCC MT68 .F45 2017 (print) | LCC MT68 (ebook) | DDC 781.3/6071—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016027884

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Paperback printed by WebCom, Inc., Canada
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
 To my wife, Aimee, and wonderful children, Julian, Grayson, and Holden:
I wouldn’t have been able to work through this project without your love and support.
You inspire me and keep me laughing throughout life.

To my parents:
Thank you for attending every concert, applauding past when the rest of the audience
stopped, and for encouraging comments like “personal best.”
Preface vii

I started playing saxophone in fourth grade and I haven’t stopped since. My interest in saxo-
phone coincided with a great leap in the availability and accessibility of music technology
throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Whether it was using a minidisc recorder (anyone remember
those?) to record my lesson or slowing down a recording with digital audio software to help
transcribe a difficult section of a Dexter Gordon solo, technology has consistently been a valu-
able tool to assist my practicing and development as an improviser. Since 2003, I have taught
jazz ensemble and music technology electives to high school students full-​time in Havertown,
Pennsylvania. The jazz ensemble students are typically some of the best trained musicians in
the school while tech elective students typically have limited prior music experience and in
many cases don’t read traditional music notation or perform in the band, orchestra, or choir.
Interestingly, I have found that technology allows me to meet the students at their current
level and take them further musically than I could have ever done without it. All of my lessons
and activities start with a musical goal and end with a technology application. It is true that
there is no replacement for hours of practicing, and technology alone will not turn you into a
brilliant improviser. This book illustrates how technology can be used to support improvisa-
tional growth and musical development every step of the way in both the practice room and
the music classroom.
In this book, I guide you, the reader, through the basic mechanics of improvising and
the essential music theory elements needed to improvise and teach improvisation, includ-
ing modal improvisation, the blues, ii-​V-​I progressions, and chord bracketing. Each chapter
focuses on a different area of music technology and provides concrete hands-​on activities to
put theory into practice. I also make iPad connections throughout the book, so each chapter
has relevance regardless of whether the reader is working on a desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Acknowledgments ix

I have been blessed with exceptional teachers throughout my life. The guidance of these
amazing educators pushed me to develop into the musician and educator that I have become
today. As I look back on my musical development, I think I had the right teachers at the right
time and I am so appreciative of everything they did for me.
• Roy Martin—​Roy was my private saxophone teacher from fourth through twelfth
grade. He set me up with solid saxophone fundamentals and pushed me throughout
my development in both the jazz and classical worlds.
• Thomas Rudolph—​Tom was my middle school concert band and jazz ensemble
director. He really got me into the world of music technology and he is still a
mentor I frequently lean on for advice.
• Gerry DeLoach—​Gerry was my high school jazz ensemble director. He is truly a
great player and teacher. He made improvising approachable and I still remember
him taking time during his lunch to help me navigate my way through tunes like
“Take the A Train.”
• Ralph Bowen—​R alph was my private saxophone teacher and big band director
at Rutgers University where I received my bachelor’s degree. As a high school
senior, I saw Ralph perform at Ortlieb’s Jazz Haus in Philly, and I knew I wanted
to study with him and attend Rutgers. Ralph’s scale and chord exercises helped me
develop the technical skills I needed to improvise better, and he provided a solid
framework for developing improvisational skills in a sensical manner.
• Denis DiBlasio—​Denis was my private saxophone teacher at Rowan University where
I received my master’s degree. Denis is one of the warmest people I’ve known. He took
my playing to the next level by teaching me arranging concepts, having me memorize
lots of melodies and solo transcriptions, and encouraging me to let my ear guide my
improvisation.
I can only hope that I can have a shred of the impact on my students that these educators
had on me.
Contents xi

About the Companion Website • xiii

1 Introduction to the Mechanics of Improvisation • 1

Improvisation is … • 1
Developing Improvisation in Musicians • 4
Repertoire Guidelines • 7
Classroom Technology • 8
How Can Technology Facilitate the Development of Musicians’ Skill in Improvising? • 13
Existing Materials and Methods • 14
iPad Connection: SmartMusic for iOS • 18
Breaking the Ice: Percussion-​Only Improv Jam • 22
Chapter 1 Review • 26
2 Auto Accompaniment Software: Band-​in-​a-​Box and iReal Pro • 27
“E♭ Jam Blues” • 27
Blues Variation: “Freddie Freeloader” • 38
Modal Improvisation: “So What” • 48
Chord Bracketing: “Autumn Leaves” • 54
iPad Connection: iReal Pro • 64
Chapter 2 Review • 74
3 Notation Software: Note Flight and forScore • 77
Notation Software Options • 77
Creating a Lead Sheet: “Für Elise” by Beethoven • 78
Creating an Exercise Sheet: “Money” by Pink Floyd • 83
Creating a Motif-​Based Solo: “Four” by Miles Davis • 86
Creating a Chord-​Tone Solo: “All the Things You Are” by Kern/​Hammerstein • 90
The Power of MIDI in Notation Software • 94
iPad Connection: forScore • 96
Chapter 3 Review • 102
4 Music Production Software: Audacity, GarageBand, and GarageBand
for iOS • 103
Isolating and Slowing Down Audio in Audacity: Miles Davis solo on “So What” • 103
Comparing Melodies in Audacity: “All Along the Watchtower” by Dylan, Hendrix,
and Matthews • 108
Importing MIDI into GarageBand: “Maiden Voyage” by Herbie Hancock • 112
High-​Quality Audio Recording in GarageBand and Audacity: Reprise of “All the Things
You Are” Chord Tone Solo • 116
iPad Connection: Creating Accompaniments Using Smart Instruments in GarageBand
for iOS (GBiOS): “Little Sunflower” by Freddie Hubbard • 123
Chapter 4 Review • 130
 Contents

5 Web Resources for Listening: YouTube and Spotify • 133

Using YouTube to Teach Musical Improvisation • 133
xii
Using Spotify to Teach Musical Improvisation • 139
iPad Connection: YouTube and Spotify Apps • 141
Chapter 5 Review • 145
6 Web Resources for Posting: SoundCloud, Podomatic, Google Drive,
and YouTube • 147
Preparing Audio Files for Web Posting • 147
Posting to SoundCloud • 149
Posting to Podomatic • 152
Posting and Sharing with Google Drive • 155
iPad Connection: Posting to SoundCloud and YouTube from GarageBand for iOS • 157
iPad Connection: YouTube Capture • 158
Chapter 6 Review • 159
7 Web Design to Organize Online Material Using Weebly • 161
Web Design Overview • 161
Web Design with Weebly • 164
iPad Connection: Weebly App • 179
Chapter 7 Review • 185

Closing Remarks • 187

Index • 189
About the Companion Website xiii

www.oup.com/​us/​teachingmusicimprovisationwithtechnology

Oxford has created a website to accompany Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology.
Material that cannot be made available in a book, namely, audio examples of various activities
presented in the book, is provided here. The reader is encouraged to consult this resource in
conjunction with each hands-​on activity throughout each chapter. Examples available online
are indicated in the text with Oxford’s symbol [ ].
 INTRODUCTION TO THE MECHANICS
OF IMPROVISATION 1 1

This chapter first focuses on establishing a clear definition of what improvisation is (and is
not), provides a framework for developing improvisation skills, and discusses basic guidelines
for selecting appropriate repertoire for beginning improvisation. Next, it provides an over-
view of technology hardware and software appropriate for teaching improvisation in a pri-
vate lesson, classroom, or lab setting. I also survey existing materials including the Aebersold,
Essential Elements, and Standard of Excellence methods and SmartMusic. SmartMusic is a
subscription-​based application that includes the entire Essential Elements and Standard of
Excellence methods. SmartMusic also includes outstanding ear training activities, blues/​ii-​V-​
I/​iii-​VI-​ii-​V-​I scale and arpeggio exercises, rhythm section accompaniments, and transposi-
tion exercises. A user can even change the tempo and key of an existing audio recording! In the
iPad connection portion of this chapter, I discuss available exercises and materials in the free
SmartMusic application that comes with your paid SmartMusic subscription. Finally, I wrap
up the chapter with a hands-​on activity to “break the ice” and get students feeling comfortable
and free to improvise.

Improvisation is …
[ ] See Example 1.1 on the companion website for a PDF of my “Improvisation Is …” Keynote
Presentation.

… composing in the moment with restrictions

These restrictions are generally the rhythm and harmony of the tune. The improviser selects
rhythms and notes that cause tension and release as he or she plays. Improvised notes that do
not fit in the chord cause tension until they release into chord tones. The improviser chooses
rhythms that groove with the rhythm and those that cause syncopation. So, when the impro-
viser begins performing, he or she isn’t really dealing with a blank canvas; rather, the impro-
viser begins with a backdrop (harmony and rhythm of the tune) and adds the foreground.
Although the improviser is free to play anything, whatever he or she creates will interact with
the harmony and rhythm, and all of these decisions are being made instantaneously through-
out the improvised performance.
Here’s a brief analogy:
My son recently received a Star Wars sticker book for the holidays. In the front of the
book, there are various movie scenes such as a desert, space, and what looks to be the inside
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

of a spaceship. In the back of the book are various stickers that can be applied to each scene.
Grayson is able to tell a story by building a sticker scene based on the background that already
2
exists on the page. My older son, Julian, and I always get a chuckle from an unexpected sticker
such as one that sits sideways or obviously doesn’t fit (I mean we all know Wampas like the
cold and don’t live in the desert!). So as Grayson improvises (creates on the spot), he interacts
with the background to create tension/​release and groove/​syncopation.
The great composer, Igor Stravinsky, commented on composing music with restrictions in
the book Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons:
What delivers me from the anguish into which an unrestricted freedom plunges me is
the fact that I am always able to turn immediately to the concrete things that are here in
question… . [I]‌n art as in everything else, one can build only upon a resisting founda-
tion: whatever constantly gives way to pressure, constantly renders movement impos-
sible. My freedom thus consists in my moving about within the narrow frame that I have
assigned myself for each one of my undertakings. The more constraints one imposes, the
more one frees one’s self.1

Stravinsky is certainly not a composer we think of as bland or uncreative; I’d classify him as
one of the most daring composers of the early 20th century, always pushing the boundaries
of musical acceptability. Throughout this text I will recommend improvising within a narrow
framework such as a specific scale or set of chord tones. Students must improvise in the box
with significant restrictions to maximize creativity.

… limited by three main factors: technical ability, ear development,

and music theory knowledge.

1. Technical ability: My main instrument is saxophone. I have spent countless

hours over the past 25 years practicing the saxophone, learning my scales,
arpeggios, melodies, etc., on that instrument. When I improvise on saxophone,
I have more technical freedom because the instrument feels almost like an
extension of myself. In fact, when I’m examining a new piece of music, I often
find myself fingering notes on my “air sax” to more accurately hear the notes in
my head. I also play clarinet, flute, keyboard, and guitar. Guitar is my weakest
instrument by far and because of my drastic technical limitations on guitar,
I can use only simpler phrases when I improvise on that instrument. I find the
same applies to my younger students. The more they become familiar with their
instrument by practicing all of their fundamental technique, the more freedom
they have when improvising. Encourage students to focus on developing proper
fundamental technique on their instrument including tone, rhythmic feel,
articulation, and technical facility.
2. Ear development: The best improvisers hear music in their head and produce
it immediately and effortlessly on their instrument. It is essential to rigorously

1 Igor Stravinsky, Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1970), 65–​66.
 Introduction

train your ear to identify intervals, practice sight-​singing melodies (both tonal
and atonal), and perform familiar melodies in multiple keys. I encourage my
3
students to select a simple melody (such as Mary Had a Little Lamb, Happy
Birthday, etc.) and practice playing it in all 12 keys (or at least a handful of
keys). I also find it helpful to perform melodies by ear such as those from pop
tunes on the radio; instead of singing the melody, perform it on an instrument.
It is also essential to listen to a lot of music, especially by great improvisers.
Focus on the artist’s phrases, tone, and articulation. Many of my jazz students
will purchase a book of jazz solo transcriptions and try to perform them
without listening to the original recording. This is exactly the wrong thing to
do. You first need to listen to the recording until you can just about sing the
entire thing. Then use the solo transcription as an aid to perform the solo
exactly as the artist did with the exact same inflections and tone. Through this
listening and imitation, the student will become a better improviser simply
by osmosis.
3. Music theory knowledge: First, students must have a basic grasp of music
theory including key signatures, 12 major scales, 12 harmonic minor scales,
and the 7 modes of the major scale. Second, a student must be able to execute
that knowledge on his or her instrument. Of course, this is a tall order for
many high school or college-​level students and far beyond the reach of
most elementary or middle school students. Does that mean to forget about
improvising until the student has a firm grasp of all of this music theory
knowledge? NO! Students should begin improvising as early as possible, but
the teacher must guide them to repertoire appropriate for their theoretical
level. For example, it would be a terrible idea to expect a young student to
improvise over John Coltrane’s Giant Steps in which the chords change every
2–​4 beats and the key centers change just about as fast. Instead, the teacher
must select a more appropriate tune such as Miles Davis’s So What. As I discuss
in Chapter 2, this tune uses only two different scales, and the chords change no
faster than every 8 bars. Elementary aged students can learn the two scales and
practice various patterns over those two scales and begin improving over So
What fairly quickly.

… something that everyone can do.

In the past, people used to think that either you had it or you didn’t. Today, it is obvious that
improvisational skill isn’t something you are born with. Through listening and ear training,
music theory knowledge, and technical development, anyone with a willingness to improvise
can be successful. I shouldn’t understate the word “willingness” in the previous sentence. It
takes a tremendous amount of hard work to become a great improviser, and improvisation is a
skill that slowly improves over time. Developing improvisational skill is a marathon and not a
sprint! As I discuss in this book, technology can play a huge role in making the journey easier
and more enjoyable.
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

… for every genre of music.

4 From classical to jazz, country to rock, and pop to hip-​hop, improvisation can be integrated
into every genre of music. At the heart of all jazz music, improvised sections often account
for 75% or more of a given recording. Jazz artists generally state the melody at the begin-
ning and end of a performance and take turns improvising throughout the entire middle sec-
tion. Modern hip-​hop artists often improvise, calling it free-​styling. Rock and country songs,
while more focused on melodic vocal sections such as the chorus, verse, and bridge, will often
include short improvised solo sections. In the classical world, young classical musicians are
notorious for shying away from improvising. So much of our modern classical musician train-
ing focuses only on playing the notes on the page; however, this was not the case in the past:

Performers in the Baroque era were always expected to add to what the composer had
written. For example, keyboard players realized figured basses by improvising chords,
arpeggios, and even counterpoints. Vocal and instrumental solo performers applied skill,
taste, and experience to realize the full effect of the music by means of ornaments and
embellishments.2

It is interesting that Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven were all outstanding improvisers. Bach was
known as the greatest organ improviser of his day. He would even write out multiple versions
of his inventions to illustrate how a student could improvise over the structure of the piece.
Mozart was first recognized as an improviser in Vienna, and it wasn’t until approximately
10 years later that he became known for his compositions. In an attempt to impress Mozart,
a young Beethoven improvised on themes provided by Mozart at a party. All three of these
“Mount Rushmore” composers placed improvisation at the heart of their musical training and
performance. Today, most classical musicians perform cadenzas and preludes as written in
the manuscript, but this was not the case in period performances. These sections were gener-
ally improvised by the performer. The great saxophonist, Branford Marsalis, did just this in
his 2001 album, Creation. Marsalis is best known as an improvising jazz saxophonist and he
carried his improvisation skills into the cadenzas of standard classical saxophone works such
as the Ibert Concertino da Camera. As a student, I studied and performed the Ibert and it was
brilliantly refreshing to hear an improvised cadenza.
For more interesting notes about classical musicians and improvisation, visit https://​
ericbarnhill.wordpress.com/​facts-​about-​improvisation/​.

Developing Improvisation in Musicians

Every master carpenter has a tool box, and he or she has spent years learning how to use each
tool effectively. The carpenter has to use a variety of tools to create each new project. As a child,
I used to love watching Norm Abram on The New Yankee Workshop on PBS create incredible
cabinets, tables, chairs, and more out of wood. Norm had more tools in his workshop than
anyone I could imagine, at least more than my dad! He always knew which tool would be most

2 Donald Jay Grout and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western Music (New York: Norton, 2001), 361.
 Introduction

appropriate for each step of the project, and he effortlessly went from router to table saw to
jigsaw.
5
Every improviser needs to pull from his or her musical tool box when improvising. The
more tools, the greater is the variety of sounds available to the improviser. But remember, you
can build a lot with basic tools such as a screwdriver, hammer, saw, and drill! The most essen-
tial tools to develop are scales, chord tones, and melodic motifs (called licks in the jazz world).

1. Scales: Although many scales exist, my top five most important scales are major,
mixolydian, dorian, harmonic minor, and blues. Major scales are the foundation
of almost all music and it is essential to learn all 12 major scales. Mixolydian
(major scale with a flat 7th) and dorian (major scale with a flat 3rd and flat 7th)
are derived from the major scale. For songs in a minor tonality, the harmonic
minor scale (major scale with a flat 3rd and flat 6th) is essential. Finally, the blues
scale is the swiss army knife of scales that can function in major or minor tonality
and get you out of any tough improvisation situation.
2. Chord tones: The improviser will typically work with a lead sheet that includes
the melody of the tune plus the accompanying chords. The top five most
important chords to learn are major 7th (Maj7), minor 7th (min7), dominant
7th (dom7), minor with a major 7th (min M7), and minor 7th flat 5 (min7b5
or ø7). The player should be familiar with the 1-​3-​5-​7 of each chord. Practice
playing the chords ascending and descending on each chord tone.
3. Melodic motifs: Melodic motifs are the lingo of the musical world. Just as a
writer takes common words and phrases and combines them in ever new ways,
musicians borrow, develop, and manipulate melodic motifs to create freshly
improvised solos. I suggest starting by borrowing your favorite phrases of great
improvisers. For example, my two favorite saxophonists are Dexter Gordon and
Sonny Stitt and, while listening to a recording, I will often pause the recording
to write out one of their tasty licks. Another way to develop lingo is to write out
cool phrases you discover through improvising. Sometimes, interesting phrases
just come out and it a good idea to capture the phrase before you forget it. Who
knows, maybe that phrase ends up becoming the basis of your next musical
composition! So through a combination of borrowing phrases from great
improvisers and developing your own, the improviser develops an aural catalog
of cool licks that can be used throughout the improvisation process.

TIP

Purchase a spiral-​bound manuscript book and notate melodic motifs that you borrow or create.
You will soon develop a large library of improvisational lingo in this book.

The best way to learn how to effectively use all of your tools mentioned above is to JUST
DO IT! The more you improvise, the more comfortable you will become and the better you
will be at improvising. In Chapter 2, Auto Accompaniment Software, and Chapter 4, Music
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

Production Software, I detail how to generate custom accompaniments so you will have a
backing track to improvise along with. Improvising with a playalong track will help train your
6
ear to identify sounds you like and those that don’t really fit. Always practice at a slow tempo
so your ear, brain, and fingers can keep up. In Chapter 3, Notation Software, I show you how
to use computer notation software to generate technical exercises and write out your own solo
(sort of like pre-​planned improvisation). This process allows the musician to work out ideas
on paper/​screen before trying to execute them in the moment. Practice these exercises and
solo ideas in the abstract to allow them to flow out of you in the moment during your actual
improvisation.
When you are practicing improvisation, keep the following in mind:

1. Keep your place in the song by focusing on the form of the piece. Is the song
a 12-​bar blues, 32-​bar AABA, or something altogether different? Knowing the
form can help keep you from getting lost while improvising or get you back on
track if you do get lost.
2. Play the “right” notes. Throughout this book, I’ll continually mix in theory and
improvisation strategies to limit your tonal palette. Very often it is best to limit
yourself to a particular scale or set of chord tones as a beginning improviser.
Continually self-​monitor while you practice to be sure you stay “in the box.”
3. Use repetition and sequencing. Obviously repetition means to play phrases
more than once. As humans, we crave repetition in music. Select any melody
and I’m sure you’ll find many instances of repetition. If it works in your favorite
melody, it will work in your improvisation. Consciously focus on repeating
musical phrases to keep some logical sense to your on-​the-​spot composition.
When you repeat a melodic idea on a different note or in a different tonality this
is called sequencing. In the song “I’ll Remember April” the first four bars start in
G major and the second four bars move to G minor. It is especially effective to
perform a given phrase in major and then sequence it to minor in this situation.
In “Satin Doll” the first 2 bars use a ii-​V progression in the tonic key while bars
3–​4 use a ii-​V progression a whole step up. Again, it is very effective to play a
given phrase in the tonic key and then again a whole step up. In both situations
you satisfy the human need for repetition while also adjusting your improvised
melodic idea to fit the harmony of the tune.
4. Practice at slow tempos. There is simply no need to increase the tempo past your
comfort zone. Improvisation is difficult and it takes time to coordinate your ear,
brain, and fingers. I will continue to recommend starting slow throughout this
chapter and this entire text. All of my private lesson instructors from elementary
through college have reminded me that “Perfect practice makes perfect.” Don’t
bother practicing mistakes or pushing the tempo past the limits of your ear, brain,
or fingers. Make the most of your practice time by getting it right at a comfortable
tempo in the practice room so you will ultimately have more success on stage.

Finally, you must possess self-​confidence. Whether you call it mojo or swagger, self-​confidence
is one of the keys to improvisation. Your playing must be rhythmically confident to fit in the
 Introduction

groove or to create exciting syncopation. Your playing must be melodically confident to fit in
the harmony. Wimpy playing never leads to a quality performance. Bill Evans, the great jazz
7
pianist, once said, “There are no wrong notes, only wrong resolutions.” Hear the music in your
head, execute it on your instrument, and, if you miss, you are probably only a half step away
from a nice resolution.
Check out this link for more interesting “no wrong notes” quotes from jazz greats:
http://​www.bryanjudkins.com/​post/​149429495/​there-​are-​no-​wrong-​notes-​in-​jazz-​only-​
notes-​in.

Repertoire Guidelines
Selecting appropriate repertoire for the improviser’s level is of utmost importance. As I men-
tioned, the three limitations of any improviser center around technical ability, ear develop-
ment, and music theory knowledge. The four types of tunes best for beginning to intermediate
improvisers are vamp, modal, blues, and ii-​V-​I tunes.

Vamp
A vamp is a repeated musical figure (such as a guitar riff). This vamp can serve as the basis for
the entire song or just a section of the song. Sometimes only the improvisation section of the
song is based on a vamp. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” is a great example of a vamp tune.
This tune starts with a basic drum groove followed by the iconic 2-​bar clavinet vamp line. The
rest of the tunes builds on the vamp adding vocals and horns. The song eventually moves to a
turnaround section that leads directly back the vamp. Over a tune such as “Superstition,” the
improviser doesn’t need to worry about getting lost in the chord changes and he or she has a
very limited amount of harmony to deal with.

Modal
Instead of using a complex chord progression, modal tunes use chords based on musical
modes generally from the major scale. These tunes will often feature very few chords and the
chords will often change relatively slowly. Miles Davis’s album Kind of Blue features many
modal tunes with very simplistic harmony. This allows the beginning improviser to focus on a
small number of scales with very clear changes in harmony throughout the tune.

Blues
The blues is a classic form common in jazz, rock, and obviously blues songs. These songs fea-
ture a form most commonly 12 bars in length with as few as three chords. While there are
many variations on the blues progression, the core of just about all blues songs is the I, IV, and
V chords. There are countless examples of blues songs including James Brown’s “I Feel Good,”
Pink Floyd’s “Money,” and Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues.” The blues allows the musician to
clearly begin using various tools to create a more interesting improvisational experience. At
the most basic, an improviser can use only the blues scale of the tonic key throughout the
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

entire song. Taking a step forward, the improviser can use the mixolydian mode over each
chord. So in the key of C, the improviser would perform C mixolydian over C7, F mixolyd-
8
ian over F7, and G mixolydian over G7. Finally, the improviser can explore the chord tones
of the I, IV, and V chords. By combining all three tools (blues scale, mixolydian mode, and
chord tones), the improviser really starts down the road of creating more musically interest-
ing improvisational material. I further explain the basic blues progression and the appropriate
improvisation tools in Chapter 2, Auto Accompaniment Software.

ii-​V-​I
As students gain comfort improvising over vamp, modal, and blues tunes, they are ready for
ii-​V-​I based songs. The ii-​V-​I progression serves as the foundation of most jazz standards and
many pop songs. Although ii-​V-​I songs often include relatively quick-​moving harmony com-
pared to vamp, modal, and blues songs, it is possible to bracket chunks of the tune into a single
scale making it easier for a young improviser to solo over this sort of tune. For example, in a
4-​bar section that includes Dmin7, G7, and CMaj7, the improviser can bracket all three of
these chords under the C major scale umbrella. Tunes with the ii-​V-​I structure also allow the
musician to push further into chord tone arpeggiation. Often these tunes will include sec-
tions in a minor tonality, forcing the improviser to explore the harmonic minor parent scale.
I further explain the mechanics of improvising over a ii-​V-​I based song in Chapter 2, Auto
Accompaniment Software.

Classroom Technology
When you are teaching in a classroom setting it is essential for your students to be able to see
and hear your computer/​iPad. This allows the students to follow along at their seats. Some of
the gear discussed in this section allows the teacher to easily communicate and share audio
with the entire class or individual students for one-​on-​one instruction.

Seeing the Teacher Device

When I began teaching public school in 2002, it was rare for regular classrooms (let alone
music classrooms) to be outfitted with a large computer display device such as an LCD projec-
tor with screen or interactive whiteboard. Today, this technology is finding its way into more
and more classrooms. At Haverford High School, we have LCD projectors in just about every
classroom. At Manoa Elementary, my son’s elementary school (and my alma mater!), Smart
Boards were placed in every classroom when the school was rebuilt in the early 2010s.
LCD Projectors simply project the teacher’s computer/​iPad to a screen for large group
instruction. If the teacher’s computer is in close proximity to the screen, an LCD projector
works just fine. In my classroom, my computer is five feet from the screen so I can easily click
on the computer and then walk to the projector screen if needed. If the computer is farther
from the screen or in the back of the classroom, a wireless keyboard and mouse can allow the
teacher to provide instruction from the front of the room near the projector screen. Be sure to
create a comfortable teaching position with you at the front of the room facing the students.
 Introduction

The most common interactive whiteboards that I see in schools are SMART Boards and
Promethean Boards. Both essentially accomplish the same task. The teacher’s computer/​
9
iPad is connected to the built-​in LCD projector on the interactive whiteboard. After run-
ning a quick configuration and setup in the interactive whiteboard software on the teacher
computer/​iPad, the teacher can now work with his or her device from the actual whiteboard
in the front of the classroom, eliminating the need for direct access to the computer mouse/​
keyboard. I find interactive whiteboards especially appropriate for elementary-​aged students
although they can be used successfully with students of any age.
When connecting your device you will need to purchase the necessary video cable to
connect to your LCD projector or interactive whiteboard. Most commonly you will need a
VGA cable. Some newer displays require an HDMI cable similar to the cable used in most
cable television boxes. Also check the video output of your computer or device. Since many
Windows computers have VGA ports, you will likely only need a single VGA cable with no
adapter. Macintosh computers and iPads almost always require an adapter to connect to the
VGA cable. For iPads you will need a “lightning to VGA” (iPad 4th generation and newer)
or “30-​pin dock connector to VGA” (iPad 3rd generation and older) adapter. For Macintosh
computers it will all depend on your computer model. Current Macs require a “mini display
to VGA” adapter while older Macs used a number of different video output ports. These
adapters typically cost $30 to $50.
Follow this link for more information on iPad video adapters:
https://​support.apple.com/​en-​us/​HT202044.
Follow this link for more information on Mac video adapters:
https://​support.apple.com/​en-​us/​HT201853.

Hearing the Teacher Device

Quality audio playback is needed in any music classroom situation. In the simplest setup,
students will connect stereo headphones into their devices and the teacher will have speak-
ers to play back sound from his or her device to the class.
When selecting a set of speakers for teacher device playback you will have a choice
between active or passive monitor speakers. Active monitors are self-​powered speakers
that have a power cable that plugs into a wall outlet. You will need a power supply in close
proximity to the active monitors. Passive monitors do not require a power supply; however,
you will need to purchase a power amplifier to power the speakers. I suggest purchasing a
Crown power amplifier; these amps have been around for years and are the gold standard
of power amplifiers. You must match the power amplifier to your passive speakers, so check
the power (watts) and resistance (ohms) of your speakers and power amplifier when pur-
chasing so you can match the two. The general rule of thumb is to purchase a power ampli-
fier at least 50% more powerful than your speakers at the given resistance. For example,
if your speakers are rated at 600W continuous power at 8 ohms, you’ll want a power amp
rated at approximately 900W at 8 ohms. Refer to this YouTube video for more detailed
information on amp and speaker matching: https://​www.youtube.com/​watch?v=pUou_
noD1Gc.
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

TIP
10 Matching amplifiers and speakers can be confusing. I suggest enlisting the assistance of a
qualified sale representative from a reputable dealer before making this important purchase.

For audio playback, my preference is to use a lab management system such as the Korg
GEC to make sharing audio more seamless and flexible. The newest model is the Korg GEC5.
See Figure 1.1 for an image of the Korg GEC5 teacher unit and Figure 1.2 for an image of the
Korg GEC5 student communication interface. To set up the GEC5, you must install a student
communication interface (SCI) at each student computer station. Sound output from the stu-
dent computer, keyboard, and headset microphone is routed to the SCI. A CAT-​5 ethernet
cable links the SCI to the GEC5 teacher unit (GEC5-​TU) at the front of the room near the
teacher computer. Similar to the SCI setup, sound from the teacher keyboard, computer, and
headset are routed to the GEC5-​TU. The GEC5-​TU can also output sound to room speakers
and the teacher can even record the audio output of the GEC5-​TU to capture student per-
formances. The main reason to use the Korg GEC5 is that the teacher has supreme flexibility
in audio playback, and it is a piece of gear that actually allows a classroom to function. Over
my 13 years of teaching music technology both in high school and higher education, the one
indispensable piece of gear that makes my classroom work is the Korg GEC. Administrators
are always amazed at how quiet my classroom is and how efficiently I can address student
needs and differentiate my instruction. Students can work independently, interact one on one
with the teacher, share audio with the class, and work collaboratively with a peer. The GEC

Figure 1.1
Korg GEC5 teacher
interface.

Figure 1.2
Korg GEC5 student
communication
interface.
 Introduction

is the audio nerve center of my classroom and provides the perfect teaching environment for
all audio-​based activities. The teacher can manage all of the sound right from the front of the
11
room or, with the addition of a wireless router, the teacher can manage the classroom while
walking around the room with an iPad or Android tablet.

Digital Instruments
In a music classroom, acoustic instruments can be troublesome simply because they actu-
ally produce audible sound. This can make teaching improvisation in a classroom setting very
difficult unless there are separate practice rooms or spaces for students to play their acoustic
instrument with a computer/​iPad that won’t disturb classmates. Many teachers opt for digital
instruments to solve this issue.
The piano keyboard is the most common solution. When purchasing a piano keyboard
you will have a choice between a model with built-​in sounds and one without built-​in sounds
(called a controller). Controllers are generally much cheaper (approx $50–​$200) but they
must be connected to a computer with software instrument sounds (such as a Mac with
GarageBand installed) to produce any sound. Keyboards with built-​in sounds can cost sig-
nificantly more than controllers but they produce sound without the need to connect to a
computer/​iPad. My preference is to always purchase keyboards with some built-​in sounds if
your budget permits.
Although keyboards are the most common digital instruments, they are by no means the
only option. The EWI (see Figure 1.3) is an electronic wind instrument meant to mimic a
saxophone, clarinet, or flute. Although I’m an experienced saxophonist, I found that work-
ing on the EWI takes a good bit of practice since it doesn’t react exactly like an acoustic wind
instrument. With practice, the EWI can be a good option for woodwind players. Electronic
drum sets (see Figure 1.4) made by companies such as Roland and Alesis make use of various
pads that send MIDI signals to a computer software instrument or an included sound module.
Still other digital instruments such as the Novation Launchpad (see Figure 1.5) look much
less traditional and can allow students to improvise without prior knowledge of a traditional
instrument.
When connecting a digital instrument your computer you may need a MIDI inter-
face. A MIDI interface allows your digital instrument to communicate to your computer/​
iPad through a USB cable. The M-​Audio UNO is my MIDI interface of choice because of its
small size, ease of use, and relatively low cost (approx $39). See Figure 1.6 for an image of the

Figure 1.3
Akai EWI MIDI
controller.
 Figure 1.4
Roland V-​Drums
12 MIDI controller.

Figure 1.5
Novation Launchpad
MIDI controller.
 Introduction

Figure 1.6
M-​Audio UNO
MIDI interface. 13

M-​Audio UNO. Connect the USB end of the UNO into your computer/​iPad and the MIDI
ends to your digital instrument’s MIDI in and out. If your digital instrument has a direct USB
cable out of it, your digital instrument most likely has a built-​in MIDI interface and you will
not require a separate MIDI interface. If you are using an iPad you will also need a separate
adapter called the “Lightning to USB Camera Adapter” (for 4th generation iPad and newer)
or “Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit” (for 3rd generation iPad or older). I know it is odd to
call this adapter a “Camera Kit” but it really just converts your iPad’s input port to a USB port.

How Can Technology Facilitate the Development

of Musicians’ Skill in Improvising?
This text covers auto accompaniment software, notation software, and music production soft-
ware as well as web resources for listening, posting, and organizing material for students. Below
is a summarized list of various activities that will be expanded on throughout the remainder
of this text:

• Create play-​along recordings so students can hear their improvised ideas with the
rhythm and harmony.
• Use software to generate a solo, create appropriate notation, and print for practice.
• Notate scale and chord tone exercises.
• Notate melodic motifs and transcribe improvised solos.
• Transpose notated exercises for various instruments and ranges.
• Have students write out a solo ahead of time and then perform it on their instrument.
• Edit audio recordings to highlight important aspects of the performance.
• Develop listening playlists on YouTube and/​or Spotify.
• Develop a series of podcast episodes that illustrate beginning improvisation
concepts.
• Develop a website to organize all of your materials and so students can easily
access files from home.
 Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology

Existing Materials and Methods

14 My first use of technology with improvisation came with the Jamey Aebersold play-​along
books (see Figure 1.7). Each book includes a handful of jazz tunes transposed for concert,
bass clef, E♭, and B♭ instruments plus a CD accompaniment. The accompaniment usually
includes drums, bass, and piano so a melody instrument such as saxophone can perform the
melody and improvise over the tune. The accompaniments are typically mixed with the bass
in the left channel only, piano in the right channel only, and drums in both channels. Because
of this setup, the improviser could mute the piano by unplugging the right speaker or the
bass by unplugging the left speaker. While many volumes of Aebersold books focus on tunes,
others focus on common chord progressions or scales that improvisers often encounter, and
Aebersold creates exercises out of each in all 12 keys. Jamey Aebersold has published more
than 100 improvisation play-​along books and various other practice aids. Explore the full col-
lection of Aebersold materials at http://​www.jazzbooks.com/​.

Figure 1.7
Jamey Aebersold’s
Volume 54:
Maiden Voyage
play-​along book.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 ⁵And the greater house he cieled with fir ¹ tree,
which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought
thereon palm trees and chains.
¹ Or, cypress.

5. the greater house] i.e. the holy place. It was forty cubits long (1
Kings vi. 17), whereas the shrine was twenty (1 Kings vi. 16, 20).

he cieled] i.e. lined or boarded. The same Hebrew word is

translated overlaid in this same verse.

wrought thereon] perhaps in the form of reliefs.

palm trees and chains] The “chains” perhaps connected one

palm tree with another. In 1 Kings vi. 29, “cherubim and palm trees
and open flowers.”

⁶And he garnished the house with precious

stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of
Parvaim.
6. precious stones] Not mentioned in the parallel account, but
according to 1 Kings v. 17 costly stones (the same expression in
Hebrew) were used for the foundations of the house, their costliness
being due presumably to their immense size. Here, however, the
phrase “for beauty” suggests that the Chronicler is thinking of rare
and precious stones to be set in the walls—an exaggeration not out
of keeping with the references to “pure gold” in verses 4, 7, etc.

Parvaim] Apparently the name of a place, but nothing certain is

known about it.

⁷He overlaid also the house, the beams, the

thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the
 doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim
on the walls.
7. cherubim] The cherubim (plural of cherub) were the Hebrew
adaptation of the winged bulls which are so striking a figure in
Babylonian and Assyrian art. Nothing, however, can be ascertained
as to the exact form in which they were depicted in the Temple. In
the Old Testament they appear as guardians of sacred things
(Genesis iii. 24; Ezekiel xxviii.) and as sustainers of the Deity (e.g.
Psalms lxxx. 1 “Thou that sittest upon the cherubim”; compare
Psalms xviii. 10). The figures were therefore emblematic of the
presence of Jehovah.

The graving of the cherubim was not felt to be a breach of the

Second Commandment, for they were not put up to “bow down to” or
to “serve.”

8, 9 (compare 1 Kings vi. 16‒20).

The Holy of Holies.

⁸And he made the most holy house; the length

thereof, according to the breadth of the house,
was twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof
twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold,
amounting to six hundred talents. ⁹And the
weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold.
And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
8. the most holy house] Called the oracle in 1 Kings vi. 16, 19,
etc., Hebrew dĕbīr, which means rather the hinder part. The Lord
“dwells” in the inmost recess of the house.

amounting to six hundred talents] This detail is not found

elsewhere. The weight of gold would be over 64,000 lbs., or, on a
less probable reckoning, 27,000 lbs.; incredible quantities in either
case, but in keeping with the vast amounts stated in 1 Chronicles
xxix. 4.

10‒13 (compare 1 Kings vi. 23‒28).

The Cherubim.

¹⁰And in the most holy house he made two

cherubim of image work; and they overlaid
them with gold. ¹¹And the wings of the
cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of
the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the
wall of the house; and the other wing was
likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the
other cherub. ¹²And the wing of the other
cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of
the house: and the other wing was five cubits
also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
10. of image work; and they overlaid] The phrase “of image work”
is meaningless. Following the LXX. ἔρηον ἐκ ξύλων καὶ ἐχρύσωσεν,
render woodwork, and he overlaid.

¹³The wings of these cherubim spread

themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood
on their feet, and their faces were toward the
house ¹.
¹ Or, inward.

13. twenty cubits] Extending across the width of the whole house.
 on their feet] Not “couchant” nor “rampant” but standing, as the
winged bulls of Assyria stand.

toward the house] as though to protect the Holiest Place from

violation by anyone advancing through the house.

14 (compare Exodus xxvi. 31, 32).

The Veil.

¹⁴And he made the veil of blue, and purple,

and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought
cherubim thereon.
No veil for Solomon’s Temple is mentioned in 1 Kings, but (1
Kings vi. 31, 32) doors of olive wood with cherubim carved upon
them stood at the entrance of the Holy of Holies. The description of
the veil seems to have been borrowed by the Chronicler from the
account of the tabernacle given in Exodus.

15‒17 (compare 1 Kings vii. 15‒22).

The Pillars Jachin and Boaz.

¹⁵Also he made before the house two pillars of

thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter
that was on the top of each of them was five
cubits.
15. before the house two pillars] Compare 1 Kings vii. 21, he set
up the pillars at the porch of the temple, and Jeremiah lii. 17
(translate, the pillars ... that belonged to the house). These pillars
were immediately in front of the porch, but (it seems) detached from
it. They were cast in brass (iv. 11‒17), were hollow (Jeremiah lii. 21),
and were crowned with “chapiters” (capitals) in shape like bowls (1
Kings vii. 41). A pair of lofty frontal pillars, detached from the main
building, was a not uncommon feature of temples in Western Asia
and Egypt—e.g. at the Temple of Hercules (Melkart) at Tyre
(Herodotus II. 44), the Temple of Paphos in Cyprus (see W. R.
Smith, Religion of the Semites², p. 488), at Karnak in Egypt
(compare Perrot and Chipiez, Egyptian Art, II. 170). In Solomon’s
Temple these twin columns may have been conventional imitations
of the prevailing type of temple building, but it is rather to be
supposed that there also they were considered to be symbolic of the
presence of God, and were developments of the ancient stone pillars
(maṣṣeboth) which were a constant feature at Semitic shrines and
had originally been regarded as the abode of the Deity.

thirty and five cubits high] 35 is also given in the LXX. of

Jeremiah lii. 21; but is almost certainly an error. Read eighteen, as in
1 Kings vii. 15; Jeremiah lii. 21 (Hebrew).

¹⁶And he made chains in the oracle, and put

them on the tops of the pillars; and he made
an hundred pomegranates, and put them on
the chains.
16. he made chains in the oracle] The words, in the oracle,
though found in LXX., are a gloss introduced from 1 Kings vi. 21
(chains ... before the oracle), or, more probably, a corruption of a
word meaning “like a necklace.” The Chronicler is here speaking of
the outside of the Temple, having already described the “oracle,” i.e.
the Holy of Holies, in verses 8‒14. The Hebrew word dĕbīr was
translated “oracle” because it was supposed to be derived from a
word meaning “to speak.” It means, however, simply “the hindermost
part” of the house (compare iv. 20, v. 7, 9).

¹⁷And he set up the pillars before the temple,

one on the right hand, and the other on the
left; and called the name of that on the right
hand Jachin ¹, and the name of that on the left
Boaz ².
 ¹ That is, He shall establish.

² That is, perhaps, In it is strength.

17. Jachin ... Boaz] Margin translates the two words; Jachin “He
shall establish,” Boaz perhaps “In it is strength.” LXX. gives
Κατόρθωσις “setting up”) and Ἰσχύς (“strength”). The meaning of Boaz
is uncertain. It may be only a pious correction of an original Baal.
(For the avoidance of the word Baal, see the notes on xvii. 3, 1
Chronicles viii. 33; and for further comments on “Jachin” and “Boaz”
see Encyclopedia Biblia II. 2. 304, and Barnes in Journal of
Theological Studies, v. 447 ff.)
 Chapter IV.
1.
The Altar of Brass.

¹Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty

cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the
breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height
thereof.
1. an altar of brass, twenty cubits] The brasen altar is referred to
in 1 Kings viii. 64; 2 Kings xvi. 14 ff., but it is (strangely) not
mentioned among the furnishings of the Temple described in the
present text of 1 Kings vii. It is impossible therefore to say whether
the Chronicler derives the measurements he here gives from a text
of Kings which did contain a description of the brasen altar, or from
the altar of the Temple of his own period. The latter is more probable.
Some scholars consider it possible that at first Solomon’s Temple
contained no artificial altar, the sacrifices being offered on the great
natural rock which is now covered by the famous building popularly
known as the Mosque of Omar (properly “The Dome of the Rock”).

The great altar was probably a flat oblong expanse, the highest of
a series of terraces, of which the base measurement is given by the
Chronicler—compare the description of Ezekiel’s altar (Ezekiel xliii.
13 ff.).

2‒5 (= 1 Kings vii. 23‒26).

The Molten Sea.
 ²Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits
from brim to brim, round in compass, and the
height thereof was five cubits; and a line of
thirty cubits compassed it round about.
2. he made the molten sea] Render, he made the sea of molten
metal. The “sea” or great laver was a well-known feature in temples
(compare Revelation iv. 6), and, originally at least, is likely to have
had religious significance, as a symbol of Jehovah’s power over the
seas and the rain, or over the primeval Deep upon which His might
was exercised in the creation of the world (Genesis i.; Psalms xxiv.
2). For the Chronicler’s view of its purpose, see verse 6.

ten cubits from brim to brim ... and a line of thirty cubits
compassed it] The mathematical inaccuracy in the measurements
here given—10 in diameter, 30 in circumference—has often been
pointed out. But the literal Hebrew is “ten with the cubit ... and thirty
with the cubit,” and F. C. Burkitt in a communication to the
Cambridge Review for May 13, 1914 offers an interesting vindication
of the phrase. He writes “... What the verse says about the
circumference of the ‘sea’ is that they stretched a string round it, and
when they laid the string out flat they had to go thirty times with the
cubit, i.e. a man had to put his elbow down thirty times before he got
to the end.” [The distance from the point of the elbow to the tip of the
longest finger is 1 cubit.] “No doubt the last time he put his elbow
down the string came short: in other words, the ‘sea’ was nine-and-
a-bittock across and twenty-nine-and-a-bittock round. As a matter of
fact, if a circle be 9 ft. 6 in. across, it is just over 29 ft. 10 in. round.
Such a circle I think would be described in Hebrew as ‘ten with the
foot-rule’ across and ‘thirty with the foot-rule’ in circumference.”

a line of thirty cubits compassed it] i.e. it was thirty cubits in

circumference.

³And under it was the similitude of oxen ¹,

which did compass it round about, for ten
 cubits ², compassing the sea round about. The
oxen ¹ were in two rows, cast when it was cast.
¹ In 1 Kings vii. 24, knops. ² Or, ten in a cubit.

3. under it was the similitude of oxen] This reading has the

support of the LXX., but can hardly be correct. Read (compare 1
Kings vii. 24), under it there were knops, “knops” being embossed
ornaments, imitating probably the fruit or the flowers of the gourd.

for ten cubits] Obviously an error, for the “knops” encircle the sea,
and its circumference was thirty not ten cubits. The rendering of the
margin “ten in a cubit” gives good sense, but is not a fair translation.
Whatever the mistake in the Hebrew may be, it appears in 1 Kings
vii. 24 also.

The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast] Correct the
reading as before and render, The knops were in two rows, cast
when it was cast. It is mentioned as a triumph of the founder’s art
that the laver was cast complete, with its ornaments, from the first.

⁴It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking

toward the north, and three looking toward the
west, and three looking toward the south, and
three looking toward the east: and the sea
was set upon them above, and all their hinder
parts were inward.
4. three ... and three ... and three ... and three] Thus the base
stood “foursquare,” satisfying the Hebrew idea of completeness;
compare Revelation xxi. 12‒16.

⁵And it was an handbreadth thick; and the

brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a
 cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and
held three thousand baths.
5. three thousand baths] In 1 Kings vii. 26, two thousand baths.
Whether the textual corruption is to be attributed to 1 Kings or to
Chronicles cannot be determined, and further even two thousand
baths is an amount exceeding the capacity of a vessel with the
measurements given for the sea above. The bath was a measure for
liquids equal to about 8¼ gallons.

6 (compare verse 14 and 1 Kings vii. 38, 39).

The Lavers.

⁶He made also ten lavers, and put five on the

right hand, and five on the left, to wash in
them; such things as belonged to the burnt
offering they washed in them: but the sea was
for the priests to wash in.
6. the sea was for the priests to wash in] See, however, the note
on verse 2 above regarding its probable significance in early times.
For this, the Chronicler’s view of its purpose (as also that of the
lavers), compare Exodus xxx. 18‒21. The sea in particular would be
singularly awkward as a vessel for cleansing purposes, unless all
that is meant is that it was used as the receptacle from which water
for purification was drawn.

7 (= 1 Kings vii. 49).

The Golden Candlesticks.

⁷And he made the ten candlesticks of gold

according to the ordinance concerning them;
and he set them in the temple, five on the right
hand, and five on the left.
 7. ten candlesticks] Rather, the ten lamp-stands. Allusion to ten
lamp-stands or candlesticks is found elsewhere only in 1 Kings vii.
49, a late passage. In view of the frequent references to one
candlestick with seven lamps (compare Zechariah iv.; Exodus xxv.
31 ff.), the question arises whether the ten ever had historical reality,
or were simply a fiction of tradition. The reference to candlesticks of
gold and of silver in 1 Chronicles xxviii. 15 does not help us, for it
depends on the same evidence, sound or unsound, which the
Chronicler had for the present passage. Some scholars feel that
there must be some ground for the statement; but no positive
conclusion is yet possible.

according to the ordinance] Compare Exodus xxv. 31‒37, xl. 4.

in the temple] In 1 Kings vii. 49 more precisely, before the oracle,

i.e. before the Holy of Holies.

8.
The Tables and Basons.

⁸He made also ten tables, and placed them in

the temple, five on the right side, and five on
the left. And he made an hundred basons of
gold.
8. ten tables] In verse 19 “the tables (plural) whereon was the
shewbread” are mentioned (compare 1 Chronicles xxviii. 16), but the
parallel passage (1 Kings vii. 48) has “the table” (singular), and
elsewhere both in Chronicles and in the rest of the Old Testament
one table only is assigned to the shewbread (2 Chronicles xiii. 11,
xxix. 18). Probably therefore the ten tables here mentioned were not
for the shewbread, although the Chronicler may have thought so.
The same uncertainty attaches to this tradition of ten tables as to
that of the ten candlesticks (see previous note); and it is held by
some that these tables were for the support of the candlesticks.
 basons] These were used for dashing the blood of the sacrifices
against the altar.

9, 10.
The Two Courts.

⁹Furthermore he made the court of the priests,

and the great court, and doors for the court,
and overlaid the doors of them with brass.
9. the court of the priests, and the great court] The phrases
reflect the conditions of the second Temple with which the Chronicler
was familiar, when the inner court was confined to the use of the
priests, the outer one being for the people. Solomon’s Temple,
strictly speaking, had only one court, for in “the other court” stood
Solomon’s house (1 Kings vii. 8). This “other court” seems to be
called the “middle court” (2 Kings xx. 4, margin), and the “upper
court” (Jeremiah xxxvi. 10). The “great court” (1 Kings vii. 12) was
perhaps a third court containing not only the king’s house, but all the
royal buildings as well. The Hebrew word for “court” in all the above
passages is ḥāṣēr, but here the “court (ḥāṣēr) of the priests” is
distinguished from a court called the “great court” (Hebrew “great
‘azārāh”). Perhaps the Chronicler wishes to make the same
distinction when he says that Solomon’s great prayer was offered (vi.
13) in “the court” (Hebrew ’azārāh). Compare xx. 5 (note).

¹⁰And he set the sea on the right side of the

house eastward, toward the south.
10. the sea] See verses 2‒5. Its position is stated in accordance
with 1 Kings vii. 39.

11‒18 (= 1 Kings vii. 40‒47).

The Works of Huram.
 This section is taken from the parallel passage of 1 Kings. The
variations are few.

¹¹And Huram made the pots, and the shovels,

and the basons. So Huram made an end of
doing the work that he wrought for king
Solomon in the house of God:
11. Huram] For the form of the name see note on ii. 3.

¹²the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two

chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;
and the two networks to cover the two bowls
of the chapiters that were on the top of the
pillars; ¹³and the four hundred pomegranates
for the two networks; two rows of
pomegranates for each network, to cover the
two bowls of the chapiters that were upon ¹ the
pillars.
¹ Hebrew upon the face of the pillars.

12. two pillars] See iii. 15‒17.

the bowls] i.e. the bowl-shaped part of the capital of a pillar.

the chapiters] In modern English “capitals.”

¹⁴He made also the bases, and the lavers

made he upon the bases; ¹⁵one sea, and the
twelve oxen under it.
 14. He made also the bases, and the lavers made he upon the
bases] A simple correction of the Hebrew text gives, And the ten
bases and the ten lavers on the bases, as in 1 Kings vii. 43.

¹⁶The pots also, and the shovels, and the

fleshhooks, and all the vessels thereof, did
Huram his father make for king Solomon for
the house of the Lord of bright brass.
16. the fleshhooks] Hebrew mizlāgōth. In verse 11 and 1 Kings
vii. 45 (the parallel passages) the basons (Hebrew mizrāḳōth).

Huram his father] See note on ii. 13.

¹⁷In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them,

in the clay ground between Succoth and
Zeredah.
17. in the clay ground] G. A. Smith (Historical Geography, p. 488)
speaks of traces of old brick-fields found by Sir C. Warren in the
Jordan valley. It is possible, however, that the Hebrew is defective
and that the true reading is at the ford of Adamah, but on the whole
it is best to keep the reading in the text (see Barnes on 1 Kings vii.
46).

Succoth] Succoth is probably Tell Deir ‘Alla, east of Jordan, about

one mile north of the Jabbok.

Zeredah] (1 Kings xi. 26); but in 1 Kings vii. 46 (Revised Version)

Zarethan (compare Joshua iii. 6, Revised Version). Its site is not
known, beyond the obvious inference that it was near the Jordan and
not very far from Succoth. Joshua iii. 16 states that it was near Adam
(the modern el Damieh).
 ¹⁸Thus Solomon made all these vessels in
great abundance: for the weight of the brass
could not be found out ¹.
¹ Or, was not searched out.

18. Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance] In

1 Kings vii. 47, And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because
they were exceeding many.

19‒V. 1 (= 1 Kings vii. 48‒51).

The Vessels of Gold.

The Completion of the Work.

¹⁹And Solomon made all the vessels that were

in the house of God, the golden altar also, and
the tables whereon was the shewbread;
19. the golden altar] This was the altar of incense (compare 1
Maccabees i. 21 ff.), which according to Exodus xxx. 1 ff. stood
within the tabernacle and was made of acacia wood (compare
however, Exodus xxxix. 38). Both passages in Exodus are of late,
post-exilic, date, and as no mention of this altar is made by Ezekiel,
it was probably a feature not of the first but of the second Temple.

the tables whereon was the shewbread] In 1 Kings vii. 48

(parallel passage), the table (singular); a reading probably to be
accepted here also; compare note on verse 8.

²⁰and the candlesticks with their lamps, that

they should burn according to the ordinance
before the oracle, of pure gold;
 20. the oracle] See note on iii. 16.

²¹and the flowers, and the lamps, and the

tongs, of gold, and that perfect gold;
21. the flowers] These were ornaments on the golden
candlesticks; compare Exodus xxxvii. 19.

²²and the snuffers, and the basons, and the

spoons, and the firepans, of pure gold: and as
for the entry of the house, the inner doors
thereof for the most holy place, and the doors
of the house, to wit, of the temple, were of
gold.
22. the firepans] in which fire was carried to and from the altar.

the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple] The “[greater]

house” or “temple” is here distinguished from the “most holy place”
or “shrine.” Compare iii. 5, 8.

were of gold] According to the more probable reading of 1 Kings

vii. 50 the hinges were of gold; the doors themselves were of olive
wood overlaid with gold (1 Kings vi. 31, 32).

¹Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for

the house of the Lord was finished. And
Solomon brought in the things that David his
father had dedicated; even the silver, and the
gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the
treasuries of the house of God.
 Chapter V. 1. all the vessels] the word may be taken to include
weapons, spoils of war, compare 2 Samuel viii. 7 ff.; 1 Chronicles
xviii. 11.

V. 2‒VIII. 10.
The Dedication of the Temple.

Chapter V.
2‒10 (= 1 Kings viii. 1‒9).
The Ark brought into the Sanctuary.

This section is taken almost verbatim from 1 Kings.

²Then Solomon assembled the elders of

Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the
princes of the fathers’ houses of the children
of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark
of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of
David, which is Zion.
2. Then Solomon assembled] The same verb in the Hebrew as in
1 Chronicles xv. 3 (see note there) and in 1 Chronicles xxviii. 1.

the city of David] See 1 Chronicles xi. 5, note on the strong hold
of Zion.
 ³And all the men of Israel assembled
themselves unto the king at the feast, which
was in the seventh month.
3. the feast] i.e. the Feast of Tabernacles, i.e. after the fruit
harvest.

in the seventh month] In 1 Kings the name of the month is given

as Ethanim, but this word was perhaps obsolete when the Chronicler
wrote; at any rate we know that in post-biblical times the seventh
month was regularly called Tisri.

⁴And all the elders of Israel came, and the

Levites took up the ark.
4. the Levites took up the ark] According to 1 Kings the priests
performed this duty. In the days of David and Solomon all Levites
were possible priests, Levi being the name of the priestly clan and
not of a lower order of priests. At a later period the Levites were
regarded as a class subordinate to the priests, having duties distinct
from those of the priests—e.g. the task of bearing the tabernacle and
all its furniture (see Numbers i. 50, etc.). The Chronicler believing
that this distinction had been in force from the time of Moses
onwards “corrects” the text of Kings by changing “priests” into
“Levites”: compare 1 Chronicles xv. 2, 12, 13. See the special note
on 1 Chronicles vi., pp. 51 f.

⁵And they brought up the ark, and the tent of

meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in
the Tent; these did the priests the Levites
bring up. ⁶And king Solomon and all the
congregation of Israel, that were assembled
unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing
 sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor
numbered for multitude.
5. the tent of meeting] i.e. the Mosaic tabernacle, which the
Chronicler believed to have been in existence in the time of David
and Solomon, and to have been at Gibeon (i. 3 f.). The parallel
statement in Kings comes not from the early sources but from the
hand of a late reviser.

the priests the Levites] here the older phrase, which does not
indicate a distinction between Priests and Levites, has been allowed
to stand, perhaps “because certain utensils might well have been
borne by the priests” (so Curtis), or possibly through slight
carelessness on the Chronicler’s part. The parallel in Kings has “the
priests and the Levites.”

⁷And the priests brought in the ark of the

covenant of the Lord unto its place, into the
oracle of the house, to the most holy place,
even under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸For
the cherubim spread forth their wings over the
place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the
ark and the staves thereof above.
7. the priests brought in the ark] Only the priests might lawfully
place the Ark within the Holy of Holies (compare Numbers iv. 5 ff.).
The Chronicler therefore had no cause for changing priests into
Levites here.

into the oracle] See iii. 16, note.

⁹And the staves ¹ were so long that the ends of

the staves were seen from the ark before the
 oracle; but they were not seen without: and
there it is, unto this day.
¹ Or, they drew out the staves, so that &c.

9. from the ark] Read (with LXX. and 1 Kings viii. 8) from the
holy place. One standing in the Holy Place and looking towards the
Holy of Holies could see the heads of the staves.

and there it is, unto this day] These words are taken over with the
loss of one letter (which here makes the difference between singular
and plural) from 1 Kings viii. 8, but they are out of place in
Chronicles, for when the Chronicler wrote the Ark had long ago
disappeared. The vessels which were brought back from the
Babylonian captivity are specified in Ezra i. 9, 10, but the Ark of the
covenant is not reckoned among them.

¹⁰There was nothing in the ark save the two

tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when ¹
the Lord made a covenant with the children
of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
¹ Or, where.

10. which Moses put there] Exodus xl. 20.

at Horeb] Deuteronomy v. 2.

11‒14 (= 1 Kings viii. 10, 11).

The Descent of the Glory of the Lord.

¹¹And it came to pass, when the priests were

come out of the holy place, (for all the priests