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Hi..If I'm jamming ..a certain song...playing to impress informed listeners ...can I forget the melody entirely...and let them imagine the original melody in there head while I'm playing...or should I still stay with some of the original phrases..Doug

It's a neat trick to start straight in with improvising, omitting an initial statement of the melody completely. Several respected jazz players have done this. I think it's a mistake, unless you're playing to a VERY informed audience, or using a VERY well-known tune (it's maybe unnecessary to state the melody if you choose "I got rhythm":-)

My feeling is this. You have two chances to shine. One is in how well you can perform the original melody, unobscured by filigree, ornamentation and melodic changes. You reckon you can write a better melody than Gershwin? No? Well, play HIS melody correctly then! Having proved you know the tune, you can then play jazz on it if you want. Many techniques are available. Keep the melody but re-harmonise. Keep the chords and invent a new melody. Riff on a melodic or rhythmic fragment of the original. Or do all of these at once.

What I suggest you DON'T do is play the melody, but mess with it just a bit, adding flourishes and ornamentation. Some current female singers find this a difficult concept.

Yes, during your solo you can absolutely forget the melody entirely. Not a problem.

However, it is a great idea to include little snippets of the melody here and there.

There are a number of listeners who say "I don't like jazz; I want to hear the melody." I like to try to please everyone, but this IS jazz we're playing, so don't feel obligated to playing the melody.

Hi Thanks.. Exalted Wambat...TromboneA....Its just a question I've had in my head..I know some jazz and blues artists do it.....I doubt if I could ever improvise without ever placing some snippets of the melody..just for my own satisfaction...I can just imagine improvising over Eb.Cm7.Fm7.Bb7..theres a million songs use that sequence..how would you know what it was.....I have been playing around with the 12 tone system as section passages in between the melody lines..sometimes it sounds to busy...and has certain limitations but has a fresh sound about it ..so I have to think simple.. times I just revert to the melody line and change the chord structure to make it sound different......Doug

There are a great many more pianists who want to play jazz than audiences who want to hear jazz.

If you're one of those presumptious musicians who invade retirement homes in the name of "Entertainment" (OK, I do sometimes:-) have a look at the CD collection. A lot more Lawrence Welk than James Brubeck I'll wager!

Hi...Exalted Wombat....True about the ego's of pianists wanting to out do their compeditor..I have friends who play socially at piano party's including myself...This is why I asked the question..as I have played a piece with only a few notes of the song and they could not recognize the song..This is fun for us as we don't take ourselves to seriously...We mostly play the melody and we each have our own way of interpreting a song and have a lot of fun..We dont have to play at retirement homes as we are nearly there ourselves...I use to watch Lawrence Welk a looong time ago on TV...Erroll Garner is my faverout...he starts with intros that are totally irrelevant to the song...Thanks for for your input....Doug

I say yes and no. I usually like to have to different types of solos in every song. One which is mostly the melody with added scales to change the octaves up, then later in the song maybe before the "big finish" a true improvised riff so to speak. just throw everything out and just let the fingers fly with the wind.

If you start the song off with a strong version of the melody, you identify the song and establish it with the audience, and any other players you might be playing with, as that song.

The audience then refers to it as that song, (as long as they have heard it before).

Then, you can take off from that, and do whatever, perhaps bringing back the melody or a version of it throught the song.

Most players will then end the song with a reference to the original melody, i.e. going back to the "head".

However, if you do not start the song with the melody, and only refer to little bits of it occasionally or obliquely, then you really do not have that song, IMO, you have a different song.

Hi..Thanks to all for imput..didn't think it would receive this much attention....Rocket88 makes a good point about a strong start with the melody..this is what I usually do ....I'm not a good improviser and tend to copy someone else who has done the work....I can usually listen to a phrase and can copy it without much fuss .....I play for fun and want to enjoy what I do... Doug