The idea
A solo does not need a new idea in every bar. One short phrase can provide enough material to begin a musical conversation. This session explores how to keep an idea recognisable while giving it a new rhythm, a different ending or a little more space.
At the piano, I would play a phrase several ways so students can hear what holds it together. Participants then try their own answers over a manageable blues or another agreed form. The task is to listen for a connection between phrases and notice where a breath helps the next idea arrive.
When a rhythm section is available, the session also explores how accompaniment responds. A pianist might leave room, echo a rhythmic feature or change the density under a developing line. Students can finish with a short recording and one specific idea to revisit in practice.
What we would explore
- Choose a short phrase that is comfortable to hear and play.
- Keep one recognisable feature while changing the rhythm or ending.
- Connect a few phrases across a chorus, listening for space and response.
A question to tryWhat makes the next phrase sound like it belongs to the first?
A practical takeaway
A small set of ways to develop an idea without relying on a stream of unrelated notes.
Austin Kimble
Austin Kimble is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, and award-winning music director based in Austin, Texas. His performing life has taken him from Texas jazz clubs to stages in Japan, France, Cuba, and China. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's jazz piano program, he formerly taught music theory and served as Associate Music Director at Texas State University. That life as a working musician is at the heart of his teaching, where swing, curiosity, and soulful artistry come first. Through kimble.music, he welcomes beginners and experienced musicians alike for live lessons and personal feedback on recordings, helping each find a musical voice of their own.