One of the basic skills required for playing jazz is the ability to trade fours, or improvise four-bar solos, with other members of a band. In this lesson we’ll look at some possible approaches to trading fours in 4/4 using three-, five-, and seven-beat phrases. The bass drum is omitted in this lesson, so play any kick pattern that you feel is comfortable and appropriate. Three-Beat Groupings Four bars of 4/4 contain sixteen beats in which to solo. Five phrases of a repeated three-beat figure in 4/4 take up fifteen beats, leaving one beat left over at the end of the phrase. Instead of having the one-beat rest at the end of the four-bar phrase, it can be placed between any of the five three-beat figures. An example is notated in Exercise 2, but also try placing the rest between the other three-beat groupings. To make this lesson’s examples musical, […]