Anatomy of a Melody

Anatomy of a Melody: The Interactive Guide to Jazz Improvisation unlocks the mysteries of jazz improvisation – one of music’s greatest enigmas. Musicians are guided step-by-step through engaging, interactive material, developing an understanding of (and an ear for) the essential details needed to learn the language of jazz.

Topics include foundational concepts in melodic and rhythmic construction, explorations of blues and classic jazz repertoire, and advanced techniques for adding chromaticism in bebop and contemporary styles. Throughout, Anatomy of a Melody consistently supports musicians in their quest to crack the code of jazz improvisation and create informed, highly personal musical statements.

This book serves as a step-by-step roadmap to becoming a better improviser, a complete reference guide to jazz music, a visual manual for creating music, and a comprehensive theory and harmony text. Ideal for individual practice, private lessons, or classroom and ensemble settings.

Author Biography

Javier Arau, born in 1975, is an American saxophonist, composer, theorist and entrepreneur. The founder of New York Jazz Academy®, a prominent New York City-based music school now serving students in over 70 countries, his work as an educator and theorist has impacted musicians of all levels. A two-time quarterfinalist for Grammy® Educator of the Year and touted as “pioneering” by DownBeat magazine, Arau has been featured in The New York Times, as a cover artist for Saxophone Journal, and as an expert guest on PRI’s Science Friday. A prolific composer, he scores the music for a nationally televised PBS series, leads the Javier Arau Jazz Orchestra, and has received awards from ASCAP, BMI, and DownBeat. Arau’s jazz theory work has been cited in Cambridge University Press and discussed in Music Theory Spectrum (Oxford University Press), where he was described as a “rogue music theorist.” He is an artist-endorser of Virtuoso Saxophones and has performed as a saxophonist at venues around the world, including the Montreux and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. Arau studied at New England Conservatory with composer Bob Brookmeyer, theorist George Russell, and saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi and was mentored as a young musician by jazz masters Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dave Brubeck, who personally subsidized Arau’s college music education. Arau’s TED Talk, Playing the Changes: What jazz teaches you about success, offers inspiring insights and surprising solutions to forging a career in the arts, even when the odds are stacked against you. For more about Javier and his work, visit javierarau.com.