Welcome to the definitive glossary of jazz targeting concepts – curated and defined by Jason Klobnak. Whether you’re a developing improviser or a seasoned player looking to sharpen your harmonic vocabulary, these entries break down the core ideas behind the Targeting approach to jazz improvisation. Bookmark this page and return often – it grows with you.
Chromatic Approach
The Chromatic Approach is one of the most fundamental tools in the jazz improviser’s targeting toolkit. At its core, it involves approaching a target chord tone from a half step above or below – creating a brief moment of tension that resolves naturally into the harmonic destination.
Think of it as a musical lean. Instead of landing directly on a chord tone, you arrive one half step away first, then step into the note. This creates forward motion, a sense of inevitability, and a distinctly jazz-flavored sound that audiences recognize even if they can’t name it.
In the Targeting framework, the Chromatic Approach is often the first technique students learn because it’s immediately audible and applicable across all chord types. Whether you’re targeting the third of a major chord or the seventh of a dominant, a well-placed chromatic approach note transforms a scale run into a purposeful melodic statement.
Key takeaway: The Chromatic Approach isn’t about playing “wrong” notes – it’s about using half-step tension to make your target notes land with intention and conviction.
Enclosure
An Enclosure is a targeting technique where a target note is surrounded before it’s played. You approach the destination pitch from both sides – typically a half step above and a half step (or whole step) below – before finally landing on the target. I like to call this chromatic targeting. The result is a multi-note gesture that frames the destination with harmonic tension on both ends.
Enclosures are a hallmark of bebop vocabulary and appear constantly in the lines of Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and countless other jazz masters. What makes them so effective is the sense of arrival they create. By delaying the target note just slightly, the enclosure builds anticipation and makes the resolution feel earned.
Within the Targeting system, enclosures are taught as a natural extension of the Chromatic Approach – once you understand approaching from one side, surrounding the note from both sides becomes the logical next step. Enclosures can target any chord tone and work beautifully over chord changes, especially at the moment of harmonic movement.
Key takeaway: Enclosures give your lines a sense of direction and destination. They tell the listener, “I know exactly where I’m going” – even when you’re navigating complex changes.
Tritone Targeting
Tritone Targeting is an advanced harmonic concept that leverages the tritone substitution relationship to approach chord tones from a harmonically distant – yet functionally equivalent – point. The tritone (an augmented fourth or diminished fifth) divides the octave exactly in half, creating a symmetrical tension that the ear naturally wants to resolve.
In practical terms, Tritone Targeting means using the chord tones or approach notes from a chord a tritone away to target the tones of your actual chord. For example, when playing over a G7 chord, you can use targeting gestures derived from Db7 – because G7 and Db7 share the same tritone interval (B/F), they are functionally interchangeable in terms of resolution.
In the Targeting framework, this concept opens up a world of harmonic color. It allows improvisers to introduce unexpected notes that still resolve logically, creating the sophisticated, “outside” sound associated with modern jazz without losing the listener. It’s tension with a built-in resolution path.
Key takeaway: Tritone Targeting is how you play “outside” while still making musical sense. It’s not random – it’s a precise harmonic strategy rooted in the symmetry of the tritone relationship.
Want to Go Deeper?
This glossary is a living document – new terms will be added regularly as the Targeting framework continues. If you want to move beyond definitions and start applying these concepts in your playing, explore the full Targeting course library or check out more posts here on my site.
