Klarinet Archive - Posting 000116.txt from 1996/06

From: "LUCY M. JILKA" <ljilka@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Jazz Clarinetisits?
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996 09:08:24 -0400

As an older beginning student, I have to agree with Fred that the utility
of the Aebersold records is limited without a good teacher. But some of
them can be useful without input; in particular, I have enjoyed practicing
scales with a backup band (there's a two-CD Abersold edition for scale
practice). Most of the other Aebersold stuff is useless to me because I
don't have the knowledge to flesh out the notation they provide without
help (and my teacher, unlike Fred, does not like to use Aebersold for
teaching).

Oh... but beware the seductive lure of aimless jazz noodling; an
endlessly patient backup combo can help you practice OR make you lazy.

Danny Collier. (ljilka@-----.com)

On Thu, 6 Jun 1996, Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
> John,
> Not to bust your bubble, but the Aebersold recordings, while a
> superb teaching tool (I use them myself), are only a tool and would be
> useless without a teacher to help you interpret what is said in the books
> and to show you how to properly use the recordings. Kind-of like needing
> a teacher to show you how to use a wood shop so you can make a table.
> In my experience, very few people ever taught themselves to play Jazz
> out of a book. Some manage to pick it up naturally by having a superb ear and
> common sense but most people need to be taught and to have all the ideas
> demonstrated. I can't tell you how many students I get who want to play
> Jazz better but haven't got the foggist idea of what they're doing and
> have wasted years in frustrating noodling. Save yourself the heartache
> and get a good teacher to stat with.
>