 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: clarinetgiggirl
Date: 2003-01-25 08:47
I am learning to play jazz as I love that style of music but the sound I produce is "academic" - and not at all jazz-like.
Both my clarinet and saxophone teachers tell me that I should relax more when I play, (easier said than done). Does anyone have any other suggestions to help me achieve that lazy jazz feel?
CGG
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-01-25 09:28
Smoke something?! :-)
No, seriously, I find that classical players tend to make 2 fundamental mistakes when playing jazz:
1. Over-swing. If you push the "swing" rhythm too far, it starts to sound really twee! Listen to Miles Davis and other jazz greats- a lot of the time they are playing quite "straight".
2. Accent the wrong beats. In classical music, 4/4 time would have the accents on 1 and 3. In jazz, try putting the accents more on 2 and 4. Try tapping your foot on 2 and 4, or putting the metronome to play on the off-beat. It will change your whole feel.
Hope this helps?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hank
Date: 2003-01-25 11:18
Liquorice,
You are right on with your advice. Makes me think of the movie the Jerk when Steve Martin is attempting to get into the "swing" of family singing and he just can't get the beat emphasis correctly; a classic musical moment the applies to clarinetgirl's situation.
For clarinetgirl, the advice about listening to someone that swings (Eddie Daniels on the Gershwin album might be a good one or better yet, To Bird with Love, or best of all Benny Rides Again with Gary Burton) is right on track. Select a tune that you know the melody line for and listen to what he does with the notes and accents. Perhaps a ballad first (man, sometimes he really can make a listener swoon).
Hank
PS Larry Combs is a switch hitter (CSO and jazz).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hank
Date: 2003-01-25 11:24
PS The Gershwin album is a Dave Grusin CD with two cuts by ED.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-01-25 14:24
If you want to hear jazz rhythm, note shaping, and some of the most intelligent and easy to follow lead line variations without the "pyrotechnics", from unarguably one of the pantheon, listen the Clifford Brown playing any jazz ballad. Like B.B. King playing the blues, all it takes is listening to one or two notes to identify the player - a distinctive style, a <i>good</i> distinctive style.
Too bad Clifford was taken from us so young ... only 26 ... the man was a genius with the trumpet and jazz in general.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2003-01-25 15:55
Mark's comment reminds me of the story told about the great jazz trumpet player, Snooky Young:
As various members of the band were taking 32 bar solos, it came around for Snooky to play.
After waiting a few moments, he stood up and played a single off-beat Bb. He waited a few more moments, and then played a single off the beat Db. He then sat down.
One jazz aficionado in the audience turned to his friend and exclaimed "Wasn't that great?"
His friend, puzzled, asked "Why?"
The reply: "It wasn't <i>what</i> he played, but what he was <i>thinking</i>" ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Peter
Date: 2003-01-25 16:01
One of the reasons I had quit playing more structured music from a sheet many years ago was that I came to realize that everything I learned from a sheet, usually remained that way in my head and was more difficult to take liberties with, while everything I learned "on the fly" stayed in my head in a freestyle sort of way, somehow freeing my brain to do with it as I please.
Learning the words to what you play in this fashion is also very useful. The voice often puts certain nuances into the melody line that can give it a very interesting accent. (One of my very favorite melody lines is Frank Sinatra's version of 'On the Sunny Side of the Street.')
Well, it's worked for me.
Leadsheets are very useful in the way of learning the chords, developing your own licks and harmonies, which is very useful if you are going to play freestyle jazz.
There are a couple of sites that I had introduced others to and haven't visited in a very long time, which are basic lessons on jamming, playing jazz and pop music and some have liked them. Unfortunately, I don't remember their names, but I'm waiting for someone I know to call me back with the information, at which time I'll pass it on to you.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: RA
Date: 2003-01-25 16:34
I have the 1938 Canagie Hall Concert on CD that is a Benny Goodman one. You can rent that from your local libray. Or just find all sorts of swing music. Sound&Film. It may be at your downtown branch which counts as the main one here. Just a suggestion. Try playing them first and then seeing what you can do with it and experiment? Have fun with it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2003-01-25 17:23
Some things one can try to improve one's jazz playing:
Practice jazz articulation on scales on eighth notes, second note slurred to the third, etc.
Practice by ear on one key each day, scales in four note segments, chords, scale tone sevenths, jazz articulation, exercises you make up, etc. to develop a familiarity with a key.
Practice the chords on a lead sheet as scale tone sevenths(1-3-5-7), eventually doing it in time.
Try to find some accompaniement records. The Jamie Abersol records could possibly work but many of them are harmonically modified to be hard to play with for beginner jazz players. Aebersol, a fine pianist, never seems to find a root or a fifth. "Too hip for the room" could be said about them. The lead sheets generally don't have the original chords only. Good luck!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim E.
Date: 2003-01-26 05:02
Obviously, you've got to feel it to play it.
I sing in a great church choir, our Mozart, Bach, Handel et al is fantastic. But, we fall down on spirituals every time, we try to sing them like we do Mozart, and it can't be done!
Peter's mention of Sintra is well worth a listen, the man was a true genius at timing and phrasing. All of his recordings are great (to me) but for this purpose, those made in the 1950s and early '60s might be best. Just about all of his stuff has been released on CD, and there are some composite CDs that offer many songs for relatively few bucks.
If there is one in your area, try to hear a good gospel choir (live is much better than a recording as body motion and facial expression is a big part of that musical form.)
There are play along CDs and music books for a number of jazz standards. Most seem to have 2 of each cut, one with the solo, and one without. (Of course you'll need the b flat versions.)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Peter
Date: 2003-01-26 21:24
Here are the sites I told you about further up, I just received the e-mails with the info; you'll have to copy and paste:
Developing A Jazz Vocabulary, by Jim Snidero:
http://www.selmer.com/htdox/97brsnt2.htm#jazz
Jam School! The Music Activity Pages, by Allan Cole:
http://allencole.tripod.com/jamschool.htm
Jazz Scales, by Michael Furstner:
http://www.jazclass.aust.com/scales/scamip.htm
I might get some additional e-mails on possibly useful sites, but these are the original ones that I introduced some friends to, then promptly forgot about. If I get any more, of any possible interest, I'll post them at a later time.
Good luck and enjoy!
Peter
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bazzer the Jazzer
Date: 2003-01-27 01:01
Hi clarinetgiggirl,
I found this information on another clarinet web thingy, the information might be useful.
May I suggest two jazz manuals for clarinet that you may want to look into: Buddy Defranco, a renowed jazz clarinetist, has a study book to learn jazz clarinet, and there's another from Mel Bay Publications called MEL BAY'S COMPLETE JAZZ CLARINET BOOK (by William Bay). It has material on jazz phrasings, as well as exercises to develop improvisational skills. Both books should be available online from either Encore Music or Sheet Music Plus.
Bazzer
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
