 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Orlando Natty
Date: 2012-06-02 01:18
I've played clarinet for more than 25 years from middle school through college and now in community orchestra. I've always played traditional band/orchestra fair including classical music and a few popular things.
My lifelong dream has been to learn how to play Dixieland jazz. I've always been told it's not realy something you "learn" but just know. I also know most jazz solos are based on varying an already known song and that a good knowledge of your scale and key signatures helps.
However, I just don't know where to start to learn how to play in this style. I've never improvised and don't know any of the old jazz classics. Where would be the best place to start? Are fake books worth it? Should I just try to find sheet music of songs I like?
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Author: Buster
Date: 2012-06-02 02:01
Buy lead sheets, or steal them off of a recording, and transcribe transcribe transcribe....
It certainly isn't something that you just "know." If anybody tells you otherwise, or states that you don't actually have to practice improvisation, then they are lying. Or you can be assured that they have no idea what they are talking about.
...and "Dixieland" is perhaps an insensitive term to use these days. It carries a lot of negative history along with it.
-Jason
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2012-06-02 03:52
The Jamey Aebersold volume #100 "St Louis Blues" isn't a bad place to start. You really do need to learn your scales and chords, and most importantly you really have to soak yourself in the style--listen constantly to players like Edmond Hall, Pete Fountain, Dr. Michael White, Omar Simeon, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, Irving Fazola, Albert Nicholas, Raymond Burke, George Lewis....
The "Real Dixieland Book" is a decent resource too--but you should develop your transcribing chops as well. Take as many tunes and solos right off the recordings as you can.
[ Footnote: As Jason points out above, "Dixieland" is a loaded term. It's still used by many--including those who apparantly put together the Real Book-- but just know that in some circles it can cause offense. I call it New Orleans Jazz myself. ]
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-06-02 05:13
1. You can buy the "Bb Real Book" Volume 1(to start) on Amazon.com for a low price and many of the jazz pieces in there are standards.
2. Make a list of 5 or so standard tunes and memorize the melodies and chords as a start.
3. Read over the melodies in the Real Book that you like and then practice the chords of the tune. At first, just get the notes of the chords with no tempo. Then play the roots of the chords only in tempo, four beats to a note. Next, play in quarter notes, in tempo, all the chord notes. Later, you can play eighth notes. It takes a lot of time.
4. Buy the "Band in a Box" software and install it on your computer so that you can play along with it. Because of copy write restrictions, you will have to enter with your keyboard the chords from the tune you wish to play. It is wonderful for this and you can set the tempo as you wish. You can also improvise on a single chord at length with the opening screen, a valuable tool. The Jamie Aebersol background records are generally for advanced players with good ears. Many of them have chords played that are too complex for a beginner, making it easy to get lost.
5. While you should learn tunes and chords from memory, it is no sin to play from a lead sheet as you can not possibly learn all the tunes.
6. After you are comfortable playing with lead sheets of melodies and chords try to find some people to play with.
Good luck!!
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Author: Randall
Date: 2012-06-02 15:44
3. Read over the melodies in the Real Book that you like and then practice the chords of the tune. At first, just get the notes of the chords with no tempo. Then play the roots of the chords only in tempo, four beats to a note. Next, play in quarter notes, in tempo, all the chord notes. Later, you can play eighth notes. It takes a lot of time.
I think Wes has nailed it here. Playing along with recordings are another excellent way to not only learn the tunes, but also to get a feel for the music. Try playing single notes in back of the soloists/ensemble as if you are there supporting them. It's important to know the tune if you hope to improvise on it. It's also important to develop your ear in order to hear the movement of the chords, and that's one reason I suggest playing along with records. Also accept the fact that initially you'll sound like you're lost, and you probably will be, but, improvising is like anything else that's worth doing; it's work of a frustrating nature, the knowledge of which seems to come in small doses. Good luck and have fun. Randall
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Author: brycon
Date: 2012-06-02 20:09
The best place to start: listening and transcribing.
My saxophone teachers taught me to transcribe using a method very similar to the one Dave Liebman outlines here:
http://www.daveliebman.com/earticles2.php?WEBYEP_DI=13
A few important points to keep in mind as you are transcribing (Liebman makes note of these):
1. Learn the tune/solo by singing along- with exact pitches and rhythms- before you begin to play it on the instrument. In the past, I have spent weeks or even months singing along to a solo, insuring that I have it in my mind's ear, before I begin to learn the solo on my instrument. This portion of the process may take quite some time, but once you have memorized the solo and begin to learn it on the instrument, things goes rather quickly.
2. After you have learned the tune/solo on your instrument, notated it exactly, and analyzed what is being played, there are many exercises that can be practiced using this newly learned material (Liebman also makes note of these). This step is very important insofar as it builds one's jazz vocabulary.
Speaking of vocabulary, if I were you, I would NOT begin by learning tunes out of a fake book. Since you have no jazz vocabulary at this point, you will most likely find learning tunes and improvising incredibly overwhelming. Furthermore, as you are wanting to learn a specific style of jazz- i.e. New Orleans- learning tunes will do nothing to help you incorporate the distinguishing stylistic traits- harmonic and melodic characteristics, tonal concepts, articulation, rhythmic "feel," et cetera- of that particular tradition.
I would also like to further caution you with regard to learning tunes out of a fake book. Fake books- specifically the Real Book- have many mistakes (incorrect chords, incorrect notes, tunes in keys that they are rarely played in, et cetera). I think that once you begin to learn tunes, it is far better to learn them by ear, from a favorite recording, than by learning them from a book.
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