 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-04-27 11:44
In our high school stage band, I'm going to be playing the clarinet solo in Sing Sang Sung. I'm alright at improvising, but I mainly play by ear and what sounds good to me, and not what necessarally fits the chord progression, which works alright with simpler progressions, but with this, it just sounds like I'm playing in the wrong key.
I've listened to the recording by Eddie Daniels numerous times, but unless I have the sheet music in front of me and am counting, I can barely hear the changes, and I'm even worse when I actually have to solo AND listen for the changes. Does anyone have any suggestions for this and how to listen out for them? I've played the slower aebersold stuff, where the changes seem really clear to me, but this is a bit of a step up. We would have been playing Sing Sing Sing, except that the band had played it two years ago already, and the solo is only backed by drums in that.
Style wise, (in hindsight) I would preferred to not have listened to Eddie Daniels. Because his solos are so amazing and awesome, it's hard not to try and emulate that, but the plain fact is my technique is nowhere near good enough - but I still find myself trying to play semiquaver runs at the blistering pace of the song. I know some people think memorised licks cheapen the experience of improvising, but i could really do with some to build my ideas over.
We've had the piece for a few months now, and are going to perform some time in June. I get very nervous before and to a lesser extent during a performance, which will probably make me play under my ability. I really want to do well, as it has been one of my dreams to play jazz clarinet in a big band. I'm getting a little worried. Please, if any of you have any good tips or ideas to give me, that would be great.
Post Edited (2006-04-27 11:46)
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Author: anonrob
Date: 2006-04-27 13:02
I suggest you get a recording of the Goodman original and a transcription. You don't need to play Benny's solo note for note, but it will be a good guide.
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Author: redwine
Date: 2006-04-27 13:19
Hello,
I'm unfamiliar with Sing Sang Sung. Do you have a part with chord changes written on it? If not, get the score and write your own changes, based on a harmonic analysis. Then, If you turn the chord changes into a Baermann like exercise, it will improve your technique immensely. For example, let's say the chord progression is: C7, F7, B-flat7, E-flat7. You can start simply by playing quarter notes=CEGB-flat, then FACE-flat, then B-flatDFE-flat, then E-flatGB-flatD-flat. Then double up the rhythm so that your'e playing eighth notes, then triplets, then sixteenth notes. This will teach you the chord progression and will work out your fingers. Then, when the performance comes around, you will know the piece inside and out and can make some music based upon your solid foundation. Playing by ear is great, but really knowing what you are doing, then playing by ear is even better! Good luck. If you can scan and e-mail me your part, I may have some more suggestions as well. I'll check at work to see if we have this piece. It sounds fun.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-27 13:29
You can get the Gordon Goodwin CD or DVD with the transcribed solos on it.
http://www.gordongoodwin.com
It's a good start to have the transcribed solo there as a guide, but simplify it to suit you're style of playing.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-04-27 13:34)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-04-27 15:25
Illebero,
Man, I feel your pain. Jr. High kids cut me when I'm trying to ad lib a solo in a jazz group.
I cop out and sit quietly with pencil and paper and the base music --and I WRITE OUT MY AD LIB.
Yeah, its sacrilige, but it keeps me close enough to the original melody and rhythm that my result is a recognizeable 'variation' on the theme.
If, in performance, I miss a note in my planned sequence, its likely that the substitue will be in the scale/arpeggio (or an acceptable passing tone) because my finger memory makes those errors fit with the chord structure.
At least, 'till you're a little better, ... (or more brazen)
Enjoy your pain!
Bob Phillips
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-04-28 12:08
Thanks for the sympathy, Bob.
Ben, I've left the music folder at school, so i can't tell you what the chords are exactly, but the first section of the solo is basically just Ami6 which goes on for a great deal of bars and then goes through F7 and E9(?) and back to Ami6. It does that kind of cycle twice and then modulates to a different key that i'm not too sure what it is without the piece in front of me. I agree with what you said about playing by ear. It's great if you're naturally gifted at it, but it ends up being really narrow in choice and doesn't work too well with more sophisticated songs since you might not be able to take full advantage of the chord structure. That's what I need, to be able to exploit the chords. My teacher has suggested the technique you've described, but i'm having trouble translating arpeggios into runs and other more melodic ideas. Once i do that, i get completely lost, and resort to my old habit of just trying to play what i hear.
I'd like to know from you seasoned improvisers, do you actually count in you head 1.2.3.4 while you're soloing to keep track of the chord progression, or do you just listen for the changes? I'm hopeless at counting beats when i'm improvising, but at the same time, i can't really hear the chord changes very clearly, as the volume of the rhythm section, to me, seems a bit feeble.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-28 12:25
Our lead alto (doubling on clarinet for this) does plenty of long lip glisses/smears in the clarinet solo so you can fill it out this way, especially at the end of the solos (he takes the last one) before the bari sax and trombones come in with the 'Ba-, ba-, ba-ba-dah' bit (before the trumpets 'wah-wah' bit).
But get either the CD or DVD, they have the written out solos as extras which you can alter to suit you.
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Author: redwine
Date: 2006-04-28 12:44
Hello,
It sounds as if the piece has the same changes as Sing, Sing, Sing, and in the same key. I would suggest getting the recording of Benny Goodman playing Sing, Sing, Sing. Then, you can hear what he does with the changes. You'll have to live with "practicing" the piece for quite some time before you really know it. By "practicing", I mean following arpeggios. After you've heard the recording of Benny Goodman (many times) and have the "practicing" down, then ideas can be explored by improvisation.
These chord changes are not sophisticated, and in some ways are more difficult than a more rapidly moving set of chord changes, as you must "noodle" around on one chord for quite some time without sounding boring. It's also very easy to get lost in these sort of changes. So, you must really know the piece so that moving to the next chord, whenever that happens, is second nature. Sometimes you do have to just count, but most of the time, if you really know the piece, you can "feel" the form. If you can think about the melody of Sing, Sing, Sing while you are soloing, you won't get lost.
Most jazz forms have a simple 32 bar form, with four 8 bar "sections". These sections are in an AABA form. Unless the composer of Sing, Sang, Sung has altered the form, your solo probably uses A minor for 6 or 7 bars then throws in the "turnaround" chords, then repeats. Next, your modulation is either a true modulation, or it goes to the bridge, which sounds like a modulation, but is actually a long "turnaround" leading back to the last A section.
Sing, Sing, Sing's melody was taken from a Benny Goodman tune written in 1936, called Christopher Columbus. CC is in major, however, whereas SSS is put into minor. This is just an interesting (or not) historical fact which adds nothing to how to play this piece.
If you're having difficulty hearing the changes from your rhythm section, talk to your band director and ask that the bass player play a little louder (or maybe just points his speaker at you-if he's amplified), or the others back off in volume.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me with any specific questions that I may be able to help you with.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-04-28 13:29
Find an audio sample (the intro/main theme) of 'Sing Sang Sung' here:
http://www.gordongoodwin.com
The clarinet solo will have the same changes and backing when the bari sax and trombones start up.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-04-28 13:39)
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