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Re: Dixieland arrangements?

Author: Matt74
Date: 2017-02-04 00:38

It's not very helpful to tell everyone to play everything by ear all at once. If it were possible for them to do this with reasonable effort, they wouldn't ask. They may simply want to play for some particular occasion. There is nothing wrong with that. Maybe some little kid will hear, go out and buy a copy of the Hot Fives and be a pro when he grows up.

Every musician I have ever known uses charts, fakebooks, and transcriptions. When you tell someone that the only way to learn jazz is exclusively by ear, you are just being snobby. Ellington and the rest of the big band composers wrote out their arrangements, they even had professional arrangers - Billy Strayhorn. If someone is asking for an arrangement, transcription, or advice regarding playing a tune they are asking for help, not smart comments. It shows humility in asking for help, and a desire to learn. This should be rewarded with a good will effort to respond helpfully. It might be helpful to give them some pointers like, "Practice broken arpeggios over the chords." or "Listen to this tune about 1,000 times when you get the chance."

Wynton Marsalis is a great example of someone who loves the music and encourages everyone to learn. Victor Goines was very kind to me when I approached him.

- Matthew Simington

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Date

Dixieland arrangements? new

Steve Becraft

2017-02-03 08:06