 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2005-05-22 23:58
Yes, I'd like to make by Bb "swing" a little----where can one find transcripts of the swing clarinet masters?
Thank you--
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Author: msloss
Date: 2005-05-23 17:43
A used record store.
Don't bother with the transcriptions. What you need to do is listen. Jazz notation provides very little insight as to how to actually play jazz. It is all performance practice. If anything, get a fake book, study the lead sheet, and then listen intently to what the artist does. Even if you aren't into improvising yourself, just listen to the phrasing, the shapes of notes, the shapes of tone, points of emphasis and de-emphasis, articulation, and of course time/rhythm.
Have fun and don't be afraid to play along. The band can't exactly walk out on you.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2005-05-24 17:04
WJK,
Your question reminds me of the Steve Martin movie The Jerk (a rags to riches to rags story). If you have seen the movie, you will recall that Martin is the adopted son of a poor black family. Martin/Navin has tried unsuccessfully to adapt to the rthythm and the feel of the great old and very joyous spiritual/gospel music that is often sung by the family. Martin just can't seem to get the "swing" of things.
However, he is in bed one evening listening to a big band on the radio (Fascinating Rhythm as I recall) and suddenly realizes that he is tapping his foot right in time with the music. Big band yes,: spirituals no!
The message seems to be that one may have to have some form of herditary (I tend to believe environmental influences are the reason) ability to be able to swing or feel the exciting beat of gospel music. You just can't listen and emulate but must try to internalize the whole feeling as well as the fiber to be able to "swing." Just listening and copying is not enough as Navin found out very quickly. Knowing the harmonic and rhythmic structure is helpful; then you can make some changes there.
I think the process is all about using your ears, mentally understanding the style/genre, and being adaptable (I might play Klezmer one night, jazz the next, maybe play a wind ensemble concert the next day, and finish with some praise band music at a local Baptist church on Sunday AM).
You just can't play the notes in a mechanical way; everyone will know you are faking it!
HRL
Post Edited (2005-05-25 11:06)
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2005-05-24 23:23
I am ever grateful to my first and only private teacher, who used to "reward" me during my lesson by taking out the fake book and playing jazz / pop tunes. It really wasn't a fake book but a duet book, but he could swing and I learned the feel of it from him, even though I didn't learn anything about improv from him.
Recently I was playing keltic music (jigs and reels) with some college students, one of whom was playing violin. Like most college kids, especially at an elite college like this particular one, his parents provided for him high quality professional instruction during his childhood, the best their money could buy, even though he's not, and never has intended to be a music major or pro classical musician. Yet, I could not get him to play with "lilt", to play with the feel of a keltic fiddler. I could not get him to play anything that was not written down, not different notes, merely different rhythms, articulation, accents etc, that weren't there on the page of the Scottish tunes fake books we were using.
He told me his teacher was a pupil of Kreutzer (or somebody like that) who was a pupil of Kreisler, blah blah blah. In short, he never played anything but classical music with his teacher.
I am grateful that my teacher, as well as my elem, jr high, and high school band directors (two of whom were clarinet players) were just "ordinary" guys who played everything. Until I played with this kid, I never realized that playing what is not on the page while READING it is actually a learned skill.
Steve Epstein
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-05-25 02:32
The transcripts that swing are available in your head and soul. You can make Amazing Grace, Happy Birthday, a chromatic scale and my favorite, The Brady Bunch Theme swing if you unlock the "swinging doors" in your head and soul. Short of that, I suppose most music stores have "swing" transcripts by Benny Goodman and the like, if that is what you mean.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-05-27 07:34
RE: The Jerk - Steve's song of discovery was "Crazy Rhythm" (Gershwin also?) It might've been difficult to make Fascinating Rhythm sound that cheezy.
Good swing aids are Jazz Conception and Easy Jazz Conception by Jim Snidero. (Google the author, and you should find a source) Good exercises over standard chord changes with name players on the demo tracks. Jazz Conception has Ken Peplowski. I forget who's on Easy Jazz Conception.
Hal Leonard also has a nice play-along book called "Jazz and Blues", and Warner Brothers have some newer play-along things with very good demo tracks played by excellent players.
There are a number of Benny Goodman transcriptions available, including solos in his method book.
But let me second what's said above about learning it from the record. It's worth every minute of effort, I guarantee.
Allen Cole
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