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Re: Reading from banjo charts

Author: ned
Date: 2012-12-29 01:42

Carol Dutcher wrote: ‘’ I couldn't do obscure songs they played, but songs I knew, I simply played from memory. This was very embarrassing to me. Do a lot of bands do this? I like "real notes."

If you were guesting on the bandstand, the unwritten rule is that the bandleader should ask you ‘’what do you want to play?” If Bix’s ‘IN A MIST’ (say) is not your bag, that would be the time to say as much.
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Merlin Williams wrote: ‘’ Trad jazz bands almost never use anything more than a lead sheet, if that.

We rely on the occasional look at the chord player’s book – that will be just chord changes, not written notes (ie) Bb / / Bb7 and etc……......
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Wes wrote: ‘’ If you can get "Band in a Box", you can practice improvising along with the concert key chords for a tune at a speed comfortable with you.

Good advice here, and DO programme in full chord sequences to complete tunes. It’s a better way to learn improvisation, as opposed to playing along with the record.
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Buster wrote: ‘’ I wouldn't immediately jump to conclusions that they may have been have a bit of sadistic fun at your expense; most jazz musicians are actually quite open and welcoming at having others sit-in in the right setting.

Perhaps not, but the repertoire chosen on this occasion would have seemed odd, given Carol’s familiarity with the ‘trad’ book. You’ll get the occasional ‘master’ who expects you to know whatever is called, but generally though, Buster is correct.
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Karl wrote: ‘’ Unless the banjo/guitar charts have the melody written out on the staff, you'd have to know the melody already to do anything but improvise chords and background riffs.

A good many tunes can be played fairly coherently at the first attempt - if you can hum TIGER RAG - you can probably play it to an acceptable degree - given you have an appropriate level of technical proficiency. Some Tin Pan Alley numbers (and there are many excellent ones) can be a little difficult, but that’s where the chord book comes in handy. Oh- and don’t forget to let the band leader know you’d prefer to take your solo last! This will give you time to 'feel' the changes.
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Chris Moffatt wrote: ‘’ Dyed in the wool trad players know most all the tunes by heart. They also know almost all the chord sequences by heart too. So in performance nothing written is used except sometimes chord sequences. For some reason banjo players (curses be upon them anyway...) sometimes need these. These are just the chord names (concert) written out in a sequence

The first sentence is correct pretty much – I don’t know about the second – certainly not in my experience I’d have to say. I am an anticipator of changes given familiarity with the tune being played – and a quick peek at the chord changes will help me. The chord changes (as writ) are meaningful to me in private practice, but when push comes to shove on the bandstand, I rely on muscle memory and a fairly reasonable ear.
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John Morton wrote: ‘’ It sounds like you are not accustomed to playing from chord names. I think you'll find it fun to try, it's very exciting. Start with long tones in the chord when you're in the background, and arpeggiated chords w/ variations when it's your solo.

This is good advice too – and I recall Carol - that you posted something along these lines a few years ago. I believe that you then owned a programmable keyboard, as do I. It’s a better way to learn improvisation (see Wes response) that playing along with a record

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