 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ashna99
Date: 2015-05-14 06:12
So next year I want to audition for something I have wanted to do for years, and I checked what the requirements were this year for it and there were some things I don't understand. I'm hoping I can get a basic understanding before I have to start practicing for my audition next year
So 1) There is an improv section in this audition. I know how to improv, but what will an improv section look like in my audition? Will they just say "improvise something.... ready.... set.... go!" Or will they give me guidelines? If so what?
2) It says to be prepared to play I, IV, V blues progressions. I thought blues progressions only worked for instruments that can play chords. What does this look like on clarinet?
Thank you. Sorry, I am not experienced with either of these aspects and these are new components that were added to the auditions, so I wasn't expecting them until now.
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-05-14 06:56
I take it that this may be some sort of Jazz audition? Maybe fill us in - What is the audition for? Big Band or small group? What other things are required? This may help us understand what to suggest.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
Post Edited (2015-05-14 06:59)
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2015-05-14 07:50
If I saw that, I would expect to be required to improvise over blues progressions, like an Aebersold track.
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-14 13:55
Heck, why not just dive into the pool in the deep end. Improvising is in the present tense, that is, you create music in the moment. Just create the music out of thin air, it is actually easy. Try it for 10 minutes each day and you will soon become very creative at it. Most traditional jazz uses chord symbols, but again, you have to hear the music in your head before you can play it. Just assume it will come to you and it will. If you want to do the Abersold thing, get the Miles Davis Kind of Blue recording/music. It deals with modes, but forget everything you learned in theory about modes. The music is usually built on maybe 2 chords, minor chords like the song So What. Here is something that should make it really easy. Take any minor or minor 7th chord, say Em7. Simply go one whole step below the root which would be D, and use any note in a D major scale...it will work. After you have that done you may venture outside of those scales to create tension. Bach was famous for improvising. When I taught my son saxophone he was playing jazz after 6 weeks. He learned C Jam Blues by Duke Ellington by ear...it is only 2 notes. Then I gave him 4 notes on alto, and I played the same 4 pitches on tenor sax on the song to improvise. We traded 4's...I played 4 bars using those 4 pitches, then he imitated those 4 bars using the same 4 pitches. Within 20 minutes his face lit up and said the music was just coming from inside of him and he had it. It was that easy. I taught 30 kids to play 4 bars of jazz at a middle school doing the same thing within 15 minutes, but the only 2 people who were terrified to even try it were the 2 teachers who were classical players. Forget about blues scales. I spent a lifetime in jazz, toured with name big bands, and I never even learned what a blues scale was. Hear it and play it. It is that simple. Do it every day and pretty soon you will have it down. Learning chord changes is more involved. YOu have to memorize them. Just do it.
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2015-05-14 18:24
I know nothing about blues, progressions, or chords, and very little else about music other than how to play the notes in front of me; but I do know how to use Google. Check out the terms you asked about; there is a lot of information on them. It's Greek to me, but it may be gold to you.
You might also want to look into a book entitled: Louis Armstrong, Master of Modernism, by Thomas Brothers. It discusses how Armstrong and the other musicians of his generation, the giants of blues, jazz and improvisation, studied and mastered the same subjects you are asking about.
If this is something you really want to learn to do correctly, finding a good teacher may be a good place to start.
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-14 20:04
I tend to disagree with needing a teacher. This is not about becomming a jazz player but rather the very different topic of being able to improvise. Create music without the use of music in the present tense. During my last semester of college I met a teacher who taught jazz dance. She found out I had a background in jazz so she asked me if I could play or improvise music for her class. After a few times of doing this I suggested we add other musicians and just improvise the music as they were improvising the dance. I recruited about a half dozen musicians whose only background was in classical music but were excited about the idea of improvising. We really had no idea of what we were going to do and had absolutely nothing written down on paper. No music, no nothing. I suggested that we come in one at a time allowing each person perhaps 30 seconds to just create music out of thin air before the next person entered as the instrumentation expanded and to just use our ears. It worked. The only problem that occurred was when I tried playing what was traditionally called "jazz"..it did not fit in and everyone let me know. It was amazing and the group expanded at each get together with the dancers. We just watched them, played whatever seemed to match what they were doing, listened to each other, and created music that fit together. All it took was people willing to try it, listen, leave space, and improvise music just as the dancers were improvising dancing. It was that simple. That proved that improvisation is something that anyone can do, and there were never any music teachers involved. Try it. Just spend 10 minutes a day improvising music on your own. We are not talking about playing jazz, we are talking about improvising. Bach did not play jazz, he improvised before each service. He was famous for his ability to do that. You can do it too if you just try.
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Author: brycon
Date: 2015-05-14 23:13
Quote:
So 1) There is an improv section in this audition. I know how to improv, but what will an improv section look like in my audition? Will they just say "improvise something.... ready.... set.... go!" Or will they give me guidelines? If so what?
You'll probably be given a popular tune to play (they may say, for example, "play four choruses of rhythm changes in Bb") and a rhythm section or recorded play-along accompaniment may be provided.
Quote:
2) It says to be prepared to play I, IV, V blues progressions. I thought blues progressions only worked for instruments that can play chords. What does this look like on clarinet?
Single-line instruments can outline harmonies through arpeggiations or playing melodies in which chord-tones fall on downbeats and on strong beat positions within the bar.
I assume you're a beginning improvisor. I've previously posted about how to practice jazz improvisation. In short, books and play-alongs are a waste of time and money; recordings and playing along with real players (preferably those who are better than you) are the way to go. Becoming a proficient improvisor is a long process, and you probably won't be that good by your audition. You might consider finding a competent jazz musician (need not be a clarinetist) and taking some lessons: they can help guide you through the process.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-05-15 02:13
I'm always a little puzzled when students post questions here asking what will happen during an audition. The best source of that information would always be the organizers of the audition itself. Unless they really intend to make the audition process a secret (unlikely), someone from the organization should be able to outline exactly what it will consist of.
I would think that most likely the improv would be done in 4/4 meter either on a standard blues progression or on a written set of chord changes in chord symbols over "slash" notation. Only the organizers could tell you if you'll have a rhythm track to play with or not and whether or not the changes will be written, but since they've told you to be prepared to play blues progressions, it seems more likely that would be your improv.
Karl
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2015-05-15 04:08
Get a teacher unless you are familiar with Jazz, however it for sure sounds like you totally are not.
I judge Jazz Competitions - not offering lessons, as I don't do improv lessons over skype, but would recommend Tim Price to take from if you don't have an expert locally.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-15 04:39
If you choose to go with a teacher, I concur with David Blumberg that Tim Price would be a good choice. I met Tim back in 1970, and we have exchanged a few emails over the years. He is very knowledgeable in improvisation on many woodwinds, a great cook, and a good man to learn from. Pretty hard to beat that combination.
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Author: brycon
Date: 2015-05-15 20:53
Or...rather than shelling out lots of money to have satellite lessons with one of the top call guys in NYC, you can contact the University of North Texas, which has one of the best jazz programs in the country, and see if any grad students or former students are teaching in your area.
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