Re: How can you improve your jazz playing?


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by NSG on February 10, 2004 at 09:50:25:

In Reply to: How can you improve your jazz playing? posted by MR. SQUARE on February 09, 2004 at 21:07:38:

I asked Don Hough (one of my biggest musical influences) this same question one time about jazz arranging and he said, "Just do it....yeah, boy.....do it". Pretty simplistic but Doggone if that didn't help.
Play a lot. You may embarass yourself at first, but who cares? When you start out not knowing squat, you can't help but get better, right?
Transcribe solos and basslines from recordings. This is a biggie. No shortcuts here, but it really pays off. I was at a talk given by one of the saxophone world's "young lions" a few months ago and he was asked "How do I learn to improvise?". He suggested taking the "Lester Young Trio" album with Nat Cole and Buddy Rich and transcribing the solos. In his opinion, this was the place to start.
Even if you record yourself soloing and then transcribe what YOU played- you can learn tons about what you're doing and where you can take it.
Learn theory, how chords function and voice leading. PRACTICE PIANO! Get a fake book and anylize tunes.
Go to as many live performances as you can.
Try to get a regular group together with like-minded people and play a lot. Maybe you can get a regular gig at a seedy bar one night out of the week and enjoy the hell out of it. Maybe you won't sound like Miles or Trane or Carroll Gotcher, but you'll be making your own music. Just do it!
Good luck!

Sean Greene
Madison, WI


Follow Ups: