Advice on learning Jazz

[freddysilk]

I am ready to learn jazz after figuring out that classical music isn't for me. I purchased a few books that touch on subjects that are familiar to me but most of it is like learning a foreign language. I've taken these book with me to my lessons and my teacher has some knowledge of a few of the topics but he's 'legit classical'. Even when he try to explain it I often wonder if he even have a clue as to what I'm trying to ask about jazz.

Most books I saw on jazz doesn't really start slow or at a pace where you can learn, just pages of symbols and terminology with little or vague explanation.

What would be a good start to learning how to play jazz. The only jazz I'm playing now is the slow ballads which sounds good but I am clueless when I get to the measures that are reserved for improvisation.

Any good advice is appreciated

 

[losaavedra]

Don't know whether this is good advice or not (someone here will pull me up if the latter!). A lot of jazz (and blues to an even greater extent) is mostly rooted around the twelve bar blues sequence ... fortunately meaning there are only three chords, in any particular key, to worry about. If you can vamp around on sax to some three chords, in a twelve-bar sequence in a variety of keys then you're half-way there in my opinion. My Mum, now passed on, was a classical music teacher ... but giving her a sheet of any jazz (I remember giving her some Oscar Peterson and asking "how does that go?") completely defeated her. So you have to have the 'feeling' too ... and nobody is going to teach you that unfortunately ... you just have to breathe it in one day (then it's your's for good!). I'll carry on with this when someone else responds ... if I don't get beaten up too much!

 

[colin_]

Forgive me Freddy, as I've no idea where you're at in terms of your ability and knowledge. As for me, I'm one of those with a good deal of knowledge but little ability!

You will find jazz musicians generally suggesting one of two ways to start. The first is, as Mike suggests, playing around with simple blues progressions - one scale fits all the changes in the piece, so it's a simple way to start. This I would suggest is combined with a good deal of listening and playing along with your favourite artists (and stealing - ahem "borrowing" - their phrases along the way). Focus on feel and phrasing and try to imitate those players as best you can. Check out your man Dexter Gordon on Herbie Hancock's Blue Note albums - see how simple he plays much of it - just chord tones and sparse rhythmic placement, it's great to jam along to and a good starting point.

The other method (or next step) is to get all your scales down first. Make sure you know at least all your majors and minors and are comfortable playing rudimentary exercises in every key - Pete has some good ones on the site. The Aebersold book "Major & Minor" is great for this too as it provides nice backings that stay in one key for a good while.

When you are familiar with all your scales you can start to think about how chords are constructed and work through tunes playing only the root, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th of each chord (one at a time, slowly does it!).

I'm currently reading Jerry Coker's book "Improvising Jazz", which explains how improvising is broken down into conscious and sub-concious outpourings. Most of what you hear from even the great players is based firmly on an 'encyclopedia' of phrases, bits of known melodies, scales, arpeggios and studies. Fragments of these ideas are transposed, extended and altered on the fly to fit the chord or key they are playing in (or deliberately not in some cases!) and only a small amount of a solo is completely original 'free flowing' ideas. As with written music, a lot of it is almost mathematical but in this case you are doing the sums in your head while you play.

But start simple and know your keys - you need to know your multiplication tables before you can dive into quantum physics.

 

[old_git]

I'm not sure if it is the technical side you are wanting to start or whether it is the jazz genre.
If it is the latter, it might be a good idea to listen to a lot of jazz and blues and see if you can hum improvisations on your favourite tunes. If nothing occurs to you, listen to more jazz and try humming impros again. If you find you can hum, then learn enough technically to be able to play what is in your head.
If it still does not gel, find a musical form that does light your fire and remember that classical is a broad church and dismissing it all, might be a little hasty.

 

[Bobby G]

Is that Jerry Coker book still available? I had a copy about 25 years ago when I was attempting to get into jazzy guitar-playing (strictly rhythmic and chordal stuff) and found it pretty useful.

Crikey, using the phrase '25 years ago' makes ya feel old, it seems like only last week :cry:

 

[Pete Thomas]

Yes.

I just started a books section in the Amazon store, or you could get one from jazzwise probably.

I think this is a great book

 

[phil_edwards]

You might want to think about another teacher too. Ask around at music shops or go to see some live jazz and ask the players when they take a break - they might teach or know someone who does.

I think you really do need a teacher who 'feels' jazz.

regards, Phil

 

[jersey_mike]

Phil Edwards wrote:
You might want to think about another teacher too. Ask around at music shops or go to see some live jazz and ask the players when they take a break - they might teach or know someone who does.

I think you really do need a teacher who 'feels' jazz.

regards, Phil

Phil has great advice here. I never listened to jazz until about a year ago and really had no idea how to play it until finding a teacher who played it well himself. Good luck!

 

[phil_edwards]

I had a classical trained teacher when I started out, and it did me well for concert band and similar. When I came back to the instrument after a long break, and wanted to develop more jazz, I was soooo lucky to find a lifelong jazz player.

Just listening to him play 'his version' of tunes during lessons was inspiration in itself. One that plays jazz will shortcut you to their tricks on improvising or phrasing.

Obviously the closer their style of playing to what you're aiming for, the stronger your desire to work at it. Nothing to lose by asking around...

regards, Phil