Backing Tracks Aebersold playalongs

[Fraser Jarvis]

Yes those books are as old as the hills the early ones I've seen have tapes instead of cd's, they may even have been older versions pre tape.

 

[Rogerb]

I bought a couple s/h soon after starting to learn, got thoroughly confused on P1, and they have been in a drawer ever since ... good to know I am not alone 🙂

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

No wonder they look old, they first appeared in 1967! but we musn't knock em cos of their age, take Rascher top tones and circular breathing by Trent P Kynaston (that's a great name that!) both invaluable resources.

 

[ProfJames]

I saw a copy on the Antiques Roadshow

 

[fibracell]

I have to say that Aebersolds have been invaluable for countless sax and trumpet players over the decades since they first came out, and when there was nothing else available, they were very good indeed (or at least a good %).

By and large, the chords are mostly correct, and they can provide some good ear training with some of the volumes.

But, I think they are too obsessed with scales, and what scale to use on what chord, which is what baffles most folks and puts them off. There isn't so much focus on chord tones, and approaches etc.

I'm with Colin, and a BIAB convert!

 

[jbtsax]

I agree that Aebersold can look very complex at first. That's because he doesn't omit information or try to simplify or water things down. Learning any subject or skill involves learning an established "body of knowledge". Like any subject it must be taken one step at a time. Here are my suggestions for someone starting to learn to improvise using Aebersold's Volume 54 "Maiden Voyage".

1. Read and study the "Introduction" and "Jamey's Notes to the Musician" on page ii.
2. Read page iii "Practice Procedure For Memorizing Scales and Chords To Any Song".
3. Go to page 2 and play each step on page iii with the "Bb Blues (Shuffle Time)" accompaniment.
4. Try to repeat step 3 without looking at the scales written in the music.
5. When you can do the above, then read "Soloing" on page ix.
6. Now that the Bb Blues is in your head and under your fingers. Improvise with the accompaniment.

Do not get hung up on the "complexity" of "The Scale Syllabus", or the "Scales". They are just references to use as you move on to more challenging chord changes. Once the Bb Blues is comfortable, then go on to another tune and go through steps 3 through 6 for that song as well.

 

[kevgermany]

Something odd here. I have Maiden Voyage - from Hal Leonard. Doesn't match your description. Did they both publish a Maiden Voyage?

 

[kevgermany]

But let's look critically at Aebersold's Blues in All Keys.

The opening page is cluttered, poorly laid out and you don't know what to look at. There's no real heading although the word contents is squeezed in at the top of the page. A box with the CD tracks in it follows without a proper title. Then after the box, without a break is a list of sections/tunes, then suddenly a few lines with graphics, a bigger font and different info. Then another box with more info about the CD. Then on the left publisher information and on the right info about codes and the graphics/engraving person's details. As if this wasn't enough there's copyright info and a legal statement on copying the book being illegal. Finally the price. All crammed higgledy piggledy onto a single page.

Page two gives an overview of the blues. So it's a beginner's book, as we thought. Then launches into a description of important beats with a discussion of placement of chord tones, which it doesn't bother to explain, on the first and third beats. This is followed by a piece from Parker as an example. This piece is mostly quavers and semi-quavers, so these get in the way of a novice trying to see what the author was talking about. But no mention of rhythm...

And it goes on this way, leaping from basics to complexities in a way that's certain to confuse/loose someone trying to learn from the book.

The blues scale, for instance is just presented as 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7 1, with the notes starting from C under each place. No indication of what b3 means, guaranteed to confuse.

There's no mention of blue notes.

And he mixes scales and chords in a really confusing way.

It goes on like this and we're dealing with a book that book that has some good content, but due to the way it's written, fails miserably, unless one has a lot of prior knowledge.

It put me off Aebersold books completely. I've looked at others in the music shop, but I can't recommend them and won't buy them, as all the ones I've looked at have similar faults.

 

[jbtsax]

Something odd here. I have Maiden Voyage - from Hal Leonard. Doesn't match your description. Did they both publish a Maiden Voyage?

They may have. I am only familiar with the Aebersold Volume 54 one. If someone is looking for shortcuts to being able to improvise, then the Aebersold series is not for them. One of Albert Einstein's famous sayings was: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler".

If any of the later volumes are difficult or confusing to understand, I would suggest starting with Volume 1 "How to Play Jazz and Improvise". Read and study every word and don't skip around to get the full benefit. That should be followed by Volume 2 "Nothin' But Blues Jazz and Rock". Learning to play jazz and improvise is sequential just like learning mathematics, and is best accomplished step by step. I am not arguing that Aebersol's methods are the best or the only worthwhile learning tools for jazz. The point I am trying to get across is that Aebersold's materials need to be used with the proper approach to get the maximum understanding and benefit. (steps down from soapbox). 🙂

 

[Chris]

@Jay There are loads of free backing tracks in the paid subscribers section of the forum HERE
If you want/need single chorus tracks then contact me here on the forum or via my website HERE

If you want to get into improvisation then

BOTM/SOTM/IOTM/Blues of the month

Join in our monthly recordings

cafesaxophone.com

This next month will be the 3rd anniversary and should be a bit special.

FORGET Chord Scale Theory, it's a closed system that will have you playing by numbers. Learn how to play new melodies using chord tones, when you can do that well your ear will have developed and then you can begin to add/use other notes some will like some you won't let your ear be your guide. By now by all means have a look at CST and see if it can add to your playing. Remember when it comes to Jazz improvisation, not only the soloist will improvise one the chords but also the piano player when he plays the chords.

 

[kevgermany]

John, I checked, they both do a Maiden Voyage.

But life's too short to struggle with Aebersold. Especially when he invents things like 'dominant 7th scale'

 

[jimmylh]

I really like Hal Leonard play along books. They give you two tracks for each song. One is just a normal back track, the other has someone playing the song so you know what the melody sounds like. I find them easy to play along with.

 

[jbtsax]

The dominant 7th scale is simply the scale built on the fifth tone of the scale which has a flatted (dominant) 7th. It is also called the Mixolydian mode. It is one of the several choices of scales to use over the V7.

I have been studying this stuff all my life so I can't really relate to those being introduced to all this information for the first time.

 

[Tenor Viol]

@Kev - that's what I meant - it gives every appearance of originally having been prepared as notes for a class or similar 30+years ago and just hasn't moved on.

 

[trimmy]

I have been studying this stuff all my life so I can't really relate to those being introduced to all this information for the first time.

I can...Mixolydian = mixed up.....huge headscratch !!

 

[Colin the Bear]

Remember when it comes to Jazz improvisation, not only the soloist will improvise on the chords but also the piano player when he plays the chords.

I had a discussion with the piano player with the local New Orleans band who let me sit in. The guest trumpet called "Jumbalaya". The pianist pulled his face " It's only two chords". He's a very good pianist with an amazing left hand but is classically trained and sometimes his jazz head needs a prod. He was amazed when I suggested using progressions and extensions to get from one to the other. I can't wait to hear what happens next time we play it.

 

[kevgermany]

I have been studying this stuff all my life so I can't really relate to those being introduced to all this information for the first time.

I was a trainer and had to take my super tech knowledge and make it understandable to novices. Not easy, but necessary. You're really good at explaining repair stuff, so you should be able to step back and see Aebersold the same way.

The point with the scale was him using the name of a chord, when the scale already has a well established name. This adds confusion, not clarity.

 

[jimmylh]

I can...Mixolydian = mixed up.....huge headscratch !!

mixolydian is just a scary name for playing g,a,b,c,d,e,f. 😀

 

[Jay]

Thank you @Chris
Chord tones I can think about, that makes sense to me.

I find the Aebersold CDs as aurally cluttered as the books are visually - and the CDs bother me more - so I'll look out those backing tracks too.

I appreciate all the links

 

[fibracell]

They do and have served a very useful purpose - but do get bogged down in the world of scale theory.

Fortunately these days we have the internet, so there is a vast amount of information to make things a lot easier. But..... there is no substitute from doing it the hard way, which is to load up your mp3 file into transcribe, and work out a few phrases, and maybe 4 or 8 bars.Learn the chords and figure out how the solo relates to the chords. And it will get easier as you start to recognise common phrases that they all use.
Start simple and take baby steps - and it will start to make sense.

I'm sure all the old jazz guys didn't know about altered dominant scales etc, and just listened and cribbed licks they thought were cool, and built up their huge jazz vocabulary that way.