Bee Bop

[jazzzzz8]

Hi all Iv been trying to play bee bop scales; It does not sound any thing like bee bop. It's the struggle trying to play it smooth I think!

Can anyone give me any help?

My reason for paying beebop is that I think the riffs will sound great to standards.

 

[jools]

Hey jazzzzzzzzzzzz8
I guess it doesn't 'sound' like bebop because you can't really condense a 'style' down into a scale. Bebop is as much about rhythmic placement and creating stresses on off beats. Like a tin of fleas, pinging about in all kinds of odd places. You need to listen to a LOT of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie from around the early 1940s to 'hear' how to use the notes in that scale and how they would use them to create 'accents' around the melody. Leaning the scales is a great start tho. (Remember to work on them in every key 😉 )

 

[Bobby G]

That's right, and also those sneaky beboppers have a tendency to start phrases, which are already of odd lengths, on totally the wrong beat; push the beats, pull the beats, get behind or in front of the beat, fit five equal-length notes into a space where they're only supposed to play four notes etc etc. And all at very often a ridiculously fast tempo. Exciting, isn't it?

Like the man says, learn the scales as a way of unlocking all this mayhem. A teacher with a grounding in or knowledge of this style would certainly help.

 

[jazzzzz8]

I see; I do scales most days; the book Im using; which I think is great is; Jimmy Dorsey saxophone method. I know its an old one; and it has some great phrasings inside it.

 

[jools]

ahh well there you go - Charlie Parker had huge admiration for Jimmy Dorsey. Bob's right, you need a teacher - one who can play in that style to show you how to apply the notes. Although bop is intended to be played at three squillion beats per second, you have to learn it - v e r y - s l o w l y. Accuracy is EVRYTHING.

 

[jazzzzz8]

Great to know Charlie Parker was into Jimmy Dorsey. Thanks I'l now try to devour the book. You know sometimes you buy a book with uncertainty; analysing it; is this the right book for me or not.

I must say this site is amazing. The help you get as a beginner from you guys is awsome.

 

[jools]

Pleasure.
It's a sax player thing. Anoraks, the lot of us. :laugh:

 

[Pete Thomas]

I like to use "be bop tonguing"

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/jazz-warm-up.html

(example D)

 

[jazzzzz8]

Hi Pete (example D ) ?

 

[Linky Lee]

the fourth stave, the one with 'D' over the top.

basically you tongue on the '&' of beats slurring onto the number.