LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Building a jazz vocabulary!

elwapo -- 03/09/2005, 04:34:56 -- #11801

Just wondering if any of you guys could recommend this book? Seems like an interesting buy! Thanks

Barry_UK -- 03/09/2005, 08:14:31 -- #11802

I assume you're talking about the Mike Steinel book?  Great book and highly recommended. It presumes some knowledge of music theory. Another book that I came across recently is Arnie Berle's 'How To Build A Jazz Sax Solo', published by Mel Bay, but don't let the word 'sax' throw you.  It's cheap, well laid out, full of excellent advice and is quite comprehensive.  Great for chops building.  I wish I'd found it earlier.

GS_Jon -- 03/09/2005, 12:34:22 -- #11807

This book is pretty thorough and will take you through melodic drills of all types.  By the end you will have played through every conceivable melodic idea backwards, forwards, inverse, and retrograde inverse over every key, scale, and mode.  Also, it gives sprinkles transcribed examples from important soloists. I bought this book four years ago when I was first trying to get into jazz piano from a classical background.  The beginning jazz improv class at my school used this as one  of its textbooks, so I thought why not try it?  I made the mistake of drilling from the first few chapters without listening to or transcribing recordings.  After a few frustrating months where my jazz playing did not improve one bit, I dropped  the book and have not picked it up since.  I am considering adding exercises from this book to my practice routine, but at this point I am constantly transcribing solos.  I'll let you know how it goes if and when I pick it back up. I found that without listening to recordings, this book did not help much at all.  Then again, without a healthy diet of listening, no book would help much.  I'm glad to know this now.

elwapo -- 03/09/2005, 16:23:51 -- #11812

If there is one thing that I have really learned from this site, its that you will go nowhere without listening to loads of recordings. From reading the plug on this book I,m under the impression that it offers a more of a "How To" approach rather than just offering chord/scale relationships and "Away You Go" approach. I have been doing some transcribing myself (blues stuff mostly)lately and I find my playing has come along since. Thanks Barry and GS_Jon w (let me know how you get on when you pick up that book again). All I,m really hoping for really out of this book is a more efficient practice routine and a deeper insight into improv.....cheers

Scot -- 03/09/2005, 20:28:25 -- #11820

Where is the book found?  DOes the author have a website?

elwapo -- 03/10/2005, 03:55:07 -- #11823

This is where I read the review on this book Scot. I couldnt fond the authors website http://www.lovemusiclovedance.com/building_jazz_vocabulary.htm

Paul -- 03/10/2005, 08:32:55 -- #11824

Mike Steinel is an instructor at the Univ. of North Texas. I'm sure there's some more information about him at the school's web site.

LarryC -- 03/10/2005, 11:03:50 -- #11828

What about this book I found on amazon...Solo Jazz Piano - The Linear Approach...by Neil Olmstead http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0634007610/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/102-0139027-5244117 Larry

lutonomy -- 03/10/2005, 16:17:40 -- #11839

In what has to be over 10 years ago (which is scary...), I was at one of the Jamey Aebersold jazz camps.  He had the store where you could buy CDs on one side, and jazz books on the other.  I had both arms full, one side with probably like 5 or 6 books, the other holding a few CDs.  On my way to pay for everything, I ran into James Williams, who was teaching at the camp.  I had just had a lesson with him, and he had been very encouraging.  He stopped for a moment, sized me up,  and gave me the best advice I've ever gotten about learning jazz: "Less of these, more of these", pointing first to the books, then to the CDs. Books can be tremendously helpful, but don't forget that *everything* you need is found on the recordings and in the clubs.  ;-)

Kai -- 03/18/2005, 02:30:43 -- #12034

Building a Jazz Vocabulary - A Resource for Learning Jazz Improvisation by Mike Steinel. ISBN 0-7935-2161-0 Hal Leonard Corporation US $19.95.  Try the Advance Music website. Kai

Dr. Whack -- 03/18/2005, 11:47:28 -- #12042

I grew up listening to LPs that were not usually in tune with my piano, which I think may have both helped and hurt.  Helped in that I was not able to "play along" with much satisfaction which in turn made me really think on my own when I was playing.  But having said that, I have been thrilled by the digital age where for the most part recordings are in tune and you can stop them on a dime a replay a small portion over and over until you get it. Even better in my opinion  are dvds!  I find watching and listening to be even more inspiring than simply listening.  Seeing how players look and feel when they are playing and how they interact somehow brings my goals closer to home and seem more attainable. The only  books I've found to be inspiring are autobiographies.  Most of the theory type books I've seen tend to over complicate simple concepts...a little listening goes a long way...we learn to speak before we learn to read...I think jazz (all music really) should be learned in the same way... just my thoughts

Dr. Whack -- 03/18/2005, 12:02:45 -- #12043

case in point...this was not really a jazz issue but years ago I was touring with a quasi-show(y) group baack in the 80s and we were playing "Late In The Evening" by Paul Simon.  Steve Gadd had played a very cool drum part on the recording. Our drummer (who now tours with big names and does session work in Nashville - no slouch) spent hours and hours listening and trying to figure out how Gadd did it - until he saw him do it.  Gadd wanted the track to sound as if there were two drummers so he simply used two sticks in each hand - hehe

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