LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Nice Link

elwapo -- 06/13/2007, 00:51:09 -- #35434

This is useful for those interested in studying Freddie Freeloader etc http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/garnera/jazz_improv.html

Scot -- 06/13/2007, 01:51:39 -- #35434

Holy smokes, that's about as deep as it can get for Freddie Freeloader. For those who aren't familiar with the tune, it's one of the best tunes for a beginning transcriber to do.  Um, learn it from the recording, OK?  Learning it from a transcription simply does not count.  You don't learn ANYTHING by figuring it out from sheetmusic.   Repeat after me: learn solos from the recording, not from sheet music. With that said, that page is still something to behold.

elwapo -- 06/13/2007, 02:31:59 -- #35434

Hi Scot! Could you please reecommend another solo or two worth transcribing for beginning / intermediate improvisors. Thanks NK

elwapo -- 06/13/2007, 03:55:00 -- #35434

Actually, go to the homepage on that link and there is a whole load of useful resources for learning to solo

sdm -- 06/13/2007, 11:53:26 -- #35434

elwapo, my teacher had me do Mile's solo on Summertime from Porgy & Bess.  Great for phrasing while still fairly simple.

elwapo -- 06/14/2007, 00:31:28 -- #35434

Thanks sdm. I'll reserve that for my next transcription EW

elwapo -- 06/14/2007, 00:58:31 -- #35434

On the whole transcription topic, i find that analysing tunes in forward motion context has really de-mystified alot of what is going on for me. I used to hear solo's and then become overcome by what is happening and say to myself "How the hell are my supposed to come up with stuff like that?". Looking at Freddie Freeloader for example and isolating the chord tones on the downbeats and then working out and practicing how these chord tones are approached is the key for me to learning how to improvise. I understand what Scot said in a previous post where he would have preferred in hind sight to have learned purely from recordings and not to have worried about books etc. I think I can relate to what Scot said as I am now approaching improv purely accumulating devices for approaching chord tones and practicing slowly using these devices until they are engrained in my head. Sure, if I was to analyse alot of this vocab (say over a dom 7 chord) I would find that it happens to belong to the mixolydian mode for example but I am never thinking in terms of a scale anymore but in terms of intervallic structure approaching chord tones. Using Freddie Freelaoder as an example, I think in terms of say approaching the 5 th of a dom 7 chord from a 4th interval above (on the upbeat). I only really think modes now as a way of explaining why certain notes go well together. Are my thinking wrongly about this? All of the books that I have (including levines) seem to place an emphasis on a scalar mode of thought when improvising! It seems to me that you cant just tell a student that this is the dorian scale now off you go and improvise. Anyway! This is all just me humble opinion...... Thanks for all the advice EW

Whacky -- 06/14/2007, 05:37:00 -- #35434

"It seems to me that you cant just tell a student that this is the dorian scale now off you go and improvise." You're absolutely right.  Improvising in music is actually "spontaneous composition".  Playing scales is kinda like reciting the alphabet.  The idea is to express your  thoughts and emotions using your alphabet and vocabulary.   Where do you get thoughts and emotions? - living life and listening to music I suppose:)

Scot -- 06/14/2007, 11:26:10 -- #35434

EW, that's some good stuff you're discovering. Keep at it, you're going to pass through to another realm of music pretty soon. If you really want to see some cool ways of approaching music, my man Monty Alexander is one of the best.  His style isn't strictly bebop at all, he's a swing and a roots player, but man, he knows where he's going and that's one of the things that makes him great. Go into the transcriptions room somewhere on this site and check out the Milestones transcription I did from one of Monty's recordings.  It's a very simple song, right?  What, Gm for a section, then Am for a section.  But the stuff he does to approach those sections and miniature sections he creates inside them is pretty cool. I mentioned Stan Getz.  He is also like that. When I listen to his stuff it's strange because he's not playing over the changes, not obviously changing his notes and stuff for each new chord that comes up, yet his melodies fit the chords while still being very melodic and not constrained by the chords. I'm not really sure why schools and people say, "Outline the chords!"  This really isn't a good tip if you're trying to help people improvise good music.  The tip should be something like, "Play melodies that don't clash with the chords." That way you're playing your own stuff, the chords are happening, and everything meshes.  Whoa, I guess that's called music :)

Barry -- 06/14/2007, 17:45:30 -- #35434

elwapo, I like to recommend Horace Silver's piano solo on Song For My Father as a good transcription for beginners to do - not only because it's one of the easier ones, but also because it's a very effective demonstration of how it's possible to be simple yet effective when soloing.

elwapo -- 06/15/2007, 01:11:26 -- #35434

Thanks Scot and Barry.

knotty -- 06/15/2007, 07:07:20 -- #35434

Barry, Is it on the 'Song for my father' album? Scott, If you were to recommend one Monty Alexander CD to someone who's never listened to it. Which would it be? thanks-

Scot -- 06/15/2007, 09:37:34 -- #35434

That's a tough question because his stuff stay within one genre.  But if you like swing, I'd recommend the one called Montreaux Alexander, the Monty Alexander trio live at the Montreaux jazz fest, 1977. Another one that I really like is called Friday Night (or Saturday Night). They are both good, but one is better than the other in my opinion... the one that starts out with the tune Catwalk (which is obviously High Heeled Sneakers as played via Monty) There's also the first Triple Treat recording. Great music on that one too.   Facets is amazingly good. Here's a nice interview with him.  Anyone wanting to be a great musician should read what he has to say about rhythm: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=639

Barry -- 06/16/2007, 10:45:49 -- #35434

It certainly is knotty.

elwapo -- 06/20/2007, 00:49:07 -- #35434

Would you recommend learning a solo through all 12 keys? It seems to make sense to me to do this in order to balance your facility in all keys. Its tough and laborious bringing say freddie freeloader though all 12 keys with the transcribed walking base in the left hand but I can see the benefit of doing so for sure. Thanks...

knotty -- 07/19/2007, 09:00:07 -- #35434

Just wanna say thanks on the Montreux Alexander recommendation. Took over 3 weeks to ship, but well worth it. That album's amazing. I highly recommend it.

Scot -- 07/19/2007, 14:50:25 -- #35434

Pretty swinging, eh? To answer another question above, if you can manage to learn your transcriptions in 12 keys, go for it.  It's not going to hurt and yes, it will help your technique as well. Plus, if you're keeping in mind the relationshps between the chords and the line, you might get some doors opened in your musical mind to keys that you don't usually play stuff in.

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