Top Ten Charlie Parker solos on LearnJazzPiano.com

Jazz Piano Book Reviews • Piano Teacher Search • Jazz Piano Links • Jazz Piano Lessons

Top Ten Charlie Parker solos

so later this year as a long-term project i'm planning on transcribing a handful (ten - fifteen) of charlie parker's solos. although i'll never be able to play them cleanly up to tempo, i really want to use them as a device to learn more about his vocabulary. does anyone know which of charlie parker's solos are considered to be the most important/influential to the jazz vocabulary?

the only one i'm definitely including is the one in 'night in tunisia' where he blows unaccompanied over four bars before beginning the chorus. does anyone else have any favorites/suggestions?

by GS_Jon on 02/28/2005, 18:35

There are no comments, leave a comment.

i don't think you have to reinvent the wheel.

virtually all of bird's solos have already been transcribed.

amsco publications' "jazz master series" includes the solos from "hot house", "night in tunisia", "rocker", "out of nowhere", "52nd strret theme", "groovin' high", "bird of paradise" and "bongo bop".

my personal favorites though are "ornithology" and "yardbird suite". there are transcriptions of those solos around too.

by analyzing the already transcribed solos, you'll save yourself a lot of time if your main intention is to "learn more about his vocabulary".

you'll find that bird used a lot of the same priniciples and tricks over and over. after a couple of years study you should have a decent handle on the underlying concepts and then it's all about putting those priniciples to use in finding your own voice.

LJP Like

by 7 on 03/01/2005, 01:50

actually, i intend to do just that...reinvent the wheel. this exercise will be a long project where i'm forced to improve my ear, timing, and singing ability as i intimately learn each solo. by spending the amount of time necessary to accurately sing and play the solos i will have much more command over bird's vocabulary than if i simply read someone else's transcription.

that's my intention, anyway. i'm sure the temptation will be strong to rely on someone else's transcription for the tough spots...

thanks for the suggestions.

LJP Like

by GS_Jon on 03/01/2005, 11:57

what i have found most helpful is a combination of learning the whole solo, but at the same time taking each phrase from the solo and reworking it to fit different harmonies, changing the rhythms etc... and of course playing it with a metronome in all 12 keys. transcription is great, but i would save my time for stuff that has not been transcribed, groove holmes, or jos, or larry young. there's so much out there on bird it's almost foolish not to take advantage of it. why not just start with 8 measures of a solo you like and take it from there? i find that setting big projects always sets me up for failure.
good luck,
tom

LJP Like

by tomwrush on 03/01/2005, 12:52

check out donna lee. the head is really fun to play. i learned it from the omni book and now i'm working out a solo piano arrangement by paul smith. he has a seris of boooks out of piano versions of birds work. next i want to learn it two octaves appart, in unison as scott suggested.

i've transribed things that are allready published to see how close i get to the published version and look up the parts that i'm having trouble with. i think any kind of transcription work you do well benifit your ear. good luck,

paul

LJP Like

by Paul on 03/02/2005, 09:06

Reply to Thread

Please sign in to post.

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

Top Ten Charlie Parker solos

There are no comments, leave a comment.

by 7 on 03/01/2005, 01:50

by GS_Jon on 03/01/2005, 11:57

by tomwrush on 03/01/2005, 12:52

by Paul on 03/02/2005, 09:06

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

Sign In to LearnJazzPiano.com

Top Ten Charlie Parker solos

There are no comments, leave a comment.

by 7 on 03/01/2005, 01:50

by GS_Jon on 03/01/2005, 11:57

by tomwrush on 03/01/2005, 12:52

by Paul on 03/02/2005, 09:06

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In