[Dixielandjazz] Aebersold play a longs / beginning improv.

[benny theiler]

I wholeheartily  agree with Rob's comments. As a Clarinetist I have found
practically all of his recommendations listed in "Klose-Prescott" First and
Second Year Method Book, p. 123 - 133.  This has been my "Practice" bible
for over 50 years.  Kindest regards -

Benny Theiler
bennyth@ev1.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob McCallum" <rakmccallum@hotmail.com>
To: "djml" <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 1:41 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Aebersold play a longs / beginning improv.


Hello all,

Regarding Aebersold play-a-longs,  criticisms first.  It irritates me to no
end that with over 100 play-a-longs, none are devoted to the New Orleans
based style of jazz, and those that approach it (like Indiana) do nothing
more than "adapt" it to "contemporary" styles and pass OKOM off as "period"
music without realizing that the term "period" music must be applied to Bird
and Coltrane as much as to Armstrong, Oliver etc.  None of these
play-a-longs are intended to deal with the concept of collective
improvisation (at least not directly).  With that in mind, it must be
understood that the Aebersold play-a- longs are not intended to focus on
OKOM, but are essential in the training of a well rounded jazz improviser.
Aebersold deals almost exclusively with bop and post bop styles, though
there are a couple of excellent volumes devoted to straight-up swing (Swing,
Swing, Swing is an excellent volume to test your chops).  Modern rhythm
sections are much more subtle than those of the traditional styles (you're
not going to hear a roll-off here) and force both your ear and mind to focus
and internalize the changes.  But... and this is important, each Aebersold
volume deals with a different step in an improvisers development (and not
chronologically).  If you're a beginner, you're going to be absolutely lost
from the first beat with the Benny Golson or Woody Shaw volume (a beginning
improviser won't be able to make heads or tails of it, much less be able to
hear the form being constructed). Most volumes are labelled beginner,
beginner/intermidiate, and advanced.  The Maiden Voyage and Killer Joe
volumes are good, if you don't have the patience to start with the first
volume (i.e. practice your scales), or ii-V7-I, or the scale syllabus.  If
you insist on starting with blues, there is a Nothing but Blues volume, but
don't overlook the Blues in All Keys volume.  After all, you don't want to
bite off more than you can chew, but you don't want to oversimplify it
either.  Assume that you will be successful and work toward that goal.

P.S. If you get lost in the changes, keep plugging away.  With practice,
you'll be able to hear the form of a tune (no matter how subtle the rhythm
section is, in any jazz style the form is maintained).  At least you know
that the Aebersold rhythm sections (and some monster players are utilized in
many of the volumes), is always on form.  If you're not with them at the top
of the form then you're off, hit the repeat button and try again.  I've
found that a good way to practice and to internalize scales is to start by
playing the major scale up to the 9th and back down, then play the dominant
7th scale to the 9th and back down, then the dorian scale (b3, b7) to the
9th and back down, then the minor with a maj 7th to the 9th and back down,
then the whole tone scale up and down (for augmented chords) then the
diminished scale (whole half up and whole half down - which will land
oppositely) up and down for diminished chords.  Do this in all keys.  This
covers the basic chords.  It becomes easy to do.  If you find it redundant,
change the accents and phrasing.  If you don't learn scales and chords, then
you'll never really play jazz.

All the best,

Robert McCallum
www.solarjazz.com