[Dixielandjazz]

[Patrick Cooke]

Hi Berl...Welcome to DJML

> I NEED HELP LEARNING TO IMPROVISE ON >THE TRUMPET...
>DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY TIPS THAT WILL >HELP ME TO BECOME BETTER AT
>IMPROVISING,
 >AND STILL KEEP SOME OF THE MELODY SO >PEOPLE WILL HEAR THE SONG
>WERE PLAYING...

   By "tips", I suppose you mean shortcuts.  There aren't any......none that
I know, anyway; but I can offer the following guidance:
      Listen, and pay close attention.  Try to sing the improvised choruses
you hear on the records.  If you hear a lick you like, don't be afraid to
steal it.  Everybody does it.
      Practice your scales.  Start with the majors...ALL of them...play them
up and down.  After you learn them all from root to tonic and back, play
them starting on the notes in between...Practice without reading them.
Learn how they sound.....try to sing them.  Can you sing a minor scale?
Most can't sing it without playing it first.  Learn to sing these as well as
you can sing a major scale.  Learn as much as you can without reading it.
You will remember it more readily.  Formal music teachers never teach
anything without written music, hence the student winds up with no ear
training, and can't fake twinkle twinkle.
     After you get the majors down, work on dominants snd the dorian minors.
You will discover theother scales in time...learn them also.  Practice
scales till you're sick of them, then practice them some more.
     Once you have the scales burned into your brain, learning (memorizing)
the chords will be easier.
      If you have the time (I hope you're retired), learn to play chords on
a guitar or keyboard.  You don't have to become a virtuoso, just get the
feel of playing chords.  You can play along with your favorite CDs.  Start
with the most simple tunes, and then some better tunes.  Do it without
reading!
      Get a feeling for the chords and their progressions, and your horn
playing will definitely improve....I guarantee it.  Get rid of the charts
except to learn a new tune.  Once you can sing the tune, get rid of the
chart.  By this time, you should be able to play what you hear....after a
copuple of tries, anyway.
     Good Luck
         Pat Cooke

----- Original Message -----
From: "Berl" <berl at sierratel.com>
To: <Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 10:08 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz]


HI ya all.
            I play trumpet.I stop playing after high school 1962. I  picked
it up 10 years ago a started playing again.I love it more now..I put
together a Dixieland jazz band, we aren't great but we still have so much
fun and a great time and continue looking forward to playing...


I WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW, EVEN AT THE AGE 60
THANKS LOTS
BERL
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