[Dixielandjazz] Playing in all keys - was getting serious for aminute

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Each key has it's charm.  If you do what Steve suggests and play - 
especially improvise in different keys new and different things come out 
when you change keys.

When I was in college I played with a group of country guitar guys that 
didn't have a clue about tuning.  Each night they would tune somewhere else 
and I was always slipping up or down a key or two and readjusting the 
mouthpiece to fit whatever.  Great ear training.
Larry.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 10:03 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Playing in all keys - was getting serious for 
aminute


> "Mike C." <mike at railroadstjazzwest.com>
>
>> I think it's good to play and perform in all keys if you can. After all 
>> we
>> practice things in all keys, so why should we limit ourselves to the keys 
>> of
>> F, B-flat, E-flat & C when we perform? Whenever I learn or transcribe a 
>> new
>> lick, I learn it in all the keys. It's good practice and it's one less
>> obstacle to worry about later.
>
> Good advice Mike. One of the easiest ways to start playing in all keys is 
> to
> do the Blues in all keys. Jamey Aebersold has a backup record for aspiring
> musicians which facilitates this. I think he also has another record out
> with several songs in all keys.
>
> My violinist friend Jonathan Russell (age 11) just learned Cherokee in all
> keys. Fun, especially the bridge. We often switch keys on him on various
> songs when we perform together and he never stumbles. He'll hear it even 
> if
> we don't tell him. Last year, I was using a substitute piano player and
> called "After You've Gone". We always play it in Bb and I didn't think to
> call the key to the piano. He gave us an eight bar intro in F after which
> some of us started in Bb. However, Jonathan, playing lead, and the Bass
> player heard the key as F and came in correctly. Took me and the trombone
> player a half measure to make the switch.
>
> My lowly band does not limit itself to F, Bb, Eb and C. We also regularly
> play in G, Ab, and Db. And when we do Horace Silver tunes, we get to that
> wonderful Gb, (one of his favorite composition keys in addition to Db)
>
> I suppose if we played in Rock bands, we'd get to more sharp keys. ;-) VBG
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
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