[Dixielandjazz] Teachers

[macjazz]

I've been doing Doctor time for a couple of days so haven't gotten into 
this, but I'm feeling better tonight, so.....

You have moved this over to my turf.  While in terms of Dixieland, I'm a 
"designated listener," in terms of teaching, I've paid my dues pretty 
seriously -- even in music in general and jazz in particular.

Much of the problem with teaching improvisation is the multiplicity of areas 
involved.  You are talking technique, chord knowledge, note production, note 
choice, etc. just for openers.  Too much, too fast, too soon.

I've mentioned it here before, but the focus for this procedure did come 
from Clark Terry. (Clark, if you happen to read this, this is "Mr. Red 
Carpet talking.)  Clark has kids start by working on one pitch and doing 
whatever they wish with that pitch.  When they are ready, they to a second 
pitch (the 5th) and eventually start adding notes between the two pitches.

It works.

Why?

It works because it reduces the factors being learned to a single area.   If 
you have a kid (or an adult) start with the concept that a good solo, like a 
good story, must have a beginning, a middle and an end.  When they can 
generate a "good solo" on one pitch (with a beginning, middle and end) they 
are on the way.  If you do this in a small group (5 students say) and let 
them comment (more or less positively) on each others' solos, they will also 
discover things that make a difference like dynamics and tone and other 
variables that exist, even on the single pitch. This knowledge always 
transfers to more mature playing as they move on.

Eventually, they get to the I - V - I level, then begin to add other notes. 
They begin to hear keys (rather than chords) and since you are dealing with 
the I V it doesn't matter much what key they are in.  Now you can fill in 
the notes and since it all is given pitches, the key still doesn't matter 
much.  They are also hearing it as chords no matter what key you pick up.

The trick is not to hurry.  We are talking weeks and months even at the 
single pitch level (particularly at the single pitch level.)

By reducing the number of elements being addressed and taking them on one at 
a time, the job becomes long, but does work effectively.

There, in a very brief nutshell is beginning improvisation, and it works.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ROBERT R. CALDER" <serapion at btinternet.com>
To: "Martin D. McKay" <macjazz at comcast.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 3:39 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Teachers


You can teach people how to do something -- as long as they can do it, or 
want to or are trying to do it.

There is the famous and lengthy story of the frustrated singing teacher who 
finally gets an idea why the young soprano can't get into Schubert and asks 
her, "are you wirgin?"
Of course she is, she protests, and when her insistence has subsided 
sufficiently he rhapsodises about what is required, etc. etc. before she is 
ready, the passion etc. etc. (this is not a joke for the teller who tries to 
get everything into eight bars) before she can possibly be ready.
The following morning she is knocking on his door, looking wrecked and 
having attracted some strange looks for her awkward gait en route, and 
sighing "I'm ready now" in a style of vocalisation in which she'd apparently 
been engaged all night.

No, you're not, he says, you're still as XXXXXXX as you were before you'd 
ever been XXXXXXXX

The main story about Arnett Cobb was his getting a response beside which the 
same audiences' responses to the solos of Jimmy Heath and Joe Henderson were 
comparatively limp.

As for the Trane-clones, they do something very difficult.
They make the sound of two hands knitting a complex pattern of sweater out 
of hot air.
There seems to be wool while the labour is proceeding, but at the end 
there's nothing.

Milt Hinton used to say that if a young player had time, meaning sense of 
timing, teaching was a matter of showing him or her where to put their 
fingers. By way of contrast, those who should properly be referred to as 
Paid instructors show young folks where to put their fingers to hide the 
absence of a sense of timing et cetera et cetera. The same applies as badly 
where "creative writing" has become a racket.



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