[Dixielandjazz] Teachers

Fri Jan 15 15:48:55 PST 2010

Good Ideas --
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "macjazz" <macjazz at comcast.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Teachers


> 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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