[Dixielandjazz] improvising

[Jim Kashishian]

Pat wrote:
>As you play, there is a point  in your growing experience when you know the
tune and  can hear a chord change coming.. Is being able to improvise around
that chord, which is what I imagine improvisers do, just the next stage? 

If you recall, the Sheik wrote the other day about suggesting The Dukes &
FH5 for ear training.
That thread quickly turned into a different thread about whether either band
was any good or not!

The point I believe the Sheik was making is the following:  Listen, listen,
listen, and then play along, play along, play along.  

Following is my take on the matter.  It may or may not be right, but it can
work.  Did for me.

I suggest playing along with the Dukes listening & playing along with the
bass line.  So you play clarinet?  So what, make believe you're a bass or
tuba over & over & over, until you hear that hint as to when a key change is
coming.  

Eventually, you can start playing, simple, around your own instrument's
part...still paying close attention to the bass line.  

That is why the Dukes & the FH5 are so important, because the bass line is
very, very evident, and the keys are good, and the arrangements are
sensible.

The mind is a very clever thing, and you can train it to put the trombonist
on the recording (in my case!), in the background and take over his
part...always with that bass in mind, and start filling in the spaces left
by the trumpet, etc.

And, for your first solo, try honking over the piano player's solo (or, in
my case, playing along with the trombonist's solo, blocking him mentally
into the background.  Make it simple, and play close to the melody...always
following the bass line.

If you combine this with study of chords & arpeggios, etc., all the better,
but the listening is the core.

Do it for a year, practicing everyday.  After that, if you still can't get
through 32 bars, it might be better to try hockey, or soccer...or, go watch
the tv!   :>

Jim