New Jazz Trumpet Book

[loweredsixth]

Hey guys. I am EXTREMELY excited to announce my new book. I've been working on this for about a year and a half, and after extensive editing, proofreading, more research, etc. it's finally ready for sale! It is available for instant download for $20, or in a beautiful hard copy with full color covers on glossy card stock with a great Double Loop Wire-O binding that will increase the longevity of the book and ensure the book will lie perfectly flat on your music stand for $30.

Jazz Artistry is a different kind of Jazz method text. You will find no mention of chords and scales in this method. Instead, you will examine all the ways Jazz trumpeters have defined their personal style. This book will deal exclusively with how Jazz musicians play notes, and why certain Jazz trumpeters are recognizable when you hear them play.

Jazz Artistry discusses all the different pitch, tone, and rhythm inflections Jazz trumpeters use, and gives at least one exercise (taken from actual solos!) to get you started studying that particular technique. Many etudes are offered throughout the text to help you apply these inflections together in a natural, real-world manner.

The book also delves into equipment used to define trumpeters styles, as well as specific techniques used with that equipment. Of important note is the eleven-page appendix covering basic and advanced plunger mute technique complete with pictures and exercises!

Finally, Jazz Artistry offers 45 different phrasing studies containing examples of every inflection discussed in the book, as well many traditional uses of rhythmic syncopation used in Jazz. These phrasing studies cover the entire range of tempos used in Jazz, many different time signatures, and every major and minor key. There are a multitude of uses for this section, and there are phrases that will challenge even the most advanced player.

http://www.loweredsixthmusic.com/new-products/jazz-artistry
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The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis

[baboo]

That sounds very interesting.

Looking at the sample pages it seems like it is addressed to more experienced players. Would you say that a beginner/intermediate player is also going to benefit?

[jazz_trpt]

Looks like a nice product.
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Jeff Helgesen
Free jazz solo transcriptions!

[tommy t.]

OK

Page #68 has me hooked. I see a month of study and practice time right there. It's a great line and I like the idea of doing 15 keys fully written out instead of overlapped. It might seem redundant but, if you play with guitar bands a lot, having practiced the high number sharps and/or flats keys can be a really good background. I try to think them both ways, but having it all written out is very useful in the woodshed.

My order is going in today.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW!!

Tommy T.
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Actually, I hate music. I just do this for the money.

[tommy t.]

[loweredsixth]

[loweredsixth]

[Oncewasaplayer]

I'm intrigued. Just ordered a digital copy. Thanks!
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Getzen 800DLX cornet
Selmer Sigma trumpet

[loweredsixth]

[loweredsixth]

New blog post!

http://www.loweredsixthmusic.com/blog/2014/8/16/jazz-chord-notation-part-1
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The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis

[tommy t.]

So the book arrived.

This is like nothing that I've seen before. I own The Art of Jazz by John McNeil, Jazz Tactics by Chase Sanborn, several of the learn how to do it books from Jamey Aebersold (as well as a stack of his play-along records) and some of Rich Wiley's outstanding books that are oriented toward learning a particular style rather than just playing some variations on a technical theme. All of them have something to learn.

None of them go where Jazz Artistry goes.

This book addresses the question of "What is 'Style'?," "How is one person's Style distinguished from another?," and, sort of finally, "How do you develop your own Style?

There's a lot of reading and a double lot of citing specific examples from the recorded history of top trumpet players. There is an index list of 100 samples of bits of style with the player cited and the discography where it can be heard. For example, there is a discussion of subdividing the beat. It includes an example from Freddie Hubbard and cites a recording where his solo, at various places, subdivides into halves, thirds, and fourths. Other examples are given and then the text moves into meter and tempo juxtaposition. Its just beginning to sound a bit routine when text jumps off into playing a solo in 5/4 while the group is playing 3/4 for example.

This book is 114 pages long and I've only been doing a quick browse for about 2 days.

About 1/2 of the threads on TH end up in arguments that can be traced back to undefined terms like describing tone as bright or dark, narrow or wide, thin or thick, brilliant or dull, and of course once you think you know what is dark and what is bright, you run into very bright, somewhat bright, kind of dark, really dark. This book cites archetypical models to show the ear what is meant: Very Bright? book cites an Al Hirt selection; Very Dark? a track by Terence Blanchard. Real meaning for difficult concepts.

So the book has chapters on Pitch, Inflection, Rhythm, Tone, and then, you better already be warmed up, comes 60 pages of 15 lines per page of exercises using those concepts in all 15 key signatures. The lines, of which I have now played one in about half the keys and quick samples of five or six others, are interesting and playable (unless you take the 1/4 = 240bpm on page 98 seriously) and use in a jazz line context the styles and techniques described.

It'll take me a month to study and play enough of this to really evaluate in terms of effectiveness or for me to comment on whether its helping me or is just a good workout. (It is pretty clearly at least the latter -- how far beyond "just a good workout" lie the limits that I've now the opportunity to test.)

Clearly the book is worth its price, has unique aspects and is probably accessible reading and blowing for anybody with advanced moderate technique and a fair ability to transfer text to audible ideas.

If you can recognize Louie on the first measure of a recorded solo, this book will let you learn why and then sort of point you in the direction of putting together a unique style that is YOU.

(If you are the kind of person who skips all the dissertation in TH treads and jumps to the conclusion here it is:
"This book won't hurt a bit and could be a major breakthrough." )

Tommy T.
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Actually, I hate music. I just do this for the money.

[wvtrumpet]

After Tommy's review, I don't have much to say other than....if you love jazz trumpet, pick up this book!!!! BRAVO JOE!!!!!
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Freelance Performer/Teacher WV, PA, MD, and OH http://www.neil-king.com
Yamaha NY Bb, Adams F1 Flugelhorn, Schilke P5-4, Stomvi Eb/D Elite, Bach C 229 bell 25A, York Monarch cornet.

[x9ret]

It looks interesting. I'm not sure if all those sound clips can be retrieved for free from youtube perhaps, which would be handy.
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https://payhip.com/sheetmusicplayalong

[loweredsixth]

Here's a recent review by Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Strong, cornetist with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band!

"Hey everybody, I got joe Lewis' Jazz Artistry book the other day. My advice: buy this book. Now.

I've spent about 5-6 hours with it over the past few days and am still having fun with it. There is a huge amount of information in here. One of the things I've enjoyed is listening to the different recommended recordings of trumpet players sounds and then trying to emulate them. It's a great guide for teaching yourself how a bright, big, dark, small, etc. sound actually sounds.

The plunger section has also been a lot of fun. I've been playing all my scales the past few days switching off between matching lee Morgan's sound and then doing plunger work. It makes those "boring" scales so much more fun!

I'm just getting into this book, and I'm already looking forward to using it for the next...well, however long I keep playing my horn.

Again, highly recommended."

http://www.marineband.marines.mil/Members/Musicians/Brass/TrumpetandCornet.aspx#strong
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The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis

[gbshelbymi]

Just ordered the hard copy. Looks promising! Thanks.
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Greg
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Getzen 3850 Custom - Kanstul 1525 Flugelhorn - Getzen Severinsen Eterna LB - 70s Bach 180ML37 - 70s Bach CL 229 25C - CarolBrass Pocket - 40 Conn 80A etc.