Trad Training Wheels

[jhatpro]

Until my trad band gets better at communicating on the fly I'm planning to experiment at the next rehearsal with some written out roadmaps like this and wondering what you all think of this approach. My goal is to keep it tight with no rambling rose solos.

KEEPIN' OUT OF MISCHIEF NOW

Verse
Clarinet leads ens

Chorus
Tpt leads ens

Solos (over chorus)
Gtr for 16
Bone for 16
Clarinet for 16
Tpt for 16

Out Chorus
Clarinet leads ens
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[rmch]

Why 16 bar solos when each chorus is 20 bars? Also, maybe put the trumpet solo earlier in the order so you have fresh chops to lead on the out head.
_________________
1919 King Liberty
1923 Conn 22B
1955 Selmer 24A (Balanced Action)
1981 LA Benge ML #3 bell
1938 Couesnon Flugel
1907 HN White Co. "King" Cornet
1977 Selmer Picc

[jhatpro]

Oops. Good catch. ! forgot that MISCHIEF has a 20 bar chorus. And giving tpt more bench time makes sense too.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

I tried that method. I had road maps for every song. The problem is, that document does not read on the fly when looking at the song itself.

Then I told them to take notes on the page. Little scribbles resulted. Of course then there were the ones that said they'd remember it all. Both failed.

Then I had a class on how to write large and sketch it out on the music itself. Also failed.

Admittedly I am dealing with players are are not professional. Under the stress of performing, my methods have not worked except for me directing and pointing and yelling at them that's it's their turn to solo.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[jhatpro]

Maybe there are no shortcuts to perfection.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[delano]

[Arranger-Transcriber]

Sure. That should work, but each player needs to transfer your routine onto his part if you're a reading band.

The band I play in has a curious complication. The leader will specify the routine during rehearsal, but come performance time he may not follow the specified routine. Fortunately we have a good rhythm section that helps to keep us on track.

[etc-etc]

To reduce the rambling even more, why not give each player 4 bars, roll through 20 bars with 5 solos and finish with a tutti?

[jhatpro]

I like that idea a lot! We'll try it Thursday!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

I'm starting to really like the idea of a duo.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[jhatpro]

From duo the next steps are...

Solo performance

No performer; audience sings trad tunes

No performer; audience hums trad tunes

No performer; audience imagines trad tunes

No performer; no audience
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

Popular in my area is solo performer with backing tracks or just a guy with a guitar singing. Give me a piano player and a duo works. See Ruby Braff and Dick Hyman or similar with a guitar player.

Regarding traditional jazz the size of bands and the instrumentation varied greatly depending on what was available. Even today, looking at the bands in New Orleans, it could be 8 people or three under the same name depending on availability. The same songs are played. True they all know the songs really well. And despite the "street" nature of the bands, they really are all professionals. This is how they make their living. And they are playing these songs every day.

Question for all is how often does your band practice? And for how long does each practice last?
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[jhatpro]

Rehearsal frequency is certainly a factor.

I have two bands - a 10-piece swing band and a 6-piece trad group.

Why? Because I like both genres and also because it's much easier to get gigs for the smaller group.

As for our rehearsal schedule, both groups have two-hour rehearsals twice a month.

The swing band has a regular, once a month gig at a local restaurant plus occasional other gigs as well

The trad group has no regular gig but is starting to get jobs more frequently.

Most all the players are in one or more other groups and the twice monthly rehearsal plan seemed to be the way to go given everyone's busy schedules.

FYI, in 2018 I'm thinking about changing the schedule to a weekly rehearsal for both groups with the swing band rehearsing the first hour and the trad group the second.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Oncewasaplayer]

My trad band rehearses once a week for two hours. We now have a play list of 60+ tunes. We do create roadmaps for some tunes, scribbled on the top of the leadsheet for each person, with notes about intros, solos and tags. Some tunes we arrange on the fly. After many rehearsals, things suddenly clicked where we learned to pay attention at the end of a person's solo and looking to see who was next or not. Dogged practice of a song pays off. Still mistakes are made and our ability to recover improves all the time.

For ideas on interesting roadmaps (arrangements), I listen to bands I admire and identify their roadmaps. We were playing Girl of My Dreams and then I listened to a CD of the band at Fritzel's in NOLA. Completely different approach to the tune. I then brought that new roadmap to rehearsal and tried it.
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Getzen 800DLX cornet
Selmer Sigma trumpet

[jazz_trpt]

In the band I'm currently playing in, we handle it mostly with one person directing traffic with eye contact. But we've been playing together a long time...
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Jeff Helgesen
Free jazz solo transcriptions!