Jazz Improvisation, Jamey Aebersold

[JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR]

To Anyone Following This Thread:

The new version of the book "Improvising Jazz" by Jerry Coker is
currently on Ebay. Do a search for "Jerry Coker New Improvising
Jazz". They have many copies!!! This is a very valuable book and
often refered to in this thread. I've had many PMs about this book
so you better grab them up while you can!

YouR Friend, Tom in Texas
JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR
_________________
7 Monettes, 9 Taylors, 8 Courtois, 8 Stomvis
7 Lawlers, 4 Leblancs, 3 Bessons, 3 Kanstuls
2 Blackburns, 9 Schilkes, 8 Bachs, 5 Selmers
8 Yamahas, 5 Committees, 2 Edwards Gen X
4 Marcinkeiwicz, 9 Harrelsons, and 4 Eclipses

[healey.cj]

Hey Tom,

Have you thought about compiling this into some sort of "Aebersold Companion" book? Maybe put it up for download on a site and ask for donations? I'm sure there are many people here who would happily throw you some spare change for all your work.

p.s. This thread is FANTASTIC! Thank you so much!

[JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR]

Thanks for the compliment. I doubt that I'd ever want people to "throw
me some spare change"... but I have been told by people in touch with
Jamey Aebersold and also Hal Leonard Publishing that these folk would
likely publish this material in book form if I were interested. My wife is
an author and says I should. So far I've been very happy to just "give
back" as they say. Perhaps I'll publish in the future, but for now it's all
just for fun... and also for free.

Your Friend, Tom in Texas
JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR
_________________
7 Monettes, 9 Taylors, 8 Courtois, 8 Stomvis
7 Lawlers, 4 Leblancs, 3 Bessons, 3 Kanstuls
2 Blackburns, 9 Schilkes, 8 Bachs, 5 Selmers
8 Yamahas, 5 Committees, 2 Edwards Gen X
4 Marcinkeiwicz, 9 Harrelsons, and 4 Eclipses

[OldJazzNut]

Great work. Thank you.

[lordloihi]

This is really helpful! Improvising is tough, especially learning those boring ol' major scales...

[gbdeamer]

LOTS of good information in this thread. Thanks for sharing.

[Leather_Lips]

This is an awesome thread. Thanks so much for your efforts!

[JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR]

Thanks guys. Looks like this thread is about to hit 100,000 views. When it
does I'll continue with more lessons for the very advanced. Thanks for all
the nice comments!

Your friend, Tom in Texas
JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR
_________________
7 Monettes, 9 Taylors, 8 Courtois, 8 Stomvis
7 Lawlers, 4 Leblancs, 3 Bessons, 3 Kanstuls
2 Blackburns, 9 Schilkes, 8 Bachs, 5 Selmers
8 Yamahas, 5 Committees, 2 Edwards Gen X
4 Marcinkeiwicz, 9 Harrelsons, and 4 Eclipses

[gbdeamer]

[JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR]

.................................***LESSON NUMBER 154***................................

....................THE VERY BEST SOURCE FOR GETTING LICKS....................

I have often delivered this message, but it is so important that I must visit
this subject one more time. If you're learning to improvise, then this is the
single most valuable piece of advice I can give you!! The very best source
for getting licks to learn...... is......from..... YOU! That's right..... from YOU!

You are already the very best source for getting licks. Now let me explain.

There are several real good ways to add to your repetoir of jazz licks, etc.
You can simply buy a book of licks (patterns, riffs, motiffs) and go through
each one, selecting the licks that are the most appealing to you... and add
your favorites into your personal licks notebook. Absolutely nothing wrong
with that. A great way to quickly (and easily) acquire materials that will be
satisfying and suitable for you.

Another great way to get licks is from transcribed solos. It's ok to grab the
most appealing licks you find in other artists' solos, whether or not you did
the actual transcribing yourself. (Of course it's more valuable to transcribe
solos yourself... especially to learn style and context.) Licks that come out
of your favorite solos will already appeal to you, and they're already there
inside your head. They're already familiar, and you can already hear them
in your mind! This brings us to what I think might possibly be the very best
source of licks for anyone.

..........................THE LICKS THAT WE ALREADY HEAR............................

It sounds so simple... but this is often overlooked. These licks come in two
categories:

(1) Licks that we hear in our mind but don't yet know what they are. These
licks are already inside us, bouncing around in our heads.... We might sing
them if we're scatting along with some music.... or they might just occur to
us while we're improvising on our instrument..... but..... WE DON'T REALLY
KNOW WHAT THOSE NOTES ARE YET.

The second category:

(2) Licks we hear in our heads and already know how to play, but perhaps
only in just one or a few keys. All of us have licks that we already use alot
but just haven't learned in very many keys!! It's just too easy to search all
over town for new material... when we haven't really spent that much time
mastering the stuff that we already know, and love, and ALREADY HEAR!

Again, I know this sounds so simple... and I know that this is way too often
overlooked. If we listen to lots of jazz... those licks (and even entire solos)
are going to sink in. The material that's most beautiful and appealing to us
is going to stick in our heads and eventually start coming back out!!!! That
is exactly what you keep hearing in your mind all the time. That's the stuff
you've probably heard others play that really meant something to you. It's
in your head already... AND IT WANTS TO COME OUT!

..........................................................................................................

So... How do we get it out of there? Well, this is also quite simple. Perhaps
the simplicity of it all is the reason why this process is so often overlooked.

...........WE HAVE TO RECORD OURSELVES PLAYING AND SINGING!..........

Perhaps the best way to do this is with play along tracks. If you want some
blues licks... simply put on some blues tracks and start singing and playing
while recording yourself. Then come back later to the recordings and begin
transcribing the very best material that came out of you. If you want some
ii-V7-I material, then put on appropriate tracks and do the same thing, etc.

Think about this for a minute. You can really begin to learn all the material
you've been hearing in your mind already! When you sing... it might not be
perfectly in tune, but you can go back and figure out exactly what the ideas
were that you were trying to sing later on.

When you play in easier keys and record yourself, you will get at the exact
same kind of material again... This time it's the stuff you're already hearing
and using... but just not in all that many keys. If we learn how to play these
materials... then we'll truly be able to play what we hear, and THIS IS ONLY
JUST THE BEGINNING!

Later we branch out from here. We start to learn VARIATIONS on all of this
material. It's quite easy to learn variations and expand our boundaries very
quickly. This can lead to a virtual explosion in your growth, LEARNING HOW
TO PLAY THE MATERIAL WE ACTUALLY HEAR IN OUR HEADS ALREADY!

Of course, we need to expand our musical horizons by taking in all kinds of
material from purely external sources as well... (or we'd surely miss out on
a whole lot of great stuff...) but this concept of getting at the material that's
already waiting there inside our own heads is so productive... that it simply
cannot be overlooked!! This is easy to do... You sing and play... and simply
record it all, and then you transcribe. YOU'LL TRULY BE MINING FOR GOLD!

..........................................................................................................

Please re-read this lesson a couple more times and really let it all sink in.
Take the time to truly grasp the weight of this!! I rarely hear anyone talk
about this, but I feel it may be the single most important thing I preach!

If we mearly plug in material that is understood to work, rather than play
material that we hear coming from our subcontious mind, then we're just
playing contrieved music. This is not real art! I'd rather play the stuff that
simply comes to me fully formed from my own inner mind. I hear it and I
play it. This is the most satistfying for me. This feels good and I know it's
really art. In the end it is largely made up of licks, but they are produced
spontaneously as part of a larger musical idea, and these ideas flow very
naturally, and from the heart!! It is also much more satisfying to play the
ideas I'm hearing than to think of licks that'll fit with some chord changes.

I'm not saying that licks we derive from purely external sources won't be
internalized eventually. These licks will become very familiar in time, and
they too will come bubbling up spontaeneously!! I'm just pointing out that
we all have alot of good material already inside of us, that needs to come
out and get used. One more side note: We will often find licks in books or
solos that happen to be material we like, and were already hearing in our
heads as well. This material is just the same... PURE GOLD!!!

Just think for a moment... What if you could play everything you hear??

Now that's a very worthy goal, to simply be able to play what you hear!

Please think about this one alot. As always, I am...

Your Friend, Tom in Texas
JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR

[Yamahaguy]

Awesome, Tom!! Glad to have you back...

[JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR]

................................***LESSON NUMBER 155***.................................

..................HOW TO FILL YOUR MIND WITH MUSICAL IDEAS...................

Sometimes students will say "I'd love to be able to play what I hear but my
problem is that I don't really hear much of anything yet. What can I do?"

This is not an uncommon thing for students to express, and it can seem so
hard to overcome... Hearing musical ideas in one's head can sometimes be
quite elusive, but this can easily change.

As I mentioned in my last lesson, as we listen to lots of jazz, the licks and
other elements of this idiom gradually sink in very deeply. Later, we'll find
that we have become so familiar with this material, that it simply becomes
a part of us. The ideas are now so internalized that we begin to hear them
without any effort at all. The solution for most players who are not hearing
many musical ideas... is to pack ideas into their minds by listenning to alot
of jazz solos.

Pick out just a few of your favorite solos to listen to many times. Its really
valuable to listen late in the evenning before you go to bed. Listen in your
car. Listen while you are taking breaks during your practice time. You can
listen almost anytime at all... just listen alot!

Learn to sing along with these solos until you have them memorized, then
listen even more. Learn to copy all of the phrasing and other nuances too.

There's no way to learn this material too well. I promise that if you will do
this, you'll start hearing lots and lots of jazz phrases in your head, without
any effort at all. It's best to pick out just af few of your very favorite solos
at first to listen to many times over and over again. If you'll do it this way,
you will fill your mind with ideas that appeal to you personally... and you'll
learn them very quickly and thoroughly.

...........................................................................................................

These activities will allow you to internalize these musical ideas, but they'll
also cause the ideas to come to you naturally when you are practicing and
improvising. In other words... you will begin to "hear" them in your head.

The only thing that can prevent these ideas from coming to you when you
play is over-thinking. We need to quiet the mind if this happens, and learn
to be patient and wait for the ideas to come. This usually involves pausing
longer between the phrases. It helps to simply slow down and play less.

I can't overemphasize the importance of this kind of pausing. We must try
to slow down, so that the ideas have time to develop inside our heads. It's
so common for players to try to fill up the space with notes. They're really
preventing the flow of ideas by trying to force the process! You have to be
patient with yourself and let it all take time. Soon, your ideas begin to flow
more easily and naturally... becomiing a more fluid and melodic stream of
ideas.

Even the most advanced player will benefit greatly from this strategy. I've
seen both beginners and advanced players amazed by how much they can
improve by just slowing down... pausing more between the phrases... and
patiently waiting for the ideas to come.

...........................................................................................................

This approach will help you to play meaningful ideas which flow beautifully
and logically when you perform, but it is also what you need to be doing in
your practice time, when you're mining for those golden licks I was talking
about in the previous lesson. The goal here is to learn the music theory so
well that you no longer have to think about it, then you will be able to play
the ideas that you hear in your head. It may sound like two seperate ways
of playing, but it definitely is not!!! We need to unite the two approaches in
order to benefit from both... so that our playing will have the sophistication
afforded by mastering the music theory, and yet exhibit all the beauty and
lyricism that comes by playing the ideas that bubble up from the depths of
our own inner minds. This is the purest form of the art, and it's a beautiful
and satisfying way to play.

Gradually you find that the ideas come to you in a more continuous stream
and flow smoothly... Eventually you begin to hear the next idea before you
are done playing the last one. You'll stay a little ahead mentally so that the
flow becomes uninterrupted. Even when you play long phrases, many bars
long, you still prehear each idea as you go along. To get to this point... you
will first start slowly, and pause often, to allow the ideas to begin to flow on
their own. This is true art, and you'll know it when it really begins to click!

As always, I am...

Your Friend, Tom in Texas
JAZZ-PLAYER-COLLECTOR

[olivertrumpet]

I was just at my local RBC music store and looking to purchase a good "fake book" or improv book, such as an Aebersold or something like that. One of the guys there suggested I look instead at "Band-in-a-Box" by gvox. I have done a little research, but i'm at a complete standstill as to what to spend my money on. I have one Aebersold book, which is okay, but the fella at RBC said this Band in a box was the best thing out there.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this product or be able to help me in my quest for a good intermediate/advanced book for iproving my improv?

Thanks so much,

Will
_________________
Will Oliver
Harrelson Summit is my Trumpet

[Drklobz]

Hey Will,

Aebersolds, Band-In-A-Box and iReal Book (for the iPhone or other smartphones) are GREAT resources, but they're primarily accompaniment tracks (unless you're buying a book from Aebersold's website on something specific). I would suggest looking into lessons with a local pro or someone that teaches improv via Skype.

Not to hijack this thread, but since you asked, I have a very affordable improvisation book I released in May that I think you might find beneficial if you would like to check it out. You can go to http://www.digitalcontentcenter.com/shop/812539/products/ for more information. There are also a number of great books by other guys here on TH (Eric Bolvin and Rich Wiley come to mind).

Jason
_________________
Improvisation Masterclass info: https://bit.ly/2U6im2V
My band's latest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duYv018mrxs
All other info on me is at http://jasonklobnak.com or http://jazztargeting.com

[olivertrumpet]

Hey Jason,

Thanks! I've been checking out your threads over the last couple of weeks and appreciate your contributions.

I guess i'm looking for an all encompassing study for improvisation. So, along with your book, i'm also looking for something to play along with. I haven't checked out the iReal app for iphone yet, so i'll do that also. I'm trying to keep my cost at a minimum currently due to being "between opportunities" for steady pay, but I'm also trying to get more gigs....so i know one must spend money to make money. I just need to know where best to spend my money. I teach lessons here in San Antonio, as well as take lessons from other professionals in town. I will continue to do my research, as I have a difficult time making a decision on purchases...except when it came to the purchase of my trumpet and my computer.

Thanks again,

Will
_________________
Will Oliver
Harrelson Summit is my Trumpet

[Drklobz]

For the money, I like the iReal Book app (and the expansion packs) the best. They have literally thousands of standards available. Nothing beats playing with real musicians, but when you need to shed a tune...it's a good and affordable resource.

Let me know if you have any questions or if there's any way that I can help!

Jason
_________________
Improvisation Masterclass info: https://bit.ly/2U6im2V
My band's latest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duYv018mrxs
All other info on me is at http://jasonklobnak.com or http://jazztargeting.com

[olivertrumpet]

Thank you Jason, I really appreciate the input.

Will
_________________
Will Oliver
Harrelson Summit is my Trumpet

[jvrs]

This forum proved to be very insightful!

[olivertrumpet]

Hey there Jason,

I purchased the "ireal b" on my iPhone and really dig it. Much less expensive and as you said, there are thousands of charts to choose from.

Thanks again,

Will
_________________
Will Oliver
Harrelson Summit is my Trumpet

[atrumpeter]

Great, thanks!
_________________
Adams A1 Tpt.
Olds Ambassador Tpt and Cornet
Warburton, Curry and Stork Mpcs.

Mostly musicals and church gigs with the occasional jazz jam