Jazz solo help

yamo17 · Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2003 7:17 pm Post subject:

Has anyone had a similar experience:
While playing a concert with my High School's Jazz Band, every thing was going alright (We're not exactly the best HS jazz band) in the beginning of the piece. One could say we were in a groove. Yet a few measures before my solo, the band sorta fell apart and people were everywhere in the music. So by the time I began my solo, I felt off and fairly flustered. Thus, my solo wasn't too good and I was second guessing myself the entire time.
Does anyone have suggestions for me, incase this happens again. Thank you for your help.

Bryan

RNelson · Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2003 8:39 pm Post subject:

Don't worry, it happens on pro gigs as well.

Recently was on a 5 piece jazz casual, we were playing some straight blues tune and I started soloing. For some reason the keyboard player goes to rhythm changes, so now it sounds like I am playing wrong changes! I take a second, hear where he is and jump into the rhythm changes...just so happens he realizes what he just did and went back to the blues changes! Again it sounds like I am wrong. LOL No more booze for that cat!!

All you can do is slow down and listen, give them a second to get back on track and then see if you can find them. If they are still lost, start playing more of the head (melody) and let them grab onto that.

Husband_of_the_Waves · New Member Joined: 23 Feb 2003 Posts: 8

Stop, and listen to see where the keyboard is. IF they don't get the hint that they're off either:

1) They're not, and you're the one who's off
2)Play a few long notes and try to get back with them
3)Keep playing, but look over at the keyboardist and raise your eyebrow in a confused look(probably best to be the one NOT facing the audience, they won't know any better)

Either of these methods should work. If none of them work just try your best and tough it out. More than likely you'll have a chance to redeam yourself later on. We all make mistakes, but sometimes someone else's mistake gets put on your shoulders. Just something you have to deal with from time to time. It happens to the best of 'em!

Hope this helps.
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short_n_squeaky · Regular Member Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 42

I can relate there

I also play with a less-than-wonderful highschool jazz band. We're decent, but the average level of maturity and seriousness about playing in a band amongst highschoolers...bites. So things like you mentioned are very apt to happen. The suggestions that have been posted so far are pretty useful, I'll have to keep them in mind next time I'm doing that String of Pearls or In the Mood Solo

As for what I could suggest, make sure you keep moving. Sometimes holding a note works fine, but with fast songs where things tend to change quickly, your long note may quickly be out of line with the implied chord(s) the rest of the band is belting out. For example, in Malaguena, my particular arrangement has a really nice little solo near the end and the drummer who has been assigned to play during this song isn't too hot on switching between swing and other styles, so it gets messy.

The thing I do that works wonderfully in practices (I'm not sure if this would be too wise to do during a performance

is to turn my head slightly so my bell is aimed inward towards the band. We are usually aligned in a V shape with the trumpets on one of the "legs" on the end. Given that you KNOW your solo well, you can keep the beat, and things are really falling apart, your bandmates may respond to you directing your sound at them (and maybe getting a bit louder). If you help everyone else learn how your solo fits in with the harmony, then your chances of having something go terribly wrong during a performance are a lot less. As I said, I don't think I'd do this in a concert, people might think you're just being obnoxious or you lack control of your horn.

dwm1129 · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 8:03 pm Post subject:

You just have to go with the flow of things and listen and react. It happens to us all no matter what level....... so times rhythm players do it on purpose....I was playing a gig a few months ago (more like a semi-organized jam session) ....anyways the piano player was bad cat and maybe he thought he was to good to be playing with us (which he was) but we were playing Nows the Time and durring my solo he keept what he was playing one bar ahead of everyone else, the bass player didn't follow...so I followed the bass player and the piano was a whole bar ahead my entire solo, it wasn't as distracting as you would think but messed with my head for a half chorus or so till I picked up what he was doing....I was told it sounded hip too.....we also had an argument about the song tenderly he said he wanted to play it in three I said in four we argued for about a minute because I thought it would sounded really corney... he finally agreed to play it four..... We start the tune and he's in three a solid three not phased by the four everyone else was laying out we fought for about half of the head till we all gave in and played it as a waltz......I wanted to strangle him at the end....what an ass, he got paid and everything.

The moral: Never piss off a rhythm player before a gig or he will screw with you the whole time

AccentOnTrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 878

Yeah, I know how you feel. The same thing happened to my High School Jazz Band (big band) in 9th Grade. I was the only ninth grader in the group because it was usually intended for the 11th, 12th graders so you could imagine how scared I got, lol. We were a good band though, I just think something went wrong with the rhythm section.

What happened was we were performing a certain tune I had a solo on and I was soloing last I think, after the alto and tenor saxophone and trombone, and right before I begin my solo, the rhythm section got off. I think the drummer dropped the beat or something, but it all of a sudden put me right on the spot because they were off beat for a little bit.

What I did was just keep feeling how everything was supposed to be rhythm and chord-change wise and just went on with it like nothing wrong had happened. Eventually the rhythm section caught up and everything was back into place but no one in the audience noticed probably. The next day our director was really annoyed with the rhythm section about it, and blamed the piano player although I still think it was the drummer's fault. Not that it matters. Part of performing is being ready for anything and the show must go on so you just do the best you can with the opportunities you have. That particular performance was not one of my greatest moments with that band but it was resolved without anything seriously bad happening because you just have to keep going and lead people back in the right direction, and if you mess up, they should do the same.

BeboppinFool · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 8:56 pm Post subject:

Here are some of my opinions; these are based on my experience.

The suggestion to lay down the melody is probably the best way to help the out-of-sync rhythm section arrive at a concensus. The audience will appreciate the soloist who spells out the melody, because even those who know little about music will realize that something is not exactly right, and when you play the melody, that makes you the one who sounds the most correct.

I've heard several world-class rhythm sections lose the form, and the difference between the good and the best is that the best arrive at a concensus the soonest. The soloist can be instrumental in helping them, and I think that it's actually the soloist's responsibility (more than anybody else) to help guide it back.

When you have three guys in three different places who all think they're so right that they won't budge, you've only got a problem if you don't know how to lead them back as soon as possible. The process of learning how to do this is ongoing.

Again, just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Rich
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Strawdoggy · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 4:02 pm Post subject:

Rich,

Excellent answer. You stole my thunder.

I had a similar experience with a keyboard player who was a fine player. We were doing "All the Things You Are" and right in the middle of my second chorus it turned into "All the Things You Aren't" ! I went straight to the tune to try and get it back into the groove. To no avail. When I turned to give the piano player the evil eye, he was holding his hands above the keys like they were too hot to touch, not playing.

Turns out he was playing a new keyboard and accidently hit the "transpose" button.

Steve