Improvisation Lessons
Learn
to play hot jazz ...
These lessons are an attempt at 'distance' teaching of a difficult aural musical skill, an almost impossible task, so remember sympathetic hard work is required.
They involve a series of written lessons and accompanying
'Band in a Box' '.mgu' files containing musical examples which can be seen
and heard using the 'Band in a Box' software from
They owe much to the tutoring of the great & late Roger 'Slim' Read and the musical insights of Randy Ayling. They are based on an assortment of lessons, tutorials, readings, tips and hints which have been accumulated and put together over the years. They are not instrument specific, they are an analysis of the sound of music ...
The basics of the improvisation you will learn are common to all jazz styles but my personal favourite is the collective small band hot sound of Louis Armstrong - listen to Muskrat Ramble ... and when you have put in the hours you will be able to play any tune in this style - try Charmaine Dixie !
Here we go ... click on the logos or examples for the action -
spiel - introduction to music and improvisation
course content
- lesson overview
The lessons are in MSWord, or pdf format and the examples are zipped 'Band in a Box' files ... you will find this software almost indispensable for practice as you learn to listen and to hear ...
lesson 1 - the concept of tonality & the sound of the 'home
base' ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples Lesson 1 & a 'silent' 'Band in a
Box' style ... or as pdf
lesson 2 - the process of improvisation & moving patterns
practice ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples Lesson 2
... or as a pdf
lesson 3 - ears, habits & 'sound/finger patterns' ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 3... or as a pdf
lesson 4 - ears, habits & 'rhythmic time feel' ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples Lesson 4
... or as a pdf
lesson 5 - interesting sound trajectories ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 5 ... or as a pdf
lesson 6 - pleasing the ear ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 6 ... or as a pdf
lesson 7 - consolidation & summary ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 7 ... or as a pdf
lesson 8 - playing the changes ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 8 ... or as a pdf
lesson 9 - blues theory & pentatonic scales ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 9 ... or as a pdf
lesson 10 - blues practice & blues scales ... or as a pdf
'band in a box' examples
Lesson 10 ... or as a pdf
lesson 11 - blues legacy & achieving effects ... or as a pdf
'band
in a box' examples
Lesson 11 ... or as a pdf
eleven lessons complete part 1 of this course, watch out for 'typos' ...
more to come? ... my original intention was to extend the principles ingrained from part 1 to more discussion of 'high tension' sounds and 'swing' in part 2 ... but my notes include a lot of ideas which on reflection tend to repeat the principles of part 1 ...
I now suggest the best way forward is to practice part 1 and follow your ear !!
... meanwhile ... practice more !!
Don't forget to send me an email with your comments, corrections and critique ...