Playing Standards...where to start?

funkboy5 · #1 02-04-2009, 04:06 PM

I had a great guitar player I just met come by the house Sunday with his acoustic guitar and he started playing standards. "Beautiful" He asked if I was interested in playing out with him in small clubs. I said sure. We talked about fake books and "real books" etc... etc...

Question. Where is the best place to start? Get a "Real Book" in bass clef? Looking for help.... Thanks

dvh · #2 02-04-2009, 05:18 PM

Check out the Aebersold series of books. Some of them are built around "easy" jazz. They come with charts (showing the chords) and a CD. However, not all include bass clef notation. That is also the case with fake books and real books (and they don't include a CD). But if you understand chords and how to connect them it's no big deal.

grovest · #3 02-04-2009, 05:26 PM

Are you currently able to confidently and competently walk through chord changes?

paganjack · #4 02-04-2009, 05:34 PM

a real book is always handy. you will get your $30 out of it pretty quick. There are always people looking to play standards. if nothing else it's a good place to start

wilsonn · #5 02-04-2009, 06:14 PM

The John Goldsby book has helped me a lot. There's also a post in the archives somewhere if you look for "walking basslines" that led me to a link that gave me a good start.

funkboy5 · #6 02-04-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grovest

Are you currently able to confidently and competently walk through chord changes?

I'm working on it.....

funkboy5 · #7 02-04-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilsonn

The John Goldsby book has helped me a lot. There's also a post in the archives somewhere if you look for "walking basslines" that led me to a link that gave me a good start.

Great tip. I forgot I have this book.

beggar98 · #8 02-04-2009, 06:20 PM

Get a fake book in C and dig in. Another good way to go is to look at the curriculum for a decent university jazz program and see what songs they require from students.