Want to start jazz, books and CD's

[yamaha]

I am an intermediate advanced bass player, 39yold, been gigging the classic rock and modern rock thing for a few years. Have 20+ shows done, and I'm good enough for the audience to always appreciate the show, either it be musicians or non-musicians.

This is mostly to set you up as to where my skill level is. I want to start jazz, and eventually look up funk, r&b, reggae, etc....

Right now, I'm teaching myself Say What, summertime, etc, but I'm learning the songs as I would a rock song. No room for Impov, no way to change key if the other guys do, etc....

Is there a book, or series of books, that cover the jazz classics, the main form of jazz, jazz scales, etc... If possible, accompanied by a CD or DVD, with songs, bass lines, and songs minus bass.

Thanks for the help

[BigOldHarry]

Too many books to name - try looking at www.berkleepress.com. Lots there, like

http://www.berkleepress.com/catalog/...category_id=12

First album *I* learned from (and still do!) is Kind of Blue by Miles. All the tunes are slower so there's hearing the notes (and keeping up) is easier. And Paul Chambers... no one like him.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Too many books to name - try looking at www.berkleepress.com. Lots there, like

http://www.berkleepress.com/catalog/...category_id=12

First album *I* learned from (and still do!) is Kind of Blue by Miles. All the tunes are slower so there's hearing the notes (and keeping up) is easier. And Paul Chambers... no one like him.

+1. And 'Kind of Blue' is widely considered to be possibly the best modern Jazz album on the planet.
This book is excellent:
http://www.licklibrary.com/store/lai...sion-jazz-bass

[ryco]

The Aebersold Play-a-longs are a good place to start. They are book/CD sets where you can turn off the bass in one channel and just play with piano & drums

Vol I "How to Play Jazz and Improvise" is a good starting point with light jazz theory (scales, chords and standard progressions), examples, articles and tips.

Most of the Play-a-longs are jazz standards with scales/chords laid out.

Vol 3, 16, and 64 are more about chord progressions and theory

Vol 2, 42 and 57 focus on Major and minor blues in different keys and styles

and Vol 24 is listening and playing in all of the Major and minor keys.


There's not a strict methodology or order to follow. Pick what looks interesting to you. Although I highly recommend Vol 1, 2 & 3 to start - but that's just me!


Oh yeah -- there's some interesting reading here!

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by ryco

The Aebersold Play-a-longs are a good place to start. They are book/CD sets where you can turn off the bass in one channel and just play with piano & drums

Vol I "How to Play Jazz and Improvise" is a good starting point with light jazz theory (scales, chords and standard progressions), examples, articles and tips.

Most of the Play-a-longs are jazz standards with scales/chords laid out.

Vol 3, 16, and 64 are more about chord progressions and theory

Vol 2, 42 and 57 focus on Major and minor blues in different keys and styles

and Vol 24 is listening and playing in all of the Major and minor keys.


There's not a strict methodology or order to follow. Pick what looks interesting to you. Although I highly recommend Vol 1, 2 & 3 to start - but that's just me!


Oh yeah -- there's some interesting reading here!

+1 People have been learning to play jazz with Abersold stuff for decades. Go to his website he has a great collection of free .PDF's on Jazz theory. Plus lots of books by others.

Main thing is listen to classic Jazz to absorb the feel. If you can find a teacher and also another musician wanting to play jazz. Having someone to play and try ideas with really helps.

[edburns]

I'm in the same boat. I've been jamming with (get this) cable tv. Our cable has 24 hour music of all types (jazz, smooth jazz, classic r&b etc.). I also ordered the Real Book Bass Clef. It is has several hundred jazz standards with chord progressions in a loose leaf format. I'm hoping to find some of the same songs in it that I'm already jamming to. After I receive the book and try it out, I'll post another reply..who knows!!! I'm game.

[Jim Nazium]

+1 on the Aebersold play-alongs. Also check out Todd Johnson's "module" system for creating walking lines; it'll get you started in no time.

[Agilulfo]

I'd suggest you get a teacher, especially since as you are taking your first steps in the jazz idiom. You'll be surprised how much time and money you'll save when you can ask a direct question and get a direct answer instead of having to reinvent the wheel on your own.

[Vetchking]

Vetchking Here:

I agree....... Get a teacher.

A teacher can advance your skills. What you can teach your self in 4 yrs.
A teacher can do in 1 1/2 yrs.

You can practice 4 hrs a day, with a teacher you can practice 20 minutes a day and advance like lightning.

It's all about practicing the right stuff.

Here's a true story.

I have a dear guitar friend MR. Mark Koch. ( Mark lived in Pittsburgh, He would take a train to New York City to study with Pat Metheney the jazz great.

He would come home, practice........ when he learned what he was told, he would call and go back 3 weeks later, 4 weeks, etc. When time and money and the lesson learned allowed.

Yrs went by........ Pat got in a terrible wreck and couldn't play.

It turns out Mark was Pats living Protege.

Mark Koch re-taught Pat Metheney how to play like Pat Metheney.

True story.......... Told to me by Pat Metheney himself.

Mark Koch is a teacher in the famed Duquesne University in Pittsburgh guitar department....... Man you should hear him play.

www.guitar.duq.edu/catch22/about.html

SO.......... Get a Teacher....... Later

[Low Main]

Don't want to get this thread off topic, but interesting previous post about Pat Metheny and Mark Koch. I hadn't heard that Metheny was in a bad wreck and so forth.

But I do know that Pat Martino needed some help re-learning the guitar after his near death and brain surgery and that Mark Koch was a student of his.

Could it be that it was Martino that Koch helped, not Metheny? Interesting story either way.

[Ed Fuqua]

Makes more sense, Martino's from Philadelphia....

[Jason Hollar]

Wow -- I haven't heard Mark yet! I do get to play with Ken Karsh (Catch 22) from time to time -- next weekend in fact.

I'm still enjoying the Ray Brown, Rufus Reid, and Bruce Gertz books I bought years ago. The joy for me is, I get to teach out of them now and continually remind myself how little I know!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

+ And 'Kind of Blue' is widely considered to be possibly the best modern Jazz album on the planet.

I think it's widely-considered to be the most popular Jazz album ever - but it can hardly be called "modern" as it was recorded in 1959!

Also - many critical works I have read, would place a lot of other albums and even Miles's albums above this.

So the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD rates "The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel" by Miles 2nd great quintet more highly...

[dirtdog792]

EDIT(Mark): PM sent.