Book Smarts?

[Nick Ioannucci]

So i am pretty new to jazz, started the middle of last year coming of of about 4-5 years of all orchestral. Improv? Walking? I guess what im trying to say is the best way to learn chords and such to first learn all of your scales? It is a pity that i dont know mine, but i wanna get there. After a thing my school had tonight i felt so behind. Should i just work on memorizing scales, and then learn to read chords(well i kind of can, just not quickly) and then apply the knowledge? or is there a different way to go about it? help out a confused kid.
-nick

[Nick Ioannucci]

bump

[reedo35]

Originally Posted by Nick Ioannucci

So i am pretty new to jazz, started the middle of last year coming of of about 4-5 years of all orchestral. Should i just work on memorizing scales, and then learn to read chords(well i kind of can, just not quickly) and then apply the knowledge? or is there a different way to go about it? help out a confused kid.
-nick

I'm kind of confused myself here. Are you saying that in 4 years of lessons, you never worked on scales and arpeggios, or are you trying to learn how to play a bass line over a chord chart?
If you did Major, Minor, Augmented and diminished 7th arpeggios, you would know the notes in the chord, and you can make up a line using chord tones and passing tones. You need to listen to the bass line on tunes you do know to get an idea of how the line fits the chord. I would also suggest you look at the Aebersold series, there are transcribed bass lines from different Bass players like Ron Carter and others available for you to check out.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Something like Rufus Reid's "Evolving Bassist" might be a help...? DVD or book(s)

[Freddels]

Not sure of your learning style but for learning the notes of the chords, I like to use flash cards. You can use them anywhere. You can test yourself. Write the name of the chord on one side and the names of the notes on the other. You can do the same thing for scales. You need to also play them on your instrument.

For learning to walk over changes I always suggest several books:

Rufus Reid's Evolving Basisst
Ray Brown's book
Ed Friedland's first book
Bob Magnusson's book

I like all 4 of these as each offers something a little different.

[Anonymous75966]

Originally Posted by Nick Ioannucci

Should i just work on memorizing scales, and then learn to read chords(well i kind of can, just not quickly) and then apply the knowledge? or is there a different way to go about it? help out a confused kid.

A different way to go about it: do a lot, I mean a lot, of concentrated, critical listening to jazz. Listen to tunes while reading the chart. Transcribe everything - bass lines, bass solos, horn solos.

Of course, do this in addition to (not instead of) working on methods or theory books. Jazz, like any other improvised music, is only partly about book smarts.

[Nick Ioannucci]

its not that ive never worked on scales and arpegios, they were just never a focus of my studies with different teachers. i know general common keys, but havent really learned theory, and couldnt really tell you the notes within a key real fast. I think ill try the flashcards today, cause there was a clinic at my school today, and a college student explained it to me in the simplest easy way ever, so pretty much i just need to memorize my scales/arpegios and such. i never really learned much theory at school or with teachers which is why im taking a theory course and an indepent study for improv next year to try and work on it.