Learn classical to improve jazz?

[Johnny L]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Your bowing really shines on "Tale of the Fingers" on the title cut. If I could learn to pull that singing arco sound out of the bass half as well as you do on that rekkid, I'd die happy.

+1

I still listen to this album and woodshed "Tale of the Fingers"...dang what a great version!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by chop_1992

If you want to have good intonation, you just have to work your butt off practicing to play in tune. Really practicing a classical method, or really practicing jazz will help you realize that goal. Hacking through Simandl or the equivalent because it's "supposed to help," won't help.

John Goldsby
john@goldsby.de

I think there is a good point here about motivation...?

Also - it's about what you want to do and how much time you have?

I love Classical Music and listen to a lot, but I just feel I would never have the time to get up to the standard I see in Orchestras etc.

Also - I started a straight music degree and found it deadly dull and gave up after less than a year.

But I have found studying and playing Jazz to be geat fun and very motivating - I feel I have learnt more about music from studying Jazz, than I ever did on a straight music course - but that's just me!

I suppose the answer is that it's different for everybody and you have to find the right path for yourself...?

[chop_1992]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I suppose the answer is that it's different for everybody and you have to find the right path for yourself...?

I think you're right -- that is the key point.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Yes although I've managed to find a few culdesacs or dead-ends on my path...

[chop_1992]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Yes although I've managed to find a few culdesacs or dead-ends on my path...

I didn't know you had cul-de-sacs in England. I thought you only had roundabouts.

[Bruce Lindfield]

We imported a few from France!!

[Ed Fuqua]

They don't really change where the notes are on the bass, right?

It's not so much that "classical improves jazz" as it is the legit pedagogy has a pretty well thought out approach to the physical approach to the instrument. Positional playing, working out elegant shifts, fingering approaches, stuff like that.

I would disagree with CM that jazz is a "style", personally it's more of an approach and philosophy. There are a lot of different musics out there that have improvisation; jazz is the only one that has this emphasis on a malleable harmonic form that is as responsive to teh collaborative effort as it is individual direction.

[damonsmith]

Originally Posted by rprowse

I find that working on the Bach cello suites gets me out of my comfort zone. I have a large arco 'improvised' repertoire that I continuously work on. The problem is that, when you are improvising, you can fall into the trap of always playing things that are comfortable under your fingers. I find that the Bach takes me out of this comfort zone and challenges me to work on new techniques or fingerings. I believe that this tends to keep my improvising fresher. I suppose you'd get the same workout from Charlie Parker heads.

+ 1.There are arguments in the classical world about performing transcriptions, for improvisors, practicing them is a great idea for the reasons above.

[Ed Fuqua]

Lennie Tristano used to have Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz play Bach two parts together in order to develop their ear/conception about improvising "duos" (as opposed to solo)....

[Stewthebassman]

Originally Posted by chop_1992

Sometimes at the Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops, Chris Fitzgerald and I will go in a practice room for a couple of hours and have a fencing dual with our bows. But that belongs in a different thread.

John Goldsby

Milt Hinton, in his book, recounted that he would often encounter other bassists on the road and they would pull out Simandl and do just what you and Chris do.....it's part of the culture to a point!

I find that every time I pull out the bow and run some scales I automatically play better at my gig or during my pizz practice. Just being more comfortable finding my notes and fingering properly helps my soul express itself.

My current bowed tune that I'm working on is "Beautiful Love"....it's a great bowing tune!