Jazz in School

fryBASS · #1 01-28-2007, 06:27 PM

In my high school, we've had jazz band as an extra curricular activity. Now, our music teacher got the Board of Education to approve the new class, Jazz Lab. Man, I'm excited for it! Playing jazz music in school which counts as a credit, can't get much better than that! Oh wait, it can. I'll also be doing music theory and keep on going in the school Orchestra on upright bass.

Man, every day will be a bass-filled day!

wtg203 · #2 01-28-2007, 06:37 PM

I envy you. My highschool has an extra-curricular jazz band and combo, but the extent of our in-school music programs is just "Band" (theres a music theory course, but it covers the same material as 'band'). Next year I believe they're implementing a keyboarding class that I plan to sign up for. You're really lucky to be able to use your class time to study something you actually care about.

goodtimejonny · #3 01-28-2007, 06:47 PM

We have a class like that, that I take. Only it is called Jazz Techniques. It's pretty awesome.

ryco · #4 01-28-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fryBASS

Man, every day will be a bass-filled day!

Jazz Band, Vocal Jazz Choir and theory were the only classes that kept me in the public school system at all. And art class. Man, if you are in orchestra on bass as well you are indeed one lucky dude!! Good for you!!

AmyTheFreak · #5 01-28-2007, 09:05 PM

Jazz Band became a credit class at my school... two years ago I think.

fryBASS · #6 01-29-2007, 08:47 AM

yeah, its great that we have 4 upright bassists in my school all in the orchestra

**Mark Wilson** · #7 01-29-2007, 10:21 AM

I wish my highschool had a jazz band.

But, we had a killer music deptartment. Unlike any other in Ontario. We were more rock based, which was so fun.

but now, I'm at college for Jazz. It's great as well!

tplyons · #8 01-29-2007, 12:17 PM

It was never a credit class for me, however, I was in both Jazz bands (one on tenor/soprano sax and the other on bass) and the pep band (tenor/bari sax) as well as concert band (alto sax) and orchestra (double bass) and didn't get credit for ANY of it outside of school, and only for the concert band. But I loved it.

The only music course that I did really get credit in that I had to EARN was music theory, and to this day still helps me a lot.

need4mospd · #9 01-29-2007, 01:58 PM

We had Jazz choir in my high school. I played piano, guitar, and bass when they needed a combo, and sometimes I even sang! We recorded a CD the last year where I played piano, rythym/lead guitar, and bass on the same track!

AmyTheFreak · #10 01-29-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

It was never a credit class for me, however, I was in both Jazz bands (one on tenor/soprano sax and the other on bass) and the pep band (tenor/bari sax) as well as concert band (alto sax) and orchestra (double bass) and didn't get credit for ANY of it outside of school, and only for the concert band. But I loved it.

The only music course that I did really get credit in that I had to EARN was music theory, and to this day still helps me a lot.

Tenor Sax FTW!

I really want to learn the Soprano Sax, but I've heard that it was difficult to do so... I just think it's really cool!
Are Soprano Saxes in the key of Bb?... Just wondering since Alto and Bari are both Eb.

bassist15 · #11 01-30-2007, 11:10 AM

At my school we have regular band with pep band. I play bass in both. There is also a music theory and music appriciation class. Jazz band is an after school program and we really dont play to many shows . We just get together and play new songs every week.

**Mark Wilson** · #12 01-30-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmyTheFreak

Tenor Sax FTW!

I really want to learn the Soprano Sax, but I've heard that it was difficult to do so... I just think it's really cool!
Are Soprano Saxes in the key of Bb?... Just wondering since Alto and Bari are both Eb.

I believe they're in Bb. But, I could be wrong.

Aaron Saunders · #13 01-31-2007, 09:18 AM

Mark, you're right -- it's also the same fingerings as a tenor sax, which is why you see so many guys doubling on the two. The thing about soprano is that it's a far more difficult instrument to control pitchwise, so it's infamously hard to keep in tune even in the middle of a song.

BassChuck · #14 01-31-2007, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmyTheFreak

Tenor Sax FTW!

I really want to learn the Soprano Sax, but I've heard that it was difficult to do so... I just think it's really cool!
Are Soprano Saxes in the key of Bb?... Just wondering since Alto and Bari are both Eb.

Soprano - Bb
Alto - Eb
Tenor - Bb
Bari - Eb
Bass - Bb

If there was a contrabass saxphone, it would be in Eb. There is also a rarely used Sopranino in Eb.

werbo1 · #15 02-01-2007, 04:57 AM

My school has a good jazz program with all freshmen going to the Freshmen Jazz Band, then theres Jazz Band which is lower leveled music, and Jazz Ensemble which plays higher leveled music. Its a credit course, but we only meet once a week.

Right now in Jazz Ensemble, we're really playin a lot of cool stuff due tot he fact we have electric bass and a great conga player. We get to play those nice cuban grooves! Lots of fun

saxnbass · #16 02-01-2007, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

Soprano - Bb
Alto - Eb
Tenor - Bb
Bari - Eb
Bass - Bb

If there was a contrabass saxphone, it would be in Eb. There is also a rarely used Sopranino in Eb.

He's right. And there is a contrabass sax. There is also the extremely rare sub-contra bass sax, which is BBb.

The subcontrabass sax:

I'm originally a sax player, that's why I know these things. I've got a nice LA Sax black sax (around $3500) and a cheap soprano. I was going to get a Tenor, but don't play sax very much anymore. I spend most of my time with bass, cause that's what I'm going to do in college.

saxnbass · #17 02-01-2007, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wtg203

I envy you. My highschool has an extra-curricular jazz band and combo, but the extent of our in-school music programs is just "Band" (theres a music theory course, but it covers the same material as 'band'). Next year I believe they're implementing a keyboarding class that I plan to sign up for. You're really lucky to be able to use your class time to study something you actually care about.

The school I graduated from has a Concert Band and a Chorus. That's it! No theory, no jazz, no marching, nothing. Not even extra-curicularly.

spudmaster34 · #18 02-01-2007, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saxnbass

There is also the extremely rare sub-contra bass sax, which is BBb.

I'm pretty sure it is rare to the point of having never been built in fully functional form. Anyways, the highschool I will be at next year lets you take band and jazz band as "major" classes, meaning an A in Jazz will impact my GPA as much as an A in math

saxnbass · #19 02-01-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudmaster34

I'm pretty sure it is rare to the point of having never been built in fully functional form. Anyways, the highschool I will be at next year lets you take band and jazz band as "major" classes, meaning an A in Jazz will impact my GPA as much as an A in math

Actually, there is a subcontrabass in existence that is functional.

http://www.jayeaston.com/galleries/s...abass_sax.html

spudmaster34 · #20 02-01-2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saxnbass

Actually, there is a subcontrabass in existence that is functional.

http://www.jayeaston.com/galleries/s...abass_sax.html

not to be disrespectfull, I really would be interested to know if there had been one built, and you could very well be right. But, that page refers to it as "Bb subcontrabass saxophone (Tubax,), Bb subcontrabass Tubax " and says that he "designed and built this beautiful instrument as a larger and deeper version of his Eb "Tubax"" and wikipedia say that a tubax "Although the tubax has the same fingering as a regular saxophone, it has a much narrower (though still conical) bore, somewhat like that of a sarrusophone, though not as narrow, so there is some controversy over whether it is technically a true saxophone." So I am not sure that it actually counts as a subcontrabass saxaphone.