Aebersold Play Alongs ??

[jazzbo]

Originally posted by scott reed
not just for practice but for performance. I
know of a trumpet player and a guitarist here in
Memphis who have used them on gigs - indoors and
outside with the help of a PA. One Beale St wag
even had cardboard cutouts of the rhythm section
behind him for more realism.

Can you imagine all the songs starting with the phantom Jamey counting, "1, 2, 1-2-3 ..."?

[jazzbo]

Originally posted by Sam Sherry
The wonder of being a jazz bassist is that you can play along with THE REAL STUFF just by turning down the bass on your stereo. Aebersold is, no doubt, a great aid for horn-players etc. But I'd much rather get my ass electronically kicked by Louis Hayes and Dexter Gordon than slug along with solo-less discs.

I agree; yet, I recognize that for me, personally, with the DB, since I'm sooooooooo baaaaaaaaaad, just hearing the chords comped, and struggling through the most basic walking lines, is important for me right now. But that's right now, as soon as I have the strength and ability to get through more than 5 choruses without cramping up and getting a whole 'nother level of buzz on the A and E strings, it's to the combos for me.

[Phil Smith]

Originally posted by jazzbo
I agree; yet, I recognize that for me, personally, with the DB, since I'm sooooooooo baaaaaaaaaad, just hearing the chords comped, and struggling through the most basic walking lines, is important for me right now. But that's right now, as soon as I have the strength and ability to get through more than 5 choruses without cramping up and getting a whole 'nother level of buzz on the A and E strings, it's to the combos for me.

I used to think like that jazzbo and discovered that I progressed a lot faster in actual playing situations and believe me I got my butt kicked over and over during the process. Actually I'm still getting my butt kicked, I'm playing with a group that wants to do "Misty" at 350 bpm. Why oh why did I think that I knew this tune?

[olivier]

Originally posted by jazzbo
...as soon as I have the strength and ability to get through more than 5 choruses without cramping up ...

Man I remember the feeling. Lullaby from Birdland starting in Bb used to kill me! It's not that you become superman, it's that you learn to apply just the right amount of strength. Don't squeeze that neck so hard ! (and don't complain to your bandmates , just keep smiling )

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by Phil Smith
I used to think like that jazzbo and discovered that I progressed a lot faster in actual playing situations and believe me I got my butt kicked over and over during the process. Actually I'm still getting my butt kicked, I'm playing with a group that wants to do "Misty" at 350 bpm. Why oh why did I think that I knew this tune?

I feel like I have been placed on the other side of this argument - but I do actually agree on this.

I found that I progressed a lot faster by playing Jazz with other people and especially when I was playing with people who were better than me and I was having to "hang on for dear life"!!

But I think you still need to go back and practice on your own as well, to get your head round alternate scales and substitutions - or you never get them and just play the same stuff that works alright, but is just "samey"...


So - I have recorded a lot of stuff I played at for example, Jazz Summerschool. So at the time I really enjoyed playing with other people at the nightly "Jazz club" and felt I was doing some really good stuff and always kept the band going - even when I was playing with the tutors who are all great Jazz pros.

But when I listened back, I realisesd I was often repeating myself with stock phrases and lines that as a listener sounded quite irritating to me - although I doubt most non-bass players were aware of this - I just felt I could do better.

So - what things like the Aebersold playalongs enable you to do, is to really break down what scales and alterations are available to you and then play over an over trying them until you get them in your head as a "sound possibility".

If I don't do this kind of thing, then I find I am just heading for the safest route when it gets tough, repeating myself a lot over similar chord sequences, playing patterns etc. etc.

I do the same thing with recordings as well - but it's harder - both to hear and to know what's going on - have they altered the chords already or are they playing the straight changes....?

As someone who has a full-time job as well, I like to maximise my practice time and I think this kind of thing helps a lot - although if you never put it in to practice with other people, it won't matter how much of this you do!!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by Mike Crumpton

Your pride and dedication to your task shines through all your posts Bruce. Nice of you to refer to my natural ability but I can assure you I got none whatsoever - I gotta work at it. I doubt we think that much differently.


You're probably right there!!



Playalongs are a useful tool to help me get there but IMHO they can be overated and lead to horns at least to expect that a band will play in a manner that will always allow them to reproduce their practise with the playalong.

But we're bass players and we're better than that!!



BTW IMO free playing really opens up your hearing and reactions and you can only do that with others. It doesn't have to be crash bang wallop squeak either (honest). A little free passage on a gig can really liven things up. A lot of free can ... ummmm!

In my Jazz classes, I have done quite a bit of free playing - as you say, quiet and comtemplative at times ...!!

It is also recommended by all the tutors at Jazz Summerschool - duos or trios with no preconceived ideas - no time, no chords. The idea being to play with the other people without having to think about any structures.

On week I was in a small group with Jason Yarde - a great alto player/composer/arranger and the group did a lot of free playing and created tunes out of this on the fly - which we played in the nightly Jazz club - great fun!!


------------

But anyway - I smiled a lot yesterday!!

I was helping out at a day workshop in Lewes, organised for A Level music students who wanted to get into Jazz, at the music department of the college there.

So in the middle of the day I was sitting in on a discussion for rhythm section players. The tutors were fielding questions and what came up was that these young people found it difficult getting a suitable group together to actually play Jazz.

So, one of the Jazz pros answered : "Have you heard about the Aebersold Play Along series....."