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Books for learning jazz?

muthagoose

muthagoose

Jan 18, 2004
51
2
41
Sweden
#1
I'm really starting to get interested in being able to play jazz. I'm going to enroll in the musicdojo class, jazz improv 1 when it starts next time, but I'm also looking into buying a book about playing jazz and improvising. I've searched the net for books to order and I've found some interesting ones, with play-along CD's and so on.

So, does anyone have any recommendations for a good book for learning jazz? A CD's with play-along examples is almost a must, since I don't have that many possibilites to get together to jam with that many folks around here. And I guess that playing along with a CD is pretty good practice aswell.
I have almost no earlier experience with playing jazz and improvising, but I can read standard notation and I have a fairly good grasp on music theory.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
muthagoose said:
I'm really starting to get interested in being able to play jazz. I'm going to enroll in the musicdojo class, jazz improv 1 when it starts next time, but I'm also looking into buying a book about playing jazz and improvising. I've searched the net for books to order and I've found some interesting ones, with play-along CD's and so on.

So, does anyone have any recommendations for a good book for learning jazz? A CD's with play-along examples is almost a must, since I don't have that many possibilites to get together to jam with that many folks around here. And I guess that playing along with a CD is pretty good practice aswell.
I have almost no earlier experience with playing jazz and improvising, but I can read standard notation and I have a fairly good grasp on music theory.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Listen to a lot of jazz. decide what sort of jazz you want to play and learn the tunes you like. The bass's main role is playing basslines rather than soloing, so concentrate on that first.

The Aebersold playalongs are great, even if they're aimed more at the soloist.
 
#3
Yes the Aebersold will be good, and they are fairly reasonable. The best jazz book I have is 'The Jazz Theory Book' by Mark Levine (Sher Music) which will push anybody's theoretical knowledge into the stratosphere. It has no CD but endless written examples (transcribed from major players for all musical ideas). It's not specifically a bass book.
A must-have is 'The Jazz Bass Book' by John Goldsby (Backbeat books) which has a CD and is superbly written!
 
#4
There are plenty of Jazz bassline books about, but the one that I found most helpful was "building walking basslines" by Ed Friedland. It also has a play along CD with it. You should be reading this in conjunction with a good theory book as well - get the Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine for the be all and end all of Jazz theory - you will still be learning from this book when you're old and grey.
 
#5
All good suggestions. I would also recommend Carol Kaye's book on jazz bass playing. I like her approach to playing based on chords rather than scales. I know scales but I never liked using them in playing music. Carol's approach is tailor made for someone like me.
 
#9
dlloyd said:
Another excellent free resource is Marc Sabatella's improvisation primer.

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I'm just after reading this "jazz primer" and I must say it's a fantastic and very comprehensive piece of work. I can't believe that this guy is giving it away for free on the internet!

Plus it gives a great list of artists to check out for people who might be finding jazz difficult to access and don't know where to start (like me :confused:.....:D)

I would rate this as one of the top resources that I've seen on the internet and think the link should be stuck in a sticky.
 
#10
theshadow2001 said:
I'm just after reading this "jazz primer" and I must say it's a fantastic and very comprehensive piece of work. I can't believe that this guy is giving it away for free on the internet!

Plus it gives a great list of artists to check out for people who might be finding jazz difficult to access and don't know where to start (like me :confused:.....:D)

I would rate this as one of the top resources that I've seen on the internet and think the link should be stuck in a sticky.
Click to expand...

It's good, isn't it?
 

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