Double Bass Combo practise!

[jjqq123]

Hey guys, I´m going to gather a group of friends (drums, bass and piano. Probably sax later on) and I would like to know what ideas you come with for practising in group. For example:

-Learning tunes and arrangements by ear
-Learning bits of language and applying them to a tune
-Transposing tunes and phrases
-Odd meters familiarization, for example starting/ending phrases on each beat or "and".

 

[Tom Lane]

Those are all good topics, IMO. I think the most important thing to address first is the group's time and placement and feel of the beat, and that changes depending on the type of tune, so different for straight ballads versus swing ballads, Latin tunes, up-tempo, fusion, etc. Then, working on building solos over a few choruses that people would want to listen to, is a great skill to master.

And, developing the group's ability to listen is great to work on too. A common exercise for that is to have each member solo a chorus and then quote the previous player when they start their solo, along with altering the dynamics and intensity to match.

After the rest of your list, intros, endings, and altering the form on the fly help take a jazz band to the next level, IMO.

Enjoy!

 

[sean_on_bass]

I would say to focus on simply performing the music as you would in a performance. Then take note of what went wrong and what went well and adjust. To push the group, insert more difficult tunes into the mix or make arrangement changes(key/tempo/style) to tunes you all can already play.

 

[jjqq123]

I would say to focus on simply performing the music as you would in a performance. Then take note of what went wrong and what went well and adjust. To push the group, insert more difficult tunes into the mix or make arrangement changes(key/tempo/style) to tunes you all can already play.

Thanks Sean. I feel that performing music is ok and fun to do, but I would like to do some exercises in a group setting aswell. Looking for a list of things we can do...

 

[sean_on_bass]

Thanks Sean. I feel that performing music is ok and fun to do, but I would like to do some exercises in a group setting aswell. Looking for a list of things we can do...

No worries, i see playing the music with intent as the exercise itself. I guess the idea of doing musical/technical exercises with a group is a bit foreign to me.

 

[jjqq123]

No worries, i see playing the music with intent as the exercise itself. I guess the idea of doing musical/technical exercises with a group is a bit foreign to me.

No problem, I guess what I´m looking for are, like let´s say a football team, drills and concrete exercises that benefit us all...

 

[fu22ba55]

Some techniques that have worked in the past for me in ensemble settings for tune memorization / transpostion:

1) Pick two tunes everyone must memorize and be able to play "off book" for each practice. Simple tunes like 'How High the Moon' or 'Sunny Side of the Street.' Once everyone has them memorized, try transposing them up or down a minor 3rd on the spot and hold on for the ride. As long as everyone understands THAT'S the purpose of the exercise (transposing on the fly) and not "getting a good take" then it's a good ensemble exercise. Be OK with possible train wrecks the first couple times through.

2) Have everyone flip to whatever page in the Real-Book-of-choice and play an unmemorized tune a couple times. Then have everyone CLOSE THE BOOK and attempt to play the tune from memory. Again, as long as everyone understands the purpose of the ensemble rehearsal is to develop your collective ears, then nobody should be too upset if people are grasping for the changes (and missing occasionally).

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And when practicing by yourself... just pull up any random jazz standard on Spotify or YouTube and start walking along. See how much you can learn of the tune just by playing along cold a couple times, then go find a lead sheet LATER to clarify any bits you couldn't decipher. You'll learn the tune differently (and more permanently) if you learn it this way (by ear) rather than looking at a lead sheet.

 

[crd]

The Jerry Bergonzi book Inside Improvisation Vol 1 is really fun to do with a group.

 

[Chris Symer]

A couple ideas…..

Take turns playing an improvised intro to a tune. Don't count it off, don't say how many bars will be played. The idea is for each of you to be so clear in what you play that everyone knows when to come in and what tempo you have in mind. It's fun.

Play a tune and change feels at different points. Back and forth between swing and bossa or samba is great. Take turns as to which one of you will indicate when the change takes place, don't decide beforehand. It is both an exersize in being clear for the instigator and in listening for the rest of you. This should be fun too.

Do the same kind of thing with a tune in 3/4. Switch between 3/4 and either 4 over 3, or 2 over 3. If you are all comfortable with the different feels do the same thing again. Switch between the feels at various points in the tune, follow each other, PLAY, have fun, don't decide ahead of time, LISTEN!

 

[longfinger]

drums, bass and piano is a great rhythm section core.

- take one tune and play it in different styles. ie. Softly As in a Morning Sunrise - play it as a tango, as cha cha, as bossa nova, as a rhumba, as a swing, as a shuffle etc.

This will require that you all know what those styles sound like, and what each instrument needs to do in order to realize it convincingly. It also prepares you to play all these styles in the future. Very handy when someone requests a style from the band. The exercise is in rhythmic figuration, so pick an easy-to-you-song with regards to melody and harmony, so you can focus on the patterns and rhythms. What's also good about it, is it actively involves the drummer. (contrast with Transposing tunes, which doesn't involve drummers.)

 

[Carl Hillman]

Hey guys, I´m going to gather a group of friends (drums, bass and piano. Probably sax later on) and I would like to know what ideas you come with for practising in group. For example:

-Learning tunes and arrangements by ear
-Learning bits of language and applying them to a tune
-Transposing tunes and phrases
-Odd meters familiarization, for example starting/ending phrases on each beat or "and".

Not to dissuade you, but here's a different take on what it means to practice and to play.

I think Liebs is coming from the angle that, if you practice when you play, that's what is going to end up sounding like - they are two very different processes.

Practicing Philosophy | David Liebman