where do I start?
I am planning on finding a local teacher for a few lessons
but what can I do in the meantime
I am planning on finding a local teacher for a few lessons
but what can I do in the meantime
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I want to get better at playing jazz.
- Thread starter drewphishesp
- Start date
Jazz is really quite simple when you break it down. In a typical 3 piece jazz combo, you, the guitarist, and the drummer should all practice alone until you have it down pat. Then, when you play together, the three different songs you are playing have that wonderful jazzy sound you are looking for.
Learn Jazz Standards - The Ultimate Jazz Musician Resource
There are open mikes and jams all around the area.
Attend a few and really listen. WRTI has 24-hour jazz programming - immerse!
Get a copy of The Real Book and start learning standards.
Sign up for Peter Gregory's 10-week ensemble playing series - check CL for times.
Get used to playing a _lot_ of changes.
There are open mikes and jams all around the area.
Attend a few and really listen. WRTI has 24-hour jazz programming - immerse!
Get a copy of The Real Book and start learning standards.
Sign up for Peter Gregory's 10-week ensemble playing series - check CL for times.
Get used to playing a _lot_ of changes.
Uhh, there's just a little bit more to it that this, lol...
It may take more than a few.
Comments are assuming you are talking about jazz standards. Unless you are an intuitive genius, you can't play jazz if you don't understand theory. I'd start with a good teacher, that you get multiple referrals for. Next stop would be The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine; start transcribing tunes, make sure you have the chords and melody so you know how the bass line relates to the whole tune. Your teacher will point you to the scales and chords you need to know. Practice for 50 years and you're there!
Well if you are just doing it for the love of it (i.e. not trying to make a living at it), you just take the lessons, learn to get around on your instrument, then find someone to play with, preferably a couple of guys who are a fair bit better than you. Then you just get to it.
This whole thing will probably take 5-10 years (depending on how OCD you are) before you are good enough that you don't have to think about it too much while you play. It takes a lot of study, transcribing, learning vocabulary and then always building on what you have already learned. It's not easy. You have to LOVE the learning part, because you will hate your playing at first.
In the meantime, you should listen to a lot of jazz and find songs you really love that you want to figure out. The thing is, you don't want to end up sounding "jazzy". You want to play effin' jazz. Period. When I hear the word "jazzy" it makes me want to throw a cymbal at someone's head, lol. Just saying...
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Listen to Jazz.
Start with a teacher NOW.
If you plan on a teacher you are not comitted.
Prepare for a lifetime of learning.
Have Fun.
Start with a teacher NOW.
If you plan on a teacher you are not comitted.
Prepare for a lifetime of learning.
Have Fun.
Ive had several lessons. I have not found a teacher I enjoy yet. just want to be able to follow standards and the like.
getting married this weekend so thats why I plan on a teacher and dont have one yet
Congratulations! Despite my (somewhat...) tongue-in-cheek comment, I have nothing but respect for someone who can play jazz even just passably well. It is hard work. Good luck on your quest!
About 18 years ago I placed an ad after my Santana cover band broke up and someone contacted me and asked me if I wanted to play in a jazz group. I had little jazz experience, but was ready for the challenge. I bought a Real Book and showed up, and so began decades of learning jazz. I started just learning tunes, listening to recordings, and tried to sound decent with the group that rehearsed weekly and did some gigs. It was pretty much the learn tunes approach and I spent time practicing more tunes. Later on I delved into much more, but that got me started.
Standards..."Autumn Leaves," "All Of Me," "All The Things You Are," etc. Here's a few suggestions of good songs to start with:
20 Jazz Standards for Beginners - Learn Jazz Standards
Don't get a Real Book yet. You can find chord charts for most standards on Google Images. Also, how adept are you at reading music?
Version 6 seems to be current, but I have heard a lot of people remark that there are a lot of errors.
If you want to learn to play melodies, the bass clef version may be worthwhile.
If you just plan to follow the changes, the treble clef version is just fine - you're only interested in the chords which are the same...
Also - there is a _LOT_ of great information over on the DB side:
Jazz Technique [DB]
Some of it is highly technical and theoretical. A lot of those threads are way over my head - but learning is a process...
My suggestion is just read for a (long) while before posting. It's kinda like walking into a doctorate-level class as an undergraduate. Some of the guys can be patient and gracious, but you're likely to find some guys who will just tell you to go read Levine's The Jazz Theory Book and come back and post again when you have. Most of the introductory stuff is already well-documented and available for independent study. They'll probably tell you 'real jazz players play upright' too...
I have Levine's book, haven't got very far into it, and I don't think I've posted in that forum ;-).
If you want to learn to play melodies, the bass clef version may be worthwhile.
If you just plan to follow the changes, the treble clef version is just fine - you're only interested in the chords which are the same...
Also - there is a _LOT_ of great information over on the DB side:
Jazz Technique [DB]
Some of it is highly technical and theoretical. A lot of those threads are way over my head - but learning is a process...
My suggestion is just read for a (long) while before posting. It's kinda like walking into a doctorate-level class as an undergraduate. Some of the guys can be patient and gracious, but you're likely to find some guys who will just tell you to go read Levine's The Jazz Theory Book and come back and post again when you have. Most of the introductory stuff is already well-documented and available for independent study. They'll probably tell you 'real jazz players play upright' too...
I have Levine's book, haven't got very far into it, and I don't think I've posted in that forum ;-).
See if there is a beginner community jazz group in your town. You need to start getting direction from an experienced leader in how to swing and articulate.
-Theory
-Sight reading
-Jamey Aebersold recordings/sheet music, you can pan hard left or right to cut the recorded bass part out and jam along with just a pianist and drummer.
-Lessons with a teacher.
-Sight reading
-Jamey Aebersold recordings/sheet music, you can pan hard left or right to cut the recorded bass part out and jam along with just a pianist and drummer.
-Lessons with a teacher.
A guitar player named Jimi told his band mates "half of what you become as a musician comes from what you listen to".
Stanley Clark, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten are at the top of the list currently and you can book passage on a cruise ship to immerse yourself in all 3 of those guys if you dare. Meanwhile listen, listen then listen a little more to:
Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Galespi, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and all the other jazz greats.
Most importantly, learn to play walking bass lines over jazz charts.
Oh, lest I forget, don't get married. I threw that in because you should think about how dedicated you are to being the next great jazz bassist. You're welcome
Stanley Clark, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten are at the top of the list currently and you can book passage on a cruise ship to immerse yourself in all 3 of those guys if you dare. Meanwhile listen, listen then listen a little more to:
Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Galespi, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and all the other jazz greats.
Most importantly, learn to play walking bass lines over jazz charts.
Oh, lest I forget, don't get married. I threw that in because you should think about how dedicated you are to being the next great jazz bassist. You're welcome
