Memorizing Jazz Tunes

Break the song down into discrete phrases, and learn each song phrase by phrase. I find it a little easier when I learn numeric intervals (e.g., IV, ii, V, I) instead of note names.

 

Practice more...that works every time.

 

I find being able to sing the melody *clearly* helps me memorize tunes. Sometimes the melody is so similar between the A and C sections that I have to memorize the lyrics to nail the melody. Hope that helps.

 

+1. Melody is everything. And IMO, only lyrics trump the melody. Learn the lyrics first, then melody, then changes.

 

This....but I also find it handy to transcribe the phrases I'm learning. It helps me 'see' the shapes on the board.

 

Isn't the essence of jazz improvisation??

Or am I missing something here ....

 

It is, yes. But you have to know the rules before you break 'em....

 

True

 

Improvisation is the activity - the content comes from an internalised store of rhythms and melodies that we share. That's why your teacher is asking you to learn these tunes - so that you've got something to improvise with!

 

This helped me...

Try to use "closed" positions when you learn the melody...avoiding open strings. It can be tough on an upright when you're getting into the upper positions, but if you try to think like an electric player and think of the melody as a fingerboard pattern then it can be easier to transpose to a different key. Try to choreograph the melodies in such a way that you shift only when you have to. Once you learn the melodies like this, in the different keys, you can decide "where" on the bass to play them for the best sound, effect etc.

 

OH yeah, I forgot to mention: Regardless of where you're transposing, if you can't sing it, you can't play it.

Esp in transposition. If I can't sing it in the new key, I won't be able to play it much less begin to finger it. If I have to transpose on the spot, I try to prehear it in my head as I'm playing it.

 

Sounds like a lot of busy work.

Mr. P.C. in F# Minor. 1, 2. 1, 2, 3, 4.

But, as a bassisit, it is very good to know and be able to play the melody. Might even help you when you solo.

 

I've had some singing lessons and am regularly singing in a choir now - but there's no way I can sing melodies in every key - I could go for a few either way certainly, but every key, sounds pretty hard to me!

 

Humming works as well.

 

[Makes indeterminate noise]

Hmmm....mmm.

 

This point isn't that you're trying to be the next Sarah Vaughan. You should at least be able to sing it clearly in your head even though they might not come out with the proper pitch out of your mouth. Think of it closer to what you would hear Keith Jarrett do (hopefully a little better?)

 

Well some of the higher notes will be a bit 'strangled', certainly....

(And I'm trying not to think of Keith Jarrett singing!)

 

I find that if I can hear it clearly in my head, I can get it to come out of my mouth. Sometimes it sounds like a strangled cat, but the pitch is accurate. When it's really too high, I switch octaves. I do find that it's a big issue while I'm soloing though because when I'm trying to sing and solo at the same time, once the pitch gets too low or too high for my voice, I get distracted and loose my thought. Not sure how others deal with that but I've seen great players do it without issue.

 

I took a private lesson with Ratzo Harris who suggested that I actually sing at the pitch of the bass, for the sake of intonation. Singing it up an octave is def easier but harder to get the intonation just right. Of course singing it lower is hard but I think his point is that the mind has to be hearing it that low. It's a relatively new things for me, but this sort of psuedo-singing has been yield a tremendous amount of good for my intonation - I'll dare say even more than arco.

If you get distracted, I'd just take it even slower and slower until you don't get distracted anymore. I'm starting to become a big fan of taking a recording and playing along with it at a painful tempo - 50-60bpm or maybe even less. Makes it far easier to nail the articulations right away not to mention that benefits of time and pulse being more exact and not sloppy and buried under a faster tempo.