Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Working on standard tunes;styles and analysis for study. Part 3 harmony.

 

Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Working on standard tunes;styles and analysis for study. Part 3 harmony.

 Here is Part 3 of....The styles and analysis blogs to help students of every level get a focus on developing repertoire. This is Part 3 basic harmony.

The nuts and bolts of basic skills- you need to know. To play and perform.
This is NOT a end all list, it is something to get you started thinking of how easy this stuff is- Just make a point to do it. We'll start with a basic list of recording you NEED to hear and know of. You’ve heard the expression that there is an “art of listening”.  What you are hearing in any small group jazz setting is in essence a conversation and a shared language. The subject matter changes with each composition and each performance begins the process anew. Every piece inherently contains a musical puzzle to be worked out by the players spontaneously.  In the final analysis it is the process which you, the listener, observes. Just as in everyday life, when a group of individuals meet to solve common problems,  it is the joy of mutual discovery that can be so uplifting and inspiring . Many are on you tube. Get started now! Not a definitive list - But one that IS accessible to YOU TUBE and quick downloads- A starting point if you will.

NEXT....Is a set of 11 -V in all the keys- This is a life study.
Write them out and memorize them and play the inversions. Listen. I got 2 words for you Sonny Stitt. The master of these changes and a genius saxophonist.

And finally....a few questions to answer. If you have problems it's time to get into the shed and work on them. You want to be proficient and fluent.

..........

This should open some ideas for you and define a lot of basic skill- listening study. Coming up we will get into phrasing. Phrasing is the most important element in all music. It means the way somebody speaks, beyond the content .In jazz everything is individual, having one’s own sound and approach. Remember the most important element is nuance, how do you take a note and make it yours. The second is rhythm.The way you play your eight notes and your rhythmic ideas will immediately have an effect on the rhythm section. Think about this...and I'll see you next week!  ~ Tim Price

            DOES ANYBODY LOOK FAMILIAR IN THIS PICTURE?

 

Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Working on standard tunes;styles and analysis for study. Part 2..

Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Working on standard tunes;styles and analysis for study.Part 2.

 Here is Part 2 of....The styles and analysis blogs to help students of every level get a focus on developing repertoire.As I said-  These tunes are necessary tunes and everybody’s repertoire… You should not be playing these tunes on a gig with an iPad or real book they should be memorized. These are common language tunes-tunes to have fun with. Plus they are the core of real jazz playing and fun. 

Here is Part 2.




Tunes for Memorization 

Anthropology	Charlie Parker	Summit Meeting at Birdland
Au Privave	Charlie Parker	Swedish Schnapps - The Genius of Charlie Parker
Blue Train	John Coltrane	Blue Train
Dig	Sonny Rollins	Dig
Donna Lee	Charlie Parker	Bird/ The Savoy Recordings
Just Friends	Charlie Parker	Charlie Parker with Strings
I'm Old Fashioned/ballad	John Coltrane	Blue Train
Nica's Dream	Hank Mobley	Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
On Green Dolphin Street	Cannonball Adderley	Jazz Track
Oleo	John Coltrane	Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
Stompin' at the Savoy	Phil Woods	Legrand Jazz

Additional Tunes for Memorization...research these as I did the above. All of these  and the tunes from last week's blog- YOU HAVE TO KNOW. Blue Monk; Confirmation; Dewey Square; Have You Met Miss Jones; I Got Rhythm; Just Friends; Lazy Bird; Ojos de Rojo; Star Eyes

Think on your feet. These are fun as I said a million times and a gateway to real playing.

 From a harmony side-  ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Joseph Kosma . I chose this tune because the harmony is great being mainly in one key which makes it easy to improvise over. I dig the way in which the chords circle using 4^th movements in a logical manner (i.e. Cm-F7-Bbma-Ebma etc). 

Next  " Stella". In addition, the tune has many great harmonic movements and modulations, using common jazz changes  by resolving or sequencing through uncommon chords resulting harmonic underpinning is fantastic, with waves of tension heightened by the +7 chord at the bridge and the series of descending minor 2-5’s in the 4^th section.

  ‘All of Me’   which uses a simple but effective melody set against a long series of secondary dominant chords that move around and against the pitch axis (of C Major). Listening to Louis Armstrong’s version and anything he plays and sings gives me goose-bumps! 

Last but not least- For now on, when you learn a new piece of music you need to analyze your tunes first.
Figure out what the important patterns are. How the melody relates to this too! Listen to the masters versions as I'm mentioning here- Play along with the CD.
A big part of learning how to play jazz is learning how to play standards.
And playing jazz  means choosing repertoire from and studying the Great American Songbook.
As a teacher, I’m often asked which tunes  a student should learn when starting their exploration of jazz.
In this set of blogs, you’ll learn  standards that every musician should study.
These jazz standards cover a wide range of chord progressions and prepare you for your first, or next, jam session or gig.


 These tunes should become 2ed nature to you. Learn the melody and be able to swing it without a band or play along.

• Rhythm Changes
• Cherokee
• All the Things You Are
• Stella by Starlight
• There is No Greater Love
• Tune up
   
  
  
  

 OK- More coming your way- stay tuned! Thanks- Tim Price

Tim Price Bloggin' For D'Addario Woodwinds- Working on standard tunes;styles and analysis for study.

I’m going to do a few styles and analysis blogs to help students of every level get a focus on developing repertoire. These tunes are necessary tunes and everybody’s repertoire… You should not be playing these tunes on a gig with an iPad or real book they should be memorized. These are common language tunes-tunes to have fun with. As well as the threshold any serious saxophone player should be crossing. 

The first set of tunes I’ll include the recording that it came from and also the artist that you should investigate and study. The additional tunes that I list is your homework you have to do the same thing go to YouTube find your favorite version play along with the tune. You won’t find a better version of "autumn leaves" then Gene Ammons version. But you have to be the judge of what works best for you. Take your time and get started and focus.

You’re going to be having some fun- hope this helps.

Tunes for Memorization & Study


Tune; Artist, Album, Source

Corcovado	Cannonball Adderley	Cannonball Adderley and the Bossa Rio Sextet
Dexter Digs In	Dexter Gordon	Long Tall Dexter/The Savoy Sessions
	Ecaroh	Hank Mobley	Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers
For Regulars Only	Dexter Gordon	Manhattan Syndrome
Maiden Voyage	George Coleman	Maiden Voyage
Now's the Time	Charlie Parker	Confirmation: The Best of the Verve Years
Over the Rainbow	Sonny Stitt	Soul Electricity
Song for my Father	Joe Henderson	Song for My Father
Speak No Evil	Wayne Shorter	Speak No Evil

Additional Tunes for Memorization

                  A flyer from back in the day at a Jazz Fest with great legends '

Autumn Leaves; Billie's Bounce; Doxy; Groovin High; Just Friends; Killer Joe; Misty; Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise; Stella by Starlight Things Ain't What They Used To Be, Soft Winds, Lullaby Of The Leaves, Making Whoopee.
          Su Terry & I playing in NYC. . .



Also- I've included some suggested recordings that will help you focus in on where tempos and feel should be coming from. See you next week! Thanks- Tim Price