| Well, this is how I learned how to play Jazz. Well kinda, I've still got a ton to learn. I just listened to as many players and as much jazz as I could until I had a specific sound in my head that I wanted. Then, I would pick 3 or 4 tunes a week, learned them in one key until I didn't have to look at the changes, then learn them in a couple other keys... Eb, F, G, and so on. After a while of this, I was ok, but still played licks that I felt where stale, and pretty boring to me. So, I started transcribing. I found solos I liked, that had a lot of good ideas, and started learning them. First I got Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring" , Cherokee, and Jordu. Then, I moved on to Blues. Freddie Hubbard's Birdlike. Hank Morgan's "Shout", Lee Morgan playing slow blues. Then, very late on, I started learning the intricacies of the blues. If I could give you some advice it would be to start by learning the blues, transcribing some blues solos (Freddie H's Birdlike is EXCELLENT) and learning the form. What I've described above, is not all inclusive, but the important part of my struggle, and was a process that has taken around 3 years. I am not great yet, but I've gotten a ton better. Something that Bobby Shew told me was this:
Everything you listen to goes into an internal database. If you listen to crap, you will play crap. Find something you like, listen to it, memorize it and know it.
-J
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Bach 37
3C |