TrumpetMaster - View Single Post - Starting a Jazz combo, hopefully for money lol

Lazorphaze · 07-06-2004, 05:50 PM

I've got a jazz combo.
I play alto sax, and there's a piano, and drums.
Ok, first off.
1. Get people who you KNOW will be dedicated. It helps a lot. The members help each other out. In my band, there really is no "figurehead" of power, I just direct rehearsals, even though we can take it whatever way we want.

2. Enforce discipline, but not too much. Make sure that the members are focused, and not goofing off. I had a problem with discipline awhile ago when we rehearsed at school. About halfway through rehearsal, the drummer would go to a bathroom break, and after that, we'd have a pencil throwing fight. The trombone player got sick of it, and stopped coming, so I had to fire him (even though I don't pay my members)

3. Find a good rehearsal spot. If it's in your band room after school, then fine, but make sure you get plenty done in the little time you'll probably have. In fact, that's how my band started out. We couldn't do anything else, so we did Tuesdays after school in the band room for about an hour.
This seemed like it would be productive, but it wasn't. I have had this group for about 5 months now, and we're recording a demo tape next rehearsal, and all because of rehearsals at the drummer + pianist's house (they're brothers)

4. Get a Real Book and transpose parts for everyone. I am doing this, and it works magnificently. The piano player got us all books of songs (just made up ones, not standards) They really help becuase they have a solo section and stuff written in, so you don't have to figure out the scales to use when during improv. But when you get good enough soloing off a lead sheet (song + chords) you can go to the Real Book. Pick some easy tunes first, like Blue Monk. It's simple, and easy to do improv. on.

5. Get some recordings of songs you want to play. It helps immensely. We are playing Footprints, and the piano player thought it was a ballad til I showed him a recording.

On getting gigs, I still have to figure that out.
But anyway, good luck with this, and most of all, have fun!

Eric S.

07-06-2004, 05:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lazorphaze Piano User Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 399	I've got a jazz combo. I play alto sax, and there's a piano, and drums. Ok, first off. 1. Get people who you KNOW will be dedicated. It helps a lot. The members help each other out. In my band, there really is no "figurehead" of power, I just direct rehearsals, even though we can take it whatever way we want. 2. Enforce discipline, but not too much. Make sure that the members are focused, and not goofing off. I had a problem with discipline awhile ago when we rehearsed at school. About halfway through rehearsal, the drummer would go to a bathroom break, and after that, we'd have a pencil throwing fight. The trombone player got sick of it, and stopped coming, so I had to fire him (even though I don't pay my members) 3. Find a good rehearsal spot. If it's in your band room after school, then fine, but make sure you get plenty done in the little time you'll probably have. In fact, that's how my band started out. We couldn't do anything else, so we did Tuesdays after school in the band room for about an hour. This seemed like it would be productive, but it wasn't. I have had this group for about 5 months now, and we're recording a demo tape next rehearsal, and all because of rehearsals at the drummer + pianist's house (they're brothers) 4. Get a Real Book and transpose parts for everyone. I am doing this, and it works magnificently. The piano player got us all books of songs (just made up ones, not standards) They really help becuase they have a solo section and stuff written in, so you don't have to figure out the scales to use when during improv. But when you get good enough soloing off a lead sheet (song + chords) you can go to the Real Book. Pick some easy tunes first, like Blue Monk. It's simple, and easy to do improv. on. 5. Get some recordings of songs you want to play. It helps immensely. We are playing Footprints, and the piano player thought it was a ballad til I showed him a recording. On getting gigs, I still have to figure that out. But anyway, good luck with this, and most of all, have fun! Eric S.