commakozzi

I like that... that's great advice! When I was in college I was a reader only. I couldn't improv to save my life. It wasn't until I left school and met a guy that had the first Aebersold volume that I really started getting into improv. I had listened all my life though, and that really helped a lot. I had been taught or told (at least) at some point in my life that you should start with the blues and so that's what I did. I believe that first volume has blues in Bb and F. I spent hours, days, weeks, and months just on that volume (while slowly moving into other stuff). I recommend doing the same, and I've just recently bought "Melodic Structures" by Jerry Bergonzi. It's a great book and CD.

You have to practice scales and patterns though!!! If you don't do it already, do your Clarkes and similar exercises. I use the Vizzutti method books, specifically Vol 1 for my warm-up, and he has you play technical exercises (Clarke 2nd study derivatives) which go through major, minor, half diminished, diminished and whole tone. That alone has worked wonders for my improv skills. Lack of confidence can kill your solos and if you see a chord symbol and aren't familiar with its associated scale then you just can't be confident enough to be creative over that chord.

gridjam

Wow and yes all! Thanks for throwing all of your ideas around while I'm scrambling for either a spare moment or a strong signal. Not to rub it in, but I'm on a mini-vacation in Mexico (after touring my brains out for the past two week). Had my first 8 hour sleep, ok 9...that I've had in ages. THE ROAD!
My bottom line answer to this question is to get out and play. The books, the Cds, the analyzing, the play a longs...all great learning tools but if you are not developing communication skills from the get go, you will be like a child with a Thesaurus for a brain but with no ability to connect the dots that are needed to formulate sentences and stories. FIND someone to play with and get playing and communicating as soon as possible. If you are in band at school, say yes! I will solo. Even if you have no clue what to do. Get the recording of the song you are soloing on and do all of the listening, analyzing and playing along that you can. Handle transcription books with care, use them to check your ears after you have learned the solos by ear. If there is a mistake in your hearing, it may be because you have not trained your ears enough. Eg- if you heard an interval as a fifth but it is a fourth- there's your shedding material for the week...the interval of the fourth in every possible combination you can eek out in every register of your horn. A great starting point for feel and phrasing is to lift Miles solos on Kind Of Blue and play the tunes on the record with others.
more to come...
IJ

BergeronWannabe

I LOVE this! Absolutely perfect...jazz improvisation is indeed a language.

ARTIE RULES

http://pubcs.free.fr/jg/jg_I_Can%27t...b_BBerigan.pdf

YouTube - Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra - I Can't Get Started With You

qazaq

Wow...

Didn't think there was so much to improv...

Is it ok if I just kind of do it and it sounds good?

I just play what sounds good, and try to think up cool rythms.

The hardest part of an improv for me is knowing where to end...because I don't look at the chord changes. And if I happen to be looking at them, they mess me up and I start sounding uncertain.

Is this a bad thing, if I plan to do jazz in college?

Mattrumpet

Yes. Somebody who plans on playing jazz for a living should be practicing to be able to play through a tune's changes without any kind of accompaniment. Going by ear can only get you so far. Practicing scales, learning chord symbols, and listening/copying is essential.

jazzycammy

Books have useful info but are really not the answer to playing jazz. Listen to king oliver, Louis, Bix, Roy eldridge, Clifford, Freddie, KD, Blue Mitchell.....it's all there. It just takes a lot of motivation and a lot of talent helps!! Good luck.