kcmt01

C Jam Blues is one of the best beginner songs to improvise to. Super simple, easy to count, endless possibilities.

y-o-y

+1 to learning from the greats. The best aid I came across as I was learning to improvise was a book of transcribed Clifford Brown solos. Learning and analyzing what Clifford was doing over a set of changes taught me more about jazz then learning a thousand scales, intervals and arpeggios....which are also important. Also, actively listening to great soloists and transcribing their playing is a wonderful way to really understanding a set of changes.

Flathead75

I don't understand the bad rap Abersold is getting. I just used the books for the head and changes, but the real deal is playing with the rhythm section and feeling the music. I never learned all the theory and it has hurt me a lot. But, you have to at some point play what you feel, and if you don't do a lot of listening you may sound more like a guy playing exercises instead of playing jazz. You have to have ideas and just let them come out through your horn!

gsmonks

Aebersold is the embodiment of barf jazz, in my opinion.

Flathead75

Well, you are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else but a lot of players have learned how to improvise with the series.

Markie

gsmonk says:
"Aebersold is the embodiment of barf jazz, in my opinion".

Question:
What makes Aebersold play alongs, barf jazz?
----------------------------------------------------
gsmonk says:
My belief is that all old art should be burned to make way for the new.
--
I agree!!!
As long as I am the one that decides what is old.
Here's the rule:
If it's before the Paleozoic era, out it goes.

gsmonks

True . . . and a good many (most) players play barf jazz these days.

Fidel

Learn the tune properly, memorise it and play it over and over so your own phrases will just start to take over. In a group situation use your ears and remember you are only a semitone away whatever is happening with the chords. Listen to how a chord sequence has stand out notes. RELAX! Its not the fault of a good tune if someone plays is by rote.
Improvisation is just an extention of what you start with. It is supposed to be music not an exercise. To quote Thelonius Monk '' You've got to dig it to dig it, you dig?''.

Asher S

"Barf jazz" That's hilarious!

If 12-bar blues and ii-V-I is "barf jazz", may my horn be like one huge, whopper dose of ipecac

If anyone here has never used Band In A Box, here is a small (327 kb) Stuffit file with 48 midi tracks (minor and major blues, each in C-concert and Bb, each in all 12 keys). I set the tempo slowish at 110 for the sake of practicing. To decompress it you will need the free Stuffit expander for your platform (just google for it). Play along to your heart's delight, have fun.

I'll leave this up as long as possible:
MIDI Blues rhythm tracks, all keys, major, minor, C-concert, Bb

veery715

Hey, gsmonks, you already initiated a thread where you complain about the state of jazz. Your complaints are not constructive and will not be of use to help the OP of this thread.

veery