trumpettrax

What is the best way for a beginner (of jazz studies) to start? At the moment I do not have a teacher, I'm probably an intermediate player at best, but want to start dabbling in jazz. Any ideas?

Trax

I really like smooth jazz

Dupac

Listen, write down the notes you hear, play, listen again, and at last ...

TrumpetMD

IMHO, you need to learn the jazz vocabulary (scales, chords, arpeggios, patterns), listen to other artists, memorize songs, and play with others.

Eric Bolvin has a nice video introduction to improvising (::: Eric Bolvin Music Studios - Music and Trumpet Stuff:::), which you might find helpful.

Jamey Aebersold has a free Jazz Handbook (Jazz Handbook: Jazzbooks.com), which includes a nice section on how to learn songs, a song list for beginners, some of the more important jazz scales, and an introduction to jazz patterns (based on Jerry Coker's book).

You could also try some of the Aebersold CD's, especially volumes 1, 2, and 3 at first, but also 16, 24, 30, 42, 57, and 84.

And maybe get a copy of the Real Book Volume 1.

Have fun.

RHSbigbluemarchingband

In middle school, when we first learned jazz, we were taught from this book called the essential elements of jazz. It is the base of all of my town's jazz. It teaches you how to swing in an easy way, while teaching you all the history, and terms of the genre. The pace is slow, and its easy, plus it comes with cds so you can play along with an accompianment (spl?).

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Markie

TrumpetMD is telling you what you need and I totally agree.
The easiest way to get those skillls(scales, patterns,inversions and triads) for jazz and learn how to improvise at the same time is to use the SPIT Book with play alongs(Aebersold is(in my opinion) the best).
I usually can have a person doing simple improvisations within the first setting by using the SPIT book. I like to look at jazz and improv like this. The melody is the trunk of the tree and the improv are little branches shooting off from the trunk.

TrumpetMD

Nice analogy.

Bob Grier

Do you have a jazz teacher close by? jazz is a generis language. The teacher can play any instrument. It doesn't have to be trumpet. I start my students with Volume 1 Aebersold. It works only on improvisation and doesn't really work on jazz phrasing, articulation. For that I use a number of jazz duet books.

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TrumpetMD

Good advice. My jazz teacher played the sax.

BTW, what jazz books do you use to help with phrasing and articulation?

Thanks.