August 30, 2010 in Learning Jazz
I’m getting ready to go back to teaching mode soon, so this week I will be focusing on sharing some of the teaching handouts I have been developing for various instruments. This is a list of 20 Jazz Chords for the Guitar:
PDF of 20 Basic Jazz Chords for Guitar
20 Basic Jazz Chords (.pdf)
It is organized as follows:…
July 29, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Nice changes, I think. They are fun to experiment with. Please comment and let me know what you think of them!
-Camden
Take the A-Train Reharm
Take the A-Train-C Instruments (.pdf)
Take the A-Train-Bb Instruments (.pdf)
Take the A-Train-Eb Instruments (.pdf)
Take the A-Train-Hip Alt Changes Jazz Track
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July 22, 2010 in Learning Jazz
Teaching improvisation can be a daunting task. How do I teach kids how to invent a solo from thin air? I am the lead instructor at the Great Basin Junior Jazz Camp this week (I am also on faculty for the big camp, which is held a different week), and I created this handout to do just that. I do …
July 13, 2010 in Learning Jazz
Learn Jazz Standards is a website for all instrumentalists, and even vocalists; however, given that piano is my primary instrument, I will occasionally put some piano articles up. Also, piano is the most useful instrument for all musicians. There is a reason that all music majors take “piano proficiency” rather than “banjo proficiency!” All jazz musicians should study harmony on …
July 8, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Perdido is one of my very favorite jazz tunes. It’s such a simple tune, but it’s got a great melody, and the changes are just fun to blow on. It’s not very hard, and it’s very accessible to most beginning jazz musicians, but also a favorite of many advanced players.
I really fell in love with this tune when I …
June 25, 2010 in Jazz Standards
This is one of my favorite tunes, and it’s definitely my favorite play along I’ve created so far! It’s the most modern sounding of the play alongs, being very much jazz with a hint of hop-hop. I love it! Learn this tune. It has the same changes as So What, which makes sense because Trane was in Miles’ band. It’s …
June 16, 2010 in Jazz Standards
This is such a great standard when done right. However, “In a Mellow Tone” Don’t Mean a Thing, If It Ain’t Got that Swing! Listen to the way Dizzy and his group does it. What a burnin’ chart! I changed the way I do my play alongs today, and I’d like some comments. See if you like it better. I …
June 11, 2010 in Jazz Standards
My Little Suede Shoes is a very catchy, lyrical tune. It’s one of the most accessible tunes Bird wrote. Many of his tunes had angular melodies that some people unaccustomed to bebop have a tough time following (not you or I, of course, but some listeners have a tough time with bebop. Try singing Donna Lee…). However, this is a …
June 4, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Doxy is a great easy jazz original by Sonny Rollins. FSR, by Ray Brown, is another nice standard that uses the same chord changes. Learn them as a group. Be sure to check out the youtube recording of Conte Candoli! I could not find a reputable video recording of FSR, but Ray Brown recorded it on the album “Straight Ahead” …
May 31, 2010 in Jazz Standards
Great easy blues tune! Check out the youtube recordings of Monk and Johnny Griffin with Wes Montgomery at the bottom of the page.
Blue Monk-C Instruments (.pdf)
Blue Monk-Bb Instruments (.pdf)
Blue Monk-Eb Instruments (.pdf)
Blue Monk-Roman Numeral changes (.pdf)
Blue Monk Play Along
Blue Monk-Thelonious Monk, viewed by Basie and others!
Blue Monk-Johnny Griffin and Wes Montgomery
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