Methods for Fighting the Epidemic of Tune Illiteracy Woodshed
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110-118_SHED.qxd 3/17/10 4:18 PM Page 114 MASTER CLASS Woodshed by J.B. Dyas, Ph.D Methods For Fighting The Epidemic Of Tune Illiteracy For the past 20-plus years, I’ve 8-bar bridge and 8-bar last A) had the honor of teaching in a • “Moment’s Notice”: ABAB'V (8-bar first A, 8-bar first B, wide variety of didactic situa- 8-bar second A, 6-bar second B, 8-bar vamp with tions, from jazz camps and per- B-flat pedal) forming arts high schools to • “Peace”: 10-bar tune universities and prestigious jazz • “Stablemates”: ABA (14-bar first A, 8-bar bridge, institutes. If you were to 14-bar last A) approach each of the incredible • “Yes Or No”: AABA (14-bar A sections with a jazz masters and pedagogues 16-bar bridge) I’ve taught alongside and ask 3) Memorize the root movement; play roots with definitive or play-along them, “What’s the best way to recording. learn how to play jazz?” you’re 4) Memorize the chord qualities; play chords (arpeggios in quarter notes) sure to get many, many differ- with play-along recording as follows: ent answers: go to school, don’t • 1–3–5–7–9 for chords lasting two bars (have the 9th sustain go to school, go to New York, for the second bar) go to New Orleans, transcrip- • 1–3–5–7 for chords lasting one bar tion books are a great tool, • 1–3 for chords lasting two beats using transcription books is • For II–V–I progressions in major, play: cheating, look at your band- mates, close your eyes, and the contradictions go on and on. However, while professional jazz musicians might disagree on just about everything else, I’ve found there are two areas in which just about everyone is in accord, and vehemently so. Whether their specialty is tradi- tional, bebop, contemporary, or anything in between, it’s been my experi- • For II–V–I progressions in minor, play: ence that most great jazz players advocate that in order to play this music you must 1) listen to it constantly, and 2) memorize a whole lot of tunes— at least a couple hundred. Since virtually everyone’s favorite players agree that these two activities are vital to becoming a jazz musician, it never ceases to amaze me that so many students have to run to a fakebook to play “What Is This Thing Called Love” or even “Billie’s Bounce”! Tune illiteracy among young up-and-coming jazz players is far too rampant. Also practice having the final 7th in the penultimate measure resolve to To help fight this malady, I’ve put together a systematic method for the 6th (instead of the 9th) in the last measure. memorizing and, equally important, retaining the essential standard jazz 5) Play related scales in eighth notes (if the chord lasts for two bars, have repertoire (there’s nothing worse than finding yourself on a gig and having the 9th sustain for the second bar; for chords lasting two beats, just play a tune called that you “used to know”). Also equally if not more important 1–2–3–4). is thoroughly listening to the definitive recordings; that is, learning the 6) Memorize the head; play with definitive and play-along recordings intros, rhythmic hits, harmony parts, backgrounds, endings and whatever while thinking of the changes. else those in the know, know. And, of course, transcribing at least a phrase 7) Improvise with play-along recording. or two from your favorite solo on each tune provides you with additional 8) Transcribe phrases from definitive recording. vocabulary and insight, not to mention credibility when you quote it, indi- 9) Improvise with play-along recording, incorporating phrases transcribed cating to your peers that you, too, are in the know. from the definitive recording. Following is a list of nine sequential steps for learning any tune: By executing these basic steps, you will not only thoroughly know the 1) Listen to the definitive recording numerous times. root movement, chord qualities and head of each new tune you learn, you 2) Memorize the form. will have internalized their definitive recordings, one of the most impor- Common forms include: tant aspects of becoming a good jazz player. And, through this process, • 12-bar blues (e.g., “Tenor Madness,” “Now’s The Time,” “Mr. you will also learn how chords progress, understand substitutions, have PC,” “Footprints,” “Blues For Alice”) hundreds of quotable phrases for improvisation, develop your ear and time • 16-bar tune (e.g., “Watermelon Man,” “Cantaloupe Island,” feel, have credibility and be employable. “Blue Bossa,” “Summertime,” “Doxy”) The list of “must-know” tunes can be found in the book Pocket • AABA (e.g., “I Got Rhythm,” “Impressions,” “Maiden Voyage,” Changes along with their most common chord progressions. I also rec- “Satin Doll,” “Body And Soul”) ommend David Baker’s book How to Learn Tunes (both available • ABAC (e.g., “All Of Me,” “All Of You,” “On Green through jazzbooks.com). Please stay tuned for my methodic procedure Dolphin Street”) for memorizing, reviewing and retaining all the tunes on the list in part 2 Uncommon forms include: of this article in an upcoming issue. DB • AAB (e.g., “Song For My Father”) • AABC (e.g., “Autumn Leaves”) Dr. J.B. Dyas currently serves as Vice President for Education and Curriculum Be on the lookout for tunes with other odd forms, for example: Development for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. • “Alone Together”: AABA' (14-bar first A, 14-bar second A, 114 DOWNBEAT May 2010 2 Tune Learning Order of Events (do in the following order for each tune) 1. listen to the definitive recording numerous times 2. memorize the form 3. memorize root movement, play roots with definitive or play-along recording (see examples 1 & 4 on pp. 3 & 4) 4. memorize chord qualities, play chords (arpeggios) with play-along recording as follows: (see examples 2 & 5 on pp. 3 & 4) • 1 3 5 7 9 for chords lasting two bars (have the 9th sustain for the second bar) • 1 3 5 7 for chords lasting one bar • 1 3 for chords lasting two beats • for II V I’s in major, play:* • for II V I’s in minor, play:* 5. play related scales in eighth notes: for chords that last two bars, have the 9th sustain for the second bar; for chords that last one bar, play the scale 1-8; for chords that last two beats, just play 1 2 3 4 (see examples 3 & 6 on pp. 3 & 4) 6. memorize head, play with definitive and play-along recording 7. improvise with play-along recording 8. transcribe phrases from definitive recording 9. improvise with play-along recording, incorporating phrases transcribed from definitive recording * You may also have the final 7th in the penultimate measure resolve to the 6th in the last measure (i.e., practice ending the line on both the 9th and 6th) Ten Most Common Chord Scales Chord Scale Name Formula Scale Beginning On C C∆ Major major scale C D E F G A B C C7 Mixolydian major scale with a b7 C D E F G A Bb C C- Dorian major scale with a b3 and b7 C D Eb F G A Bb C CØ Locrian notes from major scale ½ step higher C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Co Diminished (W/H) W H W H W H W H C D Eb F Gb Ab A B C C-∆ Melodic Minor major scale with a b3 C D Eb F G A B C C7alt Super Locrian notes from melodic minor scale ½ step higher C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C C7b9 Diminished (H/W) H W H W H W H W C Db Eb E F# G A Bb C C7#5 Whole Tone all whole steps C D E F# G# Bb C C7 or C- Blues Scale 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 1 C Eb F Gb G Bb C 3 Song For My Father (Form: AAB) Example 1-Roots F- E¨7 D¨7 G-/C F- 4 ™ ™ & 4 w w wb w wb w w w E¨7 F- E¨7 D¨7 G-/C F- & wb w w w ˙b ˙b w w w Example 2-Chords F- j œb œ w E¨7 œ w D¨7 G-/C œ ˙ F- j œb œ w ™ œb œ J j œb œb J œb œb ˙ œb œ œb œ J ™ & œ™ J œb ™ œ J œb œ œ œ™ J E¨7 œ w F- j œb œ w E¨7 D¨7 G-/C œ ˙ F- j œb œ w j œb œb J œb œ J œb œ œb œ J & œb ™ œ J œ™ J œb œ œb œ œ œ™ J Example 3-Scales F- œ w E¨7 w ™ œb œ œ œb œb œ œb œb & ™ œ œ œb œb œ œ œb D¨7 G-/C œ œ œ F- œb œ w œb œb œb œb œ œb œ œ œb œb œ œ ™ & œb œb œ œb œ œ œ E¨7 w F- œ w œb œ œb œb œb œ œ œb & œb œ œ œb œ œ œb E¨7 D¨7 G-/C œ œ œ F- œb œ w œb œ œb œ œ œb œb œ œ & œb œ œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œ 4 Blue Bossa (Form: 16-bar tune) Example 4-Roots C- F- DØ G7½ C- & w w w w w w w w E¨- A¨7 D¨Œ„Š7 DØ G7½ C- DØ G7½ & wb w ˙ wb wb w w w ˙ Example 5-Chords C- F- DØ G7½ œb œb C- j œ w j œb œ w j œ# œ ˙ & j œ œb œb œ J j œb œœ œœœ œ œb w œ™ œb J œ™ J œ™œ J œ œb E¨- A¨7 œb D¨Œ„Š7 DØ G7½ œb œb C-˙ DØ G7½ j œb œ ˙ œ œb ˙ œ j jœ œ# œ œ & ™ œb œb œb œ œb wb œ œb œ œœœ œ œb œ œ œb J J œb œ™ J œ œb œ Example 6-Scales C- F- w œ œb œ w & œ œ œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œ œb œ œ DØ G7½ C- œ œb œb œ œ w & œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œ E¨- œb A¨7 œb œ œb œb D¨Œ„Š7 wb œb œb œ œb œb œb œ œb œb œb œ œb & œb œ œb œb œb œ œb DØ G7½ C- DØ G7½ C- œ œb œb œ œ & œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œb œb w œ œb œ œ œ œb œ œ œb œ 5 Common Forms A A B A e.g., Take the A Train A: I C I I D7#5 I I D- I G7 I C I D- G7 I A: I C I I D7#5 I I D- I G7 I C I G- C7 I B: I F I I I I D7 I I D- I G7 I A: I C I I D7#5 I I D- I G7 I C I D- G7 I A B A C e.g., On Green Dolphin Street A: I Eb I I Eb- I I F I E I Eb I Eb C7alt I B: I F- I Bb7 I Eb IBb- Eb7 IAb- I Db7 I Gb I F- Bb7 I A: I Eb I I Eb- I I F I E I Eb I Eb C7alt I C: IF- F-/Eb IDø G7alt IC- C-/BbIAø D7alt I G- C7altI F- Bb7 I Eb I (F- Bb7) I 16-Bar Tune e.g., Blue Bossa I C- I I F- I I Dø I G7alt I C- I I I Eb- I Ab7 I Db I I Dø I G7alt I C- IDø G7alt I 12-Bar Blues e.g., Billie’s Bounce, Now’s the Time, Straight No Chaser, etc.