A Comprehensive Method for Jazz Style and Improvisation By Mike Steinel By Mike Steinel A Comprehensive Method for Jazz Style and Improvisation From the trusted ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS family of band methods, ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR JAZZ ENSEMBLE offers an exciting way to introduce young players to the world of jazz. Specifically designed to teach jazz basics to students with 1 or 2 years playing experience. #73999-DCAAGa Visit Hal Leonard Online at HL90001883 www.halleonard.com 59271EEJazz[guts]: 12/2/08 4:36 PM Page 1 DIRECTOR’S INFORMATION GUIDE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR JAZZ ENSEMBLE A COMPREHENSIVE METHOD FOR JAZZ STYLE AND IMPROVISATION By MIKE STEINEL WELCOME to the exciting world of jazz! This book will help you get started by introducing the important elements of jazz style and improvisation. You’ll also learn basic jazz theory and some highlights of the history of jazz. The exercises and compositions in this book can be played by a full jazz ensemble, or individually with the CD. Listening to good jazz players is an extremely important way to learn, and playing along with the CD is an excellent way to hear how jazz is played. The full band arrangements in this book include “sample” improvised solos for study and reference. And remember…have fun playing jazz! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Steinel is an internationally recognized jazz artist and educator. He has recorded with the Frank Mantooth Orchestra and the Chicago Jazz Quintet, and performed with a wide variety of jazz greats including Clark Terry, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill Evans, and Don Ellis. Since 1987, he has been a member of the jazz faculty at the University of North Texas where he teaches jazz improvisation and jazz pedagogy. He is the author of Building A Jazz Vocabulary (a jazz text) and numerous compositions for jazz ensemble. The University of North Texas pioneered jazz education when it instituted the first jazz degree program in 1947. Its flagship ensemble, the One O’clock Lab Band has toured four continents and has been the recipient of four Grammy nominations. Throughout its history, UNT has pro- duced a host of fine jazz talent. Alumni of the program can be found in all facets of jazz and commercial music. Managing Editor: MICHAEL SWEENEY Copyright © 2000 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved 59271EEJazz[guts]: 12/2/08 4:36 PM Page 2 2 CDs WITH EVERY BOOK One of the most important ways to learn to play jazz 4 THE BASICS OF JAZZ STYLE is by listening to professional players. Each book Attacks and Releases comes with complete recordings of every example Traditional Jazz In traditional music (Concert ˙. ˙. Œ In jazz it is common to use a “Doo” attack (soft Band and Orchestra) you use a & Œ & and legato) to begin a note. It is also common “Tah” articulation to begin a note to end the note with the tongue. This “tongue- and every full band arrangement. On the repeated and taper the note at the end. Tah Doo - - - it stop” gives the music a rhythmic feeling. exercises, the rhythm section only plays the second 1. ATTACKS AND RELEASES 4 wTraditional œ Jazzw œ ‰ Œ Ó . & 4 J ‰ Œ Ó J time. This allows students to hear the correct Tah Swing 8th Notes Sound DifferentDoo Than- - - -They- - - Look- - - it interpretation the first time, then play along the In swing, the 2nd 8th note of each beat is actually played like the last third of a triplet, and slightly accented. 8th notes in swing style are usuallyTraditional played legato. Jazz Accenting “2 and 4” œ> œ œ> œ œ œ> œ œ> For most traditional music the important beats in 4/4 time are & & second time. The full band arrangements include 1 and 3. In jazz, however, the emphasis is usually on beats 2 and 4. Emphasizing6. SWING “2 and 4”gives8TH NOTES the music a jazz feeling. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 “sample” improvised solos recorded on separate Traditional 4 . 5 2. ACCENTING& 4 œ 2. AND 4 Sing the scat syllables of each exercise before you play it. œ 3 œ œ. œ œ . Jazz = œ 3 Traditional> > >œ > > > > > œ œ j tracks for study and reference. 4 Tah Œ . œ œ œ œ . œ or œ œ œ œTah œ œ œ œœ œ.œ œ œ œ œ . > Œ Ó œ & 4 Tah Tah œ. Tah œ œ. > Œ Jazz- > Tah Tah œ œ - > Tah Tah œ œ ^ Quarter Notes Tah -œœ œ> Playing Doo and Bah (Full Value Notes) Doo Œ - > Quarter notes in swing style are usually played Bah œ STARTS WITH THE BASICS Doo œ - > detached (staccato) with accents on beats 2 and 4. Bah œ ^ In jazz, notes marked with a dash (tenuto) or an accent are played full value Dot œ œ with a soft legato articulation. The scat (vocal) syllables “Doo” and “Bah” will Tenuto Long Accent (full value) Doo(full value, accented) Œ . help you hear the sound of these articulations. Remember in jazz it is Bah Doo . Bah important to play full value notes with a legato articulation.& œ Doo Bah Dot œ œ Students are shown how the approach to jazz is 7.Note: QUARTERSThe “Bah” articulation AND is8THS used only when vocalizing the scat syllables.“ Bah” helps demonstrateœ the appropriate amount of accent. When articulating on your instrument use the syllable “Dah.” 4 . = . & 4 œ œ^ & œ œ^ different than “traditional” music step by step. With œ. œ. ^ Œ œ Dit œ- > Dit Dot œ - > Dot Dit œ œ ^ Dit the help of vocal “scat” syllables, the correct style œ Dot Doo Œ Bah . Doo œ ^ 8. MORE QUARTERS AND 8THS Bah œ Dot œ. Œ inflections come naturally. The concept of swing 8th Dit œ- > Dot œ œ- > ^ Dit œ œ notes is taught gradually, using single pitches to start Doo Œ Bah . Doo . Bah Dot with, then reinforced using easy scale patterns. 11 Building Jazz Chords EASY INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ HARMONY Most jazz is harmonized with Seventh Chords. Seventh Chords are four-note chords built in thirds (every other note of a scale). A Major Seventh Chord uses the first, third, fifth, and seventh notes of a major scale. 31. C Major Scale C Major Seventh Chord One of the most challenging elements of jazz is 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 3 5 7 5 3 1 learning the concept of jazz chords and harmony. Lowering the top note (called the seventh) of the Major Seventh Chord changes the chord to a Dominant Seventh Chord. Lowering the second (called the third) and top note (seventh) of a Major Seventh Chord changes the chord to a Minor Seventh Chord. Chords are taught by showing how they relate 32. C Major Seventh Chord C Dominant Seventh Chord C Minor Seventh Chord 4 œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ to familiar scales. Only the basic types are shown & 4 œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ bœ bœ ˙ œ (major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th) and they Chords have specific labels called Chord Symbols. The first letter in a Chord Symbol always indicates the root or the bottom note of the chord. The letters and numbers on the righ t indicate the chord type (major or dominant for example). Chord Name Chord Symbol are immediately reinforced with a series of 7 C Major Seventh Cma 7 C Dominant Seventh C 7 simple exercises. C Minor Seventh Cmi 37. BLUES WORKOUT – Roots and Sevenths7 33. MAJOR SEVENTH CHORD WORKOUT (Cma ) C7 . (Play either note) 4& 4 ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ w & 4 ˙ 4 ˙ ˙ w œ œ œ ˙ œ. -œ œ w .œ œ . - > > IMPROVISATION MADE EASY - bœ ˙ ‘ C7 > ‘ F 7 & (C7) 34. DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD WORKOUT ‘ (Play either note) 4 œ œ G7 . .œ Building on the concept of jazz chords, the Blues . - bœ b˙ bœ œ. ˙ œ œ w & 4 ˙ ˙ ˙ ‘ ˙ œ F˙7 œ œ œ œ - bœœ œ˙œ w ˙ > .œw œ œ. -œ > .> - > ‘ 38. BLUES WORKOUT – Roots, Thirds,- œand˙ Sevenths C 7 > .œ œ b Progression is taught as a series of dominant 7th 4 C7 - œ ˙ & 7 > œ 4 (C ) . -œ bœ ˙ œ œ œ > ˙ . Œ .. chords. Improvisation is intr > bœ ˙ ‘ C 7 > oduced gradually, ‘ F 7 & ‘ starting with 2-measure phrases using only a few nœ G7 œ œ œ œ œ > bœ ˙ ‘ F 7 > bœ ˙ > œ nœ œ > ‘ chord tones at a time. Students are improvising œ C 7 39. MAKE UP YOUR OWN – 2-Bar> Solos using˙ Roots,œ œ Thirds, and Sevenths > œ bœ C 7 > ˙ 4 Band > œ nœ before they have a chance to be worried about it! & 4 > œ bœ ˙ Œ . œ œ œ > ˙ . > bœ œ œ Solo They are shown how jazz first evolved around > > œ œ œ ’’ 7 . œ bœ ’’ C > - ˙ œ F 7 Band Solo > bœ œ ’ ’ ’ & ’ ’’ ’ œ œ “jazzin’ up” the melody, and are taught basic scales ’ G7 œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ ’ ’ Band > > œ œ œ ’ ’ œ nœ F 7 > > . -œ bœ ˙ to use when improvising - Blues Scale, Dominant œ œ ˙ C7 > > > œ œ Building the Dominant Scale œ bœ ˙ ’Solo You can build a “dominant scale” by inserting notes betwee h > > ’’’ or Mixolydian Mode, Bebop Scale, and the This scale “fits” (sounds like) the D bœ œ œ ’ ’ ’ ’ .. Dorian Mode. 59271EEJazz[guts]: 12/2/08 4:36 PM Page 3 Duke Ellington JAZZ HISTORY AND PEOPLE The Swing Era In the 1930’s and 40’s, the orchestras of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Fletcher Henderson created a new type of dance music called swing.