Really basic Dixieland tuba playing lessons

[David Richoux]

For those just starting out in improvising tuba parts, these 7 lessons in constructing a tuba part ( from the song chords ) might be useful.

Here.

I have already suggested using a bit better graphics and also explaining that the notes are shown 8va. It is good to learn how to read string bass parts, but it should be said

[Norm in Bellevue]

While the music theory is elementary, the actual bass line technique nicely compliments what I've been doing in lessons.

Thanks.

[Jess Haney]

awesome stuff

[eupher61]

for once I totally agree with bloke. Almost.

My approach with students is call and response playing and basics of theory, followed by learning melodies on the horn.

While melodies are being learned the essence of bass line is discussed. Piano is helpful, but a recording can suffice.This way the soloing aspect is covered by simply knowing the tune. I encourage students to take basic theory classes, work scales and arpeggio patterns, and buzz with any recording they can--radio, tv, mp3, whatever.

that said, thanks, Dave! this is fun.

[eupher61]

back to the videos....please don't think the dim and Aug chords are unimportant. that is the one thing I will quibble with from these videos. a lot of the content is stylistic, thus personal. Diminished chords appear in a vast majority of tunes...they add color to the tune. Augmented not so often, but adding that color in the bass line can make a soso soloist sound a lot better.

[eupher61]

guilty as charged, Joe, but my alibi is playing with different people, and in different cities, who all do things a little differently. frinstance ...Closer Walk. I've been told insistantly that it's a dim...or a minor. Even to stay on the IV.
There is a great technique which any trad style bass instrument player has to learn...I call it muffling the note. A great tool the first time through a tune with dim/minor situations or unfamiliar changes.

[J.c. Sherman]

I'm shocked! You guys get sheet music?!? Changes?!?!?!?

I've never had that opportunity; I started at SeaWorld and had to run from my ears from day one. Trial by fire. One learns a critical lesson awefully quick:

Learn the tune, stupid.

Later:

Stay out of everyone elses way.

Then you'll be popular... sorta... amongst Dixieland players... such as they are

[Donn]

Again, I starting working on this mess when I was about ten years old.

Key point. I wouldn't be too sure we all start out equally endowed there, but for sure it's easier to develop it when young. Not that it isn't worth a try later on, even if it never gets to the point where it's useful. There's a whole chunk of your brain waiting to get a crack at this music thing, and if you're like me it will always be a mystery what it's up to, but it can be gratifying.

On the diminished thing ... has it occurred to anyone else that the chord chart isn't really what we're doing? It's an ideal description of the guitar part or accordion left hand, and a bass player can work with it, but the skilled bass player is the one who can "interpret" a chord chart, essentially reconstructing a bass line that is implied by that chord sequence. (That's my theory anyway; it isn't really a skill I possess, because I can get by well enough just by ear that I've never had the ambition to really learn to play by charts - I mean, I can use them if I don't know the tune, but until I can "hear" the next note in my head, it isn't going to be very good.)

So, back to diminished chords, this seems relevant because here's a case where the chord represents a particularly "dynamic" moment - you'd rarely hang on a diminished for a bunch of measures, am I right? - and possibly represents a number of different musical circumstances that the guitar or accordion must play the same, but from the bass player's perspective are significantly different.

[sousaphone68]

Awhile ago there was a thread were people posted public domain fake book sources.
Search function is frustrating and has failed to find it.
Anybody feel like posting their fake book again.

Thanks for videos they make a great starting point for me.

[eupher61]

On the diminished thing ... has it occurred to anyone else that the chord chart isn't really what we're doing? It's an ideal description of the guitar part or accordion left hand, and a bass player can work with it, but the skilled bass player is the one who can "interpret" a chord chart, essentially reconstructing a bass line that is implied by that chord sequence. (That's my theory anyway; it isn't really a skill I possess, because I can get by well enough just by ear that I've never had the ambition to really learn to play by charts - I mean, I can use them if I don't know the tune, but until I can "hear" the next note in my head, it isn't going to be very good.)

So, back to diminished chords, this seems relevant because here's a case where the chord represents a particularly "dynamic" moment - you'd rarely hang on a diminished for a bunch of measures, am I right? - and possibly represents a number of different musical circumstances that the guitar or accordion must play the same, but from the bass player's perspective are significantly different.

[/quote]

Bingo. Since the first of that video series only mentions major/minor/dominant, I wanted to stress the importance of esp the diminished.

A good exercise: I IV V7 I in every key, 2 octaves if possible. Then, vii dim/ii V7/V V7 I seems complicated, and it is, but
well worth it. Do I do them every day? No...Can I do them fluently? Not any more...but I should.

[tubajoe]

groove. never stop grooving. keep the crowd dancing, and if they aren't, make them dance. That's your #1 job.

In addition to the rhythm, pay attention to the energy that the harmonic movement creates, enhance that.

I firmly believe that Dixieland is an early form of Rock n Roll. It's music for celebration and festivities. It's good time fun drinkin' music.

"if the crowd don't get laid, the band don't get paid."


Seriously, this type of music is a worthwhile exploit -- it's experiencing a huge renaissance right now.

[sticky_valve]

sousaphone68 wrote:
Awhile ago there was a thread were people posted public domain fake book sources.
Search function is frustrating and has failed to find it.
Anybody feel like posting their fake book again.

Here is one that I found and downloaded a while back. It was free to register for a trial period I downloaded anything I found useful and just cancelled my subscription before being charged:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/95069352/Dixi ... z-Band-pdf

I found the YouTube clips useful starting point for me, however I had no understanding before jumping into the deep end and no one to ask either.

I was lucky enough to find a trad jazz rehearsal group (who do not gig) where I figure out and try things without being heckled off the stage!

However I am also now learning the tunes, all the theory and mechanics in chord progressions to pump out more exciting bass lines and improvise the odd solo here and there and have enrolled into a workshop that runs for 12-weeks (one afternoon a week).

[bigtubby]

I firmly believe that Dixieland is an early form of Rock n Roll.

When I perform with NOLA jazz musicians (unless they're playing 40's music..."requests", etc...tunes they generally pretend to "not know") they generally do not "swing" (even when playing much more recently-composed NOLA jazz). Yes. I agree/believe with Joe that early jazz (and more authentic revivals) is an "early form of rock and roll".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvw0a_2uezE
original (1923)

http://www.filedropper.com/10highsociety
21st century NOLA jazz musicians

Was looking forward to hearing this comparison but I guess that one needs to be a filedropper.com member and logged in to enjoy?

[David Richoux]

I firmly believe that Dixieland is an early form of Rock n Roll.

A few years ago a San Francisco rock radio station did a week-long sequence of SF Rock history. The first song they played was "Annie Street Rock" (a 1946 original by Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band.) (Dick Lammi, a converted banjo player on tuba, BTW.)

[eupher61]

sorry about the misattribution, Joe...I simply didn't delete enough. It's fixed.


Note on what Joe Exley said: There is a huge difference between "groove" and "swing". bloke is right...the early NOLA musicians didn't swing. They stomped, strutted, strolled, marched, ragged, paraded, and secondlined, but no swing. Drummers didn't pound on a ride cymbal in a swing pattern unless it was choked, sounding like a washboard; the hi-hat wasn't invented yet, the low-boy wasn't struck with a stick.
There is a lot of discussion over whether the bass lines were two or four beat. Since the NOLA sound was heavily influenced by marches, and frequently used brass basses I tend to go with the two beat argument. Starting with Steve Brown, string bass really came into its own quickly, and Brown really changed the approach to string bass playing, which led into swing.

Every performance needs to find "the groove". it's simply much cooler to find it in a jazz group than a concert band.

[Donn]

I'm not a music historian nor would I want to play like one, so while I think I'm hearing a little something outside the square in that King Oliver take - it doesn't matter. 5 years later, the swing was on, and it's what has made this music apparently eternal - we're not far short of a century at this point, and I don't doubt there's another century or two in it.

Some Brit clarinet player smoking all the moth-eaten historically authentic square performances of that tune -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RonFKv2Ua9M

[pwhitaker]

The trumpet player in this clip plays with us regularly up here in Maine. Check out the dancer - she's fairly famous down there. The tune is called "Smiles"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt9hLUIAAB4" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Donn]

Check out the dancer

If you insist! Hey! ... what's up with the extended footage of a stinking pigeon, while ... ah, there she is again. That looks rather strenuous, I bet she'd enjoy dancing like that more here where it's cool.

Trumpet player sounds good to me. I must say it isn't my favorite tune, usually played a little too heavy and seems to have a natural tendency to sound tired.

[tofu]

Check out the dancer

... what's up with the extended footage of a stinking pigeon,

I thought the pigeon did a very authentic NOLA strut. Probably just like the jazz pigeons on Bourbon street did in the roaring '20's.

[eupher61]

the best players were gone from NOLA in the early 20s. So that pigeon strut was to subpar music....