Dixieland Band suggestions

[tubarepair]

Instrumentation that I prefer:
Seven piece ensemble consisting of Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Drums (Hi-hat and Snare only) and Banjo if you can get it. This provides for a very mobile group.

Starting with the easy-to-find Hal Leonard dixieland packs would work well. They include the standards and have written out solo sheets if needed.

Buy some recording of the music and listen to the styles.

Good luck getting it together. IMO, this is one of the most fun and rewarding ensembles that you can play in.

DLH

[jacobg]

Check out Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives and Hot Sevens.
Get a teacher who plays dixieland.
You can't learn Dixieland from a book.

[Dan Schultz]

Instrumentation that I prefer:
Seven piece ensemble consisting of Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Drums (Hi-hat and Snare only) and Banjo if you can get it. DLH

This is EXACTLY the make-up of the Dixie group I play with. Many of our charts were put together by our banjo play but you can get some very good 'starter' booklets from JW Pepper. Hal Leonard's 'Dixieland Beat' is good. So is another 'Dixieland Beat' publication by Meissner... also available from Pepper.

Many will tell you that the 'real' Dixieland material is done from memory but written music will get you a very good 'kick start'.

[Stefan Kac]

You may be reading Bloke's post and thinking to yourself "that's too much work", but in fact, that is one of only two ways to really learn to play this music (the other being learning directly from accomplished players). When I was in high school, we were lucky enough to recruit a couple of local musicians who enjoy working with high school groups. They alienated most of the band by forcing us to learn everything by ear, but in hindsight (and having heard a few groups that play completely arranged charts), I'm convinced it ws worth it. Everyone should have a good fake book (that is, chords and melody only) handy just in case, but I would advise you to avoid at ALL COSTS the full-band arrangements with all the harmony and rhythm section parts written out. Also, consider that you don't necessarily need to have a 6-piece or larger group. The great part about dixieland (as opposed to bebop and later) from a tubist's perspective is that you are a rhythm section instrument rather than a horn, which means you 1) have more responsibility musically, 2) get to play more, and 3) are actually in demand (well, moreso at least than if you were a horn player). All you really need to find is a banjo player and one horn and you're set. The difficulty in finding time to rehearse or gig grows exponentially with each person (and their schedule) that you add to the group.
Good luck, and sorry for rambling..

[LOTP]

My own personal preference is to avoid using a trumpet and instead use a more lyrical cornet. Get some LPs of tracks laid down before 1930 (Bix. Red Nichols, etc.) and LISTEN. Dixie is all about ENSEMBLE and the soloist(s) should not detract from that feel.

[Uncle Buck]

I've noticed that Wynton Marsalis referrs to Dixieland as "New Orleans Jazz." Does anybody know if the term "Dixieland" is falling out of favor in some circles?

[Stefan Kac]

I've noticed that Wynton Marsalis refers to Dixieland as "New Orleans Jazz." Does anybody know if the term "Dixieland" is falling out of favor in some circles?

no more than is, perhaps, Wynton Marsalis...

LOL. Actually, the guys who brought me up prefer the term "traditional jazz". Some do take offense to "dixieland", but unfortunately it seems to be the most universally understood.

[Bill Troiano]

First, know your major scales, at least 2 octaves. It can't hurt to learn the dorian mode and the dominant 7th mode (major scale with a flat 7th step.) Then, practice all of the chord and arpeggio studies in the Arban book, so that you can play them fluently. Get a fake book and learn how to read concert pitch treble clef, so you can play the melody and start learning to alter notes and sound like you're improvising. Create simple 1-5 bass lines with the chord changes, throwing in some simple fills. Then, you can start incorporating some arpeggios and make the bass line walk on all four beats of the measure. I know this is an over simplification, but it's basically what I did to learn the style. Listen to as many trad. jazz groups as you can.