Learning Jazz

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MacedoniaTuba
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Learning Jazz

Post by MacedoniaTuba »

Hey guys, any jazz books for tuba or bass you would like to recommend for a begginer?
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by pecktime »

Jamey aebersold volume 1.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by opus37 »

Jamey Aebersold Maiden Voyage is a little more basic than Volume 1, both are worth a look.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Three Valves »

Don't these have bass tracks in them and are designed for featured artists??
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by UDELBR »

Three Valves wrote:Don't these have bass tracks in them and are designed for featured artists??
On Aebersolds, the bass is in the left channel, piano the right channel, and drums are mixed to the middle. If you want to work on bass lines, just turn down that channel.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Three Valves »

Or I could switch to Euphonium and play lead...
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by UDELBR »

And who says tubas can't solo over changes?
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Bill Troiano »

Arban's !!

Remember in the Karate Kid movie how Mr. Miyagi, who was training Daniel to fight, had him doing chores around his house. He had Daniel waxing cars and painting fences. When Daniel eventually angrily confronted Miyagi wanting to know how this helps him fight, Miyagi physically attacked him, whereby Daniel defended himself with the motions instilled in him from painting fences and waxing cars.

Learn the exercises in the Arban's book cold - years of practice. Then, you can apply those to improvising bass lines and solos.

Honestly, I feel that's how I developed into being able to play jazz. Nobody told me to do this and when I did spend years playing Arban, I had no plan or thought as to using it to learn to play jazz. It just happened. Sort of like painting fences to learn karate.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by swillafew »

There is a duet book for Trombone, "Hip to the Blues". You will need something to jump start your practice will a play-a-long product, and these duets are well worth the money to get you started.

Training your fingers to include flatted notes in your majors scales is worth the time spent, 3rds and 7ths in particular.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Three Valves »

UncleBeer wrote:And who says tubas can't solo over changes?
Well there is that!!

How about a source for CDs or MP3s (only) of his Real Book series??

I already have the Real Books in Bass Clef...
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Three Valves »

Wasn't one of the Dorsey Brothers a Jazz Euphonium-ist??

You know, the one I can't recall and no one has ever heard of??

8)
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Art Hovey »

You don't learn jazz from books. Find recordings that you like, pick up the horn and play along with them when nobody else is home. Learn the bass lines by listening and imitating the good ones. (It really helps to learn how to bang out chords on a keyboard or guitar or even a ukelele.) Learn the melodies by listening to good singers. Stay off the bass lines when you are soloing. Stay close to the melody instead, with some ornamentation.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by pecktime »

I agree with Mr Bloke about straight-ahead jazz.

I started on saxophone/ clarinet/ flute, then learnt double bass. I learnt tuba after joining a trad jazz group and finding that bass sax was too quiet acoustically.

I have never been hired to play straight-ahead tuba. As a jobbing musician I will play whatever instrument the band leader wants, I believe most tuba players could easily pick up the electric and double bass and widen their gigging possibilities.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by quesonegro »

Find a good teacher, doesn't have to be a tuba player, just a good jazz teacher, maybe a bass player...
it'll save you a lot of time and effort! It's not magic, just takes a lot of work, just like any mastering other kind of music!
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Three Valves »

-$30.00 I only listen to chord progression, a swinging bass and ride drum anyway.

240 numbers

Listened to it in the car this morning.

8)

https://www.amazon.com/Real-Book-Play-A ... +book+jazz" target="_blank
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by tubaphillips »

Art Hovey wrote:You don't learn jazz from books. Find recordings that you like, pick up the horn and play along with them when nobody else is home. Learn the bass lines by listening and imitating the good ones. (It really helps to learn how to bang out chords on a keyboard or guitar or even a ukelele.) Learn the melodies by listening to good singers. Stay off the bass lines when you are soloing. Stay close to the melody instead, with some ornamentation.
Seconded. The only thing I would add is start a band and go out there and suck. There's a lot to it that cannot be learned in a practice room
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Donn »

The only thing that might be missing so far is, really listen to a lot of the stuff that you're leaning towards, and get the rhythm.

I heard someone last weekend, woman who's been playing clarinet around here for a while. She has good chops, and obviously has been learning from recordings, but when she went off the tune, the rhythm wasn't there. She had the swing eighth notes all right but that isn't enough. As a tuba player that particular problem should be the last of your worries, but the moral of the story is that she apparently listened to a lot of old jazz, but it apparently hadn't completely soaked in. That takes a lot of time.
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by quesonegro »

Casca Grossa wrote:Some really nice straight ahead jazz tuba. I agree that this is very rare but still some good stuff...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjQqmirZsG0" target="_blank" target="_blank

:)
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Re: Learning Jazz

Post by Uncle Markie »

I was privileged to play in and lead some excellent jazz groups during my freelance career. That included a lot of dixieland, or "trad" jazz, but I also spent time in a Kenton-style big band, and my tastes included much more than the typical stuff tuba is associated with.
Here's the thing - just as symphony, opera, concert band, ethnic or brass quintette work "jazz" proficiency requires learning the repertoire of the idiom, and the "language" those groups use on the bandstand. You need to seek out live performances and observe, which may be difficult to do where you live. Recordings and method books are great but second best to the real thing. Importantly- you need not learn this from a "tuba" teacher. Knowledge is where you find it. Keep an open mind.
As a teenage kid with access to New York City in the 1960s I had the opportunity to hear all kinds of live music. When Gene Krupa played the Metropole in Times Square I was too young to get in (booze) but Gene gave the wink to the doorman who let me stand in the vestibule and listen. Imagine that! And listen I did - and observed how everything worked. Later on I got to play with him and luckily for me many others of my jazz heroes.
I have no shortcuts to offer you - but in my experience I would acquire as much listening experience as I could, and then try and work out licks and lines (both bass lines and improvisations) in my practicing to where I could cook up my own stuff. Nobody likes a poll-parrot, but you gotta start somewhere. Then find or form a group where you'll probably suck to start with but get better. The "getting better" part lasts as long as you continue to perform.
One last thought and I'll get down from the soapbox - work on your basic technique (the Arban book, et al). Pee Wee Erwin, a dear friend and mentor - and as good a jazz player as you would ever want - could play the Charlier methods from memory. Clifford Brown's hotel room could always be found when on the road - all you had to do was listen for the etudes. If you want to get hot on the horn you have to have the rudiments under your fingers.
Good luck and get to work! :D
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