![]() This helps you to understand the chord changes in terms of how they sound and function, not just series of chord names to memorize. Sing the melody, root movement, and arpeggios.īring it into a few different keys, maybe not all 12 keys, but at least 2 to 4. It will get you pretty close to the root movement, as bassists tend to play a lot of roots. Consider the bass line as its own melody. Then bring it to your instrument.ĭo the same with the harmony. Sing it over and over so you know the form and you know every note. Having an app or software that you can slow down and change pitch helps, I use Transcribe+ but there are tons of options. You need a good quality audio source, YouTube might not be good enough. Then sit down with one of them to transcribe. Listen to these recordings over and over and over before trying to transcribe. ![]() ![]() This is often a vocal version by Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, or Frank Sinatra.įind 2 - 4 key recordings. In addition to most influential, it's also helpful to find some recordings that are easiest to transcribe. Look up resources like, The Jazz Standards by Ted Gioia, and the reference recordings for books like The Jazz Theory Book and Sher's New Real Book series. For older songbook standards, it might be a vocal version, or it might be a jazz version done by an influential musician like Miles. Blue Trane), it's always the original recording. For a tune composed by a jazz musician (e.g. In terms of finding key recordings, try to find the most influential recordings. Then look up some lists of "must know" jazz standards, and also go to local jam sessions and pay attention to what tunes are being called. Then, Autumn Leaves, both in G minor (the key from some of the seminal recordings), and whatever the Real Book key is, maybe E minor? Start with some blues in Bb and F, like Tenor Madness, Bag's Groove, etc. I spent too many years being a "Real Book musician." Learning tunes by ear has been huge for my musicianship. So being able to learn songs by ears very important I was pretty young compared to the other guys in the group but they were a 100% right that I should be able to play the melody to Besume mucho. It wasn't by the band leader but the tender player gave me a hard time because I was kind of still faking the tunes and didn't really know them. For the first-rate I didn't get too much grief for not knowing the tunes. ![]() That's the short snippet of itĪnd then they play things like yellow bird or besme mucho which were in the books. We also played isn't she lovely for something. ![]() Like they'd say play the intro to superstition to play on a comedian. Right after college I worked on a cruise ship and for the shows we played we had a huge book of music but they would always call little things. Mind you I'm saying all this as somebody who probably struggles in this regard more than I should so I would encourage you to really work on ear training and learning tunes that way There's a lot of gigs you're not going to have sheet music for.Īnd I think if you learn a song by ear you tend to memorize it better. I wish that I had learned more songs by ear because if you want to be a musician your ear is extremely important. Then you could try some standards with slower moving melodies: Blue In Green, Body and Soul, Misty, Tenderly, Peace, Infant Eyes, Killer Joe, Alone Together, Georgia On My Mind, Autumn Leaves, All The Things You Are, All of Me, On Green Dolphin Street, There Is No Greater Love, PC, Work Song, Freddie the Freeloader, Bag's Groove, Bloomdido, Blues For Alice, Barbados, Birk's Works, Confirmation, Au Privave, Byrd Like. You should know and be extremely familiar with Blues tunes first and foremost, tunes like: Blue Monk, Sandu, All Blues, Mr. Start with easier tunes like medium Blues and Ballad tunes. But I'd make it a point to know a few tunes in all 12 keys for sure, especially standards that have lyrics and are popular with singers. I wouldn't say you have to learn every tune in all 12 keys, as bebop tunes are rarely if ever called in other keys. You should know standards in at least 3 - 4 other keys. It's a LOT of listening and you should be listening all the time. ![]()
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