De-bunking the Myth

“Non Jazzers” CAN teach jazz!

My very un-jazzy background:
-learned trombone in 7th grade just to be in jazz band, which was 1 day/wk!

-9th grade moved to school that did not have a jazz band

-OKState jazz 2 for one semester, jazz 1 for two semesters

-BA watched performances

outline
-Know the difference

-Go the distance

-listening then...

-singing then...

-playing

-resources
Skills that transfer from “normal band”
-basic tone production (realizing there are many things to add for jazz)

-in tone, in tune, in time, in balance is key to good ensemble playing

-a variety of literature is essential, as is public performance

-music literacy should be a priority in your teaching

-passion breeds passion

-a well planned and well paced rehearsal is a productive rehearsal

Skills one must learn in order to teach jazz effectively
-articulation/sound manipulation

-how to approach swing style

-the set up for rhythm instruments plus what comping looks like for each

-chord symbols and form

-improvisation (I was pretty terrified of this at first)

-how to navigate the vast literature

*I will provide resources for all of these, but will discuss the first 2 in detail
First thing first: YOU MUST LISTEN

None of the skills listed on the previous page

can be learned by simply reading a book or
attending this hour long clinic.

You must listen. A lot.

Find jazz that makes you love listening to jazz!
Albums that I can (still) listen to top-bottom over and over again:
1. Central Park North Thad Jones/Mel Lewis
2. Somethin Else Cannonball/Blakey et. al
3. The Complete Verve Johnny Hodges Small Group Sessions Johnny Hodges et. al
4. Far East Suite Duke Ellington
5. The Atomic Mr. Basie Count Basie
6. Ella and Louis Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
7. Time Out Dave Brubeck
8. 16 Most Requested Songs Duke Ellington
9. Relaxin with the Miles Davis Quintet
10. Chairman of the Board Count Basie

These albums made me love jazz! Find your own “top ten” list and share it with your students! Make them form a list, too!
Know how to listen so you can show your students
-Start with one chart! Find one you really dig and listen to it over and over

-What is the form? What is each rhythm section member playing? Who is the
soloist(s) and how do they play?

-Describe the overall sound that you hear from the combo/band.

-Repeat this for an entire album and find trends.

-choose a part (i.e. bass) and be able to SING it

*when you feel comfortable with this (it took me a whole summer!), formulate a plan
to introduce it to your students
Ideas to get your students listening:
1. Album reviews (be sure to provide an example)
2. Artist profile (assign them to a pro on their instrument)
3. Assign them an era of jazz history and let them make an album
4. If jazz is very new to your students, find hip hop or pop music that quotes
jazz and use that as an attention grabber
5. BE EXCITED TO PLAY THEM A CHART FROM YOUR FAVORITE RECORD
AND TELL THEM WHY YOU LOVE IT SO MUCH.
Building jazz specific skills...after you listen, you gotta sing!
-articulation is one of the most important things that distinguishes jazz from
traditional concert band. We use syllables in concert band all the time, but its
even more important to use them in our jazz bands!
If you get any magic beans from this clinic…
-Those beans will be about teaching your students to sing!

“But my kids hate singing”...

-remind them (lovingly) that all wind and string instruments were originally
created to mimic or enhance the human voice. Jazz in particular stems from a
vocal tradition and all the wonderful inflection and articulation they hear was
sung first!

-Play them some Ella, Louis or Johnny Hodges (or one of the countless others!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjAPPhmeOZc
If you can SING it, you can SWING it!
-you can start with scales, folk songs, etc. *sing them in various styles and tempos bc this
changes the syllables!

-make them improvise with their voice as well!

-until you build the skill, they should be singing almost everything

-once you build the skill and you have kids who have been in the ensemble for a year or two,
leads can start dictating syllables (Please note: they don’t stop singing!)

*Remember: The point of singing with syllables is to determine the sound of each note from
both ends-front and back, the length of each note, the effect of each note...the vocabulary of
syllables is literally limitless.
Its time to take a lap!
Jeep’s

Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW8Qyl0q-7w

If you give them syllables (and have them sing!) you could have this:
The ultimate goal…
You can have your lead players get together outside of rehearsal and figure out
syllables, they pass it on to their section mates early in the cycle.

Singing is still imperative! This is particularly true on ensemble moments.

You want me to do what?
1. LISTEN
2. Listen more
3. Get your kids to listen
4. Start singin’
a. Model good singing
b. Scales or folk songs in various styles/tempos
c. 12 bar blues improv
d. Ensemble moments in your rep
e. Lead players dictate syllables
5. Keep singin’
6. World domination
What about all the other stuff?!
For resources on harmonic vocabulary, rhythm section (or any section) specifics,
and pretty much anything that has to do with teaching jazz, I recommend:

“Jazz Pedagogy: The Jazz Educator’s Handbook and Resource Guide”

By J. Richard Dunscomb and Dr. Willie L. Hill, Jr.

Available on amazon, JWPepper, Barnes & Noble, etc.

For ideas about approaching improvisation with beginning students, lists of rep
and other resources, use the QRL code on your card.
I’d love to talk to you!
Please feel free to contact myself or Spencer at any time with questions, ideas,
etc.

If you have stuff you wouldn’t mind sharing with others (rep lists, improvisation
ideas, articulation exercises, etc.) please send them to me and I will put them in
the google drive with the other stuff!

Let’s keep learning from one another and passing it on to our kids!