jazztrumpet.com
on (teaching) jazz
appreciation
- less is more
- don't take understanding of musical
terms for granted
- difficulty following free jazz is
difficulty most students have with mainstream
- new, strange language
- what is jazz?
- identifying musical characteristics is
more important than bio details or dates
- develop a frame of reference (few key
words)-where is the bathroom? good morning?
- improve hearing without surgery
- turn you on to jazz (art)
- appreciation of other styles
classical, pop, rock
- kenny g and an oozie? (you have to
reload an oozie)
- chord, rhythm, etc, not too deeply
- comping vs soloing
- ride rhythmms
- instrument timbres
- performance routines intro, melody,
solos, trading, melody, coda
- student demos are best (entire combo
is even better)
- steps or skips jagged or smooth
- illustrate the basics of music
listening first
- focused listening is the key
- pop quizzes (some counted some not)
- repeated listening (just playing the
example once in class is not enough)
- how did you get here today?
- was it exactly the same route as
yesterday?
- use class time for coaching not
lecturing
- as the students what there here
- prepare more visual aids
- consider assigned listening in
addition to the class listening and their cd
- differentiate between sounds of the
instruments is key to following what goes on