If at all possible, choose scales in the key or mode of one of the pieces you plan on rehearsing.

Written Resources

Printed scale exercises are available from a number of sources. The warmups in the Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method include all the scales used in the charts for the method, as well as the related arpeggios. First Place for Jazz takes players through major, mixolydian, dorian, and blues scales in three different keys. 

These activities warm up the fingers and prepare the ears for what is coming next.

Ear Training and Internalization

In place of reading, another approach is to teach the scales or chords by ear alone. While this process takes more time, the scales become much more internalized. Begin by teaching the root of the scale or chord, and gradually add more pitches until the students know all the relevant pitches. Depending on available rehearsal time, you may wish to add only a note per day or only two notes per day until the entire scale or chord is learned. 

Putting Scales and Chords to Work

Apply what students learn immediately by having them improvise with the scale, chord, or with the notes that they know. This can be out of time, or your drummer can add any kind of groove you or the students choose! 

Do not neglect the rhythm section. Guitar, piano, and bass can do this exercise along with the winds. Drums can either play vibes or another mallet instrument if they are not playing different grooves under the scale exercises.

SmartMusic includes great jazz repertoire, too. Try SmartMusic for free.

Make It Manageable

Remember, you don’t have to learn everything in all 12 keys in one rehearsal! Keep everything bite-sized and take the long view. Persistence is key. Be creative and have fun!

The post Quick Rehearsal Tip: Creative Warmups for Jazz Ensembles appeared first on SmartMusic.

Once students have an internal sense of how the music is supposed to sound, realizing it on the instruments becomes much easier.

But Ella Fitzgerald Isn’t In My Class

It is important to remember that this kind of rehearsal technique is focused on rhythm and articulation. While singing to match pitch has wonderful benefits, pitch matching is not the purpose of this kind of singing.

Students should not attempt to sing their parts at pitch (an extremely difficult task especially for inner parts) but should instead develop an inner sense of the sound, feel, and direction of the music.

Every note has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The attack is the beginning of the note. The middle is the sustain and the end is the release. Rhythm and phrasing is most defined by the attack and release of the note. Tight rhythm and phrasing are products of the ensemble playing attacks and releases consistently together. Full sounds and good intonation are the products of consistent sustain.

Using Syllables

Reproducing instrumental phrasing with the voice requires the use of syllables. Syllable choices should mimic the articulation and phrasing desired, and should take into account the attack, sustain, and release of the notes. I like to use syllables that also encourage good use of the tongue and airstream so when players return to their instruments the transition is a little bit more seamless.

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Attack

Syllables that begin with a “D” sound provide the most accurate representation for most attacks. Even though the “T” sound is often taught to beginners and may be more familiar to young players, I have found that this produces a very choppy and over-articulated feel – especially on passages with moving notes. A good firm “D” allows for both a solid attack as well as smooth connectivity between notes.

Sustain

Sustain should be an open vowel sound. Just like at the doctor’s office, “AH” keeps the throat open but still relaxed and encourages the free movement of air. Combined with a “D” attack, the “DAH” syllable provides a clean start to the note with a full sustain.

Release

The release of a note is just as important to the rhythmic feel as the attack. Jazz releases are often abrupt and tongued to fully realize the rhythmic intensity. While this kind of articulation is rarely used in the concert band (I can still recall my director telling me “Don’t stop the tone with the tongue!”), it is very much a part of jazz vernacular. For this kind of sound, the “D” is usually a little too soft. Stopping the air with at “T” sound provides the cleanest possible release.

Accents and Note Lengths

Even if we understand how to play the beginning, middle, and end of notes, there is more to consider for a satisfying musical performance. Musical elements can be studied and dissected to extreme degrees. Think about the difference between p, pp, and ppp. That’s three degrees of soft! Sometimes, trying reach that level of detail can be overwhelming.

I prefer to keep things much simpler. Either a note is long or short, and accented or not accented. Using this rubric, we can create a series of syllables that can be used in most situations.

From First Place for Jazz, © 2011 Kjos Music Press, Neil A. Kjos Music Company, distributor. Reprinted with permission.

Most of these syllables speak for themselves (pardon the pun). I use ALL CAPS to indicate accent or emphasis. The “T” is used at the end of notes with a defined release. It is important to remember that all vowel sounds should be the open “AH” regardless of the vowels used to spell the syllables.

Short notes (dut and DUT) should still be considered shorter versions of “daht” and “DAHT.” I chose this spelling over “dat” as I did not want to encourage the more spread vowel sound that would rhyme with “cat.”

Swing

The other syllables in the table are used when playing triplet subdivisions—which most of the time means swing! Phrasing 4 eighth notes as “da-da-da-da” with a triplet subdivision creates a swing feel that is solely based on rhythm placement.

Swing is somewhat about that, but true swing feel comes more from the slightly different emphasis of each eighth note. Just sing “da-ba-du-da” and then “da-da-da-da” and you will hear precisely what I am talking about.

Try these out in your rehearsals. Encourage students to sing how they want to play. They may feel a little awkward at first, but that will pass the more that this becomes a part of the rehearsal fabric. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

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It is the nature of philosophy to ruminate over challenges, so I consulted a few great philosophers—some ancient, some modern. It is a safe bet that the sources below had no idea that their wisdom actually referred to jazz repertoire selection. Such is the nature of genius.

“Study the past if you would define the future.”  – Confucius

Jazz history is rich, yet still very young. Even though the music is ever-evolving and changing, it is important for students to develop a full understanding of what they are doing. Music from different periods requires different stylistic interpretations and different technical demands.

Performing historical repertoire also presents the possibility of opening the curriculum to look at the cultural and societal contexts of the time. The role of music in any culture cannot be substituted with anything else. Our students must see those connections and learn from them.

“Always leave them wanting more.” – P.T. Barnum

When considering your concert program, be aware of the clock, the attention span of your audience, and the endurance and level of your players. When students are working very hard, there is a temptation to showcase everything that they do, and to pack everything possible into a performance. Attention spans, however, are at historic lows, and most audiences do not wish to sit through a three-hour extravaganza.

Along these same lines, be careful programming the right difficulty level of material for your jazz ensemble. Programming some music that is slightly over their heads is a good growth opportunity. Programming a set of original Stan Kenton brass features for middle school jazz ensemble is a recipe for disaster. Music that is less demanding technically can be as musically demanding as you deem it to be.

A good balance of difficult and demanding—along with easier and more fun—is a good mix.

“You can’t always get what you want.” – Mick Jagger

Students (and parents) often want to play the latest pop tunes, and these often manifest themselves in the jazz ensemble program. Many students (and parents) are more than eager to offer suggestions for what to play. While it is important to consider all suggestions, the final decision rests with the director.

Playing something from the current pop charts is not the worst idea. Look for arrangements that are well scored and offer everyone in the band something interesting to play (so says the trombone player very used to playing whole notes!) Familiar material can help build a relationship with your audience and may help introduce them to the many other facets of the jazz ensemble.

When student suggestions are turned down, make it an opportunity for dialog and discussion. Share with the students the reasoning behind your decision. Invite their feedback and listen carefully. They will appreciate being heard, and I guarantee you will learn something in the process, too.

“Know how to listen, and you will profit from even those who talk badly.” – Plutarch

Jazz is an aural tradition and has been passed down not by pencil and paper but by ear. The early jazz bands played everything entirely by ear. Riffs were played by someone, picked up and changed into something else, and forged over countless one-nighters. This process of learning music most certainly takes longer, but the benefits pay dividends far beyond the performance. Music learned by ear is internalized and is played with a freedom that we simply cannot get when reading off a page.

Take a simple riff tune (C-Jam Blues, Sonnymoon for Two, or Bag’s Groove will get you started) or even better—have the students create something. Blues is a great place to start, but even chord progressions and different sections of tunes can be created this way. The process can be messy, but the results are more than worth it.

“Mean a thing it does not, if that swing it ain’t got.” – Yoda

Swing is the language of jazz. Even if it is not as much a part of popular culture as it once was, learning to play swing music needs to be integral in every jazz performance. Swing is a part of our American musical vernacular. It is a part of our history. Students have a right to know that history and to be connected to it. It is our responsibility as teachers to make sure they are exposed to it.

It is a wonderful gift to have the many musical styles that we have available to us. Music is living, breathing, and ever-growing. That said, swing is the root of that growth in jazz, and students need it just like the air that they breathe.

Final Philosophical Thoughts

Studying jazz history offers students an opportunity to recognize how greatness is built by people “standing on the shoulders of those who came before.” May the great philosophers guide you in your music selection and help you ascend to the next level of success with your students.

The post Five Philosophers Consider Jazz Repertoire Selection appeared first on SmartMusic.

As a uniquely American creation and something that has influenced music, visual arts, and society at large, I believe jazz deserves an honored seat at the head table of the artistic bounty. Here are just a few of the life lessons I have learned from this music.

1. Play Well With Others

Jazz is an example of what happens when a group of individuals comes together to create something that is greater than the sum of their individual parts. Every contributor in a jazz band brings a unique skill set, a unique part, a unique responsibility. Success will only happen when all of these elements work together.

Participants must be willing to offer what they can while accepting what others can give. Sometimes they need to dial back their individual desires for the good of the whole, while at other times they need to assume a leadership role. All of this happens in a dynamic environment that requires trust and support from everyone.

When it all comes together, there are few things on Earth that are more beautiful.

2. Listen, Then Speak

“I always learn more when I am talking than when I am listening,” said no one ever. There is a reason we have two ears and only one mouth.

We are more reasoned and empathetic when we take the time to better understand the world around us before we express ourselves. Jazz is an aural music. It was developed, shared, and grown by players listening to and imitating sound.

It is impossible to be a jazz musician and not be a good listener. Jazz musicians must constantly listen to those around them. It is the only way the music works. If jazz musicians are not listening to one another the only end result is pandemonium and musical inertia. Jazz demands careful listening from both the performers and the audience. Anything that encourages listening before talking is worthy of our attention.

3. Share

Jazz is the ultimate social music. Its roots are in group improvisation and dance. If a jazz musician does not share with other musicians or the audience, the end result is again going to be disappointing.

Sharing applies to many contexts. A musician can have the greatest and most creative ideas in the world but they will go nowhere without the support of others. A performer must be willing to share these ideas with others in order for them to reach their full potential.  While there are certainly many examples of superb solo performers, most jazz music is performed in groups and these groups only work when all players are willing to share their technique, musical skills, and other talents.

Jazz musicians share their very lives as well, because life experience plays such a role in how they express themselves. Everyone has something to offer, and when we share with others we make the world a better place for everyone.

4. Respect Everyone

Jazz musicians draw inspiration from across the musical spectrum. Its very beginnings blended slave songs with European form and harmony. It is difficult to imagine two more disparate lineages to bring together.

Jazz musicians have always been open to reaching outside of themselves to further the art and are the most respectful of styles and genres different from their own. Two well-known examples include Dizzy Gillespie blending Cuban music with jazz and Miles Davis fusing jazz and rock.

Contemporary performers like Esperanza Spalding and Norah Jones bring jazz techniques and sensibilities to their creative performances. Even if we may struggle at times to define styles of modern music, labels are far less important than quality.

Duke Ellington said, “There are two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.” Jazz musicians avoid “the other kind” by respecting and borrowing from across the musical spectrum. We would do well to do likewise.

5. Be Yourself

Jazz is the ultimate self-expression music. Jazz music thrives on the individuality of the performers, even if it is performed in a group. The improvising soloist is the obvious example of this, but many of the great bands that have come to define the music were unique collections of individuals.

Duke Ellington famously wrote his players’ names on their parts for his band. Most arrangers simply write “Alto Saxophone 1” implying that the part could be played by anyone. Ellington named the individual player for his parts (in the case of Alto 1 he would write “Rabbit,” meaning Johnny Hodges). These parts were not written for a generic alto player, Ellington had Hodges in mind for the entire piece, not just for the solos Hodges would play so beautifully.

All of us have something unique to share with the world and the world is a better place because of it. Jazz music exemplifies this.

CODA

Upon further review, I realize these aren’t ways to appreciate jazz, they’re reasons why we should appreciate jazz.

To make good on the promise of my title, here are five ways we can appreciate jazz:

1. Buy a jazz recording
2. Attend a live jazz performance
3. Read “Music is my Mistress” by Duke Ellington
4. Join your local jazz society
5. Help crowdfund a new jazz project by a local jazz artist

I also encourage you – and your students – to honor jazz this month (and every month) by playing the music.

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Conducting a jazz ensemble is a contradiction in terms for some. Many of the bands that we study, respect, and admire feature no conductor at all. The only “conducting” might be the lead alto player cutting off the final chord. Most professional big bands are not conducted in the traditional sense, although modern bandleaders such as Maria Schneider and John Clayton are very animated conductors.

The conductor of any ensemble is responsible for all aspects of preparation and performance, and in this way the role of the jazz ensemble conductor is not different than that of a concert band or orchestra conductor. The gestures and activity from the front of the ensemble, however, are different in a number of ways. I would like to share a few of these differences.

1. Count-Offs – Let ‘em Hear You

Start the band with a count off. Say it loud and say it proud. A count-off is usually two bars long, although at very fast tempos four bars is used. Slower tempos often require only a single bar of count off. Let your ear and your sense of rhythm be your guide. Any pickup notes should be included in the count-off bars. This means that if there are pickups on beats 3-4 before the first full bar, the count-off will only be one and a half bars long.

Establish a tempo with handclaps or finger snaps. Style and tempo will determine if you snap quarter notes or half notes. Aside from a ballad tempo, most anything in a swing style will be snapped as half notes, and usually on beats 2 and 4, as this helps to indicate the swing feel. Non-swing styles may be snapped or clapped on quarter or half notes, and usually on beats 1 and 3. Once the tempo is established, verbalize the count-off by saying 1 (x) 2 (x) – 1 2 3 4. The “(x)” indicates a silent beat.

2. Less Is More – Don’t Conduct All the Time

Once the band is started, encourage everyone to listen to the rhythm section for tempo, and to one another for balance and blend. The ensemble should maintain consistent tempo by listening to the rhythm section, not by watching you present a flawless conducting pattern. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to do once the band is counted off. Many successful jazz ensemble conductors simply step to the side. If your ensemble is mature enough to allow that, go for it. Most young bands appreciate someone standing in front, though, for security if nothing else.

Feel free to give cues or make dynamic adjustments but your gestures will be much more limited in front of the jazz ensemble. A big band is really a large chamber ensemble and should be treated as such. Too much conducting is not only distracting, it does not encourage students to develop the necessary listening skills needed to be successful musicians.

3. Keep It Together – No Conductor Likes a Train Wreck

A jazz performance can ebb and flow, and sometimes a conductor is necessary to hold things together or to get things back on track. Stay out of the way as much as you can, but sometimes things happen that require a conductor to prevent a train wreck. Listen carefully and make certain the tempo remains steady. If adjustments are needed, make eye contact with the bassist and drummer. Those are the instruments best equipped to change the tempo of the band.

Open solo sections can also get tricky. Encouraging many improvisers is a very cool thing to do, but sometimes things can go awry. Make certain that you have the order of soloists penciled in your score, and that you keep careful track of who is playing and cue who is playing next. The players should have all of this information also, of course, but nerves often take over during a performance and may cause forgetfulness or a lack of concentration. Even though we have been encouraging listening and personal responsibility among the players, someone has to be in charge. That someone is you.

4. Stay Put! Don’t Leave the Stage Between Tunes

Large ensemble conductors are notorious for walking off stage after every piece, only to re-enter again and again. The first entrance is dramatic and exciting. By the time this happens for the sixth time I begin to wonder if it is just an excuse to milk more applause out of the audience.

Modern audiences already have short attention spans. Unless there is a huge change of personnel or set up happening, there is no reason to leave the stage until the performance is completed. Count-off – play – cut off, and then get ready for the next one. Keep it moving. Your audience and the band will thank you for it.

5. Don’t Be a Stranger – Talk to the Audience

So what to do between tunes? Engage the audience! Audiences crave connection with the performers, and you are in a unique position to do just that. Talk to them about any element of the performance (Who were the soloists? What did they learn to be able to do what they did?); the music (why did you choose that particular piece? what about the composer or arranger?); or other things happening in the music department (advertise upcoming concerts, recruit younger students). These are just a few of the things you can talk about. Keep it brief and to the point. While you don’t need to read from cue cards, it does help to sketch out in advance what you plan to say between each piece. Recall the previously mentioned nerves from #3. They can affect us, too!

Even better than you talking to the audience – have students talk to the audience. Assign a student or a group of students to do a little research on the music being played and have them share their findings with the audience. The audience gets to engage with the performers, the students learn communication skills, and everyone learns a bit more about the music. Everybody wins!

At the end of the day, the conductor of any ensemble exists to help the group sound better. It is best accomplished with a combination of careful listening, clear gestures, and good direction. As a smaller ensemble, a jazz ensemble can assume more collective responsibility for the music than what may be practical in a larger concert band. Adjust for this difference, and ALL of your ensembles will benefit.

Dean Sorenson is Associate Professor and the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota as well as a prolific and highly sought-after composer, arranger, trombonist, educator, and clinician. Dean’s latest project is Colors of the Soul, a CD of original music for sexet. His most recent book is First Place for Jazz, a new and innovative method for beginning jazz players published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company. Look for the new EXCELLENCE IN JAZZ PEDAGOGY series, a new collection of books dedicated to the art of teaching jazz, also from Kjos. Dean is frequently featured at festivals and conventions around the country and abroad, and maintains a full schedule of concert and recording dates as a Yamaha performing artist. For more info visit www.deansorensonmusic.com.

Photo of the author performing with Buffalo High School’s Jazz I (in February 2015) is used with permission.

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Jazz festivals are terrific opportunities for bands to travel, perform, and bond. The best festivals provide a high-quality performance experience along with insightful teaching. Whether the festival is competitive or not, the band will be playing for judges or clinicians tasked with listening critically and offering comments and suggestions for improvement. Today I’d like to suggest some“best practices” for jazz festival participation, intended to help your band make a positive musical statement whether the festival is competitive or not.

1. Choose Unique Repertoire

An exceptional festival performance begins with exceptional planning and preparation.  Festival judges and clinicians often spend very long days listening to many bands. After the fourth time hearing the latest Adele or Pharrell Williams arrangement (or the latest version of “Satin Doll”), fatigue sets in very easily! A fresh set list gets the attention of judges and clinicians immediately, and forces them to take notice.

What makes a program unique? For starters, leave the pop arrangements at home. It is fine to perform the latest pop hits at a hometown concert, but the limited time and increased focus at a festival demands a more sophisticated program. Exposing students to classic jazz tunes (yes, like “Satin Doll!”!) is important, but strive to locate arrangements that are different from those that others are likely to be performing.  Play a “head chart” that the band learns by ear. Relatively simple arrangements can be played using no music and it makes for a very different performance experience. If the players are up to it, encourage student writers! There is no better way for a student to learn the craft than to have their work performed and critiqued, and there is no better way for a band to create a unique program than to create the music themselves.

2. Maintain a Professional Stage Presence

The band should take the stage, find their seats, and be ready to play in as orderly a way as possible. Rhythm section players should be coached to make equipment adjustments as efficiently as they can – and make sure bass players and guitar players have all necessary cables. Nothing kills a groove like waiting for 10 minutes while the drummer adjusts stands and the saxes argue about who sits where.

During the performance, have soloists play in front of the band rather than in place. Ideally they will be able to do this without music but having a music stand out front is OK, too. Playing in front of the band makes the soloists easier to hear, and looks better to the audience. It also gives them a little extra encouragement to practice. If moving from their place in the ensemble is impossible, at the very least make sure they are standing in place during solos. This rule applies to everyone except trumpets (who are already standing), pianists (one Jerry Lee Lewis was enough!), and of course drummers.

3. Tune to an Instrument – NOT to a Tuner

There is certainly a place and a time to use a tuner. The place is most often a practice room and the time is during individual practice time. While it may seem more efficient to flash a tuner in front of each student in the band and allow the arrows to tell them to push in or pull out, it does nothing to help them truly listen. Intonation is not a “set it and forget it” skill, and the tuner flash encourages this kind of thinking.

It goes back to planning and preparation. True listening skills take time to develop, and if a band is tuning in this way by the time a festival rolls around it tells me that there has been no work done in the preparation period to teach students how to listen carefully and play in tune. It is of course OK to use a tuner for reference in rehearsal, but do not depend on it. Teaching students to adjust their tuning using their ears and not their eyes will take a little longer, but the long term results are well worth it.

4. Provide Bound Scores with Permission from Publishers

Judges want to be able to follow scores and most festivals require directors to provide copies for every judge or clinician. Most publishers are more than happy to allow copying for this purpose. All directors need to do is ask, and this can usually be accomplished with a quick email. Respecting copyright is something that we should all be modeling as teachers, and this is a very easy thing to do.

Having the scores bound (a simple staple in the corner will do) with the pages in the correct order is a real help. Judges often want to reference specific bar numbers in comments, or want to check the score for performance accuracy if they hear something that sounds amiss. Providing scores that are clean, easy to follow, and LEGAL allows the judge or clinician to focus on listening and music rather than finding their place in the score.

5. Don’t Overstay Your Welcome

Most festivals run on a fairly tight schedule. Keeping your program within the allotted time shows respect for the festival host, the judges and clinicians, and the other performing ensembles. Festivals are long days even when everything runs on time, and when even one band runs overtime it creates more work for everyone.

It goes back to planning and preparation. While your program does not need to be planned down to the second, you should have your soloists and solo lengths planned in advance. While I love a good jam session as much as anyone, a festival performance is not the time for open-ended solos. Many of the great solos we study are short statements that are made within the context of a larger performance. Plan things out accordingly. In addition to programming, getting on and off stage efficiently (see #2 above) will also help a great deal in this regard.

Most of these ideas are simple common sense, and apply to jazz and concert festival performances alike. If you choose your repertoire carefully, and prepare the band with attention to musical details, your festival performance will be a success. Please feel free to contact me if I can be a resource to you in any way.

Dean Sorenson is Associate Professor and the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota as well as a prolific and highly sought-after composer, arranger, trombonist, educator, and clinician. Dean’s latest project is Colors of the Soul, a CD of original music for sexet. His most recent book is First Place for Jazz, a new and innovative method for beginning jazz players published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company. He is frequently featured at festivals and conventions around the country and abroad, and maintains a full schedule of concert and recording dates as a Yamaha performing artist. For more information please visit www.deansorensonmusic.com.

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