[SE_HORNS]

Hope everyone is well.

Since I started playing tenor a few months ago, I've more or less just been getting to grips with it technically (familiarising myself with scales, working on tone) as well as using it to work on my own ideas.

But now I'm looking to begin learn and study some songs that will develop not only my technical proficiency but my vocabulary and theory. I want to learn something that features some of the foundations of jazz, ii-V-Is or whatever, ideally with a nice head and also a solo to transcrive - also something that somewhat plays by the 'rulebook' for the time being so I can clearly see the theoretical side of things if that makes sense. I'm aware I'm likely to get a load of responses telling me to go learn Autumn Leaves or Blue Bossa which is cool, just wanted to put a feeler out.

If you could also recommend a version of the tune you suggest that'd be great.

Thanks

 

[swperry1]

The blues. First in a basic form without all the various jazz turnarounds (BB King tunes, Blue Monk, C-jam blues, Sonny Moon for Two) then start adding them in (Now’s the Time, etc).
Suggestion:
Find a bunch that you like and make a playlist. Listen to it a ton. Start learning heads and root movements. Fill in the rest of the chord tones using different arpeggios/ chord inversions through the form. Learn some solos. Be humble.
Have fun!

 

[datsaxman]

+1 to starting simple. Blues changes.

And starting with something you really like.

 

[JayeLID]

Definitely Blues.

Then you could delve in to some classic tunes with very simple changes....

Bye, Bye Blackbird....Fly Me to the Moon....maybe Summertime or A-Train.....these are a few I usually suggest to people in your situation.

Blue Bossa, yes, although it isn't quite as 'easy' as a straight 1-4-5 blues from a soloing standpoint...

Autumn Leaves.....actually, no. Hold off on that one for a while.

If you started Tenor only a few months ago....no need to rush into theory so soon, necessarily....

BUT with blues tunes and very simple-progression Jazz tunes you would likely not be overheating yourself....so give 'em a go....

 

[1saxman]

Some Great of the past said something to the effect of; 'Its not how much you know, its how many tunes you know.' In the process of gigging with many different people, the players of the past would build their musical 'library' of hundreds of standards and originals which became standards. To 'know' a tune, you not only can play it from memory, you understand the chord structure so you can solo over it. That obviously includes all those bridges, which will occasionally trip up even a seasoned pro. Some songs have notoriously involved bridges, and tunes are even 'rated' by the complexity of the bridge.
So my advice to you is to simply pick songs that appeal to you and get into them. Every 'Real Book' has the lead line and chords, plus many of them are available on backing tracks. Its so easy today to record yourself over a backing track - definitely a fast way to improve, because you almost never are satisfied with the playback.

 

[Bubba06]

+1 to starting simple. Blues changes. And starting with something you really like.

I really agree with going in the direction that you're motivated to go. You seem to be asking the right questions, which is a big step. Now... get motivated and follow that motivation.

There's an excellent list of recommended artists, tunes by skill level, and historic recordings in this FREE book here.
http://www.jazzbooks.com/jazz/fqbk

-Bubba-

 

[Guto]

In addition to the great suggestions above I also recommend you pick a song you really like and try to memorize its melody, regardless of its harmony. Once you know it well (and only after that step), try to deviate from the original melody and rhythm slight, improvise by ear. Play one chorus exact, one improvised and so forth.

After your basic harmony understanding develops in the future you’ll be able to deal with those tunes harmony as well, but you’ll be ahead already knowing their melodies. Plus it’s fun to play a song you like.

 

[saxoclese]

Satin Doll: Analysis by Dan Haerle

 

[Dr G]

Who do you enjoy listening to? What inspires your sound?

Hope everyone is well.

Since I started playing tenor a few months ago, I've more or less just been getting to grips with it technically (familiarising myself with scales, working on tone) as well as using it to work on my own ideas.

But now I'm looking to begin learn and study some songs that will develop not only my technical proficiency but my vocabulary and theory. I want to learn something that features some of the foundations of jazz, ii-V-Is or whatever, ideally with a nice head and also a solo to transcrive - also something that somewhat plays by the 'rulebook' for the time being so I can clearly see the theoretical side of things if that makes sense. I'm aware I'm likely to get a load of responses telling me to go learn Autumn Leaves or Blue Bossa which is cool, just wanted to put a feeler out.

If you could also recommend a version of the tune you suggest that'd be great.

Thanks

 

[Sigmund451]

Giant Steps:twisted:

 

[SE_HORNS]

Who do you enjoy listening to? What inspires your sound?

That's the tricky thing, I'm largely into Late Trane, Pharoah Sanders, Azar Lawrence, Billy Harper etc - none of which are too easy to transcribe....

Thanks for the suggestions though people, I spent yesterday evening looking at the blues (Coltrane's Village Blues) and today I'm going to do the same before work.

 

[tombg14]

I'm not sure it's quite in the same ballpark as what you listed, but how about Oliver Nelson's solo on Stolen Moments from Blues and the abstract truth? It's a minor blues progression for the solo

That's the tricky thing, I'm largely into Late Trane, Pharoah Sanders, Azar Lawrence, Billy Harper etc - none of which are too easy to transcribe....

Thanks for the suggestions though people, I spent yesterday evening looking at the blues (Coltrane's Village Blues) and today I'm going to do the same before work.

 

[buddy lee]

Blue Bossa, yes, although it isn't quite as 'easy' as a straight 1-4-5 blues from a soloing standpoint...

Autumn Leaves.....actually, no. Hold off on that one for a while.

I've had several younger people tell me they started on Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa. There's nothing overtly "easy" about the changes on either of those tunes, I don't understand why some teachers go there first but it's pretty normal from what I understand.

 

[Brenton]

If you can sing a tune by ear, and you know the basic scales on your Sax, you should be able to play it on your sax by ear.
Yes, that includes Autumn Leaves, a good one for practicing your tone (eg.

)
ie. Practice songs you can already hum.
I'm not a big fan of all that "mixolydian" stuff per that Satin Doll analysis mentioned above. Each to their own. Maybe later?
I suggest you listen to the likes of Aubra Graves (jazzsaxtenor) on youtube to get a feel for in-between and syncopated notes. (eg. Misty:

) Cheers...

 

[turf3]

If I were you I'd get some records and play along with them by ear. Some artists to consider:

Dexter Gordon
Coleman Hawkins
Lester Young
Arnett Cobb
Buddy Tate

These are all top musicians but their repertoire tends toward the more harmonically conservative, thus easier to hear and play along with by ear.

The other side of the coin is to take a small amount of material and work it deeply. I recommend doing both a broad based exposure to a lot of material, not deeply (1saxman notes "building one's tune library") and a very deep approach to a small amount of material. For the deep harmonic analysis of a tune and using it to help you create ideas and things to practice and apply to your wider repertoire, I think working with a good instructor would get you a lot further a lot faster than trying to do it all yourself.

Biographies of the great players of the past often mention that while they were diving deeply into harmonic analysis of certain tunes, they were ALSO earning their daily bread playing a huge range of tunes in dance bands, playing 250 gigs a year. So, basically, doing BOTH a wide-shallow and a deep-narrow approach.

 

[JayeLID]

I've had several younger people tell me they started on Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa. There's nothing overtly "easy" about the changes on either of those tunes, I don't understand why some teachers go there first but it's pretty normal from what I understand.

I, too do not understand it and I actually think part of the answer is almost 'tradition'. And it might be normal, yeah...and you are right, it maybe is common...but given the OP hasn't spent some time diddling over a blues scale yet, I still think Leaves should be left for later...it may cause more frustration than inspiration.
Its harmonic center changes...IMHO better starter tunes are ones which don't shift like that.

(Beautiful Love is another Realbook tune which came to mind since my last post, it too remains pretty squarely centered/rooted).

 

[buddy lee]

It might be normal, yeah...and you are right, it maybe is common...but given the OP hasn't spent some time diddling over a blues scale yet, I still think Leaves should be left for later...it may cause more frustration than inspiration.
Its harmonic center changes...IMHO better starter tunes are ones which don't shift like that.

(Beautiful Love is another Realbook tune which came to mind since my last post, it too remains pretty squarely centered/rooted).

I agree with you, I don't think those are good tunes to begin improvising over at all. I always suggest 12-bar blues.

 

[JayeLID]

I agree with you, I don't think those are good tunes to begin improvising over at all. I always suggest 12-bar blues.

Agreed. I was just answering the (sorta un-asked, but implied) question..."what else would be good (as in: nearly-as-straightforward) which are not 12-bar blues ?"

 

[mrpeebee]

As all others said start with a simple blues.

Take after that (or at the same time) a simple rhythm scheme (I Got Rhythm for instance, or Lester Leaps In).

If you understand those two chord sequences (and the variations), besides knowing your scales and chords, you have covered about 80% of Jazz! :bluewink:

 

[swperry1]

Trane played the blues...Blue Trane (I think this one is a minor blues melody regular blues solos), All Blues, Freddy Freeloader, Cousin Mary, Equinox...some are minor form, but all have some great solos by Trane and others.