Hello all!

I'm not sure whether I should be posting this on the Jazz forum as well (or instead?) but just wondered if anyone is currently working towards Jazz exams on clarinet? I'm fairly new to Jazz and haven't taken any exams but I do love playing it! I've played from lots of the Guest Spot books and am looking for more material - just considering buying the ABRSM books but not sure whether to start with Grade One, as I' play a lot of the pieces already and suspect that the Grade 1 stuff might be in easier keys then I play. Also, I think that the Guest Spot books are intermediate level (about 4 - 6), so I'm looking for something similar - any suggestions or comments, greatly appreciated, as always!

I did grade 3 jazz clarinet earlier this year, and enjoyed it a lot. I skipped straight to grade 3, and I'm thinking of jumping ahead to grade 5 next. The exams are harder than their 'opposites' in the classical exams, ie. grade 3 is about grade 4-5ish because of the improvising in the pieces and the aural. Another thing, aural tests for jazz exams are a lot more fun than they are usually. Jazz exams are good for general musical technique and are great fun too!

I'm thinking of doing a jazz exam - probably grade 1 - just to get some more experience of improvising and soloing properly. In our school jazz band we sometimes do improvising (more often just echo playing), but in concerts and things it's normally the tenor sax player who does the solos. (Because he's really good!)

Kingsley - in what way(s) are the jazz aurals different from classical exam aurals, and when did you take your G3 jazz? (I mean, what level on classical clarinet were you then?)

I've not done any jazz exams at all, and it's a very long time since I've done classical exams, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that because the head is easy the piece itself is easy. It's the soloing that's the challenging bit. In the Guest Spot books everything is written out for you. For the jazz exams the basic tune is written out for you and you have to improvise the rest, including embellishing the written tune. Some people find this relatively easy too, others (even very accomplished classical players) find it scary and difficult. Achieving a certain level in your classical/playing written music, doesn't always translate directly to being able to play jazz at the same level.

Many thanks for the replies so far. I just wanted to add that I am also learning piano (I take Grade 2 in December) and have been doing some work on chords with my teacher, who leans more towards Jazz than Classical. I've been playing Jazz standards on my clarinet with my piano teacher (who is also learning sax!) and we are working towards me doing some improvisation (on clarinet), though I am currently playing through straight with him doing the improvising on his sax. Hope that makes some sense (!)

I just really wanted to say that I do realise that the improvisation will be the challenging part but although I'm a beginner at improvising, I still want to find music which will also challenge me a bit as a player, if you see what I mean but then perhaps it's up to me to make it a bit more challenging by adding my own improvisation!

Exactly.

Just look at the tunes on the Grade 1 clarinet syllabus, including

Blues:
Jumpin' at the Woodside, Tokyo Blues, St James Infirmary

Standards:
Mack the Knife, Down by the Riverside, When the Saints, Lil' Darlin, Is You Is or Is you Ain't Ma Baby

If you think they're not enough to stretch you, you really haven't got them.

I hate putting grades against pieces, it's as if by saying "this is a grade 1 piece" it means that it's somehow beneath a more experienced player. Listen to Sonny Rollins playing "Mack the Knife" (confusingly called Moritat on the album Saxophone Colossus) and then see if you think it might be too easy. And if you're going to get into playing jazz you really need to start listening to as many versions as possible of the tunes you want to play, plus as much other stuff as you can handle. Recorded music has never been as cheap or as easy to get hold of as it is now, so take full advantage of it.

TSax,

Many thanks for this - it seems very obvious to me now! I've been playing Lil' Darlin' (in C) and Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (in B Flat) from the Guest Spot books already and Lil' Darlin' in particular I'm really comfortable with. I don't know whether they are in the same keys in the Grade 1 book or not but will have a look and see. My piano teacher suggested Mack the Knife as the next one for us to play (I think he may well be using the ABRSM Jazz book with his alto sax). I don't suppose you happen to know whether the alto sax book has the same music in it as the clarinet one and whether it's in the right keys for us to play together without transposing?

Also, I understand your point about not labelling music as being for a particular grade but I have a copy of Classic Jazz for Clarinet and many of the standards in it are also in my Guest Spot books but the former has 'easier' keys ie Lil' Darlin is in G rather than in C as in Guest Spot and doesn't play up as high. Also, many of the arrangements in Classic Jazz are very simplified compared to the Guest Spot and I found some of them a bit disappointing but then again, I guess that would be where the improvisation comes in again!

Lastly, if you can recommend any further books (preferably with play along CDs) for me to look at, then please do!

Thanks again to you and everyone else for your replies!

I've no idea about the ABRSM jazz grade books I'm afraid they're not something I've ever seriously looked into.

The series of books for jazz with backing CDs that are best known and most people I know have at least a few (there are well over a hundred) is the Aebersold series. Have a look at www.jazzbooks.com for details, in the UK they can be ordered from www.jazzwise.com.

Be aware that these are intended to be used very much for improvisation. The only notation you get is the head (usually in the key the tune is most often played in) and the chord symbols. The backing CD will play for something like 6 choruses and the idea is you use it as a backing for improvised solos and improvisation exercises.

If you think you've got Lil' Darlin' down now try downloading several versions and see if listening to those changes the way you think about it and play it. Try and work out what key they're in and transpose the tune (or bits of it) so you can play along. If you're serious about wanting to play jazz you must start listening to it. There's no way you'll be convincing otherwise.

I took the exam in the spring term, so I was working towards grade 8, but I'd say that it was nowhere near grade 8 standard. I went for grade 3 because it was my first jazz exam and I wanted to get a feel for them. I think they only go up to grade 5 in associated board anyway.

The aural tests (G3) are:

1. First you have to clap the pulse along to a melody played by the examiner, joining in as soon as you can. Then the examiner plays the same piece again and he tells you to clap on a certain beat of the bar.

2. The examiner plays four 4-bar phrases, and you have to sing each back after it has been played.

3. The examiner plays four more 4-bar phrases, but this time you have to sing or play an improvised response. The examiner plays an accompaniment for the duration of the test.


The aural would vary from grade to grade, but it would probably be quite similar.


Sightreading is also different for jazz exams. For grade 3 I was given four bars and then had to improvise for four bars. They give you 30 seconds to look at the sightreading and practise a few ideas for the improvising.

I found that as I was a grade much higher than the exam I took, on all of the improvising I could show off a bit more, and it's definitely a way to improve performing skills.

Hi again Tsax,

Many thanks for this - I've had a look at the Aebersold series and it looks fantastic! However, I will need to start right at the very beginning, so I'm going to consult with my piano teacher (who may well have some of these already) and take it from there.

In the meantime, point taken about listening! Thanks again.

Just another point which I meant to add earlier on in this thread - a very obvious problem with the Guest Spot books (at least as far as improvisation goes) is the lack of chord symbols! I suppose this just shows that they are intended to just be played through straight. I've still found them very useful in terms of getting to know the melodies though.

Don't take this as absoloute but I think you might find some of the pieces for different instruments will be on the same grade. There will also be totally different ones. You might also find that a piece on one grade for one instrument is on a different grade for another instrument.

This is based on owning Grade 3 Flute and C Treble Clef Real Book and Eb Real Book. A friend has recently bought the C Bass Clef and from the brief look it follows a similar pattern. Keep meaning to buy the Bb but haven't got round to it yet. The Piano one in the grades seems to be totally different.

Emsoboe took Grade 3 Flute followed by Grade 5 whilst being around Grade 5 Classical. She was working towards Grade 7 on Sax when she took Grades 4 and 5 Jazz.

The Abersold books are very good for improvising. They are different to the AB Jazz exams in that the AB improvisation is not free and requires some knowledge of theory.

When I did my G3 jazz clarinet, there were three G3 jazz saxophonists doing exams on the same day. We were all consecutive and all played one of the same pieces. I think the examiner was bored of that piece when it came to me!

So do the Aebersold books...

Appreciate that and I'm not in a position to judge really. I suppose I assumed the AB had a slightly more rigid framework in which to improvise. Daughter uses and enjoys both.