Hi!
I am a classical pianist and am thinking of starting to play some jazz....the closest to jazzy type music I have played is gershwin. What books/composers would you recommend I start with?......also would I have to start from scratch? like grade 1?
Full Version: Where To Start?
I dare say books exist and other members may help, but why not just start?
If you play Gershwin, take one of those pieces, go by the chord sequences - play the
chords in the inversions used in the printed music, then freak around with the tune over the top. Choose a chord or key and improvise anything over it. Keep it simple at first.
Listen to lots of jazz on the radio/CDs.
I'm in your same situation. It's a fair bit about 'letting go'. When you start, that's difficult because you have to find your way around the keyboard without printed music. Persist. It won't happen over night but it does happen. I reckon you need to develop a good ear - practice goes a long way to that so your hands fall on what you want to play without too much thought of the mechanics of playing. I'm not quite in that league yet! but getting there.
R
If you play Gershwin, take one of those pieces, go by the chord sequences - play the
chords in the inversions used in the printed music, then freak around with the tune over the top. Choose a chord or key and improvise anything over it. Keep it simple at first.
Listen to lots of jazz on the radio/CDs.
I'm in your same situation. It's a fair bit about 'letting go'. When you start, that's difficult because you have to find your way around the keyboard without printed music. Persist. It won't happen over night but it does happen. I reckon you need to develop a good ear - practice goes a long way to that so your hands fall on what you want to play without too much thought of the mechanics of playing. I'm not quite in that league yet! but getting there.
R
| QUOTE (Rhapsodin @ Dec 3 2004, 09:47 AM) |
| I dare say books exist . . . . If you play Gershwin, take one of those pieces . . . . . |
Rhapsodin has some good advice here. There are lots of books if you wish to go down this road. And do aim to learn all the chord symbols also, so that your fingers (both hands) can place themselves immediately upon seeing the symbol - this is vital!
'I Got Rhythm' by Gershwin uses *the* most popular chord sequence of all. You could start with this. You`ve probably heard the many 'classical' variations, and not least the Gershwin recording also.
'Regular' jazz harmony is very similar to traditional 'classical' music. Always built up in 3rds, but with many more sophisticated extensions (only continuing the 3rds, but altered in some respect). And your left hand chord voicings will make your RH improvisations much more authentic also - chord of C major = from the bottom up - B flat, E, A. Or, E natural, Bb, Eb. Or E, Bb, D. Or, A, D, E, G. Try your own - this is what makes a player develop their own 'sound'. Keep all these LH chords placed around *middle C* - too low and they`re useless. Higher is permissable.
Best of luck.
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