MASTER CLASS by JB. Dyas, Ph.D Methods For Fighting The Epidemic Of Tune Illiteracy For the past 20-phus years, ve had the honor of teaching in a Wide variety of didactic situa tions, from jaz camps and pee forming ans high schools t universities and prestigious jazz institutes. If you were to approach each of the increible i pedagogucs T've taught alongside and ask them, “What's the best way to Jeam how to play jazz? Yee sure 0 get min. any cnt answer go 8 sh, dn £0 school go w New You f to New Oran tan Hon books area reat on heating ook at your band How outa lt Yur ees, nth cntraiosg nando, vever, while professional eae en corde to ply this music riz a whole tof tunes one favorite players agree 38 jazz musician, it never eases to amaze me that so many students have to nin toa keh to Bla “What I Ts Thing Calle Love” eves "Bli's ease ask AMiteracy among young upanc.canig jus patrons To help fight his malay, I've pt ogee a cate met for memovizing and, equally important retang he coral sa ok reprise (there's nothing wor th fiding yous ons pe tad ane Aue called that you "ed know"). Also copay at ee np is thoroughly Ustening othe deinitve cating: at aso ins, yh ts, sony pars, backround, eds ad whet tle those inthe kao, know, Ad of couse, esa tens re {ro fom your fiver slo on ach ne ponies yu wi aca vocabulary and inh, oto mention ceaiy whet you que ‘ating your post you to an kaon Felling als of ine sequent ep forking eny ine ence that most great jazz pia ‘You must 1 ste tot constantly, and 2) memo at east a couple hundred. Since virtually every that these two sctivtes are vital to becoming 1) Lite he eve mcneag meme ts 2) Meme frm Comes ers nce : + bar bes (eg -TenarMades”*Now's The Tine" PC "Fogg Blas Fe A) + Ibar ure, "Watmetn “ine Bos “Sunaina “Do ‘ 1 Gt Ry “npn "Maiden Vor “oxy nS) + ABAG eg, "AL OfMe"AI OF You" "On Gen Dip See) Uncen fos de AAD (eg Song For My Father’) UXAnCtes. "Asam Lanes) eset oka ore th ero ons, example oon Tope ADA Car it A, Haro A 8:barbeidge and 8-bar last A) + "Moments Notice”: ABAB'V (8-bar first A &-ar frst B, S.bar second A, 6-bar second B,8-bar vamp with Bfiat pedal) + "Peace": 10-bar tune + “Stblemates": ABA (14-bar first A, 8-bar bridge, bac last) + YesOr No": ABA (Id-bar A sections witha 1G-arbrige) 3) Memorize the oot movernent; play roots with defintive or play-along. recording, 4) Memorize the chord qualities; play chords (arpeggios in quater notes) with play-along recording as follows: *1-3-5-7-9 for chords lasting two bars (hve the Sth sustain forthe second bar) + 1-3-5 for chords lasting one bar + 153 forchords lasting two beats + ForII-V-Iprogrssions in maj, play + FocTI-V-4 progressions in minor ply ‘Also practic having the final 7h inthe penulimat the 6th Gnstead ofthe St) i the last measure 5) Play related sales in eighth notes (if the chor lasts fortwo bars, have the Sh sustain forthe second br, or cords ang we bet, jut play 1234 ©) Memorize the head; play with definitive an play-along recordings while thinking of the changes 7) Improvise wit play-along recersing 8) Transeribe phrases from definitive recordin 3) Improvise with pay-slong recoding, incorporating phrases wansrbed from he definitve record By executing thse basic steps, you will not onl thoroughly know the ‘oot movement, chord qualities and bead of each new tue you learn you ‘will have itemalized their definitive recordings, oe of he most igor, ‘ant aspects of becoming a go jez payer. And though this proce, 00 wil also eam how chords progress, understand subsitons, have hundreds of quotable tases for improvisation, develop your ear and ine feo, have credibly and be employable ‘The list of “mustknow tunes can be found in the book Pacer (Changes along with their most common chord progressions. Isso rc. ‘ommend David Baker's book How to Learn Tunes (both available through jazbooks com), Please stay tuned for my methodic procedre for reviewing and retaining all he tas on the ist in part ofthis stile in an upcoming ise. 8 Dr LB. serves as Viow President for Education anc Curticutum 2a eee‘Tune Learning Order of Events (do in the following order foreach tune) 1. listen to the definitive recording numerous times 2. memorize the form 3. memorize root movement, play roots with definitive or play-along recording, 4. memorize chord qualities, play chords (arpeggios in quarter notes) with play-along recording as follows: + 135.79 for cbords lasting two bars (have the th sustain forthe second bar) + 13.57 for chords lasting one bar + 13 for chords lasting two beats + for IV's in major, play:* 32 é fo + for HV 1's in minor, pay:* ow ba 5. play related scales in eighth notes (for chords lasting two bars, have the 9th sustain forthe second bar, for chords lasting ‘two beats, just play 123 4) 6. memorize head, play with definitive and play-along recording 7. improvise with play-along recording. 8. transcribe phrases from definitive recording 9. improvise with play-along recording, incorporating phrases transcribed from definitive recording * Youmay suave he fin 7 nh route esis eon ote nh lst mean, pach endiag he ie o both the and) ‘Ten Most Common Chord Scales Chord Scale Name Fomula Beginnin ca Major major scale CDEFGABC a Mixolydian major scale with a b7 CDEFGABDC c Dorian ‘major scale with @ b3 and b7 CDEDFGABDC co Loeriaa notes from major scale ¥ step higher C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Co Diminished (WH) =WHWHWHWH CDEbFGDADABC CA ‘Melodic Minot ‘major scale with a b3 CDEDFGABC c7alt Super Locrian notes from melodic minor scale step higher. C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C cg Diminished (HW) oH WHWHWHW C Db EDEFEGABDC Cres Whole Tone all whole steps CDE F# Ge BDC CTorC- Blues Scale 1b3.4b5 5 b71 C Eb F Gb G BbCCommon Forms AABA e.g., Take the A Train A:Ic 1 1o7#s 1 10 (er ic ASIC 1 lov 1 Ib. Ie7 Ic BF 1 ! I 107771 Ip. A:Ic ! los 1 Ib- Ic7 Ic ABAC e.g., On Green Dolphin Street A:TEb OL feb oF IF le TEb B: I F- 1Bb7 «TEb 1Bb- Eb7 HAb- 1Db7 Gb A: TEb t Heb 1 IF Te Teb C2 IF- F-/ep 1D G7at IC- C-/gplAo D7an 1G- C7aill F- Bb7 PED 16-Bar Tune e.g., Blue Bossa Ic- 1 VF. ! 1Do = «-EG7at EC. Hep. Fab7 [Db I [Do = -EG7at EC. 12-Bar Blues Ip- e719 Ic- c71 fez Lk 1b- G70 Teb C7atl TF. Bb7 1 Leb C7anl 1(F- Bb7)1 ! ! 1Do G7arl e.g., Billie's Bounce, Now’s the Time, Straight No Chaser, etc. (ee feb, lee cee Teb7 (Bo) FF? = E(D7at) F IG 1C7_—sNF7D7atG- c7 1