John O’Neill Steve Watermank | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ‘The authors would jointly like to thank the following people: Phil Lee, Jeff Clyne and Paul Clarvis for their superb musicianship, professionalism, patience and creative contibutiof during the recording of the CD. “The staff at Schott & Co, Lid All the musicians who gave permission for their compositions to be included in this book ‘All our students, who played such an important part in shaping the book. Nick Taylor of Porcupine Studio for his ‘engineering and mixing. Henry Binns for his photographs. John Minnion for his line drawings. Bob Glass of Ray's Jazz Shop for his help in compiling the discography. ‘The publishers would like 10 thank the following for allowing the use of their material in this publica- tion: Jol Minnion forthe Mlustations. ‘Henry Binns forthe technical photographs. Dave Cif, Ted Gioia and Kenny Wheeler for their compositions. Bocu Music Lid, Contemporary Music, Hubtones Music Corp, Ledsong Copyright Service Ltd, MCA ‘Music, Music Sales Limited, Orpheum Music Co, Prestige Music Co., Prestige Music Limited, and Thelonious Music for their copyright Music ‘The. authors and publishers also wish co acknowledge, with thanks, Redferns Music Picture =D 12670 [oy Steve Waterman would like to thank: All my teachers over the years: Adrian Mosiey, Eddie Blundell, Malcolm Wheale, Norman Burgess and Bobby Lamb. Derek ‘Watkins for his many helpful suggestions and Contributions to the tex Phil Parker and John Myatt Woodwind and Brass for looking after my instrument, John O'Neill would like to thank three great teachers: Peter Ind, who introduced me to the concepts of Lennie Tristano; Lee Konitz, who gave me a new direction and discipline for my improvisation; and the late Warne Marsh, Library/Phorographers: Max Jones Files (Buddy Bolden Band, p. 17; Bix Beiderbecke, p. 113), Bob Willoughby (Shony Rogers, p. 17; Chet Baker, . 1, David Redfern (Lee Morgan, p. 17; Louis ‘Armstrong, p. 46; Ar Parmer, p. 49; John Coltrane, p. 57; Wynton Marsalis, p. 61; Freddie Hubbard, P. 73; Dizzy Gillespie, p. 75: Woody Shaw, p. 79; Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, p. 86; Clark Teny, p. 96 Kenny Wheeler, p. 10D, William Gottlieb (Charlie Parker, p. "40," Fats Navarro, 107), Chuck Stewart (Cliford Brown, 9.53) Gert Schlip (Miles Davis, p. 60. (© Redferns, London Batis Library Cataogoing-in-Publication Data, A catalogue record for this ‘book is avalable fom the Bish Library ISBN 0946535 25 6 © 1995 Scot & Co. Ld, London All rghis reserved. Printed in England. No part ofthis publication may be, eprodvced, stored in a retrieval system, or tanamited, in any fora ot by ny: means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or wtherwse, ‘without the. prior writen. permission ef Schott & Co. Ld 48 Gres Marlborough Set, London, WIV BN, Designed and typeset by Geofey & Marion Wadsley Cover: Miles Davis (photograph by David Redfezn) @ Redfems, Landon ee esHow to Use this Book 4 Some Thoughts About Practice 4 About the Trumpet 5 PART ONE: THE FOUNDATION TECHNIQUES 7 Breathing Exercises 7 ‘The Principles of Sound Production 9 ‘Buzzing’ the Lips 9 ‘Buzzing’ on the Mouthpiece 10 Tone Development u ‘The Pants of the Instrument 2 Assembling and Disassembling the 12 Instrument Hand Position 1B Posture 4 Fingering 15 First Notes 15 ‘Tuning Position 16 Tone Quality 16 ‘Tonguing 18 ‘The Attack 18 Stopping the Note 19 PART TWO: PLAYING THE MUSIC 20 Chapter 1 The Staff; Leger Lines; Clefs; Bars and 20 Bar-Lines; Time Signatures; Note Durations; Pulse and Rhythm; Taking a Breath; Metronome Markings; Repeats, Rests Chapter 2 Low D and C; Using the Tuning Slide; 23 Harmonics; Slurs; Crotchets; Ties; The ‘Pick-Up’; Crotchet Rests. Chapter 3. Middle Register A; Riffs; Minim Rests; 26 Dynamic Markings; The Pause. Chapter 4 Middle Register By and C; Flats, 29 Semitones and Accidentals; 3/4 Time; Dotted Notes; Key Signatures; Improvisation. Chapter 5 The Sharp Sign; Middle Register Ff 32 and B; Enharmonic Notes; Crescendo and Decrescendo; Accents; The Natural Sign; First and Second Time Bars. Chapter 6 Scales; Chords; Arpeggios, 35 Chapter 7 Low Dy/E}and Middle GW/As. 36 Chapter 8 Middle Cy/Dy; Middle D; 38 ‘Transposition; Aniculation; Low CYD}; Chromatic Scale. Chapter 9 Low Band A; D.S.alCoda;low 40 AYBI; Pentatonic Scale; Use of Space; Relative Keys; Scale and Arpeggio Practice: D Major and B Minor. Chapter 10 Ear Training; Intervals; Inversions; 43 Playing by Ear. apter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18, Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Even Quavers; Beams; Low GYAk 47 The Flugelhorn; Middle Dy/Eh; Scale and Arpeggio Practice: By Major. Triplet Quavers; Vibrato; Low G; 50 Half-Valves; Scale and Arpeggio Practice: G Major. More on Warming Up and Practising. 54 Swing Quavers; To Swing or not to. 55 Swing?; Articulating Swing Quavers; High E; Anticipation; The Blues Scale/Passing Notes; Repetition; Scale Practice: E Minor. Off-beat Phrases; High F; Mutes; 59 ‘The Plunger Mute; Growis arid Flutter- ‘Tongue; Low FYGb; Scale Practice: F Major and D Minor. ‘The Dotted Crotchet followed bya 64 Quaver; D.S. al Fine, The Harmon Mute; Modes; High Fgand G. More’on Articulation. 67 Construction and Interrelationship 69 of Major and Minor Scales; Enharmonic Scales; Practising the Scales; Scale Variations, ‘The On-Beat Quaver followed by 71 ‘Two Off-Beats; Dorian and Lydian Modes. Consecutive OfF-Beats; High Gand A. 75 ‘Triplet Crotchets 8 Harmony; Diatonic Chords; Chord 82 Symbols; II-V-I Progression; Chord Roots; Voice-Leading; Ascending. Melodic Minor Scale. 6/8 time; 5/4 time; High Bk Four 86 against Three Semiquavers and Semiquaver Rests; 90 Grace Notes Double- and Triple-tonguing; 4 ‘Doodle-tonguing’ Chapter 26 High B and C; High Note Technique; 98 Pedal Notes. PART THREE: APPENDICES 104 1 Bibliography 104 2. Discography 105 3. Mouthpieces 408 4 Useful Accessories 109 5. More on Mutes n10 6 Care of the Instrument 42 7 Transposition 2 8 Notes of the Harmonic Series; 13 Alternative Fingering 9) Fingering Chart 116 10 Chord Progressions for Tunes InsertMastery of the foundation techniques presented in Part One is the key to playing the trumpet well, so please ensure you are comfortable with the exercises in this section of, the book before attempting the pieces in Part Two. Many of the chapters finish with suggestions for further listening, reading or practice. You are advised to adopt as many of these suggestions as possible in-order to gain ‘maximum benefit from the method. If your speakers are connected properly the rhythm section on the accompanying CD. will be heard from the left speaker and the trumpet from the right speaker. If your music system has a ‘balance’ control or separate volume controls for left and right channel you will be able to adjust the ‘mix’ between trumpet and rhythm section, or indeed to filter ‘out the trumpet completely. This means you can choose to play with or without the trumpet for guidance. There are also several pieces which give you the further option of playing a duet part. You should not expect to play every piece immediately with the CD. It may require several hours of practice to work some of the music up to speed. If the music is too fast, do not struggle to play with the recorded accompaniment—such practice is fruitless and frustrating. It is far better to practise slowly—at half-speed or even slower—and gradu- ally build up to the challenge of playing with the CD. It is particularly important that you develop your ear as well as your technique’and ability to read. With this in mind, try to play by ear as much as possible, for example by memorizing the tunes after you have leat to read them or by transposing them into other keys or different registers of the instrument. This book is not a rigid ‘classical’ method. Once you have learnt to play what is written you should feel free to alter rhythms, embellish or improvise. Many of the tunes will benefit from being treated in this way. Above all ENJOY YOURSELF! ‘Try to make the environment you practise in as pleasant as possible. The room should be bright and well ventilated. It should also preferably not be too cluttered; if there is a lack of bare wall space the room will lack resonance and your sound will be deadened. Soft furnishings, such as thick carpets and curtains, have a particularly muffling effect. On the other hand, this might be an advantage if your neighbours complain about the noise! It is very important to practise regularly—every day if possible—otherwise the embouchure (see page 9) will weaken. Twenty minutes a day is much more valuable than one or two much longer sessions a week. If you practise more intensively, remember that it is more effective to play for short periods of 20 minutes to half an hour with breaks in between than to play for hours at a stretch. Sometimes you will find that it is impossible to play every day, for example, if you are on holiday. Practising on the mouthpiece alone is a way of keeping your embouchure-in shape during these times, It sometimes does you good to get away from playing completely for a while, but expect it to take a few days for your embouchure to get back to normal when you resume playing. There is a saying among trumpet players that goes: a He -@-eey 6Miss one day's playing and you will notice. Miss two days’ playing and musicians around you will notice. Miss three days’ playing and everyone will notice. Do not expect to progress at @ uniform rate, however hard you practise, The founda- tion techniques in particular can take a long time to master. Very often you will encounter the ‘plateau effect’, when you feel for a long time that you are not progressing at all. Do not be discouraged! Such periods are nearly always followed by a dramatic leap forward. ‘Avoid practising when you are tired. It may be more effective to practise at the begin- ning or middle of the day than at the end, if your lifestyle permits. Do not practise in a half-hearted way—you will be wasting your time, ‘Warm up properly. You can do a lot of valuable practice without the instrument in your hands—singing, clapping or listening to music for example. ‘Avoid becoming obsessed by any one aspect of your playing; there are many different skills to acquire. ‘The term ‘trumpet’ is, from a broad historical and geographical perspective, used to describe any instrament in which sound is initiated by lip-vibration. Trumpets can be found in different cultures throughout the world—the didgeridoo in Australia, the conch-shell in the Pacific islands, the thigh-bone trumpet in Tibet and animal horns in Aftica—and are certainly among the most ancient of musical instruments, their powerful and awe-inspiring tones making them ideal for accompanying ceremonies, rituals and military enterprises. ‘The Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and Romans all had trumpets in some form, but the trumpet disappeared from Europe after the fall of Rome and did not reappear ‘until the time of the Crusades, when it was captured from the Saracens as war booty. At this time it was a straight instrument, with no keys or valves, so that performers had to rely on changes in lip pressure alone to achieve different pitches. Around 1400, instru- ment makers developed a technique for bending the tubing, During the sixteenth century, more sophisticated manufacturing methods made it possible to extend the range of the instrument upwards. “Jp until this time the role of the trumpet had been a ceremonial or military one, but during the seventeenth century it began to be accepted into ‘art music’, for example in the works of composers such as Praetorius and Schitz. ‘The instrument enjoyed something of a golden age in the Baroque period, when composers such as Bach, Handel and Purcell wrote for it, During the Classical period of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the role of the instrument was mainly to add weight to passages in which the full orchestra was featured, although the inven- tion of a keyed trumpet with greater flexibility inspired both Haydn and Hummel to ‘write concertos, During the nineteenth century the valve system was invented and its superiority over other forms of pitch alteration established. The first valve trumpets were pitched:in F and G, but the success of the more’ agile Bs cornet, with its shorter tubing, led to the introduction of the Bb and C trumpets. Nowadays it is the Bytrumpet that is. most commonly used, although orchestral players are often required to play on trumpets pitched in other keys, and it is for players of this instrument that this book has been written, In military bands the principal melodic instrument has always been the trumpet or itsclose relation the coret—an instrument with a more conical bore and a squatter appearance, In late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century New Orleans, where there ‘was a strong tradition of marching bands, the leader of the band was nearly always the cometist. It is therefore not surprising that the cornet should have been the most impor- tant solo instrument in early jazz. Although no recordings of his playing survive, the legendary Buddy Bolden is generally regarded as having been a great influence on New Orleans jazz. musicians. However, it is Louis Armstrong, affectionately know as ‘Satchmo! (atchel-mouth), who stands like a colossus over all subsequent developments in instru- ‘mental and improvisatory technique. Although he started on the cornet, he first recorded on the trumpet in May 1926 and specialized in this instrument thereafter. Through his technical accomplishment in the upper register of the trumpet and the range of tonal effects that he produced from the instrument, he influenced not just jazz players but also the development of the instrument in the work of twentieth-century composers, who began to realize its potential as a solo voice. ‘The Chicago-based cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, a contemporary of Armstrong, played with less tonal variation but his ‘cool’ approach exerted considerable influence ‘on subsequent stylistic developments on the trumpet and other instruments. Bubber Miley, soloist in Duke Ellington's orchestra in the 1920s helped to establish the so-called ‘jungle sound’ of that band through his innovative ‘grow!’ and ‘wah—wah effects. The 19308, was the age of the big bands, when saxophonists such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young challenged the pre-eminence of the trumpet as a solo instrument. In response, trumpeters like Henry ‘Red’ Allen and Roy Eldridge extended their technique. In the ‘bebop’ era of the 1940s virtuosity reached even greater heights in the astonishing high- register playing of Dizzy Gillespie, the most important innovator after Louis Armstrong, and also in the playing of Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown, who, tragically, both died before their full potential could be realized but who nevertheless left an indelible mark on jazz history. Miles Davis played in a cooler, less technical, style, characterized by an exquisite and instantly recognizable sound. Throughout the 1950s and. 1960s he was the ‘most influential musician in jazz and many key players served their musical apprentice- ship with him, Because jazz trumpeters have always been in the vanguard of technical innovation on their instrument, it is perhaps not surprising that recent years have seen the emergence of a new breed of player who is conversant with both jazz and classical styles. Indeed, in 1984 Wynton Marsalis became the first musician to win the coveted Grammy award for both jazz and classical recordings. FURTHER STUDY Reading: Joncitm E, Berenot, The Jazz Book Baray Kenwreip, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz Stastey Sabie, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians aeonsPart One: The Foundation Techniques Good breathing technique is essertial for trumpet playing. The following exercises will help to develop this. Stand in front of a mirror, preferably one in which you can see yourself from the ‘waist up. Breathe in through the mouth. You may have raised the shoulders and lifted the chest to accomplish this. For the purposes of trumpet playing this is both unneces- sary and incorrect. Nor is it how you breathe when you allow unconscious processes to take over. Exercise 1 Take hold of an average-sized tardback book, lie on the floor on your back, place the book on your abdomen anc relax (Fig. 1). Do not try to breathe in any special way. Simply observe the nature! breathing process. You will notice that the book rises as you breathe in and falls as you breathe out. In other words expansion on inhaling, contraction on exhaling. Fig. 1 Now all you have to do is achieve this in a vertical, rather than a horizontal, position and as a slightly more controlled, conscious process.t Exercise 2 1 * @ Place the hands on the abdomen ; Fig. 2). © Breathe in through the mouth—a small 3 sip of air rather than a massive gulp. ‘The hands should be pushed out slightly. Exhale. ¢ ‘@ Now place the hands on the back { (Fig. 3). Breathe in again. You should notice that the hands are pushed back- wards, It is as if you were breathing in through two holes in the back under- neath the hands. The point is that you ¢ are not simply pushing the stomach out but achieving all-round expansion in the area of the waist and lower ribs. Fig. 2 Fig. 3 This kind of breathing is called ‘diaphragm breathing’, The diaphragm is the powerful muscular floor of the chest cavity. In correct deep breathing the diaphragm moves down to make room as the lungs inflate, thus bringing about the expansion described above. You must now tum your attention to exhalation, The diaphragm is like a piece of clastic. Left to its own devices it will simply spring back into position and exhalation will pe be very short-lived. You might liken this effect to blowing up a balloon and then letting © 0 of it. The balloon flies around the room and within seconds has emptied itself of air. If you let go of your breath in an uncontrolled way your note on the trumpet will be as ‘erratic and short-lived as the flight of the balloon! You must exert a braking influence on the upward movement of the diaphragm, and do this by contracting the muscles which surround it. Here is an exercise for practising control of these muscles: | exercise 3 ‘ @ Breathe in (as described in Exercise 2 above). @ Now breathe out, making a loud whispered ‘ah’ sound. Keep the throat open and relaxed, The ‘ah’ should be as long and steady as possible—ten or fifteen seconds would be reasonable for a beginner. What you should notice is that the muscles around the phragm squeeze more and more firmly until the breath runs out. This effect can be likened to squeezing ¢ out a sponge. If you wish to achieve a steady flow of water you must squeeze first gently and then ever more tightly. t u ‘A common problem with breathing is not keeping the throat sufficiently open. If the throat is t00 closed on inhalation it will be hard to get a sufficient amount of air into the lungs in a short space of time to produce a sustained note on the trumpet. If the throat is too closed on exhalation the sound on the trumpet will be pinched and small as the throat will be constricting the airstream. In order to keep the throat open you may find it helpful to imagine an ‘ah’ sound when inhaling and exhaling. It is important to feel relaxed when breathing. Any form of tension will constrict the air flow. Try taking a breath then holding it. Now talk or count out loud. If there is any strain in your voice you are not relaxed. Keep trying this until there is no strain or tension in your voice, 3 aPFESORSOUNDPRODUEHONa In trumpet playing the sound is created by blowing a jet of air through vibrating | held against a trampet mouthpiece. The vibration is amplified by the trumpet as the air- jet is projected through the tubing of the instrument and resonates as a musical note. ‘The way.you form your lips against :he mouthpiece is called the embouchure. ‘The embouchure is a vital part of trumpet playing, as it not only governs quality of tone, endurance and the productioa of musical notes but also plays a very important part in the changes of register throughout the range of the instrument, ) All technical progress on the trumpet is linked to how well the embouchure performs ‘This is why it is important that no bad habits are adopted right from the start. Bad habits are very bard to break. A student who can grasp the method of playing the trumpet with a correct embouchure will progress very quickly, while one who cannot will find it hard to progress and may never achieve any degree of success. With guidance from a quali- fied teacher there is no reason why a correct embouchure should not be attained very quickly. Eel ZAIN GMM ease © Hold your hand in front of your mouth (Fig, 4). Compress your lips as if you were going to say the syllable ‘per, as in ‘perhaps’, and blow air onto the front of your hand, © Keep the corners of your mouth firm but relaxed and make sure that the air-jet is directed through a small opening at the centre of your lips. This opening is called the aperture. © I is important that the air-jet hits your hand at a 90 degree angle from the lips. To do this you may need to push your lower jaw forwards slightly so that the upper and lower teeth are in alignment. If you fail to do this your chin may collapse upwards towards the lips, causing the upper lip to overlap the lower lip and thereby directing. the air-stream downwards.The chin must be kept firm but relaxed.Repeat this exercise a few times.and then try to set the lips vibrating, making a sound. _ Sitilar to that of a mosquito or a wasp (Track 1 on the CD). In order to do this you iniay have to tighten the lips slightly so that the aperture becomes smaller. Moistening your lips slightly will help them vibrate. The lips should not be overtightened or pinched so” much that the aperture is very small, as this will make it hard for the air to get past the lips, resulting in a thin, pinched sound with little volume. Nor must the aperture be so large that it produces a buzz of a very low pitch with a breathy sound. In order to play higher and lower on the trumpet the pitch of the buzz must also be made to go higher and lower. In order to play higher, the aperture has to be made smaller and in order to play lower, the aperture has to be made larger. By tightening the lips slightly you will make the aperture smaller, causing the pitch of the buzz to rise. By relaxing the lips slightly you will make the aperture larger and the pitch of the buzz will 80 lower. There should be no movement in the chin, which should remain firm and not collapse upwards towards the lips. Practise changing the pitch of your buzz in this manner and watch what happens in a mirror, making sure that the top lip does not fold over the bottom lip as you go higher and that the inside flesh of the lips is not visible as you buzz lower. Some people will find that they can buzz their lips in the prescribed manner very easily; others will have to work at it. IF you are one of these do not worry. It will just take a little time to co-ordinate your lip muscles in this fashion. Once you have achieved strong, consistent buzz, move onto the next exercise, using the trumpet mouthpiece. © Take your trumpet mouthpiece in your hand, and, with your lips formed as if to say ‘per’ as in ‘perhaps’, place the mouthpiece on them in a position that feels comfort- able. (The best position is one which the lips are allowed to vibrate most freely.) AAs everybody has a different formation of teeth, lips and jaw there is no set rule as to the exact position of the mouthpiece on to the lips. By following the guidelines presented here, and experimenting for yourself, you will be able to find the position that suits you best. © Look in a mirror to make sure that the mouthpiece is in the centre of the lips and not off to one side as this can affect the strength of the muscles surrounding the lips. Sometimes, because of a certain teeth formation, it may be necessary to place the mouthpiece off centre, but even then the student should have tried to play in the centre and should consult a qualified teacher before any such change. Many people with perfect teeth formation play off centre just out of habit or from not having correct guidance. Once established this is a very hard habit to break, © When positioning the mouthpiece it is important that the lower jaw is positioned correctly, with the bottom and top teeth in alignment. Failure to do this may cause the mouthpiece to point downwards—a common problem in beginner trumpet players. Try to position the mouthpiece at a 90 degree angle to the lips. If the upper lip overlaps the bottom lip your embouchure will lack flexibility and have little or no control over the diréction of the air flow. The lips might also enter the mouthpiece, rather than being held flat against the surface of the rim, causing the inner edge of the mouthpiece rim to cut into the lip, producing poor endurance. J 10 ERTS TR LL AL Te a A a TT@ When you have your mouthpieve in’ positidn take a breath, as described earlier, through the comers of the mouth so as not to disturb the position of the mouthpiece Then blow air through the mouthpiece, just as you blew air through your lips in the Previous exercise, graduully setting the lips vibrating so that the buzz of the lips is amplified through the mouthpiece. Track 2 on the CD will give you an example of the kind of sound you are trying to achieve. (When blowing air through the mouth- Piece do not puff out your cheeks. Although there are some famous jazz players who do this, most notably Dizzy Gillespie, do not attempt to emulate them, as you could ‘weaken the muscles around the embouchure.) Some people may succeed in buzzing on the mouthpiece quickly; others may have to work at it for a while. Once you have established a good tone, sustain it for as long as possible, trying to produce an even tone that does not vary in pitch or volume. This can only be achieved by correct breathing technique, as outlined in Exercise 1 of the breathing exercises, ‘Try making the pitch higher or lower by tightening and relaxing the lips, as you did when buzzing without the mouthpiece. When tightening the lips, the facial muscles surrounding them should contract towards the mouthpiece. You may find that the comers of the mouth drop slightly to achieve this. These movements of the facial muscles must be kept to an absolute minimum and on no account should they be exag- gerated (see Fig. 5). As the pitch gets higher the lips must not smile or stretch back at the corners as this will eventually lead to weak endurance and a thin sound on the trumpet. If you have problems visualizing this, think of holding a garden hose with water flowing through it in your fist. As you tighten your fist around the end of the hose the water will change from a steady flow to a fast jet. Think of the water as being your airstream, the end of the hose as your lips, and your fist tightening around the end of the hose as your facial muscles around your lips. As these facial muscles tighten around Your lips the airstream will become faster and the pitch of your vibrating lips will rise This tightening of the facial muscles should be accompanied by an increase in tension of the muscles around the diaphragm, rather like squeezing the end of the hose and ‘turning the tap controlling the water pressure up at the same time. Thinking of the muscles as working in this fashion should give you the feeling that the mouthpiece is not just perched on your lips but is being gripped by the muscles surrounding your lips. The exercises above should be practised every day before starting to play the trumpet, as a means of warming up your lips.The following diagram (see Fig. 6) of the constituent parts of the trumpet (minus the mouthpiece) will be useful in the explanations that follow on how to assemble and ( disassemble the instrument, how to hold the instrument, how to tune it and how to play it 1st, 2nd & 3rd valves Bell Lite finger ring \ Mouthpiece Lead pipe \ 3 1st valve slide ring KI Bed valve 2nd valve slide slide ring Fig, 6 Parts of the trumpet c © Take the trumpet in your left hand (see Fig. 7). Hold the instrument firmly but with a relaxed wrist © With your right hand take the mouthpiece and place it in the mouthpiece receiver of the trumpet (see Fig. 6), making sure that it is firmly in place. In order to remove the mouthpiece, hold it with your right hand and pull with a slight twist. Fig. 7mca iN ALO S| ONE With the mouthpiece in place, hold the trumpet with the left hand, as_ previously explained. The right hand should be positioned as in Figures 8a and 8b. The right hand must not be used to support the weight of the trumpet. It should be kept free and relaxed to operate the valves. The only time you should support the trumpet with the right hand is when inserting or removing a mute, or turing @ page of music. In this, instance the litte finger of the right hand should be placed in the ring on the lead-pipe of the trumpet just past the valves isee Fig. 8c), and the thumb should be placed around the valve casing, thus supporting the instrument. In normal playing the little finger of the right hand can be placed in the ring as mentioned above, but it must not be used as a means of pulling the trumpet towards the face and thereby increasing the pressure of the mouthpiece against the lips. It is better to keep this finger free from the ring as this helps the fingers operating the valves to be less inhibited,OS Good posture is of vital importance. Both elbows should be well away from the body Gee Figs 9 and 10). This will allow the chest to open, thus promoting correct breathing. ( technique. On''no account should you resort to trying to provide extra support: by holding the elbows against the sides of the body. Stand with your feet approximately the same distance apart as your shoulders, with your weight distributed evenly on the soles of both feet. Fig. 9 | Fig. 10 Hold the trumpet with the bell straight out in front of you (see Fig. 11). It must not be‘ pointed down at the floor or up at the ceiling. The trumpet should also be held with the valves vertical and not slanted to one side (see Fig. 12). When sitting down to. play, make sure to keep your back straight. Do not slouch or slump (see Figs 11 and 12). fe Fig. 11 ‘ Fig. 12ERA NEHA N Gm The fingers operating the valves should always be bent so that their weight falls on to the valves and the tips of the fingers make contact with the valve caps. Do not fall into the bad habit of holding the fingers flat and using areas of the finger other than the tip to press down the valves as this makes fast, clean fingering very difficult. AGE NOEESe You should now practise long tones with the trumpet fully assembled, following the same procedure that you adopted ‘or blowing on the mouthpiece alone. It is a good idea to do this in front of a mirror to check that the lip and face muscles are working in the correct manner, but do not get into the habit of setting your embouchure by what Jooks right in the mirror, It is much better to go by what sounds right. The best note to begin with is ‘G’, which is played with no valves pressed down (see fingering diagram below). Because the trumpet is a transposing instrument this note sounds as an ‘F" on the piano (see Appendix 7). Try to imitate as closely as possible the tone quality of the ‘G’ on Track 3 of the CD. If you find that you cannot play as high as this note then review the previous exercises on breathing, buzzing and mouthpiece placement. If you have followed these instructions carefully then you should have no difficulty in producing the note ‘G’. You should strive to produce this note with ease. ¢="Cip ‘When playing the trumpet you should get the feeling of blowing air through the instru- ‘ment, not at it, One way of achieving this feeling is to fix on a distant point and project your sound at it. ‘Your first week's practice should consist of ten to fifteen minutes a day—no more, no less—trying to get this ‘G’ sounding as convincing as possible. For variety you may play 'F,, fingered with the 1st valve pressed down (Track 4 on the CD), and ‘E,, fingered with the Ist and 2nd valves pressed down’ (Track $ on the CD). This will be good prepara- tion for your first tunes. Do not neglect this practice or feel that it must be got out of the Way so you can get on to ‘real music’. If you cannot sustain a steady tone on one note you will never be able to play a tune effectively. Do not be discouraged if you do not immediately succeed in producing a good sound, Learning to play with a beautiful tone is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face and it may take weeks or months of practice before you are satisfied with your sound,rod ° In order to be sure that your trumpet is in tune you will need to compare closely the sound you make when you play G with the G on Track 3 of the CD. x ‘Tuning the trumpet is achieved by moving the tuning slide in and out of the main, body of the instrument, thereby decreasing or increasing the length of the instrument's tubing, If your note is too ‘sharp’, or high, you will need to pull the tuning slide out slightly—in fact this will probably be the case for most trumpets. If the note is too “flat” or low, you will need to push the tuning slide in. Should you find this confusing, remember that shorter tubes, e.g. the flute, produce higher notes and longer tubes, e.g. the tuba, lower notes. : Normally trumpet players tune to the C in their middle register (which is the Bhabove middle C on the piano. (See Appendix 7 on Transposition). When you have learnt that note you will be able to tune to Track 6 on the CD, If the tuning slide is already pushed in as far as it can go and the instrument still sounds flat, the solution to the problem may lie elsewhere; tuning can be drastically affected both by you—for example your breathing technique and embouchure—and by 5 external factors, particularly temperature. When the instrument is cold it tends to’be flat. ‘As you blow into it your breath warms the metal and the instrument rises ‘in. pitch. Significant changes in the ambient temperature, for example, when you move from a cold space to.a warm space, or vice versa, will have a similatly marked effect. Do not despair if you feel that you are unable to tell whether a note is in tuné or not. Playing in tune is a challenge even for advanced players. Just as. your brain can remember different valve combinations, so your ear can learn to discriminate tiny differ- ences in pitch. Indeed, throughout the book you will be learning how to develop your ear as well as your technique. ‘The quality of the sound you produce on the trumpet will be greatly influenced by the quality of the sound you hear in your head. In order to develop your concept of tone quality, listen to the great exponents of your instrument as often as possible. Here is a list, in approximately chronological order, of some of the most important trumpet players in the history of jazz: Seayptagrentos Hot Lips Page Lee Morgan King Oliver Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison Booker Little Louis Armstrong Dizzy Gillespie Woody Shaw Bix Beiderbecke ‘Pats’ Navarro Clark Terry Jabbo Smith Miles Davis Kenny Wheeler Red Nichols Clifford Brown, ‘Wynton Marsalis Roy Eldridge Kenny Dorham Lester Bowie ‘Charlie Shavers Chet: Baker Randy Brecker Buck Clayton Freddie Hubbard neem eer REE RTT TTT wo ~5 g . Lee Morgan Many of the trumpet players listed above double on flugelhorn. Flugelhorn specialists include: Art Farmer Chuck Mangione Shorty Rogers For some suggested recordings by these players please consult the discography. Listen also to the great classical trumpet players, such as Maurice Andre or Hakan Hardenberger. It is also valuable to listen to players of other instruments whose sound you are attracted to, for example the saxophone sound of Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Ben Webster or John Coltrane. Do not confine yourself to jazz! Remember Duke Ellington's words: “There are only two kinds of music—good and bad.’ You might improve your tone just as much by listening to a great opera singer, such as Luciano Pavarotti, or a great string player such as Yehudi, Menuhin.Another vital foundation technique for playing the trumpet is tonguing. The to: the trumpet player's equivalent of a violin bow, or a percussionist’s drumstick. It you to start notes clearly and precisely, to repeat notes and to achieve all kinds of © different phrasings and articulations > Exercise 1 @ Imagine that you are a ventriloquist. Sing any note that is comfortably wit your voice range, using the syllable ‘doo’. Repeat the ‘doo’ sound slowly and in a steady rhythm using one breath only. You should produce a continuous sound as if you were singing one long note. Look at yourself in the mirror while doing this, There should be no movement of lips, teeth or fa. Only the front past of the tongue moves. You will find that the tongue movements have to be very delicate toachieve this. © Now try to apply this movement to the trumpet: by blowing the note G and tonguing at regular intervals, imagining the ‘doo’ sound and remembering. to sustain the air pressure by contracting the muscles around the diaphragm. It.is impossible to define the exact point where the tip of the tongue will make contact with the teeth as everyone has different teeth and gum formations. Some People might produce excellent results, with the tip of the tongue meeting the point where the back of the top teeth and gum meet. Other people might find that the best results are with the tongue-tip meeting the back of the top teeth, and there are many outstanding players who produce excellent results by tonguing the gap between the top and bottom teeth, In fact you will probably find that the position of the tongue will vary depending on the note you are playing, or about to play. With higher notes the tip of the tongue might be hhigher up the top teeth and with low notes it might be lower. Do not try. to tongue:too rapidly. A speed of about one note every four seconds would be ideal to begin with, eo EL Ge ‘The point at which the note begins is known as the ‘attack’. Up until now you have initiated the sound by allowing pressure to build up behind the lips and then ‘puffing’ the note out. Although this is a useful technique for producing the first sounds it is not how notes are usually begun. The normal procedure for starting notes involves using the tongue as a kind of valve, and should be practised as follows: 1. Breathe in. 2, Set the embouchure, with the mouthpiece position and aperture between the lips having been determined by your long-note practice. 3. Move the tip of the tongue into position, 4, Allow air-pressure to build up just behind the tongue. You should experience a kind of ‘bottled-up" sensation, with the stomach muscles remaining firm and supporting the air-column,5. Move the tongue, fmaygining the “doo! sound discussed-above, but keeping the embouchure absolutely stil The now should sound innhediatcly. ‘This: sensation can be likened to spitting a heir from your mouth. Although you will probably find it useful to practise the attack by this deliberate, stage- by-stage method, these five steps will normally he accomplished in only a fraction of a second. Using the syllable ‘doo’ in the attack promotes the minimum of tongue movement; only the tip of the tongue should move. When this feels natural use the syllable ‘too’ but still retain. the feeling of minimum tongue-movement as in-the ‘doo’ attack. Using the syllable ‘too’ will cause a slightly Farder attack. Practise using the harder attack ‘t00" as well as the softer attack ‘doo’. Stopping the Note The note is stopped by closing the lips, although there are many instances in jazz trumpet playing where excellent results are’ achieved by stopping the note with the tongue. During the second week you should first practise long notes and then the tonguing exercises, You have now been taught the vital foundation techniques of the trumpet. Whatever kind of music you play, these techniques for: producing and articu- Jating the sound will always be involved, so practise them diligently. FURTHER STUDY Reading: Detpert DALE, Trumpet Technique. A very informative and detailed look at all aspects of trumpet playing, including a very useful section on embouchure, mouthpiece placement and sound production. Louis Davison, Trumpet Techniques. The first part of this book presents an excellent in-depth analysis of trumpet technique, while the second part has useful exercises to help with every aspect of trumpet playing, Vincent Back, Embouchure & Mouthpiece Manual, The first part of this book gives a detailed account of a trumpet mouthpiece and how each aspect affects the embouchure. The second part is a detailed listing of all the mouthpieces made by Vincent Bach.Part Two: Playing the Music ES The Staff Music is written on a staff (plural, staves): a group of five parallel lines. Pitch, or how high or low a note is (see under Tuning Position, p. 16), is indicated by the position of that note on the staff-—the higher the pitch of the note, the higher it is on the staff. Music uses a seven-letter alphabet from A to G to describe the pitch of notes: NS te) dN) es AN 2 as Do not worry about trying to memorize all these notes at once—you will only need to know four of them in order to play the pieces in the first two chapters. Leger Lines ‘The extra lines written above and below the staff are known as leger lines, Clefs ‘The sign at the beginning of the staff is a treble clef. The word clef is derived from the French word for a key. It shows the position of a particular note on the staff and thus is the key to finding the position of all the other notes. All trumpet music is written in the teble clef, a stylized form of the letter G, curling round the second line up, over which the note G sits (see above), Bars and Bar-Lines Vertical lines crossing the staff are barlines. The spaces between the bar-lines are called bars, Baines divide the music into easily recognizable units of time. They do not Fepresent stops or pauses. They simply make counting easier, and counting, as you will see, is vital in the reading of music. ‘Time Signatures If you look at the beginning of ‘The Intro’ (page 22) you will see two numbers written one above the other. This is the time signature. It can be thought of as a fraction, the top figure,.or numerator, telling us the number of beats in the bar and the bottom figure, or denominator, the kind of beat. In this case there are four quarter notes or crotchet beats in each bar. aT NeerNote Durations ‘The table below shows the note durations that you will encounter in your first pieces and exercises: Symbol British Term AmericanTerm Number of Beats to Count in 4/4 Time Jor Crotchet Quaner Note ‘One Jo Minim Half Note Two ° Semibreve Whole Note Four Pulse and Rhythm Look at "The Intro’. Count in groups of four beats and clap on every first beat, holding the hands together to express the duration of the semibreve,* (four beats) clap: x x x x count 123412341234123 4et ‘What you are doing is counting the pulse and clapping the rhythm. Rhythm is the organization of notes in time and is not necessarily regular, although in this instance it is. Pulse—often referred to as ‘the beat'—is usually felt rather than heard and is nearly always regular although it may sometimes get faster or slower. It is very often what we dance to in music. Pulse determines the speed of the music and helps us to measure the distance between notes. Now you should practise counting and clapping with the CD accompaniment to ‘The Intro’. The claps should coincide precisely with the notes of the trumpet. This procedure of counting and clapping before playing should be carefully adhered to throughout the book. Rhythm Is the most basic element of music, and it is vital to master this aspect of each piece before proceeding further. ‘Taking a Breath Breaths should not be taken where doing so would destroy the flow of the music. There is a parallel here with speech, in which breaths are generally taken at the end of sentences or phrases, except by small children who are still learning the art! In this book, when it might be difficult to find space to take a breath, commas have been written above the stave to indicate possible breathing places. In “The Intro’ there are no spaces 2etween the notes. In such cases you must create a breathing space by cutting the note before the breath mark slightly sho. You should take small sips of air at regular intervals. Most beginners drastically overestimate the amount of breath they need—small amounts will be sufficient, provided that the breath is adequately supported by the muscles around the diaphragm. Inhale through the mouth, trying to disturb your embouchure as little as possible. Do not breathe through your nose! The following exercise may help you to become accustomed to the correct mode of breathing. Breathe at the commas. The rhythm should be regular and undisturbed by the taking in of the breath. Count slowly and steadily. Countaloud: 123.4123 41234123 4,etc Metronome Markings Now you are ready to play ‘The Intro’. The instruction J = 126 at the beginning of the piece is a metronome marking, meaning that the music is to be played at a speed of around 126 beats per minute. A metronome is ‘a device that marks the pulse by means * Claps can only indicate the position of notes in time—not their duration,of a regular click, and would be a worthwhile purchase (see Appendix 4). Fingering Positions for the pieces in this chapter and the following orie are shown in the diagrams on p. 15. Repeats At the end of ‘The Intro’ is a double bar preceded by two dots. This means that you repeat the piece from the beginning. There is only one repeat unless otherwise indicated. 7 The Intro™ Salsa Feel J = 126 > 2 EEE AEE NEE) a Blues for Beginners ( Slow Blues J = 94 ‘i » & Rests ‘Steps! introduces minims, and the semibreve rest. A minim is worth two beats in 4/4 time, The semibreve rest hangs from the fourth line, measuring from the bottom of the staff upwards, and represents four beats of silence. Silence in music is just as important as sound, so make sure you count the rests carefully ¢ 5 Steps Bossa Nova ¢ = 126 * These numbers refer to tacks on the CD. 1 All pieces are by John O'Neill unless otherwise indicated, | semen ENP ETEDT syne ec) gids Using the Tuning Slide ‘The four tunes in this section contain two new notes: low D and C. The low D is fingered with the first and third valves. On nearly all trumpets this note is sharp. To put it in tune the third valve tuning slide has to be extended (see Fig 6 on p. 12). You will have to use your ear to judge by how much. For long notes use of the tuning slide is very important, as the tuning will be noticeable. For shorter notes there may not be time to get the slide extended and back in time for the next note. If the slide is left extended for too long, other notes which use the third valve will be flat. Harmonics ‘As you can see from the fingering diagram, low C is fingered with no valves pressed down, as is the case with the G above it, which you have already learnt. Trumpet players (indeed, all brass players) can produce a range of notes with a combination of only three valves. This is done by using the harmonic series - an acoustic phenomenon that is the basis of all musical sound, (For further information about this, see Appendix 8) From one length of tubing, created by a particular valve combination, there is the potential for a whole range of tes. It is just a question of ‘runing in’ to them, and the key to this is the embouchure. y The following exercise will help you to produce low C: Exercise 1 @ Play a G, attacking it with a ‘doo’ or ‘too’. (Practise both.) ® Play down to the C without tcnguing, by relaxing the tension in the embouchure slightly. (This is more of a feeling—any visible movement should be kept to an absolute minimum.) This technique of moving from one note to another is known as slurring and is indicated by a curved line, As you slur down to the C imagine changing the syllable from ‘oo’ to ‘aw’ = Too -= =~ aw Once you are able to slur smoothly down to the low C, practise attacking G using the syllable ‘Too’, and C using the syllable Taw’ Too TawNotice how the position of the tongue changes in going from ‘aw’ to ‘too’. This is a very important aspect of trumpet playing as the tongue is now compressing the air- stream as well as initiating the attack on the note. There are three syllables used for this purpose: “Taw or 'Taa’ —for low register playing, ‘Too! —for middle register playing, ‘Tee’ —for high register playing. In this way the tongue is making the space inside the mouth larger for low noies, smaller for middle register notes and smaller still for higher notes. All movements of the tongue are minimal and there should be litte or no externally visible movement, So far you have practised slurring from a higher note to a lower one. The following exercise will help you to slur in the opposite direction. Exercise 2 © Attack C with the syllable Taw’ @ Slur up to G, changing the position of the tongue from ‘aw’ to ‘oo’. At the same time increase the support from the diaphragm and tighten the muscles around | the lips in order to make the aperture slightly smaller. (Remember the fist closing, around the garden hose, p.11): If you have any problems with this change in tongue position, try whistling the’ interval C to G. The way in which the tongue moves in whistling this interval is the same as when it is played on the trumpet. Practise these: exercises many times until the movement becomes easy. This is the basis for all register changes in trumpet playing. When you have got used to this method of slurring on the trumpet, try slurring up from the G in the same manner as you slurred from C to G. There is no need to press any valves down, For the moment it does not matter that you have not learnt the notes you are playing; just get used to the way the lips, tongue and air are used in going from cone register {0 the next. Play as high as you can without resorting to brute force and remember to think of the syllable ‘ee’ as you go higher. Crotchets “Into the Black’ is the first piece to use crotchets, which are worth one beat each in 4/4 time. Sp Sa SS SPN SRD, |10 ¥ it Into the Black Ties The last two Cs of ‘The Bottom Line’ are connected by a curved line. This is called a tie. It has the effect of joining the two notes together as one, so you do not tongue the second C, but simply extend the first C by two extra beats, Do not confuse ties with slurs (See explanation on p. 23). A tie always connects notes of the same pitch, whereas a slur connects notes of different pitch, as in the first six bars of this tune. The Bottom Line Jazz / Rock ¢ = 126 —— Ss | eee Double Entendre O'Neill/ Waterman ’ Steve Waterman plays the next tune, ‘Oh When the Saints Go Marching In’ on the ‘cornet, which was more popular than the trumpet in early jazz. The two instruments are played in exactly the same way, and by using mouthpieces with a similar size it is a straightforward process to swap from one to the other. ‘The ‘Pick-Up’ In ‘Oh When the’ Saints Go Marching In’ you will notice that there are just three crotchets before the first bar-line, in spite of the fact that the time signature indicates four beats to each bar. These three crotchets are an example of an anacrusis, some- times referred to by jazz musicians as a ‘pick-up’. An anacrusis is an unstressed note or group of notes at the beginning of a musical phrase. In this instance the first strong accent falls on the G and not on the areceding notes.Crotchet Rests ¢ ‘The sign } at the beginning of the second full bar is.a one-beat or crotchet rest. § : 5 . Traditional fe a Oh When the Saints Go Marching In" byjomonean ‘> + Fast d = 100, ‘This chapter introduces the note A in the middle of the stave; played with the first and = ci To play this note, first play the note E that you have already learnt and then slur to the A, remembering to think of everything from the previous chapter concerning slurring from C@ G. Taw -_- Because trumpet fingering is based on the harmonic series, and many notes are fingered ‘with the same valve cofhbinations, it is very important to be able to hear the note you F arg going to play in your head, as, you might otherwise play a different note from the oa one.intended. Practise the aboye exercise by hearing in your head where the note Ais * while playing the note E and then slurring to the note A, making sure the change is > smooth and in time74] When you have established the note A, practise attacking it using the syllable “Too! Using the same fingering, try slurring, a few steps higher, as you did in Chapter 2, (see pe2g). Riffs A Litle Riff is a ewelve-bar blues insisting of a single phrase which is repeated three times, Short, repeated phrases of ths type are know as riffs. They were often used by big bands during the swing era as a: means of building excitement, with different riffs sometimes being assigned to each section of, the, band. The Count Basie Baind of the 1930s is a perfect example. Minim Rests ‘This tune introduces the minifn Fést two beats of silence. » which sits on the third line, and represents A Little Riff Soft Blues d =96 Dynamic Markings ‘The next piece contains dynamic markings. These are abbreviations of Italian words and are used to indicate volume levels, Here are some of those most commonly used! Marking Italian word Meaning pp pianissimo very quiet p Piano quiet mp ‘mezzopiano medium quiet mf mezzoforie ‘medium loud L forte loud - ae a fortissimo very loud When playing quietly you need to contract the ustles around the diaphragm more firmly and decrease the size of the aperture; when playing loudly these muscles relax a little to expel the air from the body more quickly and the aperture increases in size. ‘The exercise overleaf is excellent for practising control of dynamics. Try to make sure that each note begins and.ends at the same volume and that you achieve six distinct dynamic levels. You can play this exercise using any of the notes you have learnt so far. Pause and take a new breath after each note that you play. ‘The Pause ‘The sign‘ is a pause, sornetimes called {feP mda (Kalan for ‘stop. 1 indicates that the riote should be-extended beyond its Written value,-at the discretion of the performer ‘or musical director. °°" heSlowly a af ua nf =p P 2p In ‘Home Bass’ you will notice after the first two crotchets a double bar with dots placed after it. This is an indication of where you repeat from, ‘The dynamic marking mp(f) means you should play mezzopiano the first time and forte on the repeat. i) Home Bass Gospel J = 132 2 SS nf ‘Samba for Maya’ is an example of the Samba rhythm which, like the bossa-nova, is a dance style originating from Brazil. It is the samba sound that is at the heart of the famous carnival that takes place every year in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. rs Samba for Maya Steve Waterman Ee p 7 SS SSS SS a ee Re peFURTHER STUDY Listening: Counr Baste, Jumping at the Woodside’ from Swinging the Blues. A classic example of the use of riffs Playing: I is important that you spend some of your practice time playing by ear. Try to memo- fize some of the tunes you have learnt so far and play them without the music : Inventing your own tunes would ako be a good idea [ieee ‘The pieces in this chapter introduce By and C in the middle register. Bpis the note that trumpet players normally tune to before they start playing. Once you can play this nore , you will be able to check your tuniag against Track 6 of the CD. $2 dip == “GH = o Flats, Semitones and Accidentals A flat sign () means that the note (in this case, B) is lowered by one seanitone, which is the distance between one note and its nearest neighbour note, and the smallest interval ‘officially’ recognized in the mainstream of Western music. Signs which alter notes in this way are called accidentals. They are always written before the note to which they apply—except when referred to in written text. Accidentals affect every note of the same pitch in the bar. ‘The note By is fingered with the first valve. To play this note, first play the note F that you have already learnt, and then slur up to it, as you did in the previous chapter when ig slurring from E to A. : Taw--- - 00 : Once you have established the note Bh, practise attacking it using the syllable “Too Approach the note C by slurring up from the G. Once you can manage this, try slur- ring a few steps higher. Too - - - - ee You have now learnt three notes that are played by not pressing any valves down: low C, middle G and middle ¢. { The following exercises will help you to pitch'these notes on the trumpet. By prac- tising both attacking and slurring in this way you will be able to gauge the.shape of the ee ee ae us —— —— eeeeee cy17 tongue, the amount of breath support, the size of aperture and the amount of tension in the muscles around the embouchure needed for each note. It is very important that the bottom lip does not roll over the bottom teeth as you move from a low note to a higher note. If this happens it can be a warning that your lips are getting tired and that you need to rest for a while. (00) et eel cn) Taw - 00 - ee - 00 - aw Too Tee Too Taw Too Tee Too Taw 3/4'Time ‘Evans’ Scent’ introduces 3/4 or waltz time, in which there are three crotchet beats to each bar, 3/4 time was rarely heard in jazz before the 1950s. It has become much more popular since then, and is particularly associated with the music of the lyrical and highly influential pianist Bill Evans. Dotted Notes The note in the fourth bar of ‘Evans’ Scent’ is a minim with a dot placed after it. A dot placed after a note extends its duration by half as much again. A dotted minim is there- fore worth three beats (2 + 0) Evans’ Scent Fourths eS19 20) Key Signatui 8 When accidentals ure placed in between the clef sign and the time signature as in ‘Roberto! and "Blue Jean’ they form a key signature, his (ells you which notes are to be played sharp or flat for the duration of the entire piece, rather than just for a single bar. In this case the placement of the flat sign on the middle line of the stave means that all Bs are to be played Mat, unless otherwise indicated by an accidental ‘Roberto’ is an example of the Lossa-nova rhythm, made famous in jazz by the early sixties recordings of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Roberto Bossa Nova 4 = 126 Blue Jean Minor Blues J = 140 f Improvisation After you have played the tune of ‘Blue Jean’ try improvising with the accompaniment, using the following five notes: SS (it. would be a good idea to learn these notes by heart before attempting to improvise.) During this improvised section you may play whatever you feel, using these notes only. You can play the notes in any register, so you can also.use low C, You fieed not worry about playing any ‘wrong’ notes, since all the notes in the scale will sound fine, wherever you play them. Most beginner improvisers make the mistake of neglecting the shythmic aspect’ of their playing, The following exercises should help with this problem:_, 7© Clap out a solo, or tap one out on your legs or on a table top. Be as adventurous as you like, but try to maintain a strong rhythmic feeling in what you do, like a good jazz drummer, © Once you are happy about clapping @ solo, return to the trumpet and try improvising again, using only the note D and trying to retain the strong rhythmic feeling you had while you were clapping. © Once you feel comfortable improvising with a single note, add the F, and try to play a solo using just two notes. © Add the femaining notes in a similar fashion—one at a time—always focusing on rhythm. It may be helpful to think of the scale as a set of ‘tuned drums’, with your tongue as the ‘drumstick’. ‘These exercises should have helped you to realize that the most important element of any jazz solo is rhythm. FURTHER STUDY Listening: Bu Evans, ‘Waltz for Debbie’, from At the Village Vanguard. A beautiful example of a jazz waltz. stan Gerz, Jazz Samba, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto, Both of these records are classic ‘examples of the use of the bossa-nova rhythm in jazz. YS ‘The Sharp Sign The pieces in this chapter introduce F sharp and B. The sharp sign (#) is another accidental, meaning that the note placed after itis to be played a semitone higher. Key signatures may consist of one or more sharps. — “ibs ci Enharmonic Notes ‘The second minim of the tenth bar of ‘In Series’ is Ag, which is another name for By. The note in between A and B is both one semitone higher than A (Aj) and one semitone lower than B (B). Notes such as Aj and Bb, which can be-named in two ways, are said to be enharmonic notes. It is essential that you learn to think of these notes in both ways. + rom this point onwards the small black notes in the fingering diagrams indicate other notes in the harmonic series that can be played using the same valve combinations. The student should invent lip-sturing exercises between these diferent notes similar to those outlined in previous chapters. iral In Series Medium Minor Blues 4 = 150 f The sign SEH at the beginning of South View" means that you remain silent for 8 bars. Count carefully so that you know exactly when to come in. South View Rock J = 132 Into 8 Play 4 times nf Play lower part 3rd & th times only Crescendo and Decrescendo There are two ways of indicating that the music should gradually get louder or softer: either by writing cresc. or decresc. (Italian = crescendo or decrescendo, meaning getting louder or soften); or by the signs. ————— and == . To practise this try the following exercise, using other notes for variation. J =60 —_— PP ee Hr —— - PP Accents ‘Devil Music’ introduces accents. The sign A over the first note is a short accent, ‘meaning that the note is to be attacked hard and then stopped short of its full written value.* The sign > below the Fj in bar 1 means that the beginning of the note should be played with extra emphasis, This is achieved by a slight ‘Kick’ of the diaphragm, similar to what happens when you cough. The lines written above and below the notes in bars 9 and 10 are tenuto marks, meaning that these notes should be held for their full value * Note for teachers: ths isnot the same as the classical staccato, which is lighter and shores,23) crese. and connected as smoothly. as possible, Remember that the F in bar 10 is natural because the sharp in the previous bar applies to that bar only. Medium Blues 4 = 128 p———f Devil Music ‘For Dizzy’ is dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie (1917- 1993), one of the most innovative musicians in jazz since the war. With his astonishing virtuosity in the upper register of the trumpet and the rhythmic vitality of his improvisations, often executed at breakneck speed, he set new technical standards for his instrument. The big band which he led in the late 1940s was one of the most important ensembles in the bebop era, and more than any other musician he was responsible for the fusion of jazz and Afro-Cuban music. The Natural Sign The sign 4 written before the B in bar 5 is a natural sign. This overules either the key signa- ture of any previous accidentals in the bar, and, like the sharp and flat signs, lass for the whole of the bar in which it is written, unless cancelled by an accidental, First and Second Time Bars This piece also introduces first and second time bars. These are frequently used to save space on repeats. The second time bars are played as an alternative—never in addition—to the first time bars on the repeat Vey oN2a) For Dizzy Steve Waterman |_Bossa Nova d = 152 FURTHER STUDY Reading: Dizzy Gituesrie, Dizzy: To Be or Not to Bop. Canmore oman (NE Scales The word ‘scale’ is derived from tie Italian scala—'staircase’ or ‘ladder’. It is a series of single notes moving up or down ir. steps. Chords A chord is a combination of no‘es sounding together. Simple three-note chords are known as triads It is impossible to play chords on the trumpet in the way that a keyboard player or guitarist .can, although some players have experimented with multiphonics—the playing of more than one note by use of alternative fingerings and advanced blowing techniques. Arpeggios ‘An arpeggio is a chord played melodically—soundling the notes one alter the other— rather than harmonically—playing the notes simultaneously. . Scales and arpeggios are the ‘nuts and bolts’ of most jazz improvisation, although to achieve good results, creative, rather than mechanical, use must be made of them! Ra cree 35 ik - ee - _ ane 2‘The C major scale and arpeggio* are given below. They should be committed to memory and played slowly, gradually increasing the speed as your technique develops. Strive for rhythmic and tonal evenness. Scales and arpeggios should initially be played slurred to develop smooth technique. Once this has been mastered they may be tongued as well. C major C major \ Once you are feeling comfortable with the C major scale and arpeggio, try playing them with track 25 on the CD. When you can manage this you can use the accompaniment to practise improvising using the scale notes. LL Le ‘In Three’ introduces 5 enharmonically equivalent to Dp) and AGP). ‘The Gb in bar 14 of ‘In Three’ enharmonically equivalent to Ft Bs) In Three cconsiuetion of mi ad minor sev and arpeggios wl be dics t greater length in Chapter 18%, p69 26, NEE ES NEwa Flat 5 Rock ¢ = 126 nf —_ —— The Chin bar 6 of ‘Delta City’ is enharmonically equivalent to Bt as Delta City Traditional Blues J = 136 Ba KO. Medium Groove 4 = 136 7 — — erpacucpinsty te — PEER ROED “Minor Problem introduces middle CY/Ds. Ce / Db SS aiP 30 Minor Problem Medium Groove J = 132 + } e ¢ é ¢ f — “Gangsterland” introduces middle D ¢ D ( me i at Gangsterland : Medium Swing J = 136“Bird Wale is a blues inspired by the music of Charlie Parker (1920-1955), sometimes known as ‘Bird’. He nd together with Dizzy 1 Bebop, 3 jv style whieh dominated the 1940s, and has continued to exert a powerful influence on contemporary music. fone of the greatest ever jazz musicians 5) Gillespie, Buel Powell ancl others crea ) ‘Transposition Bird Waltz’ is written with two different key signatures: those of G and F} major. The ‘ process of moving a tune into a diferent key is known as transposition’. Transposition is one of the most effective ways of improving your knowledge of keys, getting to know your instrument and training your ear. Articulation From this tune onwards detailed indications of where and how to tongue (articulation i markings) have been omitted. You should experiment with different possibilities for phrasing and expression, marking them in your copy with a soft pencil so that they can i easily be altered. The following points may help to guide you: © The first note of any new phrase should nearly always be tongued. © Tongue only those notes which require extra emphasis © Avoid ‘phrasing to the bar line’ or tonguing the first beat of every bar. This kind of phrasing is particularly inappropriate to jazz. © How you articulate a passage is often a matter of individual taste, There is more than E one ‘right’ way. ) ‘You will learn a lot by listening carefully to the example on the CD and to the record- : ings of great jazz players. Jazz is a language that is often best learnt by imitation. »s ‘Bird Waltz’ introduces low Cy/DI. ) CH / DD f SS a Bird Waltz (G major) Jazz Waltz 4 = 132 Bird Waltz (r¢ ntajor Jazz Waltz J = 132 * More information about transposition can be found in Appendix 7, 30 OBChromatic Scale Now that you have learnt C/D} you are able to practise the chromatic scale, in which you move by semitone steps from any note to the same note in the next register. The ‘example below shows a chromatic scale starting on C; In order to give you more prac- tice with enharmonic tones sharps have been written in the ascending version and flats in the descending version of the scale. J =60-200 FURTHER STUDY Playing: As an exercise in transposition try playing any of the tunes you have played so far, starting on a different note. Other good material for transposition would be simple folk tunes or nursery rhymes. Listening: ‘Cuan Parker, ‘Blues for Alice’ from Charite Parker. Reading: Ross Russet, Bird Lives Gany Giwonss, Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker, Rosear Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charite Parker. Viewing: ‘Bird! directed by Clint Eastwood. "Romancing’ introduces low B and A. cis) ===") DS. al Coda ‘The term D.S. al Coda, written underneath the 16th bar of ‘Romancing’, is an abbrevia~ tion of Dal Segno al Coda, meaning literally ‘from the sign to the tail’. A coda is an extra section which is added to a piece to provide a more satisfying ending. When you meet this instruction you repeat from the sign §%, and then go to the ‘coda’ at the coda sign @. Similarly the instruction D.C. af Coda, short for Da Capo al Coda, means literally ‘from the head to the tail’, ie. from the beginning,a Romancing Medium Swing J = 132 % ‘ D.S.al Coda CODA “A Song for Sophie’ introduces low A¥/Bs Ad / Bb SS "CIID corms J fe bo Pentatonie Scale ‘fe You may recognize the scale at the end of the next tune.as the same five-note scale with ) which you improvised over the backing track of ‘Blue Jean’, but this time starting on G eB instead of D. This is a pentatonic scale, sometimes referred to.as the minor penta- ; tonic. The sign % indicates a whole-bar repeat.35) A Song for Sophie Medium J = 128 Improvise using this G minor pentatonic scale fade out () Use of Space Make sure you do not clutter your solos with too many notes. The best jazz musicians know how to make effective use of space. There are two ways of creating space in a solo—one is by using silence and the other is by playing notes of longer duration. In either case you will find you have more time to be aware of what you and—just as importantly—the other musicians are doing. As a result your playing should become more relaxed, expressive and coherent. Miles Davis is a fine example of someone who uses space quite brilliantly. Relative Keys Below are the scales and arpeggios of D major and B minor. You will notice that they share the same key signature. They are known as ‘relative keys’. They contain the same notes, except that the seventh note of the B minor scale is sharpened, shown as required by an accidental and not in the key signature. There are various forms of the ‘minor scale, this particular one being known as the ‘harmonic minor’ Do not skip scale practice. Its importance will become more apparent as you progress through the book. If you wish to become a good improviser knowledge of major and minor scales and arpeggios is vital. Remember, they should be committed to memory. You may notice that the key sighature for the D major scale is the same as for Romancing’, which is in the key of D major. in other words, D is the note towards which this piece gravitates—a kind of ‘home base’. Songs written in major keys tend to be' brighter or happier in mood, while songs in minor keys are generally more intense or sac: 7 2 ELTA LTS LEENA Ba ELi t 3 ' i } Scale and Arpeggio Practice D major FURTHER STUDY Listening: i Mates Davis, Kind of Blue. Listen in particular to the trumpet solos for examples of the use of space. EDULE ees ()m Sight-reading is only one of the many @ good jazz musician must acquire. A discriminating ear is one of the most vital assets, since effective improvisation depends ‘on being able to translate the ideas in your head onto the instrument as quickly as possible. . Ear Training A lucky minority seem to develop fantastic aural percéption at a very early age. At the other end of the spectrum true ‘tone-deafness’ is much rarer than people imagine. For the vast majority in between these extremes aural training can produce remarkable results,” Intervals One important skill is the ability to recognize and sing-intervals. Intervals are 2 means of expressing the distance between one note and another. You should begin to develop your sense of this by learning 0 sing the intervals of the major and minor scales. The chart below indicates the names of these intervals in the major scale, measuring them from the first note, also known as the tonic. The subsequent degrees of the scale are expressed as Roman numerals:Major Scale (C) I 0 ig Vv. Vi VL vil vu = = e e = = major2nd -major3nd_— perfect 4th perfect 5th major éth major 7th — octave ‘The intervals between successive degrees of the harmonic minor scale and the tonic are the same, except III (which is a minor third) and I-VI (a minor sixth); these two inter- vals are a semitone smaller than their major counterpa Harmonic Minor Scale (C) I u fit Iv v VL vil vit = = = e o = e major2nd minor 3rd perfect 4th perfect 5th minor 6th major 7th octave It is important to realize that the intervals are the same for every key. For example, the distance between the tonic and the fifth note of any major or minor scale, measured as an ascending interval, is always a perfect fifth In the exercises which follow try not to be too self-conscious about your singing. Accuracy of pitch is more important than tone quality. Singing will help your trumpet playing and vice versa—the technique of supporting the breath and relaxing the throat is almost identical. Exercises for singing intervals It would be an advantage to do this exercise at a keyboard. You would then be able to hear what the two notes sound like when played together. @ Play slowly from C to the G above a few times to establish the sound of the interval in your head. Gi Play ¢ Gi) Imagine the sound of the G. Gv) Sing G Should you find it difficult to pitch this interval sing up the steps of the scale until you reach the required note, The next stage is to imagine singing up to the note without actually vocalizing. Once this is mastered it will not be long before you can find the correct pitch without singing the notes in between, You should work towards being able-to sing the interval without the preparatory «| ‘step (0; and in as many different keys as possible, Do not be surprised if it takes you several days or weeks to master a particular intervalOnce you are confident with filths you Gin progress to other intervals. A recommended order of study is: perfect fifth, perfect fourth, octave, major second, major third, minor third, major sixth, minor sixth, major seventh. Some students find it helpful tc use mnemonics for the intervals. For example, the first two notes of ‘Oh When the Saints Go Marching In’ are a major third apart. Some other possibly helpful mnemonics are ‘Here Comes the Bride’ for a perfect fourth, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ for a perfect fifth and ‘My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean’ for a ‘ major sixth, You might wish to substitute some tunes of your own—the more familiar the better Having developed an ability to sing ascending intervals, you should next practise ) descending intervals. These are named in the major and harmonic minor scales as follows: : vay vo vi v WV Mw u L ee minor 2nd minor 3rd perfect 4th perfect Sth minoréth minor 7th —_ octave vu vit VI Vv Vv fig 0 : minor 2nd major 3rd_—_perfect 4th perfect Sth major 6th minor 7th octave a Inversions The interval which measures the distance between the same pair of named notes but in : the opposite direction, e.g., from C down to D rather than up to D (or from C up to G instead of down to G) is known as an inversion, From the above examples you can see the original interval and its inversion always add up to nine, e.g., seconds become 3 sevenths and fourths become fifths; major intervals become minor when inverted and ‘minor intervals become major, perfect intervals remain perfect. You should practise singing descending intervals by adapting the exercises given above. A suggested order of study is: perfect fourth, octave, minor third, minor second, perfect fifth, major third, minor sixth, major sixth, minor seventh. Playing by Ear Playing by ear is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways of improving your aural y perception. Any material will do—aursery rhymes, hymns, folk tunes, songs you hear on < the radio, T.V. themes, advertising jingles—but the most relevant exercise would be to get hold of jazz recordings ‘and lear to play jazz tunes. You will also develop your sound, sense of time and phrasing by listening to the jazz masters in this way. } If you cannot afford to buy the records, visit your local music library, which will often contain an excellent record collection. This is a good way to become familiar with the jazz heritage. You should start with simple melodies—ballads by Miles Davis or Chet } Baker, for example. Recordings by singers, for example the 1950's recordings of Frank Sinatra, are also good source material. es > \comens ee 7 seProceed as follows 1, Play the recording several times. 2, Sing the melody with the recording, trying to imitate as closely as possible with your voice the inflections of the instrument or voice. This technique of imitating instrumental sounds with the voice is known as scat-singing. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Al Jarreau and Bobby McFerrin are five of the very best scat- singers, 3, Sing the melody without the recording—this is much harder! 4. Play the metody with the recording. This will develop the ability to translate what you hear in your head to your fingers—a vital skill for musicians who wish to improvise, 5. Play the melody without the recording, You may find this difficult at first but please persevere—it becomes easier with practice. This sort of exercise will probably develop your playing more than anything else. Later on you can progress to more intricate melodies and even jazz solos. Some sort of device for slowing the music down to half-speed is invaluable. This could be either a reel-to-reel tape-recorder which records at both 71/2 and 33/4 ips or a record player which slows down to 16 rpm, preferably with sliding pitch control to facilitate tuning’ ‘These items can be relatively cheaply acquired through small-ad pages of newspapers, junk shops or second-hand audio equipment shops. The ability to slow down solos opens up a whole world of difficult music to your ears. Charlie Parker is said to have used this method to study the music of his idol Lester Young, FURTHER STUDY Playing: This game can be played with your teacher or another trumpet player. Position yourselves so that neither player can see the other's fingerings, and take it in turns to sound any note. The other player must try to sound the same note in response. By practising regularly at this game you will be surprised how easy it becomes to find the correct note on first attempt Reading: Paul Hinpewrri, Elementary Training for Musicians. Not for the faint-hearted! This book contains at least two years’ study. But well worth the effort. Listening: Lous ARMSTRONG, ‘Basin Street Blues' from Hot 5 and Hot 7. uA FrtzceRato, ‘Rockin’ in Rhythm’ from Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook. Ciner Baker, ‘But Not For Me’ from Tbe Touch of Your Lips At Janneau, ‘Roof Garden’ and ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’ from Breakin’ Away. Bossy McFernn, “Walkin” from Spontaneous Inventions ‘The above recordings are all examples of scat- singing, ois ArmstrOn, cassette players with sloy-clown fue ary also ava LES A ee 5 ' t tEven Quavers In classical music quavers, or eighth notes, are invariably given half the value of crotchets but in jazz they can be interpreted in different ways. This chapter will deal with the classical interpretation, sometimes referred to by jazz musicians as ‘even quavers' or ‘straight eighths Shele quavee wees is g > Beams When there are «wo or more quavers they may be connected by abeameg. J] or PJ] Perform the following exercises: J = 40-60 Count1 2 3 4 Clap: Quavers can also be counted in ths way: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and coerecrer To perform the drumming exercise below sit on a chair with your feet on the floot and the palms of your hands resting on the top of your thighs. You should attempt it very slowly at first Right Hand Lett Hand | coo ‘Like Benny’, overleaf, introduces low Gf/Ab. GH / Ab L fo be "This clef is used for percussion parts wh: pitch is unspecified, ae36 Like Benny Medium Slow 4 = 120 Ss “Tongue-Twister’ is an exercise for rapid tonguing, but do not strive for speed at the expense of even tone and rhythm. It is better to begin slowly and gradually increase the tempo, using a metronome if one is available. @ Tongue-Twister Rock 4 = 154 ‘The Flugethorn Steve Waterman plays ‘The House in the Forest’ on flugelhorn, an instrument which is 7 closely related to the trumpet, but with a conical bore instead of a predominantly cylin- drical one, and a wider bell, which lends it the appearance of an enlarged bugle. The flugethorn has a mellower tone than the trumpet, making it ideally suited to a ‘cooler’ style of playing, Indeed, it was the West Coast musician Shorty Rogers who was one of the first to bring the instrument into jazz in the early 1950s. After Miles Davis's collabora- tion! with Gil Evans in 1957, Miles Abead, on which he plays flugelhorn exclusively, theinstrument became san established voice ia ze, although ironically Miles was never to record on it again, It shares the same ‘official’ range as the trumpet but sounds less effective in the extreme high register “The flugethorn is fingered in exactly the same way as, the trumpet and can be played with a mouthpiece with exactly the same rim size as the trumpet, ‘making it an ideal ‘double’ for the contemporary jazz player. Among its more famous exponents are Art Farmer, Thad Jones, Clark Terry and Kenny Wheeler. > BB The House in the Forest Bossa Nova J = 132 & Improvise using F major scale: fade outScale and Arpeggio Practise Bb major FURTHER STUDY Listening: Muss Davis, Miles Abead. A beautiful example of the special tone qualities of the flugel- horn, Triplet Quavers ‘Triplet quavers occur when a crotchet beat is subdivided into three. They are notated like this: Perform the following exercise: ‘One way of counting this rhythm is: FETE Count: 1 - 3 4 Clap: = = = = landa 2anda 3 anda 4 anda CPP EEE CPE ere Try the drumming exercise below, following the advice given in the preceding chapter. Drumming exercise 3 3 3 RH. Spee39 rie mn een iain SHON AcE rman wy ve E The following exercise for shytlin ancLrticukiion woukl make si ideal daily warmup, and should be practise! on different notes throughout the trumpet singe J =50-100 ‘Alicante’ has a distinctly Spanish mood. Spanish music has inspired such famous jazz musicians as Gil Evans, Miles Davis and Chick Corea. Alicante 3 3 3 Vibrato Vibrato is a regular, slight fluctuation of pitch. You may already have noticed Steve Waterman using this effect on the accompanying CD. If used correctly and musically it can be a very beautiful effect, but must not be used to cover up any inadequacy in tone or intonation, In fact many jazz trumpet players use no vibrato. Miles Davis said that his teacher told him to use no vibrato at all as he was going to get old and shake anyway! If you listen very closely to the playing of Woody Shaw you will notice he uses vibrato only on long notes, afte: the note has been established with a completely ” straight tone. This adds a lot of colour to long notes. Vibrato played an important part in early jazz, when it was much faster and wider than in later styles. Indeed, early jazz brass players had such a wide vibrato that the effect was of moving very rapidly between the notes of the harmonic series (see Appendix 8). This effect is known as the shake. It is important to practise without vibrato, as it is very easy to get in the bad habit of playing with vibrato all the time. Vibrato should be used sparingly at appropriate musical moments, for example in the playing of a long sustained melody when the player wants to achieve the maximum expressiveness. There are two ways of playing with vibrato on the trumpet Lip vibrato: With this kind of vibrato the: lips are alternately relaxed and tightened to produce a regular pulsation. To play constantly with this kind of vibrato would be very tiring for the lips. Right-hand vibrato: This is a light rocking backwards and forwards of the right hand, causing a minute movement of the trumpet against the lips. This very slight pressure RR RONEN 51against the lips will cause the note to sharpen, while the slight relaxing of the pressure will cause the note to flatten, thereby attaining the vibrato. If you are accustomed to playing with too much pressure then this type of vibrato will be very hard to achieve. In order to play a shake (See above) you would have to use this technique, since it would be virtually impossible using the lips alone. ‘On tong notes practise both forms of vibrato to determine which is the best type for you. You may find that a combination of both may also work well. Gradually introduce the vibrato after first establishing a good long note. On no account must the head be moved or shaken to produce the vibrato. It is very important that you listen to the great trumpet players, and to great instru- mentalists dnd singers in all styles of music in order to form a concept of good vibrato and to understand how to use it tastefully. ‘Once you feel reasonably happy with your vibrato you should try using it on the next tune and, where appropriate, throuighout the rest of the book, "Moon Tune’ introduces low G: 20 Moon Tune Ballad J =54 3 3 _ El 7 Half-Valves “The Loneliest Monk’ is dedicated to the late Thelonious Monk, a pianist and composer whose extraordinary originality was coupled with a wry humour. It introduces the half- valve technique, which is very effective when used in jazz. This is achieved by pushing one, two or three valves half-way down, causing a choked sound. On the CD the C in bar 4 is approached by first fingering the B below with the second valve half-way down and then gradually releasing this valve to slide up to the C. In bar 10 a similar technique is employed to slide up to the G from the Ff below. This is indicated by a curved line’ before the note.Bt The Loneliest Monk ) Slow blues 4 = 90 1 3 Scale and Arpeggio Practice G major FURTHER STUDY Playing: Go back to some of the earlier tunes in the book and ty playing them using vibrato where appropriate. Listening: Mates Davis with the Gn. EvaNs Oxchtstea, Sketches of Spain. Chuck Corsa, ‘Spain’, ‘Sefior Mouse’ and ‘Armatido's Rhumba’ from Chick Corea, CurrorD Brown, Clifford Brown with Strings. This album highlights Clifford Brown's exquisite use of vibrato, Mnus Davis, “My Funny Valentine’ from The Complete Concert 1964. This recording is a fine example of Miles’ use of the half-valve to bend up to a note. Duke ELuNGTON, ‘Boy Meets Horn’ from Braggin’ in Brass—The Immortal 1938 Year. Another classic example of half-valve technique, this time from Rex Stewart. ‘Tastowious Monk, The Composer.More on Warming Up and Practising [As you are moving into a technically more demanding register of the trumpet it would be a good idea to review your practice procedures. It is essential to warm up prior to any playing or practising, just as athletes limber up their muscles before doing any strenuous activity. ‘Warming up on the trumpet must not be a regimented series of exercises that you have to get through before continuing with your playing. This can get very monotonous and boring and result in poor concentration. Players who have a long warm up are often too tired to continue with their practice afterwards. The purpose of warming up is to get the lip muscles working correctly and to attain the correct feel of the mouthpiece on the lips. This can be done by buzzing the lips and then the mouthpiece, as you did in the opening chapters of the book. It is also a good idea to do the breathing exercises to ensure that your breathing is correct right from the start of playing Once you have attained the right feel of the mouthpiece on the lips then star playing the trumpet. It is best to start playing quietly so as not to put too great a strain on your embouchure before you are properly warmed up. Practise scales, arpeggios and flexibilities over the entire range of the instrument quietly. Do not ‘start by just playing in the low register as this tends to set your embouchure just for this register. The idea is to get the entire register working as quickly and easily as possible. The exercises in Clarke's Technical Studies are excellent for achieving this. Try varying the way in which you warm up every day so that it does not become boring. Long notes, while excellent for developing tone, are not really a good way to warm up as they can be very tiring, It is best to practise long notes when you are fully warmed up. It is also a good idea to flutter the lips before and during rest periods as this encourages blood flow back to the lips. It is important to rest frequently, which enables you to build up your endurance, rather than playing continuously until your lips are too tired to function. During these rest periods it is a good idea to use the time to finger through tunes, studies, scales and exercises without blowing the instrument but ‘singing’ the notes in your head. This is very important for trumpet playing as you must be able to hear the note in your head before playing it. For your jazz improvisation it is a good idea to sing improvised lines. in your head and tap out the valve. combinations. This can be done anywhere and any time, for example when sitting in a bus or train. LA ne ppp{cE el This chapter deals with quavers which are played with a ‘swing’ rather than with even interpretation. ) Swing Quavers ) Its important to understand that there is no visual distinction between swing (or jazz’) 5 . quavers and even quavers. The notes are written the same way but interpreted differ ently, the on-beat quaver having a value of two thirds of a beat and the off-beat quaver one third of a beat, Swing quavers are therefore closely related to triplet quavers: played 3 written but to notate them as they are played would be untidy and unnecessarily complicated. Count: Landa 2anda 3anda 4anda af Practise the following exercise: Clap: i s. ye catsinging (see Chapter 10, p. 46) is an excellent way of doo_be doo be doo be doo be a establishing the correct ‘feel’ de for jazz rhythms. One way of y i scatting jazz quavers is rE There are many other possibilities. Try inventing re your own sounds. When the off-beat quaver is followed by silence, as in “Trane Refrain’ I prefer 4 more emphatic scat-sound: ‘To Swing or not to Swing? You may be wondering how you are to know whether the quavers should be played ‘straight’ or ‘swung’, In many cases this is indicated by the expression markings at the beginning of the piece. Sometimes the composer/arranger specifically requests the desired quaver interpretation, In other cases the idiom dictates what is required, For example, if the piece is marked jazz-rock’, ‘latin, ‘bossa-nova’ or ‘calypso’ the quavers are played evenly, but ‘swing’, or ‘medium blues’ indicates jazz quavers.* If in doubt, try both ways and make an artistic choice! “Ac fast tempos, even in music in a swing idiom, the quavers are played straight, since a smooth swing. interpretation is impossible to achieve,Articulating Swing Quavers With jazz quavers a little extra emphasis is generally given to the off-beat quaver, To! achieve this jazz musicians often slur from off-beat to on-beat. Tonguing all the on-beats can make the music sound laboured. In order to practise this kind of phrasing scales should be played as follows: azz.ds) 7 You should also practise tonguing on every other off-beat quaver: (azz?) _— Sreeeccaie “The Magician’ introduces high E. Ja r2s owing da The Magician % a i: D.S.al Coda CODATrane Refrain’ is an example of the minor blues form which was ‘often used by saxophonist Joha Coltrane (1926-1967), one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz. Anticipation When an off-beat quaver is followed by a rest, as in the first six bars of Trane Refrain’, or when it is tied over, as in the final six bars, it is often easier not to count the on- beat which immediately follows. This is because the off-beat quaver functions as an anticipation of the following beat. It can therefore feel rushed and uncomforable to count the next beat, especially if the tempo is fast. Try to ‘feel’ this beat without consciously counting it. Trane RefrainImprovise on this scale: eo ‘The Blues Scale/Passing Notes In ‘Blue Monk’, which is one of Thelonious Monk’s most celebrated compositions, there is a twelve-bar improvisation section. The scale suggested here for improvisation is often referred to by jazz educators as the blues scale. It is similar to the minor pentatonic scale you used for ‘Blue Jean’ in Chapter 4 and ‘Song for Sophie’ in Chapter 9 but it has ‘one extra note—the flattened fifth, which in this case is G} This note has a very strong blues feeling. It sounds extremely dissonant or restless and is usually used by jazz musi- cians as @ passing note, or connecting note, as in bars 1 and 3 of the upper part. Blue Monk Thelonious Monk Blues J = 104 (Swings) D.C. al Coda (© 1954, Thelonious Music (USA) and Bocu Music Ltd. (Europe). (see explanation on p40) All rights reserved. Used by permission Repetition. A key word to remember when improvising is repetition: Many beginner improvisers make the mistake of simply running up and down the scale rather aimlessly. Repetition of single notes in interesting rhythms is a good way of breaking this habit. Louis, Armstrong and Miles Davis provide masterly examples of how effective note repetition can be in a jazz solo, Equally important is the use of riffs (see Chapter 3, p. 27), for which you will find no better model than guitarist Charlie Christian. Experiment by _ inventing your own riffs on ‘Blue Monk’, using the given scale. fn ttScale Practice E minor is the relative minor of the G major scale,-which you learnt in the previous chapter. E harmonic minor FURTHER STUDY Listening: JouN CovTrans, ‘Mr P.C.’ from Giant Steps as an example of a minor blues. “Tuxtowtous Mont, ‘Blue Monk’ from The Composer. Canis CunsTiAN, The Genius of the Blectric Guitar. Li one Off-Beat Phrases So far all the phrases which you have played have started on the beat. The pieces in this. chapter feature phrases which begin off the beat. To begin with you may find it helpful to indicate the position of every quaver by counting as follows 1_and 2 and 3 and 4 and ‘When you play phrases which begin off the beat you will therefore be entering on the ‘and’. The example below shows how this counting method éould be applied to the first two bars of ‘A Bossa for Betty’ land2and3 and 4 and and2and3 and4and 1,ete. Eventually you will probably be able to dispense with counting the ‘and’ ‘The symbol 7 is a quaver rest, worth half a beat. The note which follows it'in the second bar is a dotted crotchet, worth one and a’half beats. The off-beat dotted crotchet can therefore also be written:ral A Bossa for Betty Bossa Nova d = 138 (Evens) (layed on Flugelhorn) 3 % DS. al Coda CODA a as ‘The next tune introduces F on the top line of the stave: Sil ‘Four’ was composed by Miles Davis (1926-1991), who, from the early 1950s until his death, was probably the most infltiential musician in jazz. His bands were-a kind of finishing school for great jazz musicians, and included such illustrious. names as Horace Silver, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, ‘Tony Williams. Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Keith jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Arto Moreira and John Scofield, all of. whom went on to become celebrated soloists and bandleaders in their own right. ‘Four’ features, off-beat entries in a’ jazz quaver context. Remember that’an on-beat quaver is- worth two thirds of a beat! The off-beat quaver is therefore later than when, yéu'are playing with an even-quaver = interpretation. ‘In order to achieve! the correct inter- pretatidtiisten to the CD and then try scatting what the trumpet is playing, using the syllables written belowsthe staye J pee ae me ey eon nppeppsipen perayarapar nap itera agatamiiypegpegegl46] Four Miles Davis 180 bedodat Bedodat bedodat be dodat be do dah (© 1955 Prestige Music Co. (USA) and Prestige Music Ltd. (Europe). All rights reserved. Used by permission, Mutes ‘A mute is an implement inserted into the bell, or held over the endef the bell, of the trumpet that changes the timbre of the instrument by obstructing the vibrating air column in various ways. Track 47—Claret and Blue’—i a good example of the use of the plunger mute. A plunger mute gets its name fromthe fact that it is really just like a rubber sink plunger with the handle removed. Although the plunger mute is commer- cially produced; a sink plunger would do just as well, ‘The plunger mute is held in the left hand and used to alternatively open and cover the bell of the trumpet, producing a ‘wah—wah’ effect suitable for jazz section and solo playing. Bubber Miley and. Cootie Williams were particularly adept at using this mute to produce an. almost vocal quality. In music written to be played using a plunger mute-a note with the symbol + above it indicates that the plunger mute should cover the bell of the trumpet, while a note with an 6 above it means that the plunger mute should be clear of the bell. Completely covering the bell-of the trumpet when playing with the plunger mute would badly affect the tuning, By trial and error you Will be able to determine just how much of the bell should be covered before the note goes out of tune.a7] Growls and Flutter-Tongue ‘The Gh in bar 2 of ‘Claret and Blue’ is the first example in this book of the growl. This effect was very. common in early forms of jazz but it still has a place in today's music as a means of varying the timbre of the instrument. Growling is particularly effective when used in association with a plunger mute, with or without a pixie mute (see Appendix 5). Produce the growl in the throat, just as you would when imitating the growl of a dog. Practise growling on long notes, first establishing the note then introducing the growl This effect should be used sparingly as overuse detracts from the effectiveness and is, also very tiring on the throat muscles. Another effect that produces a similar sound to growling is the flutter tongue. This is made by producing a note and then fluttering your tongue as if you were rolling your ‘r. Again, as in growling, it is best to play the note first and then introduce the flutter tongue, although with practice you will be able to start the grow! or flutter immediately after attacking the note. If you find growling too hard or painful on the throat then the flutter tongue is a good alternative that produces a similar effect. ‘Claret and Blue’ introduces F4 below the stave. FE /Gb ‘The notes that are not specifically marked with plunger mute directions should be played with the mute half covering the bell. Claret and Bluery improvising over the backing tek t ‘Ckuet and Blue’, using the blues seule (see Chapter 14, p. 58) starting on F. ‘Happy Feet’ is rhythmically influenced’ by Reggae, a dance style which originated 5 from Jamaica. At the end of this piece you can improvise using either of the given scales, the second of which you may recognize as the blues stale starting on E. 3) : ‘The sign x in bar 9 is a double sharp sign, which means that the F is raised by two semitones. F double sharp is thus enharmonically equivalent to G natural as Happy Feet Reggae J = 128 (Swing ?s) 8 ) Improvise using these scales fade out Scale Practice FmajorFURTHER STUDY Listening: Duke ELUNGTON, ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’ from Robert Parker's Jazz Classics in Digital ‘Stereo: Duke Elingion—Great Original Performances 1927-1934, and ‘Concerto for Coote’ from The Indispensable Duke Ellington vols. 5 and 6— 1940. These two tracks feature the plunger and grow! effects of Buber Miley and Cootie Williams respec- tively. Reading: Iaw Cane, Miles Davis. Mutes Davis, Miles: The Autobiography. ‘The Dotted Crotchet Followed by a Quaver The new rhythm that you will meet in this chapter is the dotted crotchet followed by a quaver. The exercises overleaf will help you to understand how this rhythm relates to | previous rhythms you have learnt. They should be performed using both even- and jaz2- ‘quaver interpretations. It is particularly important that you count the beat immediately preceding the off-beat quaver. (vend’s) (Swing )s) Count: Land 2and3and4and CA @ = i] Clap: = doo..00 bedoo doo land 2and 3 and4 and — : ” land 2and 3and4and doo-. 00 be doo doo © land 2and3and4 and doo doo dat oo dat land 2and 3 and4and land 2and 3 and4 and doo. -00 dat oO N.B, (b) and (c), and (e} and (f) are identical rhythmically but rotated differently. LLL TT ST TDr é 49 | 50) Aikido Rock J = 138 DS. al Fine The direction D,S. al Fine at the end of the next piece is short for Dal Segno al Fine (literally ‘from the sign to the end’) and means that you should repeat from the sign and stop at the ‘word Fine. Red Alert Medium Blues J = 184 i R, a BA ? Fine DS. al Fine ‘The Harmon Mute ‘L Will Call You! is played on the accompanying CD using a Harmon mute with its move- able inner stem removed. This is a metal mute which has to be inserted into the bell and held in place with a cork collar which prevents air escaping between the mute and the inside of the bell and thus ensures that all the air is directed through the mute. The cork needs to be greased slightly to enable a secure fit in the trumpet bell and also to stop the cork from drying out and cracking. A qualified teacher will be able to help you with thi‘When playing the trumpet with a mute inserted, special attention. must be paid to the tuning, as very often’a mute will make the trumpet play sharp. If this is the case the tuning slide should then be extended until the trumpet is in tune, Notes below bottom C are often very out of tune and unusable, unless the mute is made out of copper, which makes it possible to play in tune down to bottom Fs. Modes ‘The improvised solo at the end of I Will Call You’ uses the Phrygian mode. A mode is another name for a scale. Using the notes of each major scale it is possible to create six additional scales or modes using each different degree of the scale as @ tonal centre. Playing the E} major scale starting on the third degree produces G Phrygian. This mode is highly evocative of Spanish music. This piece introduces high Fj and G. FE /Gb Set CI Si 1 Will Call You J =116 Swing ds) ‘with Harmon tute ie D.C. al Coda CODA Improvise using this scale (G Phrygian): fade outFURTHER STUDY Playing/Singing: Listen to ‘So What’ from Miuss Davis Kind of Blue. The rhythm of the answering phras played by the saxophones and trumpet in response to the bass figure is a dotted crotchet followed by a quaver. Try first singing and then playing this phrase along with the recording, Listening: Murs Davis, ‘Flamenco Sketches’ from Kind of Blue, one of the first recordings to explore modal improvisation. This is pethaps the most famous example of the use of the Phrygian mode in jazz. Mins Davis, ‘Summertime’ from ‘Porgy and Bess’. A classic example of stemless harmon mute playing from the most celebrated exponent of this style of trumpet playing, IIa More on Articulation In jazz the way you articulate notes is just as much part of your style as your sound or the notes you choose when improvising, Listen to all players, not just trumpet players, and compare the way in which they articulate notes. Listen, for example, to how players use a combination of slurs and attacks. Some players slur more nutes, while others tongue more. There are also often considerable differences in the smoothness of the articulation, All music is made up of notes in steps (semitones or tones), or intervals (thirds or larger). In classical music the way you slur or tongue these is often predetermined by the composer. In jazz, especially when improvising, it is up to you to decide how to do. this. In big bands or smaller ensembles, whenever there is any doubt as to how a passage should be articulated, it is the responsibility of the lead- or first-rumpet player to decide. It is very important to develop fast, clean and even tonguing. The student should spend much time practising tonguing at all speeds over the entire range of the instrument. Large intervals are hard to play cleanly: when slurred, especially at fast tempos. Tonguing the intervals will make your playing sound cleaner, Scale-like passages, although easier to slur, would sound very uninteresting if played this way as there would be no variation in the articulation, With scale-like passages try using a combination of tonguing and slurring to create some interest inthe articulation. To practise this, try playing scales by tonguing some notes and slurring others, trying :0 get an almost random feeling of tonguing and slur- ring. Practise this very slowly at first. With repetition it will start to feel and sound natural. Try picking one note out of a scale and tonguing this one note while slurring the rest. Select different notes and do not always use the same scale. When this starts to feel comfortable try picking two, three ar even more notes to tongue For even more variation of articulation try changing the intensity of the attack. By using a soft ‘doo’ tongue, a very smooth effect canbe achieved somewhere between slurring and tonguing. Practise scales just using a ‘doo! tongue and uy to get the feeling of a continuous stream of air, as if you were playing one long note but with the tongue lightly ‘denting’ the air stream to provide the articulation.52, Emily’s Bop 3 Medium Bop 4 = 182 wing ds) Steve Waterman ‘The harder ‘too’ tongue can be used to accent certain notes and produce even more variation in your articulation, making your lines ‘sparkle’ “Emily's Bop! is a variation on a chord sequence much loved by jazz musicians, typical of a solo that a trumpet player might improvise. Listen to the way it is articulated on the CD using a combination of slurring and ‘doo’ and ‘too’ tonguing, As there is no articulation written on the manuscript try’ varying the articulation, in the mannér described above, every time you play this tune. You might have to practise this slowly without the CD at first. FURTHER STUDY Reading: JOHN McNett, Jazz Trumpet Techniques, The Art of Jazz Trumpet Vols 1 and 2. These are excellent books, with exercises for developing articulation and fast fingers, as well as many other technical devices used in playing jazz trumpet.ot . oh 7 Scale Variations Bach scale, with its arpeggio and relative minor scale and arpeggio, should be practised every day for at least a week. Once you have mastered the basic scale you should start to practise variations. Below are just two examples in the key of C major: ete. é Scales should be played both tongued and slurred. Experiment with many different thythms and articulations. The possibilities ‘are endless. The complaint that scales are boring only comes from the unimaginative! If you want to learn to improvise you must learn to be creative in your practice : <5 FURTHER STUDY ~ Playing: In order to make your pfactice of major and minor scales and arpeggios more enjoyable it is strongly recommended tha: you purchase Volume 24 of Jamey Aebersold’s play: along series, entitled Major and Minor, which contains backing tracks for all keys. 4 However, please be aware that Jamey uses a different form of the minor scale—the Dorian minor, See the end of Appendix 2 for further details about this series of play- alongs. On-Beat Quaver Followed by Two Off-Beats ie Another extremely common thythm in jazz is the on-beat quaver followed by two consecutive off-beats. This may be encountered in various ‘disguises’, as will be i ipparent from the following exercises.(Even ?s) Count: Land 2and3and4and @ z Clap: land 2and3and4and ) = land 2and3and4and @ a and 2and3and4and @ ai] land 2and3and4and and 2and3and4and (Swing ds) doo be doo dat doo dah dat —~ doo dah dat doo dat dat doo dat dah doo dat be doobedoobe N.B. When clapped (b), (©), (d) and (©) sound the same, since the difference between them is only the duration of the notes and not their rhythmic position. Country Road Lazy Swing J = 64‘The next piece ‘Lite Sunflower’, is one of the most famous compositions of Freddie Hubbard (b. 1938), one of the most important trumpeters to have emerged during the 1960s. His playing has encompassed a wide variety of styles, including hard-bop, a driving style epitomized by his playing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers between 1961 and 1964; avant- garde, for example on Ornette Coleman's recording ‘Free Jazz’, and jazz-rock of which e counted as follows Count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and Clap: With jazz quavers countin adopt the following approach: beccmes ‘more problematic, At slow tempos you could Scat: (doo) be (doo) be (doo) be (doo) ‘be Clap: Metr. However, at faster tempos there is no space to count the on-beat (see Chapter 14 Anticipation, p. 57) and you will have to rely on developing the correct ‘fee’. Perform the previoiis exercise setting the metronome at about 80 beats per minute and gradually increasing the tempo to 160. You will probably notice one of two tendencies as the tempo increases: either the off- beat quaver becomes even, rather than swung, which is a sign of rushing or playing ahead of the beat, or the off-beat gets closer and closer to the following beat, which is, symptomatic of playing late or behind the beat. You will also notice a point at which to say the ‘doo' begins to feel uncomfortable and rushed; so dispense with vocalizing the on-beat and try to feel the rhythm.56 A Night in Tunisia Dizzy Gillespie J =152,6wing 29 ‘i 7 3 DS. al Coda x © Copyright 1960 MCA Music (a division of MCA Incorporated; USAI, ‘Used by permission of Music Sales Limited, All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. “The Right Time’, overleaf, introduces high Gf and A. + The small black notes in brackets are notes.in the harmonic series that are usually produced by using diferent valve combinations from those shown. is good pricice, however, for the student t0 try t0 play them using these alternative fingerings (see Appendix 8). seme eR SN A RR TCT RE TTEa] The Right Time Dave Cliff Minor Blues J = 140 (Swing 2s) With Harmon mute © 1991, Dave Cif. All sights reserved. Usb by permission Kenny Dorham, who wrote ‘Blue Bossa’, served his musical apprenticeship in the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band mentioned above and also in one of Charlie Parker's quintets. He ‘was a founder member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and replaced Clifford Brown in Max Roach's group in 1958. He was one of the most important trumpeters on the jazz scene in the latter half of the 1950s and in the early 1960s; during which time he led a quintet with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and recorded the following tune. 38 ~ Blue Bossa : Kenny Dorham 3. a aT - Wz. ” i Improvise until fade (© 1959 Orpheum Music Co. (USA) and Prestige Music Ltd. (Europe). All rights reserved. Used by permission. So far you have improvised using different scales. The next piece gives you the opportun- ity to improvise:with a sequerce of thee arpeggios—C, F and G major, indicated by the symbols C, F and G. Play just the arpeggio notes to begin with. In other words in the first bar you can play either C, E or G, in the second bar F, A or C and in the third bar, G, B or D. This sounds simple enough but you will discover that it is quite a challenge to keep track of where you are in the sequence. If you find that you keep losing your place try playing just the lowest note of each arpeggio until you begin to feel the rhythm in which the chords are moving,3 F : Triad Exercise ea c F G ic fade out FURTHER STUDY Listening: rian Parken, ‘A Night in Tunisia’ from The Legendary Dial Masters Vol. 1. The classic original recording featuring Dizzy Gillespi Dave Curr, ‘The Right Time’ from’ The Right Time. Jos Hanversow, Blue Bossa’ from The Best of Joe Henderson, Features Kenny Dotham on trumpet. Se ey ‘Triplet Crotchets ‘Triplet crotchets are exactly twice the length of triplet quavers and therefore involve ~ grouping three notes against two beats. The following clapping exercise will help you to tnderstand the relationship between triplet quavers and triplet crotchets: SONI RRO ROR ‘Once you have mastered the above, try this exercise for tapping triplet crotchets against regular crotchets, ‘The triplet quavers have been written to enable you to work out the rhythm mathemati- cally but you should aim at being able to count the crotchet pulse and ‘feel’ the triplet crotchet rhythm.Hriplet crotchets should be played absolutely evenly—a common fault is to play the second one early and the third one late so that the chythm resembles J) J J) rather isn aa ‘The final section of Tango Cool" will give you a good opportunity to differentiate these two rhythms, w Tango Cool Ted Gioia J 298 Gvends) Into g Kao + ©1991, Ted Gioia, All rights reserved. Used by permission ‘The composer of the next tune, Woody Shaw (1944-1989), was one of the most original trumpet players to emerge during the 1960s. He worked with famous names such as Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson and Amt Blakey, as well as leading his own groups. In addition to being an accomplished improviser, he was also a composer of some note. 7961 Sweet Love of Mine Woody Shaw Vz. DS. al Coda CODA (© 1972 Contemporary Music (USA) and Prestige Music Ltd. (Europe). the instrument. This principle could also be applied to the exercises which follow. © Improvise a melodic line in semibreves, using chord notes only. This is an excellent exercise for voice-leading, or the smooth connection of one chord with another. It is usually better to move from one chord to the next in small steps, although bigger intervals can be used for dramatic effect. Feel free to repeat notes if they are common to both chords, e.g.: Dm? G7 Cov Fa? Bm? ET Am6é Amo } © Improvise a line in minims, using chord notes only, e.g y Dm7 G7 Caz Fav ) © Improvise in crotchets using chord notes only as in, the example below. This is y closely related to the ‘walking bass’ technique used by jazz bass-players. You may need to make room for breataing spaces, by leaving out notes here and there. ) Dm ~ G7 car Fay© Improvise in freeshythm using chord notes only, e.g. Dm7 G7 Caz Fa7 © Improvise freely using additional notes from the C major and A minor scales and any others which sound good! Ascending Melodic Minor Scale When improvising over the Am6 chord the scale which fits best is the ascending melodic minor scale. This is another variation of the minor scale, in which the sixth note is raised by one semitone. Another way of thinking of itis as a major scale with the third note lowered one semitone’ to. It is also possible to use the Dorian mode starting on A and the A blues scale over the ‘Amé6 chord. FURTHER STUDY Playing: Jerry Coker, Jerry’ Coker’s Jazz Keyboard. An excellent book for developing jazz keyboard skills, for pianists and non-pianists. Lions GniGson, Practical jazz. A thorough exploration of jazz harmony and its rele~ vance for improvisation. + Classical musicians use a different form of the melodic minor scale in which the sixth and seventh notes are lowered by a semitone as it descends, i: Jazz musicians prefer to use the notes ofthe ascending form whether the scale is played rising or falling, hence the name by which itis known, Since the early 1960s there has been increasing experi- mentation by jazz musicians with time signatures other than 3/4 or 4/4. Pianist Dave Brubeck, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and trumpeter Don Ellis were among the first to experiment widely with tunusual time signatures64] 6/8 Time 6/8 time means that you court six quavers tow bar, although at faster tempos this is nearly’ always counted in two (dlotted-crotchet beats), with cach heat subdivided into three. The exercises below show both possibilities for counting. ‘Mingus-Thingus' is written in the bluesy 6/8 style often favoured by the great double bass player and composer Charles Mingus (1922-1979), ‘The instruction sit. is short for ritardando, an Italian word meaning getting slower. Mingus-Thingus 5/4 Time : Like many of the more complex time signatures, such as 7/4 or 11/4, 5/4:is. nearly always subdivided into a combination of two- and three-beat groupings. You will prob- ably find it easier to count these groups of two or three rather than the actual number of beats in the bar. In ‘Pan Pipes’ the subdivision is three followed by two.‘The instruction tacet means literally ‘is silent’. In other words the lower part only joins in at the end of the first time bar, Ad / Bb TI This tune introduces high Bb, S Pan Pipes J 158 6vend) % 3 Tacet Ist time66 d=120 Four Against Three In the next tune the notation J J J J means that you have to play four notes in the time that you would normally fake to'play three. You may find this easier to do if you count ‘one in a bar’, in other words just marking the strong first beat of each bar. Make sure all four notes are exactly the same length. Waltz for Evan Wetstream Steve Waterman (Played on Flugelhorn) FURTHER STUDY Listening: Hanes Minaus, ‘Better Git it in your Soul’ from Mingus Ab Um. A fine example of the use of 6/8 time in jazz Dave Brunzcx, Time Out. Featvres Paul Desmone's composition ‘Take Five’, one of the ‘most famous tunes in an unusual time signature. ‘Taztomous Mon, ‘Straight, No Chaser’ from The Composer. Playing: Lorsnen, Jon, ed., An Irish Tunebook Parts One and Two. These books contain much enjoyable and exciting music in 6/8 time. ‘They also’ provide excellent practice for technique, rhythm and articulation and good source material for playing’ by ear and for transposition.he Semiquavers and Semiquaver Rests Semiquavers, or sixteenth notes, are half the length of even quavers. Rhythms which involve semiquavers can look very complicated—suddenly the manuscript becomes very black!—but try not to be intimidated. If you look carefully at the rhythm exercises below you will see that the mathematical relationship between the notes in the semiquaver examples in 2/4 is the same as in the quaver examples in 4/4 that are written next t© them. It is only the unit of time that you are counting which changes. For this reason you may initially find it helpful to count the quaver beat when playing semiquaver rhythms. This means that the first example would be counted as follows: Another option would be to count like this: 1_aanda 2 aanda ‘You could apply the same principle to the other exercises, but work towards being able ° to count crotchet beats. The sign ¥ is a semiquaver rest. =50 Givends) J =100 ven ds)Drumming exercise RH. LH. - The following exercise will provide excellent practice both for rhythm and articulation. It should be played for a few minutes at each practice session as part of your warm-up until you have mastered it. Play it on various notes throughout the range. J 0-100 L3tt34 oS ae arom eae ae Grace Notes ‘The F¥s written before the Gs in bar 9 of ‘It’s All Ours’ are grace notes. They should be played on the beat and ‘crushed’ against the notes which follow. Try to imitate the example on the CD,a It’s All Ours ONeill Watermantiv thy nprovised section of the following piece you could! also use the G blues sete > (G, Bs, C, Db, D and F). ; a On the Street Jazz Rock J =70 (Even ds) SS Improvise using these scales until fade: DEB Or Boon = C-Mixolydian G DorianDouble- and Triple-Tonguing Double- and triple-tonguing can be used when playing phrases that are too fast to be single-tongued. Before attempting double- and triple-tonguing make sure that you have a good control of your single-tonguing, as this plays a vital roe. Double- and triple-tonguing involve using the rear part of the tongue. As with single- tonguing the syllable you imagine will have to change depending on the register you are playing in. ‘Kah’ for the low register, ‘ko’ for the middle register and 'kee' for the high register, To develop this new attack go back to the first exercises in the book and practise them as you would with a single-tongue but this time using the ‘K' attack. It is very important to practise slowly at first and aim for the same intensity as in the ‘too’ attack. Your aim is to get both attacks indistinguishable from each other. ‘When you feel that you are comfortable with this ‘K’ attack, move on to the following, exercises for triple tonguing, @ Practise exercises 1a and 1b very slowly at first, making sure that the ‘Ku’ syllable sounds exactly the same as the ‘Tu’ syllable. The notes have to be separated slightly to give them definition when played at speed. The syllables Tu Tu Ku will give you this separation. © Increase the speed of this exercise gradually and for variation play the same exercise but using different notes. Exercise 1a J =60-200+ Exercise 1b J = 80-2008 — = Zz 3 Ta Ta Ku Tu Tu Ku Tu Tu Ku Tu Tu Ku Too Only move on to exercises 2a and 2b when you can successfully triple-tongue at speed, making the ‘Ku’ attack indistinguishable from the ‘Tw’ attacks. Double tonguing will then ‘come easily, as the Tu Ku is incorporated in the Tu Tu Ku of triple tonguing, @ start these exercises slowly and gradually increase the tempo as you become used to this method of tonguing Exercise 2a J = 60-2004 Tu. ku Te Ku Tu - Ku Too 4Exercise 2b J =80-200+ Tu Ku Tu Ku Tu Ku Tu Ku Too ‘© Practise the following exercises slowly at first and increase the tempo gradually once you are able to co-ordinate your fingers and tongue. Try transposing the exercises 10 other keys, Exercise 3a J = 80-2004 poee Tu Tu KuTa Tu KuTu etx, (continue up and down the C major scale in one octave) Exercise 3b J = 80-200+ Tw Tu Ku Tu Tu Ku Tu Tu Ku Tu Tu Ku etc. Exercise 3¢ J = 80-200+ Tu Tu Ku te. Exercise 34 Tu Tu Ku Tu Tu Kuetc. Exercise 4a J = 80-200+ Tu Ku Tu Ku etc. (continue up and down the C major scale in one octave) Exercise 4b Tu Ku Tu Ku etc. (continue up and down the D major scale in one octave) 5 _¥Exercise 4¢ Tu Ku Tu Ku etc ‘Doodle Tonguing’ While double and triple tonguing are essential for classical and other types of music, they are not widely used in jazz. Playing a fast jazz phrase using double or triple tonguing would sound very stilted with no sense of swing. An alternative would be to slur a very fast phrase but this would make any large intervals, hard to play, Doodle-tonguing (so called because ‘doo’ and ‘dul’ are the alternated syllables used to create the effect) is a much softer form of double-tonguing that can be used to make a fast phrase swing. Many jazz trombone players use this device to great effect, since only having a slide to get from one note to the next makes the playing of cleanly articulated phrases even more problematic than on the trumpet. One trumpet player particularly associated with doodle- tonguing is Clark Terry. Listen to any of his recordings to give you an idea of what can be achieved with this type of tonguing. Listen also to trombonists such as Carl Fontana and Frank Rosolino. © Practise exercises 1a and 1b very slowly at first with a metronome, making sure that you do not speed up or get slower. It is harder to separate the two tongue actions, as you did when practising double-tonguing, since the ‘dul’ part of the articulation relies on the ‘doo’ action to rebound from. You may at first have odie tongs" problems with the ‘dul’ part of the articulation but if You are patient and stick to a slow tempo the articu- lation will eventually become easier. When it does, ‘gradually increase the tempo and for variation play different notes. As in all other tonguing the syllable needs to change, depending on what register you are playing in: - dul’ — low register ‘doo - dul’ ~ middle register. ‘dee - dul’ ~ upper register. © As you increase the speed the ‘doo - dul’ will eventually become ‘doo - dul - loo - dul - loo dul.- loo - dul’. It is important to keep up a constant stream of air. The feeling, you should have is of playing a long note with the tongue lightly denting the air- stream to provide the articulation, 6 ALLL LL A eae _piegunpeagaigiginn