Laddering Up: Building Range

Through Well Known Jazz

Standards

by

John Handy
2

A ladder-up, referred to by many other names, is a simple range builder and transposition help based on the
idea that playing a beloved and well known tune can be an amusing addition to scale and interval studies. The
material for a ladder-up should ideally be no more than 8 or 9 bars. If longer, the chance is a player will
not have the time or endurance to cover other aspects his/her daily routine. The first A section of a common
standard tends to be the right size for two reasons: first, the short length allows us to move more quickly up
the register. Secondly, we generally "know" the beginnings of many songs, the meldoy at ;east if not also the
lyrics. As a song progresses, we tend to become less familiar with the tune unless we have shown a more than
passing interest at one time or another.

A ladder-up should be a tume you can sing or hum, a tune you can express in your chosen manner with your own
voice. We've chosen "on the Sunny Side of the Street," a cheery classic from the 1930's that we all have
heard. If the tune is one you want to make part of your repertoire, you can do the whole 32 bars as a ladder-
up. Here the transposition is written out for you to allow you to focus on sound, exp;ression and range without
having to worry about fingerings, etc. A further step is to Ladder-up on a tune without written notation,
 3

    
C
           
Grab your coat and get your hat leave your wor - ry on the door step,


6
          

  

just di - rect your feet to the sun - ny side of the st

       
10 C©
             
   
15

             
    

      
19 D

          

 
24
      
        
     
4
E¨
 
      
28

    
 

   
33

          
 
 

F
     
     
37

    
 

   
42

            

     
G¨

          

46
   

           
51

       

     
  
G
 
55

       

          

60

     
 5

A¨
    
      
  
64
    

      

69

          

     
   
A

73

        
,

         

78

     