Jazz starter

[expressman70]

Hello all,
   
      I am a classical musician but want to start playing jazz, and learning to improvise. I am very good at following books and self teaching teqnique, so could anyone recommend a great source for that such as theory book specifically with that. I do have an ability to improvise, but it doesn't appear as jazzy when executed. I just need theoretical base for it which i lack in this field.

Thank you!

[dcstudio]

good at books--get "the Jazz Language" by Dan Haerle--he was my prof... he has lectures posted on YT, too.


it doesn't appear as jazzy?   it will...just give it time...lol...      the most common complaint from beginners is -- "but it doesn't sound like jazz!!"     it's not just the notes that make it sound like that...   it's really tough to learn to swing...and to walk bass...  and when you do finally get it you feel like an idiot --  because you realize it's not hard to do at all...once you know how.

it looks so easy...  because it really is easy...  and that is the single biggest problem lifer classicals have with the whole idea...   they just won't believe it...     so they make it far more complex than it is.

listen and play along with recordings of your favorite players...in my day all we had were Jamie Aebersold records---they were basically just backing tracks...(btw--the book I told you about was written by Jamie's piano player)  now you have youtube..

how much classical music do you listen to now/  and while you were learning???   You have to create that same "data base" for jazz, too..    if you can sleep with it playing somewhere in your room...you should

Formal theory and jazz theory are just two different  ways of describing exactly the same thing.

jazz theory is meant to be understood quickly...  the terminology is far more logical...as are the concepts...  

this is Oscar Peterson...   the GREATEST...  playing LIVE

this is what jazz sounds like...

[expressman70]

Thank you for the reply, I will definately look into it.