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 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:54 pm
Hey guys!
Currently, I have 3 sax students. One is in 5th grade, one is in 8th and one is a freshman in high school. All three want to learn jazz.
For the 5th grader I'm using standard of excellence and trying to teach some articulations-but mainly sticking to concert b/c that's a lot at once. The jazz is just for fun occasionally-to expose her to it.
The 8th grader is a fantastic player-so I'm also working with her on phrasing and jazz articulations-but only as a side note till I get her worked up on scales and e-tudes and technique.
However-my 9th grader is taking lessons because he's stuck on bari in his high school jazz band when he really wants to play the alto sax part.
He knows a couple of dorian scales-but the kid some how only knows some of his major scales...no minors or anything! It astounds me.
I feel out of my league at times with this kid however. It's frustrating, because it's been a while since I've actually been in a jazz band myself-and lately I've been focusing more on Music Ed. stuff than jazz studies or tunes.
So-he's wanting to do some more advanced things...and I'm trying to find out where it's best to start. I don't want to go beneath his level-but I have so much basic stuff like sound, embouchure and posture to work with him on and improve upon-that it's hard how to fix that while teaching him the complexities of jazz.
He doesn't practice correctly. I've talked about cycling and I'm trying to improve his tone because he plays wimply sound wise. Breath support is a biggie too. He plays to the side with the alto-so I'm trying to talk him into playing in the middle.
I've already advised him to start listening to some sax players-especially cannoball due to his strong, solid sound.
I'm at a loss as far as what else to do right now though.
I ordered a Niehaus Jazz Studies book-but in the mean time-any thoughts or suggestions on what I can do to help solidify this kids jazz skills?
Sight reading is good-as is articulations and phrasing...but what else?
Thanks!!!
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:14 am
Ain't nothin' wrong with playin' the bari! The bari's awesome! It's a lot of fun! Anyways, I used to play alto on my side, but as soon as the music teacher told me to play in the middle, I did. It made much more sense to me. It was much more comfortable. As for getting more sound out of him, I gotta tell ya, this is easier for males, but be bold! Stand in front of him and when he plays, say "bigger! Bigger! More!" Playing the bari should ideally get good breathing tehnique; after all it's a big instrument. You'll obviously want challenging, demanding pieces. Hotline is good, so is Beatnik's blues. Improv would also be good, too. It'll get him to be more confident. What'd be a really good experience for him is to play in a really big auditorium, you stand at the back, and signal when you can hear him well. This works outside, too. It also works well with big bands. Dynamics are a big part of music, especially jazz. True there are loud parts that are in your face, but there's also quiet, which actually requires just as much if not more air than making a loud sound.
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 3:40 pm
Orizion Ain't nothin' wrong with playin' the bari! The bari's awesome! It's a lot of fun! Anyways, I used to play alto on my side, but as soon as the music teacher told me to play in the middle, I did. It made much more sense to me. It was much more comfortable. As for getting more sound out of him, I gotta tell ya, this is easier for males, but be bold! Stand in front of him and when he plays, say "bigger! Bigger! More!" Playing the bari should ideally get good breathing tehnique; after all it's a big instrument. You'll obviously want challenging, demanding pieces. Hotline is good, so is Beatnik's blues. Improv would also be good, too. It'll get him to be more confident. What'd be a really good experience for him is to play in a really big auditorium, you stand at the back, and signal when you can hear him well. This works outside, too. It also works well with big bands. Dynamics are a big part of music, especially jazz. True there are loud parts that are in your face, but there's also quiet, which actually requires just as much if not more air than making a loud sound. Thanks
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 6:45 pm
Not a sax player, but am a teacher..The only thing I can say would be to give him some more complex stuff (hotline was a good suggestion) but not too much! Make sure that he understand that he's not going to go anywhere if he doesn't learn the basics, or practice. He has to get that if he doesn't practice, he's not going to get any better! It's a really delicate balance of keeping him interested but making sure he actually improves into a real musician...Good luck.
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Fashionable Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:23 pm
The Niehaus book is good that'll work you should also get him to try some aebersolds. Find a song that he really likes and make him play the head in all 12 keys. Try making him play in front of a mirror to fix his emboucher. You should flat out tell him he wont get a better sound if he doesnt sit right in his chair.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 10:45 pm
Make him learn all the scales and modes. It may be a b***h to have to spend all that time now learning them, but it's only going to get harder to progress later on if you're scrambling to get them down. As much as it will suck for him, it is easier to learn to practice right early on than it is to practice out mistakes from poor practice habbits.
I'd say get him working on some blues and some basic heads. Now is the time, Billie's Bounce, Summertime, Autumn Leaves, and Tenor Madness are all good basic tunes to work on that you have to know.
If you can, get him to being transcribing. Something simple to start, such as a chorus from "Freddy Freeloader."
I'll try to think of more, but right now, my head hurts, so I'm gonna go to sleep.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:30 pm
Wow-you guys gave me some really good advice! Thanks!
I used most of what was mentioned this time around in lessons-so we're going to see what happens next-so I'll post and let you guys know...but yeah-thanks again for all the feedback! You guys are great.
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:27 am
Ooh! I just thought of something. Record him on tape then get him to listen to it and rate it on a scale from 1-10. He can track his progress. How has it worked out so far?
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:07 am
As far as recording goes-only bad part on that is I have a four track and mike-but they're at home-so haven't gotten to record him yet.
Great idea though!
I did get him to get copies of the jazz district try-out material for this Fall-and since my professor of Jazz here at CMSU writes the music for Missouri Jazz Try-out materials [Aaberg]-I can talk to him about form and articulations-what they're looking for in the details-so yeah-I'll be able to help Mike out there big time.
We've also started working on dominants [so he can understand chords-how they're set up and what that means as far as soloing goes]-and scales out the butt.
I mentioned the whole modes thing-so he understands where the dorian scales are coming from.
I also gave him tricks to scales...instead of memorizing all those-if you know how they work-you understand the method.
I relate everything to major scales-so he will have to memorize those. The aeloian/naturan minor tonic is a m3rd lower than it's key signature matching Major scale degree. So if you know that A is a minor third below C-and that C major has no sharps or flats-you know A has no sharps or flats. I've also shown that you can basically play the C major scale-just start on A-so I'm trying to give him different ways to think about it-but whatever is easiest for him.
Then-I'm using the natural minor to help with harmonic-b/c it's just the 7th raised [or-if you like-the note below you're tonic is going to be a half step instead of whole step down...so with a example- it'll be g sharp insted of g natural].
Melodic-going down is simply the natural minor.
Going up is playing the Major key of the tonic-only with a lowered 3rd [so playing A major-only with a c nat-then going down-play a natural minor]...instead of being complicated and saying lower 3rd, raise 6th and 7th-then lower on way back down0that's too hard and complicated to think about the further you go.
I won't keep going-but this gives you an idea of how I'm working with him on that stuff.
I've definately given him a lot of material to listen to and we've been playing through standard charts.
I have him watching himself in the mirror-working on playing strong and watching his embouchure and posture.
We sight read because it's good to know how to read a chart first glance and also to get him out of his comfort zone-because he plays wimpy when he's not sure of himself-so I'm trying to get him to play out no matter what.
Niehaus book still isn't in-but we have a Jamie Abersold book for him to work with right now...
The biggest problem is now getting him to practice and his attitude.
I talked to Kyle-a sax buddy of mine that is student observing at Mike's high school. Apparently-the alto's are really good there-so I made it very clear that-if Mike works with me-I'll help improve his sax skills and give him a fighting chance-but he'll only get out of this what he puts in-so if he wants to beat those alto's-he's going to have to practice way more than he is now-cuz where he's at just isn't going to cut it.
Anyways-that's the update-sorry it's so long again! And thanks again for all the great suggestions and help!!!
Later!
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Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:21 pm
Good Good sounds like you have a good set of material and plans fo rhimt o work on good luck i hope he turns out a great sax player.
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Fashionable Conversationalist
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