What i know:12 major scales,double toungue, triple tounge, flutter tongue. Im working on the minor scales and on growling.Any other techniques that can be used in jazz soloing? example: fluttering and growling. Any order of notes that sound jazzy? example:pentatonic please post names + how-to or just names of techniques (i will research how myself) I've been waiting for this question ever since I got on Answers!
Sounds like your on a good start with the theory and that you're a good bone player... if you know your scales and have good control of your tonguing. But you'll need a lot more then just new theory to play hip. I'll break it down to three major components. Listening, Transcribing, Theory all with the idea of Practice overarching each category.
Listening: It doesn't matter how much theory you know, if you don't listen and learn through listening. Music is a language with jazz being a specific dialect. You need to learn to speak it, before you learn the theory. You've got to be singing it, you've got to know the tunes....
Listen to these amazing Jazz Trombone players. A lot.
J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Robin Eubanks (current) Frank Rosilino, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Brookmeyer (he changed my mind about Valve trombonisits) Rob Steinbeck, Jack Teagarden, Bill Watrous, Steve Turrell, John Fedchock.
Start with JJ. He's the absolute greatest jazz trombone player ever. He's the Trane/Bird/Armstrong/Monk of trombone playing.
Also, listen to these Funk Trombonists for help with time and feel:
Fred Wesely, Nils Landgren
Transcribing: Having a solid theoretical background will help, but this is more about connecting your ear, your brain, your lips and your slide arm. T
-Take a solo you like. Learn how to play it. Start Easy - Louis Armstrong Stuff, Jack Teagarden... get more complicated. Once you learn to play a solo, try and write it down. Compare the melody of the solo with the chord changes and then theortically analyze what this great soloist did over the chords and practice the ideas in all keys. Do this with a lot of tunes. Do this with not only trombone players.
You can also buy books of transcriptions... they can be very helpful, especially in the beginning.
Theory: Ok. Here's some more theory stuff to get your on your way. I'll write everything in C, so you'll need to transpose.
Major Pentatonic - C,D,F,G,A,C
Minor Pentatonic (Blues) C,Eb,F,G,Bb,C
Blues w/#4: C Eb F F#G Bb C
Dominant or Mixolydian: C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb,C (Major Scale with a lowered seventh or from "so"-"so" in a major scale
Be-Bop C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb,B,C (when you swing your eights on this scale you'll hit a chord change on every beat.
Dorian (majority of jazz musicians use this to solo in minor)
C,D,Eb,F,G,A,Bb,C (it's a minor scale with a raised sixth or re-re in a major scale)
Diminished (the top of every dominant seven chord is a diminished chord)
whole-half = C,D,Eb,F,Gb,Ab,Bbb(A),C
half-whole = C,Db,Eb,Fb(E),Gb,Abb(G),A,Bb,C
Wholetone (good for augmented chords)
C,D,E,F#,G#,A#,C
That's a start on scales. You should also learn arpeggios for each of these scales going through extensions
For example:
C Major
arpeggio with 9th
C,E,G,B,D,B,G,E,C
arpeggio with 9th,#11th
C,E,G,B,D,F#,D,B,G,E,C
also you should learn arpeggios utilizing chord progressions
For Example
Dmin7,G7,C7
D,F,A,C,D,G,B,(now down)G,E,C,B,
come up with your own arpeggiated ideas over chords!
EXTRAS:
Look for notes in chords that can be played throughout the entire tune... then build chord structures off of them.... use it as a pedal... For example if you can play a concert D through the whole tune, take a trip on the D blues scale before coming back to the other chords. Then you can play out with some sense.
Write and Steal licks. When you hear something you like learn it and steal it. If during your practice you play something you love, play it over and over again. Write it down. Learn it in every key... that way you have it in your arsenal at any time.
Scat: If you can play it, you should be able to scat it. Scat everywhere.... it'll help you connect your brain to your lips.
Life is gliss, but don't over use it.
Fretting. Fretting is a difficult technique where you use all natural slurs to move between notes... you don't need your tongue! You'll need strong chops, because fretting normally happens in higher partials where you can play most of your notes in a few positions:
For example a Bb Blues lick starting on F (2 ledger lines)
all natural slurs (l'm placing the slide positions below the notes) play this slow then speed it up to lightning proportions!
up.............down......up........ down.......
F,G,Bb,Db,Ab,E gliss to F,D,B,Ab
1,2, 3, 2, 3, 2-----------1,1,1,
Good Luck and Happy Practicing. falls and pulling up to a note are also good things to do when soloing on a trombone. Dance all over the place and play at the same time. |
