Here's my video on my top 5 jazz books and how I use them while studying

[JensL]

"What books or methods do you recommend for learning jazz" is one of the questions that I get all the time on my videos and on social media.


In this video I'll list 5 of the books I learned the most from (and one bonus or honourable mention!)

I don't normally post my videos here, but I thought this one was a good way to open some important discussions.


What is your favourite book and how do you use it?

Hope you like it!

Jens

[MarkRhodes]

Wohlfahrt's Violin studies have been used by Jimmy Bruno, Robert Conti, and other guitarists.

Amazon.com: Franz Wohlfahrt - 60 Studies, Op. 45 Complete: Books 1 and 2 for Violin (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) (9780634074035): Franz Wohlfahrt: Books

(Your video is good and I'm enjoying it. Wanted to post this while it was on my mind. Still watching...)

[Jabberwocky]

I enjoyed that. Thank you for posting.

[JensL]

Wohlfahrt's Violin studies have been used by Jimmy Bruno, Robert Conti, and other guitarists.

Amazon.com: Franz Wohlfahrt - 60 Studies, Op. 45 Complete: Books 1 and 2 for Violin (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) (9780634074035): Franz Wohlfahrt: Books

(Your video is good and I'm enjoying it. Wanted to post this while it was on my mind. Still watching...)

That's interesting I'll check those out!

Thanks!

Jens

[JensL]

I enjoyed that. Thank you for posting.

Thank you for checking it out! Glad you like it!

Jens

[pkirk]

good video. Some thoughts:

I was confused by what you meant about the omnibook tunes all being in C at first, but I guess you mean all (or most) are written
in the Key signature of C, no matter what key the tune is in.

I like your description of the Joe Pass book. I used that book a whole lot for years when I started out. I think it's a great book (probably good enough to be the only book anyone would need), but, one weakness of the book is that
almost all of it is constant streams of 8th notes, which ends up mostly ignoring phrasing.

Goodricks book is several lifetimes worth of work. I've been stuck on page 1 (unitar) for 15 years....

I've used some of the Kreuzer etudes over the years, but always as sight reading fodder, I've never
tried to learn/memorize any of them. I might give that a try sometime.

[JensL]

good video. Some thoughts:

I was confused by what you meant about the omnibook tunes all being in C at first, but I guess you mean all (or most) are written
in the Key signature of C, no matter what key the tune is in.

I like your description of the Joe Pass book. I used that book a whole lot for years when I started out. I think it's a great book (probably good enough to be the only book anyone would need), but, one weakness of the book is that
almost all of it is constant streams of 8th notes, which ends up mostly ignoring phrasing.

Goodricks book is several lifetimes worth of work. I've been stuck on page 1 (unitar) for 15 years....

I've used some of the Kreuzer etudes over the years, but always as sight reading fodder, I've never
tried to learn/memorize any of them. I might give that a try sometime.

Yes I mean that it is written out without key signatures (which is ignoring how we hear and read music, so I find that very silly..)

The Joe Pass book is indeed for the most part 8th note streams and that's fine. He also does not try to work on rhythm phrasing. I might also think that I would not go to him for that anyway, but that is of course also a questions taste.

Thanks for checking out the video!

Jens

[fasstrack]

Jens Larsen, right? How're you doing?

I stay in touch with Wijnen. Be seeing you cats one day. Maybe Danny can hook up a Pavlov night and I can scare up some gigs.

I LOVE the Hague---you cats are the BEST!!

[JensL]

Jens Larsen, right? How're you doing?

I stay in touch with Wijnen. Be seeing you cats one day. Maybe Danny can hook up a Pavlov night and I can scare up some gigs.

I LOVE the Hague---you cats are the BEST!!

Thanks Joel! I am good! I am sure if you ask Danny he can fix something for you!

Jens

[NSJ]

For me, , Books have become something you can steal something from and make your own; basically a reference manual to refer back to. Not a method book. Take a few bars from the page, work with it, play over and over, think of variations etc

By the way, when I was taking lessons, I asked my teacher of the following question: "what do you think of the Joe Pass method book ?"

His Answer: "the first thing you should know is that Joe didn't actually write that. I know who did "

I left it at that.

I learned a lot from chord chemistry by negation . All I had to do is, pick it up, look at it Once and go " oh my God, does anyone ever get through this ?? Yeah no, not for me. "

I then decided I was going to just learn everything myself for what I was taught and put all the drop twos, drop threes, drop two and fours, shell voicings , spread triads , systemtically and together, in an integrative way. And I did it. At least in a basic level that makes sense .

[gggomez]

One that has stood out for me, the one I have learnt so much from is Miles Davis autobiography. Teaches a man how to fish it covers so much.

The worst, learnt the least, the least musical, wasted the most time on by a mile berklee volume 1.


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[Jabberwocky]

Hello Jens,

Could you talk about how you employ the blue fuzzy scrunchie over the headstock, please?

[JensL]

For me, , Books have become something you can steal something from and make your own; basically a reference manual to refer back to. Not a method book. Take a few bars from the page, work with it, play over and over, think of variations etc

By the way, when I was taking lessons, I asked my teacher of the following question: "what do you think of the Joe Pass method book ?"

His Answer: "the first thing you should know is that Joe didn't actually write that. I know who did "

I left it at that.

I learned a lot from chord chemistry by negation . All I had to do is, pick it up, look at it Once and go " oh my God, does anyone ever get through this ?? Yeah no, not for me. "

I then decided I was going to just learn everything myself for what I was taught and put all the drop twos, drop threes, drop two and fours, shell voicings , spread triads , systemtically and together, in an integrative way. And I did it. At least in a basic level that makes sense .

That's a valid approach for sure!

The story I heard about the Joe Pass books is that one of his students transcribed him and wrote the book which also explains why the chords over the examples are really off and over interpreted at times.

Regardless of who wrote the exercises they are really good!

Jens

[JensL]

Hello Jens,

Could you talk about how you employ the blue fuzzy scrunchie over the headstock, please?

It's very simple: If I want to mute the open strings for something I am recording or if I am practicing legato stuff using only my left hand then I put it on the strings and don't get open strings ringing when ever I play that note somewhere else on the neck.

Jens

[JazzinNY]

Well, I've found 3 books to be really golden: the Major and Minor ii V I books by Joseph Alexander, and the ear-training book "Jazz Ears" which is by a professor at USC or UCLA or something like that.

But make no mistake: those ii V books are a launching pad for hundreds of hours of work and experimentation. I'm on my second minor key and my third major, en route to all 12. And you have to really immerse yourself in it, get some lines into your head, compare their sounds, and then see how they fit into tunes. And invent your own lines based on the concepts.

[JensL]

Well, I've found 3 books to be really golden: the Major and Minor ii V I books by Joseph Alexander, and the ear-training book "Jazz Ears" which is by a professor at USC or UCLA or something like that.

But make no mistake: those ii V books are a launching pad for hundreds of hours of work and experimentation. I'm on my second minor key and my third major, en route to all 12. And you have to really immerse yourself in it, get some lines into your head, compare their sounds, and then see how they fit into tunes. And invent your own lines based on the concepts.

That's really cool! I've worked a bit for Joseph. He will be happy to hear that!

Jens

[gggomez]

Yes I agree Joseph Alexander books have been massive for me. As a jazz text book in my 6 foot pile they do not sit in the book case they are on my desk all the time.


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