6 Tunes to teach you as much as possible ?

[jameslovestal]

I think referring to "So What" as 24 bars of D- is a mistake. It's an AABA form. I'm no master, but when I play this tune I try to structure the solo so that I enunciate a decent musical idea in the first 8 D- bars, then kick in a serious variation or change-up that still feels in line with the idea for the second 8 bars. When the "bridge" comes and it goes up a half-step, that's when some other new idea is needed, and when the final A section brings you back to D- you want to reassert your initial idea strongly and slam it home.
It's not a tune for noodlers! Just playing dorian scales will be boring, and I found I have to think of it like a straight-up 32 bar AABA tune.

Well said!

For me, So What is the type of tune easy to noodle over but difficult to make interesting.

[A. Kingstone]

Don’t teach new players so what. Counting 24 bars of D- never works out.

Fixed

[AllanAllen]

I think referring to "So What" as 24 bars of D- is a mistake. It's an AABA form. I'm no master, but when I play this tune I try to structure the solo so that I enunciate a decent musical idea in the first 8 D- bars, then kick in a serious variation or change-up that still feels in line with the idea for the second 8 bars. When the "bridge" comes and it goes up a half-step, that's when some other new idea is needed, and when the final A section brings you back to D- you want to reassert your initial idea strongly and slam it home.
It's not a tune for noodlers! Just playing dorian scales will be boring, and I found I have to think of it like a straight-up 32 bar AABA tune.

These points all support my thesis that’s it’s not a good place to start.

Reg’s point agrees with me too.


I’m not the one counting 24 bars, the hypothetical guy who knows Rolling Stones and Allman Brothers tunes who’s getting into jazz is counting it as 24 bars.

[AllanAllen]

I think Allan knows this stuff. I think he’s just suggesting that giving people a tune to learn where the sections of the form are more easily distinguishable might be a better way to get them to hear form in the first place.

Man, I’m glad somebody understood me.

[lawson-stone]

Well said!

For me, So What is the type of tune easy to noodle over but difficult to make interesting.

that's what I was saying. One way to make it interesting is to think of it the way you'd play an AABA standard, Idea, Elaborated Idea, Break out for the bridge, return to first idea but stomp it.

[Spook410]

Not the most or least of anything.. just a few anecdotal thoughts from someone who came to jazz rather late.

Take 5 - Because it's not 4/4. That and it teaches you to be a bit more creative with your melodic/rhythmic improvisation. It's also a good tune if you grew up with Allman Brothers. I play it in Em because guitar.

Mahna D Carnival - Transition from rock to Bossa and like it.

Autumn Leaves - While appreciating all the jazz progression foundations, listen to the Eva Cassidy version and hope some of that soulfulness rubs off.

Nature Boy - Harmonic minor and cool transitions

All of Me - At 200bpm so you can show off a bit to your rock and roll friends

Also.. All Blues and Blue in Green. Easy tunes to help you put your pentatonic blues away and try something cool.

[Isfahan]

Groovin' High
Daahoud
Jordu
Have You Met Miss Jones
Yes And No
In Your Own Sweet Way

[AllanAllen]

Groovin' High
Daahoud
Jordu
Have You Met Miss Jones
Yes And No
In Your Own Sweet Way

Why Have You Met Miss Jones?

[Bop Head]

Why Have You Met Miss Jones?

The modulations in the bridge. Trane wrote Giant Steps as an etude for that bridge.

[AllanAllen]

The modulations in the bridge. Trane wrote Giant Steps as an etude for that bridge.

Cool, I never noticed. It just sounded like standard GASB vocal jazz to me. That’s the best kind of cleverness, the kind that doesn’t stick out.

[ragman1]

What teaches you about jazz isn't a particular number of set tunes, it's experience.

[jazzchrome]

Autumn Leaves, Take the 'A' Train, Blue Bossa, So What

[Isfahan]

I VI II IV in the A part and unusual sequence of II-Vs in the B part, develops the ear

[equenda]

Hi!
Everyone likes shortcuts and no one has so much time and so much desire to work.
But unfortunately Jazz is not easy.
Many years ago, during one of his workshops, the great Bruce Forman said that to reach a certain level it is necessary to know how to play (obviously from memory) 50 songs.
After learning these, understanding and memorizing all the others tunes will be very easy. Personally, I have a very hard time getting past 20 songs (approximately). My problem is memory....in fact, while I remember some songs easily (ATTYA, Wine & Roses, Blues For Alice, Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, Ipanema, Blues, Green Dolphin, Scrapple, Blue Bossa, No Greater Love, Wave, Rainy Day, Polkadots, Miss Jones....) in other cases I have some HOLES (!) and I forget some parts......it's not a nice experience!
For example at the end of Foggy Day, There Will Never Be, Alone Together and others......I never remember some chords .
That's why I have to keep playing them almost every day.

However, one thing is sure: to learn 10 or 20 songs is not enough to understand what Jazz is and how to play Jazz.


Ettore

My YouTube Channel

[AllanAllen]

Hi!
Everyone likes shortcuts and no one has so much time and so much desire to work.
But unfortunately Jazz is not easy.
Many years ago, during one of his workshops, the great Bruce Forman said that to reach a certain level it is necessary to know how to play (obviously from memory) 50 songs.
After learning these, understanding and memorizing all the others tunes will be very easy. Personally, I have a very hard time getting past 20 songs (approximately). My problem is memory....in fact, while I remember some songs easily (ATTYA, Wine & Roses, Blues For Alice, Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, Ipanema, Blues, Green Dolphin, Scrapple, Blue Bossa, No Greater Love, Wave, Rainy Day, Polkadots, Miss Jones....) in other cases I have some HOLES (!) and I forget some parts......it's not a nice experience!
For example at the end of Foggy Day, There Will Never Be, Alone Together and others......I never remember some chords .
That's why I have to keep playing them almost every day.

However, one thing is sure: to learn 10 or 20 songs is not enough to understand what Jazz is and how to play Jazz.


Ettore

My YouTube Channel

write out the changes you forget and then throw the paper away and write them out again. It's called rote memorization, I tell my kids the brain is lazy and sometimes you have to hold it's mouth open and shove the facts in there while it fights back.

[Bop Head]

Hi!
Everyone likes shortcuts and no one has so much time and so much desire to work.
But unfortunately Jazz is not easy.
Many years ago, during one of his workshops, the great Bruce Forman said that to reach a certain level it is necessary to know how to play (obviously from memory) 50 songs.
After learning these, understanding and memorizing all the others tunes will be very easy. Personally, I have a very hard time getting past 20 songs (approximately). My problem is memory....in fact, while I remember some songs easily (ATTYA, Wine & Roses, Blues For Alice, Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, Ipanema, Blues, Green Dolphin, Scrapple, Blue Bossa, No Greater Love, Wave, Rainy Day, Polkadots, Miss Jones....) in other cases I have some HOLES (!) and I forget some parts......it's not a nice experience!
For example at the end of Foggy Day, There Will Never Be, Alone Together and others......I never remember some chords .
That's why I have to keep playing them almost every day.

However, one thing is sure: to learn 10 or 20 songs is not enough to understand what Jazz is and how to play Jazz.


Ettore

My YouTube Channel

Do you learn the changes as Roman numerals or by chord names in the original key?

[GuyBoden]

[ewall]

Numbers. I "learned" maybe 30-40 tunes and found that in a jam, I was worthless without a chart. So in the past 2 months, I have gone back to learning maybe 6 tunes in all 12 keys using numbers. Chords and melody. It's driving it all home. As I get thru 12 keys, I add another tune or two and start again. Tunes chosen because I know the melodies (I know melodies to many others but this was a random start): No Greater love, Blue bossa, Exactly like you, How High the Moon, Lady be Good, There Will Never Be Another You. Whatever works for you, start there.

[rpjazzguitar]

I've posted this before, so forgive the repetition.

Everybody, just about, can sing a song they know. And, if you play guitar while they sing it, they'll know if you play a wrong chord.

The point is that when people know a popular song, they know the melody and the sound of the harmony. They don't have to think about it.

So, to play the melody of a tune, you just have to go from the memory to the fretboard. Can you think of a melody and then play it without difficulty in any key? That's a skill you need to seem like you have a zillion tunes memorized. It comes with time on the instrument.

To play the chords of a tune, you have to do more or less the same thing. You have a memory of the harmony and you need to be able to play what's in your mind. Irrespective of key.

I find it pretty easy with melody and pretty hard with harmony.

I guess the idea is that you already know the tune and you just have to translate that to the fretboard.

[Peter C]

Leaving aside specific tunes, you'd probably want to include this (arrangement) for the feel.

[ewall]

Just wow. This clip blew me away. And she even looked a little bored with it!

[pamosmusic]

She looks very young in that video, quite a talent but unfortunately she didn't even live as long as Bird (who died at age 35), and for the same reason.

Erm … that’s not Emily Remler.

I believe the caption of her video is suggesting that she is covering Emily Remlers cover of Wes’s D Natural Blues.

[Mick-7]

Erm … that’s not Emily Remler.

I believe the caption of her video is suggesting that she is covering Emily Remlers cover of Wes’s D Natural Blues.

Guess I should have listened to the video before commenting rather than just read the subtitle.

[pauln]

If the proposition is "teach or cover as much as possible", I take that to mean using the songs through a series of lessons, not in a hurry, where the songs may be initially captured in simple form and developed over time to explore them. Here are my "6"; really five with the option of selecting the sixth from the last two.

Just Friends - "slipped form", cool chords and subs
Angel Eyes - nice B section with psuedo-deceptive modulation
Killer Joe - octaves! and a very "interpretable" B section harmony
C'est Si Bon - B section of quartals, maj9th, 11th, sus13ths, #9ths, may be played Bossa style
Drown In My Own Tears - 72 chord 3 minute Blues form if you do all the changes

Masquerade - gorgeous tune throughout
Funny Valentine - gorgeous tune throughout

[Bop Head]

What does "Rosetta *" mean?

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Rosetta)