Could there be 1 tune that teaches you 90% of all jazz?

[Reg]

You better tell them, Reg, I wouldn't know!

I have .... for years...

AdroitMage

"To the OP. If there was, it would be well known in the jazz world."

That is still missing the point...... it's not the tunes.... It's how one plays them. And really... it is well known in the jazz world. Example... I gig with lots of different musician.... many amateurs count off fast tune much faster that they can actually play them.
A simple rule... if you can't double time the tempo.... your not going to have any feel. Generally just using triplets instead of 8th for subdividing will work... but then your limited your options.

Tunes help one learn tunes and structural concepts... (FORMs) It's a slow way to become aware of different References, how harmonic, melodic, rhythmic , dynamic etc...concepts can be use when playing in jazz styles.

Last night I played Beatle, pop/rock, latin and brazilian tunes.... In Jazz styles. Probable again tonight LOL.

As mentioned above.... Blues, Chord Patterns(harmonic organization) and rhythm are strong elements... Don't get stuck with Blinders on.... The simple approach is.... You have a "Reference".... you create "Relationships with that
"Reference" and then you "Develop" those "Relationships".

What most seem to have trouble with or don't understand is ... There can be many levels of these concepts going on at the same time. And then there is the organization of how you use them.... and how they work together.

It's like the multi layered Form of what you or the ensemble is Playing.

That's generally why I've always said.... get your chops together.

You can still suck ... but at least you'll be aware of what's going on and what can be going on... and suck in the right locations.

[Christian Miller]

I think I'll just revisit this thread slightly. Of course there's no 'one tune which will teach you 90% of all jazz' and that's probably settled. But I've been working on 'Autumn In New York' for a while and it's a real challenge. For me, anyway.

You wouldn't think so, it's just another standard, well known, slow pace, so what's the difficulty? Well, after doing it a hundred times and ditching about 99% of the efforts I can tell you it's no walk in the park.

Most vocal versions crawl along at a snail's pace but playing single string solos on it is troublesome because it drags. Do it too fast and it fails because that's not the tune. It has at least two chords per bar every bar and you have to cover those melodically.

It's easier doing it chord melody because it can be done rubato and you can take your time but I don't do chord melody. To do it single string you have to find a median rhythm, not too fast, not too slow, and that's tricky for some reason.

A fair number of instrumental players have recorded it and I haven't found one I really like yet. I don't know why, they just don't touch the right spot. In fact, to be honest, I generally don't think they're very good. An exception might be the Wynton Kelly, Coltrane and Getz version but that's only one. Getz plays Moonlight In Vermont over it!

So, if anyone here finds it easy, do say, or even demonstrate it. Comments welcome. I'm NOT looking for tips on how to play it, I know all the tips, but any personal observations/experiences on the tune welcome.

Also, please don't just post up You Tubes on it, I've seen 'em all. Thanks.

Playing ballads in time is hard


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[ragman1]

Playing ballads in time is hard

It is, and playing them very slowly is harder still.

[AndyV]

Besides the blues, Blue Bossa and Autumn Leaves are probably the tunes most often cited as gateway tunes to learn to improvise in a jazz style.

[ragman1]

And rhythm changes, for some reason. Maybe because the IV chord in the blues appears in bar 5 and in RC in bar 6. Apparently that's very important.

Either that or it's designed to put you right off

[AllanAllen]

Jimmy Bruno's All-Time Favorite Tune Revealed... #shorts #jazz #jazzguitar - YouTube

[Reg]

And rhythm changes, for some reason. Maybe because the IV chord in the blues appears in bar 5 and in RC in bar 6. Apparently that's very important.

Either that or it's designed to put you right off

Think of 8 bar Blues forms...

[pamosmusic]

And rhythm changes, for some reason. Maybe because the IV chord in the blues appears in bar 5 and in RC in bar 6. Apparently that's very important.

Either that or it's designed to put you right off

I don’t think rhythm changes is put out as a beginner form all that often. Probably because of the tempo.

It’s put out as an essential one, but I don’t think a beginner one. Maybe like All the Things. Stella too … though I inexplicably hear those two mentioned as beginner tunes sometimes. Which is kind of jazz dork malpractice in my opinion.

[AllanAllen]

In my "get to a jam ASAP" method, Rhythm Changes is awful for a beginner. At a jam, it'll be Oleo and the tempo will be up, like really UP.