Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear (' Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Greg Fishman'.)

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART FOUR

Learning Phrase Two.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear.

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Milwaukee Avenue 12bar Jazz blues track up to 30sec.

Sing the second phrase without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrase.)

Only, when you can sing the second phrase without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.
So, find all the notes in the second phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Learn the phrases on your guitar up to 30sec. Play along with the track and then without the track.
Try to copy every dynamic, inflection and accent, until your playing sounds as close as possible to the original track.

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART FIVE

Learning Phrase three.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

We've be listening and internalising the phrases, adding the next phrase each time, by using our ears only.

Again, over the next few days, repeatedly listen to the track Milwaukee Avenue, it's a 12bar Jazz blues.

Then repeatedly listen to the phrases on Milwaukee Avenue track up to 40sec.

Ensure that you're hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics (loud and quiet bits.).

Internalise the phrases.

Hear them in your mind.

Sing along to the track. Don't play the phrases on the guitar yet, you need to hear the phrases in your mind clearly first and sing them.

Repeatedly sing along to the track, reinforcing and internalising the phrases.

The phrases end at 40sec in this youtube track.

[charlieparker]

This feels like Tristano's approach.

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART SIX

Learning Phrase Three.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear.

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Milwaukee Avenue 12bar Jazz blues track up to 40sec.

Sing the phrases without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the phrases without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.
So, find all the notes in the phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording up to 40sec.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

So, to recap, sing the phrases with and without the recording, then learn the phrases on your guitar up to 40sec on the track. Then play along with and without the track.
*Try to copy every dynamic, inflection and accent, until your playing sounds as close as possible to the original track.*

Stick with it, if you've got this far, you're doing very well, the rest of the track will become easier.

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART SEVEN

Learning Phrase Four.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

We've be listening and internalising the phrases, adding the next phrase each time, by using our ears only.

Again, over the next few days, repeatedly listen to the track Milwaukee Avenue, it's a 12bar Jazz blues.

Then repeatedly listen to the phrases on Milwaukee Avenue track up to 55sec.

Ensure that you're hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics (loud and quiet bits.).

Internalise the phrases.

Hear them in your mind.

Sing along to the track. Don't play the phrases on the guitar yet, you need to hear the phrases in your mind clearly first and sing them.

Repeatedly sing along to the track, reinforcing and internalising the phrases.

The phrases end at 55sec in this youtube track.

Well done, if you're got this far

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART EIGHT

Learning Phrase Four.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear.

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Milwaukee Avenue 12bar Jazz blues track up to 55sec.

Sing the phrases without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the phrases without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.
So, find all the notes in the phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording up to 40sec.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Play the phrases up to 55sec on the track.

Well done, you've nearly finished, the song repeats after these phrases.

[GuyBoden]

Milwaukee Avenue

PART NINE

Learning the whole track.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear.

Listen to the whole Milwaukee Avenue track, you should recognise by ear that all the phrases you already know are repeated from 55sec with just a few pickup notes.

Sing along to the whole track.

Sing the whole track without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the whole track without the recording, play along with your guitar.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the whole track on your guitar without the recording.

Once you can play the whole track, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Below, Milwaukee Avenue 12bar Jazz blues.

Below, backing track no sax. Play-a-long.

Well done, you've finished the track, so in Part Ten, we'll transpose the whole track to another key.

[GuyBoden]

It's a good idea to try to play the Milwaukee Avenue 12bar Jazz blues melody in different keys.

So, see if you can start the melody on a Bb note and find the notes for the whole tune in Bb key.

Then see if you can start the melody on a F note and find the notes for the whole tune in F key.

Then see if you can start the melody on a C note and find the notes for the whole tune in C key.

When you have transposed the melody into the key of C, here is the chord sheet for the changes.





Have fun, playing guitar is about enjoyment.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART ONE

Learning Phrase one.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

We'll be moving onto a new track called Ogden Avenue. It's 32bar song in a AABA form, the A section repeated, then the B section and then the A section again. , The track is based on the changes to the Jazz Standard "Take the A Train".

Over the next few days, repeatedly listen to the track Ogden Avenue.

Then repeatedly listen to the first phrase on Ogden Avenue track up to 29sec.

Ensure that you're hearing all the small details of the phrase.

Internalise the phrase.

Hear the phrase in your mind.

Sing along to the track. Don't play the phrase on the guitar yet, you need to hear the phrase in your mind clearly first and sing it.

Repeatedly sing along to the track, reinforcing and internalising the phrase.

The first phrase ends at 29sec in the Ogden Avenue youtube track below.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART TWO

Learning Phrase one.

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Ogden Avenue track up to 29sec.

Sing the phrases without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the phrases without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.

So, find all the notes in the phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording up to 29sec.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Play the phrases up to 29sec on the track below.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART THREE

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear
(I've been on holiday, but I'm reconvening this play by ear thread for Jazz beginners.)

Over the next few days, repeatedly listen to the track Ogden Avenue.

Then repeatedly listen to the phrases on Ogden Avenue track up to 42sec.

Ensure that you're hearing all the small details of the phrases.

Internalise the phrases.

Hear the phrase in your mind.

Sing along to the track. Don't play the phrase on the guitar yet, you need to hear the phrases in your mind clearly first and sing them.

Repeatedly sing along to the track, reinforcing and internalising the phrases.

Part three phrases end at 42sec in the Ogden Avenue youtube track below.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART FOUR

Learning Phrases

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Ogden Avenue track up to 42sec.

Sing the phrases without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the phrases without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.

So, find all the notes in the phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording up to 42sec.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy playing these phrases, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Play the phrases up to 42sec on the track below.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART FIVE

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by EarOver the next few days, repeatedly listen to the track Ogden Avenue.

Then repeatedly listen to the phrases on Ogden Avenue track up to 1:09sec.

Ensure that you're hearing all the small details of the phrases.

Internalise the phrases.

Hear the phrase in your mind.

Sing along to the track. Don't play the phrase on the guitar yet, you need to hear the phrases in your mind clearly first and sing them.

Repeatedly sing along to the track, reinforcing and internalising the phrases.

Part five phrases end at 1:09sec. in the Ogden Avenue youtube track below.

[GuyBoden]

Ogden Avenue

PART SIX

Learning Phrases

Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear

After a few days of listening attentively and Internalising the phrases in the Ogden Avenue track up to 1:09 sec.

Sing the phrases without the recording. (This is important. It demonstrates that you have Internalised the phrases.)

Only, when you can sing the phrases without the recording, start finding the notes of the phrase on your guitar.

So, find all the notes in the phrase, slowly, one note after another.

Once you have found all the notes, play all the phrases you have learned so far with the recording up to 1:09 sec.

Ensure that you're playing and hearing all the details of the phrasing and the dynamics in the recording.

Then, play the phrases without the recording.

Once you can play the phrases, imagine the notes on each fret as you play them. (This visualisation of the notes helps memory too.)

Enjoy playing these phrases, have fun, there's no magic, it's all about using your ears.

Play the phrases up to 1:09 sec on the track below.

[pauln]

Comments may not be conducive of structured lessons; just a reassuring look ahead...

Ear players* actually learn to capture something not so much as an ordered sequence of segments. We learn that doing it in order like that encourages an asymmetry in practical confidence. If you learn the first segment, then proceed with the next segment, you end up integrating them by playing the first segment into the second segment. By the time you have added the second segment you have played the first segment many more times than the second. This asymmetry is compounded and distributed throughout the whole thing being learned so that when you finally play the whole thing you are playing through a diminishing confidence gradient from the parts played a lot at the beginning into the parts played less at the end.

The actual usual process typically self discovered is more abstract but more musical and much more readily playable. The whole thing is graphed mentally as a profile of "musical importance" and the peaks are done first and played the most, then the supporting slopes, then the lowlands and valleys. The "peaks down" approach provides a focus on the important musical shape of the whole thing, where the peaks are in the song form, how the slopes and valleys support the peaks. The whole thing may be played quickly as only peaks, then as only peaks and slopes, on down. The thing may be played as a whole at any level of resolution achieved long before an incomplete sequence of parts, and one's level of confidence enjoys an increase every time you approach the most important moments in the thing.

* There are degrees of how much musicians do things by ear. I do everything by ear and think transcriptions by ear should be validated by ear and further functions like transposing should remain within the aural domain.

[GuyBoden]

Comments may not be conducive of structured lessons; just a reassuring look ahead...

Ear players* actually learn to capture something not so much as an ordered sequence of segments. We learn that doing it in order like that encourages an asymmetry in practical confidence. If you learn the first segment, then proceed with the next segment, you end up integrating them by playing the first segment into the second segment. By the time you have added the second segment you have played the first segment many more times than the second. This asymmetry is compounded and distributed throughout the whole thing being learned so that when you finally play the whole thing you are playing through a diminishing confidence gradient from the parts played a lot at the beginning into the parts played less at the end.

The actual usual process typically self discovered is more abstract but more musical and much more readily playable. The whole thing is graphed mentally as a profile of "musical importance" and the peaks are done first and played the most, then the supporting slopes, then the lowlands and valleys. The "peaks down" approach provides a focus on the important musical shape of the whole thing, where the peaks are in the song form, how the slopes and valleys support the peaks. The whole thing may be played quickly as only peaks, then as only peaks and slopes, on down. The thing may be played as a whole at any level of resolution achieved long before an incomplete sequence of parts, and one's level of confidence enjoys an increase every time you approach the most important moments in the thing.

* There are degrees of how much musicians do things by ear. I do everything by ear and think transcriptions by ear should be validated by ear and further functions like transposing should remain within the aural domain.

I understand, similar to how I was taught Classical pieces, I'd evaluate what are the difficult bars in a piece, then practice those bars in isolation before learning the whole piece.

But, the lessons in this thread are extremely easy Jazz Phrasing for Beginners by Ear, each very easy phrase is repeatedly played until learning the next phrase. All by ear. There are no difficult phrases.

Hopefully, the "easy learning by ear" lessons in this thread can enable beginners to start learning songs by ear.