Wisdom from Howard Alden

[NSJ]

Just surreal. The stuff of legend.

OK, I think I get this comment, now. Someone took their Sebelius software they were going to give mad props to and took it back and huffed and puffed home?

The stuff of legend is when someone comes on here and declares that they want to give up their medical practice and try to have a go with the song and dance, thinking they could somehow make more money performing jazz standards than, you know, being a medical doctor.

[matt.guitarteacher]

The "awakening" occurred at different points for many of us. Mine began April 7 or so, here:

I suspect the best individual method depends on your goals and your current skill set. I focus on developing a reliable repertoire and that means learning a tune inside out. In some ways it depends on the tune and my familiarity with it at first go round. With a song like Misty or Autumn Leaves that I've heard hundreds of times the process is different than when learning a song I've never heard before.

In any case my approach is to listen to a couple of versions of the songs as performed by the masters. If I have the tune in my Fake Book, I take a look at that. If I intend to perform it with a vocal or a female vocalist, I determine the best keys and transpose if necessary. I always print out a lyric sheet. Then I record the song so I'll have 'rehearsal tracks' to use in practice.

I don't do as much direct transcription 'note-for-note' as I used to. I do use notation software to create a simple lead sheet of the melody and the chords with the lyrics. But when I do the recordings, I like to use the simple transcription of the chords as on the Learn Jazz Standards site with just the key signature and the chords per measure, especially for laying down rhythm tracks.

With songs that I am unfamiliar with at first, I start with a printed lyric sheet if appropriate and there is no sheet music already available. Then I just pencil in the chord changes by ear. In the end I create a simple notated lead sheet.

In terms of improvising over a song I know well, I try to play what I hear or better anticipate as complementary or in some cases identical to the melody, sometimes a contra-melody. Sometimes I sing as I play this part but often it is just evolving in my mind. I don't think about what I'm playing so much as listen to the music, though that does entail anticipating where the melody and chord structure are heading. I don't contemplate each individual note so much as anticipate the destination and trust my musicianship to take me there. Not every journey is a smooth one, however, .... When playing a tune solo in chord melody style, I focus first and foremost on the melody and the rest follows from there, especially in a positional sense. Voice leading is king.

One friend on the forum took some convincing, but about a week later I got my first incoming p.m. from someone ELSE asking about this. Literally laughed till I cried the whole way home from work that day, just thinking about all of this. Best thing that's happened on the forum in a long time. Hated for it to end honestly.

Like something out of a movie.

Anyway, he should start a blog. At his best and most positive, always enjoyed his posts. They were more like blog posts anyway though. It's just a better format.

[destinytot]

So you are in London? I'm presuming that great city is the locus of these clubs to which you refer. Lucky to be in a cosmopolitan city with the entertainment resources it offers.

[destinytot]

Literally laughed till I cried the whole way home from work that day, just thinking about all of this. Best thing that's happened on the forum in a long time.

His language gave him away - and gave me good laugh, too.

I'll get my coat now.

[grahambop]

The truth was out there - but we couldn't see it because it was in Latin.

[destinytot]

The truth was out there - but we couldn't see it because it was in Latin.

I was wondering what it was that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger as it came towards me - and then it hit me.

[whiskey02]

'Trunk' to you, old chap!

His sister's weird, she drives a lorry. The phone is engaged. I was made redundent at work.
Why can't people in the UK speak English so we can understand you?

[NSJ]

His sister's weird, she drives a lorry. The phone is engaged. I was made redundent at work.
Why can't people in the UK speak English so we can understand you?

Nah man, sister was on the blower .

no double entendre there

[AlsoRan]

Ha! Ha! Ha!

My side is hurting from laughing and my face from smiling too long! What a thread!

I really can't blame folks for coming back under assumed names after they have been banned. This stuff, Jazz and Music, is addicting. It really can be.

[medblues]

Ha! Ha! Ha!

My side is hurting from laughing and my face from smiling too long! What a thread!

I really can't blame folks for coming back under assumed names after they have been banned. This stuff, Jazz and Music, is addicting. It really can be.

Shortly before I found this forum, I was banned from another forum, so JGF was a rebound relationship for me that somehow persisted I never tried the sneaking back in approach though, I guess that forum wasn't that good

[grahambop]

Funnily enough, I've been looking through Stardust. Basically the melody of Stardust is itself a huge challenge IMO. I would have liked to have heard Howard play it...

Christian, you're in luck. Turns out my mate Brian videoed Howard playing Stardust at the gig, and he has kindly allowed me to upload it. So here it is!