Jazz & Improvisation – Michael Tracy

Jazz Improvisation Workshop (suggestions for teaching combo/big band)
STUDY and PRACTICE SUGGESTIONS
- Vehicle tune type
  - O conceito do véiculo de Jerry Coker: Como e o que selecionar ao estudar jazz (PowerPoint presentation, click to download – translated into Portuguese by Anderson Pessoa)
  - Concepto del tipo de canción de Jerry Coker (Vehicle-type)
    (translated into Spanish by Ingrid Detken)
- Checklist for Study
  - Orientação de prática instrumental para estudantes de jazz. Conselhos para estudantes de jazz – Michael Tracy (translated by into Portuguese Anderson Pessoa)
  - Lista de Objetivos para Estudiantes de jazz de principiantes a intermedios. (translated into Spanish by Ingrid Detken)
- Practice – Things to consider
  - Prática – questões a considerer (translated into Portuguese by Anderson Pessoa)
  - Práctica – cosas a considerar (translated into Spanish by Ingrid Detken)
- What to Practice: A Personal Assessment

TRANSCRIBING
- Transcribing is an essential part of studying jazz. It is an invaluable tool that involves far more than the notes and rhythms…..Visit Transcription complete (complete) Compiled by Michael Tracy read what performers and educators recommend.
  - Transcription First Level
  - Transcription Second Level
JAZZ RECORD LABELS
Record labels that focused on presenting jazz artists Compiled by Michael Tracy
JAZZ REPERTOIRE
- Process for Learning a Tune
  - Proceso para Aprender una Canción (translated into Spanish by Ingrid Detken)
- Basic list of tunes jazz musicians know
- A List of Essential BeBop Tunes for Memorization – by David Baker
- Suggested Tunes for Study with corresponding Aebersold play-along – by Jerry Coker
- Process on learning a pattern/idea
  - Concert
  - Bb
  - Eb
PRACTICE PROGRESSIONS
- Practice progressions – only roots, you determine the quality
- Minor ii V7 i practice progressions
- Various orders and progressions taken from Jamey Aebersold volumes 2, 3, 16 and 21
  - Chord Progressions – Concert
  - Chord Progressions – Bb
  - Chord Progressions – Eb
  - Chord Progressions – Bass Clef

PRACTICE ROUTINE compete keys, specific scales, chords and intervals
- Major keys
- Minor keys (Melodic Minor ascending)
- Diminished Whole-Tone
- Practice Routine for Scales
- Practice Routine for Chords
- Octave Bounce Decend-Ascend 1
- Octave Bounce Decend-Ascend 2
- Intervals
- Warm-up Exercises
- Warm-up Suggestions – progressions
MAJOR ideas
- Major Scale with descending 7th chords
- Major scales with surround tones
- Surround tones descending around triad
- Major BeBop Scale with ascending 7th chords
- Major scales #1
- Major scales #2
- Major scales #3
- Thirds – Major
  |
DOMINANT ideas
- Dominant scale options
- Dominant cycle
- Dominant Cycle Exercises
- Dominant Chord Practice
DIMINISHED WHOLE-TONE (ALTERED) ideas
- Tritone Substitution
- Altered Dominant/Diminished Whole-Tone scale comparisons
- BeBop / Diminished Scales
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales concert
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Bb
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Eb
- Diminished compared to Diminished Whole-Tone
- Diminished Whole-Tone compared to Diminished HW
- Diminished Whole-Tone loop
- Diminished Whole-Tone loop 2 octaves
- Diminished Whole-Tone triad pairs
- Scale Relationships
- Diminished Whole Tone (Altered) ideas
BeBop ideas
- BeBop / Diminished Scales
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales concert
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Bb
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Eb
- BeBop with Endings
  - BeBop with endings concert
  - BeBop with endings Bb
  - BeBop with endings Eb
PENTATONIC
- Pentatonic Scale use
- Pentatonic Patterns – Basic Ideas
AUGMENTED ideas
- Augmented scales 1
- Augmented scales 2
- Augmented scales 3
- Augmented triads 1
- Augmented triads 2
TUNE ANALYSIS and PRACTICE SUGGESTIONS
- Autumn Leaves ii V7 I options – Kosma/Mercer/Prévert
- Blue Bossa – Kenny Dorham (Cry Me A River exercise – CMAR)
  - Blue Bossa CMAR – Concert
  - Blue Bossa CMAR – Bb
  - Blue Bossa CMAR – Eb
- Blue n Green – Bill Evans
- Blues Progressions (various options)
- ESP – Wayne Shorter
- Killer Joe – Benny Golson (Bridge exercises)
  - Killer Joe (Bridge exercises) – Concert
  - Killer Joe (Bridge exercise) – Bb
  - Killer Joe (Bridge exercise) – Eb
- Groovin’ High – Dizzy Gillespie (Annotated)
- Minority – Gigi Gryce
- Misty practice – Erroll Garner – alto key (practice suggestions)
- Rhythm changes (various options)
- Stella by Starlight – Victor Young (covering minor ii V7s)
- There Will Never Be Another You – Harry Warren (root-3rd-7th exercise)
  - There Will Never Be Another You – root-3rd-7th – Concert
  - There Will Never Be Another You – root-3rd-7th – Bb
  - There Will Never Be Another You – root-3rd-7th – Eb
- What Is This Thing Called Love – Cole Porter – practice
- What Is This Thing Called Love – Cole Porter (Cry Me A River exercise)
  - What Is This Thing Called Love – CMAR – Concert
  - What Is This Thing Called Love – Bb – Bb
  - What Is This Thing Called Love – CMAR – Eb
USEFUL PATTERNS
- Process on learning a pattern/idea
  - Concert
  - Bb
  - Eb
- Cry Me A River lick (CMAR)
- Cry Me A River lick (CMAR) – with resolution
- Cry Me A River lick over Minor ii V7 i
- Applying the CRY ME A RIVER LICK over progressions
  - Autumn Leaves – Johnny Mercer/Jacques Prévert (CMAR exercise)
    - Autumn Leaves CMAR – Concert
    - Autumn Leaves CMAR – Bb
    - Autumn Leaves CMAR – Eb
  - Blue Bossa – Kenny Dorham (CMAR exercise)
    - Blue Bossa CMAR – Concert
    - Blue Bossa CMAR – Bb
    - Blue Bossa CMAR – Eb
  - What Is This Thing Called Love – Cole Porter (CMAR exercise)
    - What Is This Thing Called Love – CMAR – Concert
    - What Is This Thing Called Love – CMAR – Bb
    - What Is This Thing Called Love – CMAR – Eb
- Turnarounds
- BeBop / Diminished Scales
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales concert
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Bb
  - BeBop : Diminished Scales Eb
- BeBop with Endings
  - BeBop with endings concert
  - BeBop with endings Bb
  - BeBop with endings Eb
- Minor ii V7 i ideas/patterns
  - Options for playing over Minor ii V7 i
  - Minor ii V7 i ideas – Concert a
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Concert 1
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Concert 2
  - Minor ii V7 i ideas – Bb a
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Bb 1
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Bb 2
  - Minor ii V7 i ideas – Eb a
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Eb 1
  - Minor ii V7 various ideas – Eb 2
  - Ideas from tunes (in no specific order, updated frequently)
  - Just some ideas (in no specific order, updated frequently)
  - Filling measures (useful ideas to keep lines in balance)
- Patterns from Dick Washburn (wonderful trumpeter and friend)
JAZZ THEORY
- Finding Keys for Modes of Major
- Tritone Substitution
- Altered Dominant and 6th chords
- Melodic Fragments:Motives
- Models for Harmonic Lines author unknown, re-formatted from typed pages
  - Models for Harmonic Lines examples