I have covered pretty much what I wanted to for this site.
If you are a first time visitor I suggest you scroll down to the About This
Site post and read on down the posts below. Then come back and read my more
recent posts immediately below this post. Or, you can just pick the posts you
are interested in. At any rate I hope you find this information useful.
There are more chord types than the chords I have discussed
but you can read about those in the Jerry Coker book Improvising Jazz that I
mentioned in my introduction to the twelve tone system post which you can find
if you scroll down the page. The chords and scales I have covered likely will
be the most predominant that you will run across.
For the novice you have your work cut out for you, and you
will find that practicing scales and chords or arpeggios will take up the lion’s
share of your time. One of the best things you can do is record your practice
sessions and listen to them. Recording your practice sessions will save you
time as incorrect playing will be more obvious to you and it will train you to
listen to yourself. You don’t need an expensive recorder; just a cheap one will
do the trick. It may be painful at first but slog through it and you will reap
the benefits. Recording yourself is one of the quickest ways to improve. It’s
also important to find a good teacher. Music departments in local colleges and
universities often keep a list of qualified local private teachers, call them and ask
for a copy of the list, or if you have friends that play perhaps they can turn
you on to a good teacher. Learning was fun for me and I hope it will be for you
as well.
If you have questions feel free to email me at
altosax40@netscape.net
