How to Improvise [Paperback] Review

As a classically trained musician, jazz has been slow to reveal its secrets to me. I have enjoyed listening to it, but getting the hang of the jazz style in general and the art of improvisation in particular have been less enjoyable. However, the demands on musicians today makes it vital to have some understanding of all kinds of music, and this book is a great way to start your exploration of jazz. With a lot of short and well organized exercises, and a stress on learning to listen to what is happening, it tells the frustrated student how to master the mystery of making jazz happen. I know I have to work on the exercises to get where I want to, but the layout of this book makes it easy to organize my practice!

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Product Description:
by Hal Crook. Book/2CDs. What exactly are the steps that lead to ability? In which order should they been taken? What will be required to master each one? These are questions the author has explored in this book, resulting in a rather unique "one-thing-at-a-time" approach to studying improvisation - one that incorporates discipline, technique, creativity and musical intuition. Each topic is explained and demonstrated using written musical examples and it is accompanied by suggested exercises and a sample daily practice schedule, which can be modified to fit your own needs or liking. The book has been used by the Performance Studies Department of the Berklee College of Music in Boston for teaching improvisation since September 1988.

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Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within [Paperback] Review

I am only about 3/4s through this book, and I couldn't be more enthusiastic. I happen to love Kenny Werner's piano playing--always heard him and thought "Well, I'll never sound like THAT!"-- only toread his book and have him address this very attitude with unbelievableaccuracy.I've already changed the way that I practice my instruments, andI just put some of his approach to work in a 3 day recording session withsome players that I admire very much. While I had couple of briefself-doubt meltdowns, the whole experience was so much easier than I hadeven hoped for, and yes, even "effortless" at times. I know thatchanging my perspective, and my expectations made a huge difference in myability to enjoy the moment, and as a result, the music that came forth. Iam recommending this book for anyone who has ever played a musicalinstrument--at ANY level--and stopped, even if it was a long time ago. Thisbook explains what might have gotten in your way of the music-makingexperience. I also want to recommend it to those of us who playprofessionally but are either frustrated with our own progress or just notenjoying it as much as we did when we were young. There's no reason musiccan't be that fun again.

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Paperback book and CD set. Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within is a book for any musician who finds themselves having reached a plateau in their development. Werner, a masterful jazz pianist in his own right, uses his own life story and experiences to explore the barriers to creativity and mastery of music, and in the process reveals that "Mastery is available to everyone," providing practical, detailed ways to move towards greater confidence and proficiency in any endeavor. While Werner is a musician, the concepts presented are for every profession or life-style where there is a need for free-flowing, effortless thinking. Book also includes an audio CD of meditations narrated by Kenny to help the musician reach a place of relaxed focus.

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Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Bebop Years [Paperback] Review

A book about bebop drummers needs to explain 1) what bebop drumming consists of and 2) how the styles of the various drummers profiled diverge. This book does not do either. Instead we are told that drummer after drummer after drummer has "a great feel" and "great time"; we learn nothing.

If it were just that I'd give the book another star for its sketchy and scattered biographical information, but considering how badly written the book is, I can't justify it.

I suggest instead that you buy a copy of "The Grove Dictionary of Jazz" and look up the entry for each famous drummer you want to know about. You'll learn a lot more and have a much better time doing it.

For transcriptions consult Modern Drummer magazine.

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