tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post8088456272156491318..comments2023-12-04T09:29:06.375-08:00Comments on Casa Valdez Studios: Do you really need to memorize Jazz licks?David Carlos Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02338319345488366328noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-43928600444660340412015-04-06T12:24:53.069-07:002015-04-06T12:24:53.069-07:00I definitely agree that Jazz is an international l...I definitely agree that Jazz is an international language. It's something that everyone knows, whether they really like it or not. Knowing the proper Jazz licks is going to help you speak that language better. <br /><a href="http://jazztrumpetlicks.com" rel="nofollow"> http://jazztrumpetlicks.com</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01737401704069905678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-18567208630825623222007-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:002007-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:00Here are some thoughts in no particular order:How ...Here are some thoughts in no particular order:<BR/>How might that lick that sounds great over one chord sound if I played it exactly the same, but over a different harmony?<BR/>How would it sound if I played that lick backwards?<BR/>Or if I create inversions from it? <BR/>How about if I study that lick until I understand why it works so well?<BR/>I was also thinking about the place for licks in teaching about and when playing in helping define the idiom.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13884044970627965873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-86794100044718890292007-09-12T09:13:00.000-07:002007-09-12T09:13:00.000-07:00Yes, I am lucky. He's a great mentor, and he makes...Yes, I am lucky. He's a great mentor, and he makes me work hard.Me Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03065973224789847682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-21828466465632458072007-09-11T21:35:00.000-07:002007-09-11T21:35:00.000-07:00Alexa, you are very lucky to be learning from Wayn...Alexa, you are very lucky to be learning from Wayne Wallace. I had him for Big Band and he was very good about getting people to follow their own sound. <BR/><BR/>I remember him telling me to just play Dorian when I was trying a whole bunch of confused sounding minor shit over some chord. He always encouraged us when we sounded good, with our own spin on things. <BR/><BR/>Later, when I had been probably listening to too much Trane, he told me to "listen to Miles." This offended me at the time, but on later reflection he was just trying to get me to relax, listen, and lay back into the melody while I played.MonksDreamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01925609181536862036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-65750533012111360952007-09-07T22:16:00.001-07:002007-09-07T22:16:00.001-07:00Oh, an I will definitely check out "How to Play Be...Oh, an I will definitely check out "How to Play Bebop."Me Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03065973224789847682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-61494772553561818742007-09-07T22:16:00.000-07:002007-09-07T22:16:00.000-07:00Great advice, David! I recently went through somet...Great advice, David! I recently went through something similar, practicing a scat solo to a latin big band arrangement by my producer Wayne Wallace of Take the A Train. I looked at the classic Ray Nance trumpet solo and of course Ella's scatting on it. My goal was to quote or at least emulate a bit of each of them, plus add some of my own licks (and a few lyrics). On top of that, it had to be in clave. I know it's not a difficult song harmonically speaking, but I found myself thinking a lot about the themes you talked about here.<BR/><BR/>Thanks!Me Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03065973224789847682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-19954575408001436892007-08-28T11:15:00.000-07:002007-08-28T11:15:00.000-07:00Hey David -Do you use a specific approach or metho...Hey David -<BR/><BR/>Do you use a specific approach or method when having your students work from Baker's How To Play Bebop, or do you just have them follow the book as written?<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>Roman.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11558353864624172116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-76955031994006467252007-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:002007-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:00Licks kill creativity!!!!!Licks kill creativity!!!!!David Carlos Valdezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338319345488366328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-15855879822034728222007-08-22T15:50:00.000-07:002007-08-22T15:50:00.000-07:00Exactly. Licks become short cuts for the lazy and ...Exactly. Licks become short cuts for the lazy and you could also say for the cheaters. I've heard so many high school and even college big band soloists play note for note memorized solos and cadenzas. To me that goes against everything that Jazz improvisation is about. Teachers let or even facilitate students to do this because of the competitive nature of high school Jazz festivals.<BR/><BR/>Getting that trophy is more important than teaching the students to actually improvise.David Carlos Valdezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02338319345488366328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-63041357248238391912007-08-22T12:06:00.000-07:002007-08-22T12:06:00.000-07:00Hi David,Good points. I think how jazz is taught i...Hi David,<BR/><BR/>Good points. I think how jazz is taught is a huge factor. <BR/><BR/>When kids are in high-school (most anyway) they want the quickest way to get what they want. They come to thier teachers and say, "I want to sound like this or I want to win that solo competition" <BR/><BR/>Its easy for the lazy teacher to tell them "play this lick over this ii-V, and this one over diminished etc." And the kids dig it, which makes it even easier to give them this stuff.<BR/><BR/>Its quite another to actually teach a kid how to discover and create their own music. Teaching in this way is exhausting and takes considerable energy.<BR/><BR/>Greg<BR/>www.gregsinibaldi.comGreg Sinibaldihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18385327886133156061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13630144.post-5542554543176212682007-08-22T10:49:00.000-07:002007-08-22T10:49:00.000-07:00David,this is a great article!!!A few remarks:What...David,<BR/><BR/>this is a great article!!!<BR/><BR/>A few remarks:<BR/><BR/>What we, beginners, often do is learning to use various sound effects (I mean glissando, vibrato etc.) without thinking about them. Then we work for years to get rid of all that stuff and it's really difficult. If anyone among the readers came from rock'n'roll or smooth-jazz background, you know what I mean...<BR/>Using memorized licks could be dangerous the same way - if I would use my favourite Garret-out-lick without any context I can find myself sounding like s*t. Every lick should be taken as music, not as something we use while playing and thinking of football altogether.<BR/>Of course, we should be able to make some new music and not using cliches much while improvising --- you're definitely right!!!<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for your great post!<BR/>KubaKontakthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00629505454400749183noreply@blogger.com