Is there anything I can do to help my improvision skills in jazz band? MY band director wants me to take a solo next concert and i have no idea what to do

hey...i am to in a jazz band 4 my scool...i take inmprovising solos all the time...at first it is really scary...but after a couple of them...it is really fun so just play you heart out and let your trombonr do the playing......well...i hope that helped you a little...write back if you want...see ya LUV saned

hey. i'm in 6th grade and been playing under 2 years and i'm the only youngest person in jazz band 1 and 2 at my school. my advice is to at least know your minor, dorian, mixolidian, major, and blues scales. Also you if there are any chord changes like Gmi7 or Bb7. use the scale that goes with it so no notes stick out

So I have been playng for a couple years to (20) and I used to do this all the time when I was younger and still do sometimes, write somthing down and just play that. I know it sounds lame but, I have seen some of the greats do just that. Look the other thing to remember is that in an improv nothing you do is wrong, If you hit a note that sounds bad play it louder and then play it a couple more times. That is Jazz man, and if you sound like you ment to hit it then that makes you cool. Last thing I can recomend is that hey your teach wants you to do it that meas that your teacher (who has been doingthis for a while) thinks "your good" and that rocks.

Bill Watrous improvs over a CD recording (cant remember what its caled) that has 10 or 12 songs on it but what it does that is realy cool is that every song moves through all the major key signatures. so... get it or somthing like it and then just improve for a couple days over it and youll devlop the "ear." Youll know what sounds good and when the solo comes youll kick some a$$

Good luck

Jamey Aebersold improv books are pretty good. They might be a bit on the cheesy side, but they are a great way to get used to playing with a rhythm section, and reading changes.

The big thing though... Trust your ear, be confindent, and don't be afraid to go for it. Take some chances, the only bad thing that can happen is that you might learn something.

Bill Watrous doesn't need a CD to practice improvising. (And believe me, he still does practice. You have to practice if you want to maintain your technique and skill, even at his level.) When you get to be that good, you don't need a rhythm section behind you to get through the changes.

Aebersolds are nice, and the concept is OK, but nothing beats practicing with a live rhythm section.

Also, when you first start practicing improv, don't try to play too much at once. Just start out with some simple rhythmic ideas on a few notes. Keep it simple. Less is more.

You must listen to recordings of the 'greats'.
It is important for you to have a technique that will allow you to convey your musical ideas to the audience. SO--- that means lots of practice. Do not listen too much to those people who emphasise the 'fun' aspect of improvising --the best improvisers are without a doubt those people who have worked the hardest!!
Playing in a seemingly easy fluid style needs a sound knowledge of the 'alternate 'positions.
I am sure you will enjoy your first adventures in jazz-- but remember that EVERY GREAT PLAYER LISTENS TO OTHER MUSICIANS Good luck-- Record every thing you play so that yu can learn from your mistakes.
Send me a copy of your first album!!!
MIKE CARTON

I thaught of somthing else that is good fun that a tennor sax player showed me. I know tennor sak what a whimp. Any way listen to a recording of somones improv then write it down. This will make you better. Have fun.

Blue notes (wrong notes) are good, but you have to come back to the center every so often to show you understand what you are doing [old farts can do whatever, and people will clap]... anyway, go to the tonic or something at the changes. There is something to be said for brevity, however to sound more "mature" you have to put in a few long melodic passages (lots of notes going up and down around the horn).On trombone the "gimmicky" things work to our advantage... use the slide and bend notes. Use vibrato tastefully but not on everything like Tommy Dorsey. This seems like a long run-on sentence but I hope it contains something useful.

Does anyone know any jazz solos i could use(I'm just begininer) My teacher Mr. Noel said it was okay to use someones elses solo if i have there permission

It would help if we knew the what tune... or if it's a blues, or rhythm changes, or what?
Do you have a recording of the tune? Can you transcribe the recorded solo?
Our band did Mambo Swing at almost every show last year, and I just never felt like I was doing anything near as cool as the bone solo on Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's recording of it. So finally, I just transcribed the solo and after while used it to come up with other ideas.
If nothing else... if all else fails, you can always play the melody (maybe up an octave if your range can handle it).
Another idea.... Often times, you can break it down to just one scale that will work over the whole thing! Sure, it may not be the most interesting solo, but it will get you through. But again, we'd need to know what you're playing first.