Can anyone suggest a good book or some good jazz riffs or licks to start out learning jazz. I have seen the hal leaonard books and so forth, but want some personal input before I spend money.

Is there one Book of all books for Sax Jazz?

I used to play the trumpet, tehre was Arbans Book for Trumpet. It would keep you buisy for many years.

Take a look at Jamey Aebersolds website www.jazzbooks.com and pick up volume 1 of his playalong series "How to play Jazz and Improvise", you will soon start collecting many of the Aebersold play-along series. They range from beginner to advanced and are great books.

Later
CJ

Hi CJ- I do not understand how to use the "For ALL Instruments " books.

Help?

Its no problem, just follow the guide, it will be written for C, Bb and Eb instruments. I can't remember if you have an alto or tenor, but if it is alto you will follow the Eb portion, Bb on tenor. The audio will always be the same but the notes change for whatever your key your instrument is in.

Good Luck
CJ

Thanks a bunch. Can you tell me where I cna buy them online?

www.jazzbooks.com

if you want some jazz standards and your really interested a book called 'the real book' has heaps of jazz standards and the sort and it comes ina couple of keys which is good
have fun

I am not really very advanced, I need some 'easy stuff" I can read and play in the key og G and D so far . What level would that be - begginer?

The "Real Book" is a good book (and eventually a must) to have, but you really don't need it right now. Playing Jazz requires alot of dedication and understanding of scales and chord structures. Sure you can look at Benny Golson's "Killer Joe" and say that the melody of the tune is easy, but now try and solo off the chord changes, when the bridge changes keys four times. My point is, is that you have to have a really good understanding of your horn before you start to tackle these tunes.

Yhath, if you are really interested in jazz, start collecting as much much recorded jazz music that you can get your hands on. The best way to learn to play is to listen. Listen to players like: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins and countless others. One thing I find common with younger players, is they play ton of notes with no substance, playing fast doesn't make you a good Jazz player (listen to a Miles Davis solo), some of the greats like Sonny Rollins would play 3 notes for the first 12 measures of his solo and it would sound amazing. Eventually you will be able to play fast with a ton of notes and it will sound good.

Sorry got off subject here, the whole idea here is that if you want to play jazz you have to listen to it and absorb it. It is not easy, if it was everyone would be doing it.

Keep practicing those scales.

Later
CJ

Adding to the "Real Book", if you do decide to buy one, get the one in the key of C. Yes I know none of the saxophones are in the key of C (except c melody, which few people have seen and even less have played), but one thing you have to be able to do as a jazz player is transpose. There is nothing worse than playing a gig when someone calls out "Autumn Leaves" in C minor, you learned it in G minor, and you don't know how to transpose it, (by the by the Real Book has "Autumn leaves" in the key of E minor, when it is usually played in the key of G minor). You also want the C book because you should be learning the chord progressions on piano, there is no better way of memorizing these tunes, which is a must if you want to be able to solo.

Later
CJ