Jazz Camp Day 2 (Saturday).
Jazz tunes often go for quite a while - sometimes for ten minutes or so. But when you look at what the musicians have on their music stands, it's usually just a single page of notations. This is something that has always puzzled me.
Now, thanks to this jazz workshop, I know the answer.
The page of notations is called a "head". It provides the basic tune and chord progressions. The musicians learn the head, then use it as a jumping off point for their improvisations. They refer to the beginning and ending of a song as "head in" and "head out".
If you're doing an improvisation and want the group to return to the head, tap your head, and they will know what to do.
Today is again packed with lessons and ensemble practice.
I'm feeling very glad that I never became a schoolteacher. There are nine people in our ensemble, and it's a big effort for Lauren to keep everyone focused. Teenagers are chatting, tooting their horns, play-fighting, daydreaming. I'm happy that it's not my job to keep them in line. Nonetheless, they are all good musicians.
Wind instruments are tuned differently from pianos, guitars and voices. They have to transpose their music. The trumpets play in a different key from the saxophones. What a nightmare.
The solution is to name the chords by number, because everyone can translate that to their own instrument.
There's been a change to our songs for the show tomorrow night. We are no longer playing So danço samba (the song I knew). Instead we are going to play Blue Bossa. It's not Brazilian, and I only faintly recognise it. So there's lots of work to do.
My co-singer, Lily, is fifteen and has a sweet, tuneful voice. As we discuss our various challenges, we develop some rapport.
We learn about guide tones, scat syllables and swing rhythm. I don't have a natural feel for swing. Lauren tells me to stop listening to Brazilian music for a couple of days and only listen to Count Basie. I don't think she realises what a sacrifice this would be.
In the middle of Theory class, a young boy points to the window. The bright sunshine has disappeared and it's gone dark. There's thunder and lightning and the lights go out. Inside it's pitch-black, and outside the rain is bucketing down.
Now the roof of the chapel is leaking, and cleaners have to come in and mop up the water, ready for a wedding that's happening this afternoon. A lighting strike has blown up the photocopier, so we can't get any copies made.
During improvisation class, we learn the progression of chords that makes up the blues pattern. I explain that I have never worked with chords. I played clarinet, and that didn't play chords, and I certainly can't sing a chord. Vocal coach Lauren says that's no excuse. A singer needs to learn how to "arpeggiate" a chord. You can't sing the notes all at once, but you can sing them one after the other.
This is not easy to learn, and I start to feel stressed. There is so much to learn. I remind myself to breathe, relax and open myself to the new information. If you are not feeling some degree of discomfort and ambiguity, you are probably not learning anything.
I'm tired and need to learn our two songs tonight. We'll be performing them tomorrow night.
Jazz tunes often go for quite a while - sometimes for ten minutes or so. But when you look at what the musicians have on their music stands, it's usually just a single page of notations. This is something that has always puzzled me.
Now, thanks to this jazz workshop, I know the answer.
The page of notations is called a "head". It provides the basic tune and chord progressions. The musicians learn the head, then use it as a jumping off point for their improvisations. They refer to the beginning and ending of a song as "head in" and "head out".
If you're doing an improvisation and want the group to return to the head, tap your head, and they will know what to do.
Today is again packed with lessons and ensemble practice.
I'm feeling very glad that I never became a schoolteacher. There are nine people in our ensemble, and it's a big effort for Lauren to keep everyone focused. Teenagers are chatting, tooting their horns, play-fighting, daydreaming. I'm happy that it's not my job to keep them in line. Nonetheless, they are all good musicians.
Wind instruments are tuned differently from pianos, guitars and voices. They have to transpose their music. The trumpets play in a different key from the saxophones. What a nightmare.
The solution is to name the chords by number, because everyone can translate that to their own instrument.
There's been a change to our songs for the show tomorrow night. We are no longer playing So danço samba (the song I knew). Instead we are going to play Blue Bossa. It's not Brazilian, and I only faintly recognise it. So there's lots of work to do.
My co-singer, Lily, is fifteen and has a sweet, tuneful voice. As we discuss our various challenges, we develop some rapport.
We learn about guide tones, scat syllables and swing rhythm. I don't have a natural feel for swing. Lauren tells me to stop listening to Brazilian music for a couple of days and only listen to Count Basie. I don't think she realises what a sacrifice this would be.
In the middle of Theory class, a young boy points to the window. The bright sunshine has disappeared and it's gone dark. There's thunder and lightning and the lights go out. Inside it's pitch-black, and outside the rain is bucketing down.
Now the roof of the chapel is leaking, and cleaners have to come in and mop up the water, ready for a wedding that's happening this afternoon. A lighting strike has blown up the photocopier, so we can't get any copies made.
During improvisation class, we learn the progression of chords that makes up the blues pattern. I explain that I have never worked with chords. I played clarinet, and that didn't play chords, and I certainly can't sing a chord. Vocal coach Lauren says that's no excuse. A singer needs to learn how to "arpeggiate" a chord. You can't sing the notes all at once, but you can sing them one after the other.
I'm tired and need to learn our two songs tonight. We'll be performing them tomorrow night.
