Community College Jazz Ensembles

[mcbn]

I've been in Houston for just under a year and haven't really been able to find a band that suits me and my schedule. The local community college has a campus that is very close to my apartment and I'm considering playing with the Jazz Ensemble.

 

There is no audition and there are people "of all levels" playing. I feel that I can hold my own enough to play with them and know that I will have to learn to read if I'm going to do anything more than that.

 

I'm one the fence with whether to go for it or not. I've always been a blues/rock/punk/metal guy. I've never been a jazz guy. I do love to play though and I think that doing this will definitely increase my playing ability and musical knowledge.

 

So what do you guys & gals think? Is it going to be a difficult switch or a fun endeavor? Has anyone else done something like this?

 

Somebody kick me off of the fence I'm sitting on, one way or the other!!!

[Dave Brown]

Well, as someone who taught in the Community college jazz program for 8 years, I say go for it. And take bass lessons while you are at it.

 

In my case, I had just finished my second music degree...the one in classical bass. I had a student who wanted to learn jazz, so I signed up at the community college. I stayed there for 3 years while I was working late shift.

 

After that time, I was 10 times the bassist I had started out being. Eventually, they offered me the job as bass instructor.

[Quinn]

I played in my college jazz ensemble and also played in a community arts Big Band, while gigging with my rock bands. I think it will be a very valuable experience for you.

 

You'll certainly develop a solid swing feeling (if you don't have one already) and it will do wonders for your reading chops. Plus, you'll meet some accomplished musicians who play instruments other than guitar and drums - always handy to know a kick-ass sax player or two.

 

If this ensemble plays the typical Jazz cannon, you'll be playing lots of Ellington, Basie and Miles (with perhaps a bossa or samba or two), so I'd recommend doing some listening prior.

 

Have fun!

[jeremy c]

Do it!

 

It will be a tremendous learning experience.

[davio]

Indeed. Do it. There's no down side.

[Sir Ethelred Hedgerow-Hedg]

I am the same, I played rock type stuff all the time. Recently I went to an open jazz jam and it was GREAT. All the other players were at least 50 (I am 16!!!) and the other bassists all had uprights but no one looked down on me. The drummer even asked me back becasue "I clearly knew what I was doing." I was real nervous before but I'm glad I went.

[Gruuve]

Do it, Nutt...nothing to lose. It'll probably be both a difficult switch AND a fun endeavor. I'm sure you'll learn tons, and that's always a good thing.

 

Dave

[way2fat]

Maybe you'll find some bandmates with common interests too. Our university sometimes has a summer course called Adult Band for Beginers and I'm going to try the Tuba if it's offered.

[Eric VB]

NUTT, do pursue this interest.

 

Perhaps Dave Brown knows more about this than I do, but if you cannot read music AT ALL right now, please consider learning immediately. From 6th grade through high school, all the jazz bands I've been in have played from sheet music, except for maybe an improv trombone solo. (Yes, I played 'bone for some years because the band needed another 'bone, not another sax like the other bass player played.) Even if this doesn't pan out for you, you will be a more skilled player for having learned to read sheet music.

 

Once or twice for some smaller non-school ensembles all I had were chord charts. Keep in mind that jazz chords are often much more complex than just majors, minors, and (flatted)-7ths that you may be used to now. Again, just learning these chords will be helpful.

 

Do you like flat keys? When playing with wind instruments, you'll play mostly in b-, e-, a-, d-, or even g-flat. If you're not used to those, you may want to at least go over the scales to become more comfortable with the keys.

 

Probably the best way to learn/brush up these skills is through private lessons. So, I second Dave Brown's recommendation to take them simultaneously with the ensemble.

 

Don't let me scare you away; have fun with this endeavor. Just be realistic about your skills assessment and be prepared to put in some extra effort.

[Eric VB]

way2fat, as a former tuba player myself, I hope you get a chance to try it yourself. One word of caution: if you're a smoker, you may want to consider quitting. My tuba playing went down the crapper when I started smoking again. Also, on a shared school instrument it's no fun to share a tuba with a tobacco user (smoker or chewer).

 

Oh, if you already read electric bass music, keep in mind that it is written an octave higher than true pitch. That means when you go to learn tuba music (at true pitch) you'll have to get used to all the ledger lines below the staff.

 

fyi, on a 3-valve tuba you can go down to the same low E as on a standard 4-stringer. With 4 valves, you can go a little lower yet. The upper range is limited mostly by your ability. In my "hey day" my upper range extended beyond a standard 4-string, 24-fret bass.

[way2fat]

Ric, thanks for the info, I'm only an occasional smoker and I'm not a user of tobacco products. The sax players in my band are grads of the SIU music program and think I'm good raw material but say that I'm going to have to learn to hold back on the volume and use a different mouthpiece since the one I tried was for orchestra. Apparently they can get expensive. We were listening to the Rebirth Brass Band after practice and digging the second line sound. Because we had had a couple of brews we decided that if four of us could blow something on a horn and two of us play marching snare and bass drum, we'd be just the thing for local funerals a la New Orleans. I can't read and play at the same time, but given a little time I can puzzle out what the notes are on a sheet and find them on a piano. Sorry about the hi-jack Nutt.

[mcbn]

I knew that I'd hear Dave and Jeremy telling me to dive right in!!

 

Thank you RBG for the helpful advice. I will definitely polish up on my reading abilities before summer session starts if I'm going to be playing with the ensemble.

[Tom Capasso]

So I'll give you the same advice in reverse ( ).

 

Though I have a decent ear and can follow chord charts, I read poorly. That means I can do most rock, singer-songwriter, etc. It means I CAN'T step into a jazz band situation. And there have been times where I thought it would be cool to be able to play that music with that instrumentation. No can do.

 

So yes - bring your reading up a notch and give this a try. I think you'll be happy about the experience.

 

Tom

[way2fat]

Do keep us posted.

[PanicYou]

Jazz band was one of the best musical things that ever happnen to me. Of course this was on baritone sax not bass guitar but it is still a very good thing to step into. For me at least it was a major influence on bass as well as my style of playing.

 

you cant go wrong