Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation

"Constructing Melodic Jazz Improvisation" teaches style, phrasing control, solo development, creative content and not the typical "memorize the scale and pattern" approach. It was designed to meet all of the national standards and frameworks for music education. Students sing, perform on instruments, improvise, compose, read music, listen, analyze, critique, connect music to language, and learn the basic evolution of jazz improvisation. This book is specifically designed for beginning and intermediate level musicians in middle school through high school. All exercises are accessible and appropriate for musicians with basic skill levels, but can be easily adapted to include even the most advanced college level students. The 52-track CD includes 12 play along tracks and 40 example solos that demonstrate the techniques used within the book. The demonstration tracks are played by saxophone, trumpet and trombone. Each example solo is transcribed and included in the book. Ten chapters and hundreds of exercises progressively explore jazz improvisation from creative, melodic and technical perspectives in this 168-page book with a 52-track CD. Highly recommended!