Dear Directors, Effecti Effective ve Warm Ups For For Developing Jazz Ensembles Ensemb les is a collection of exercises exercises that I have found useful in helping hel ping students listen to and improve their pitch, articulation and abilit abil ityy to groove. These exercises exercises should not necessarily necessarily be played in succession. suc cession. Rather, use these these in a way that will help your ensemble improve their skills in a particular key area. Ultimately, this approach will result in improved technique within the group’s group ’s performance performance literature. literature. This collection collection is divided into four sections: sections: I. Chord Studies: Studies: There are three short exerci exercises ses each in the key key areas of: Bb major (1A, 1B & 1C); Eb Major (2A, 2B, & 2C); and F major (3A, 3B, & 3C). Each exercise, for the most part, has five part harmony. Chord Studies 1A, 2A & 3A deal with only four chords while the remaining chorales have six and seven chords. Each exercise should be played at a slow tempo with an emphasis on smooth articulations and proper balance in the winds. Also, winds should listen to the baritone saxophone, 3rd trombone and bass parts parts for intonation. intonation. Rhythm section players should agree ag ree on the mezzo forte dynamic level and not over power the winds. win ds. II. Chromatic Scales: It has been my experience that beginning jazz ensemble music can be a bit more chromatic than some of the beginning concert band literature. Reviewing one or more of these scales within the warm-up part of the rehearsal will help improve the student's technique and their ability to accurately perform enharmonic spellings. III. Call & Response: There are six printed rhythm section vamps (Swing in Bb, Swing in Eb, Swing in F, Bossa in Bb, Bossa Bo ssa in Eb and Bossa in F) and a part for the director. director. The style and key key area of a performance piece should sho uld dictate dictate the vamp/exercise that is played. In other words, if your group is studying a blues or swing number in Bb, the Swing Vamp in Bb would be the best choice. Instruct the wind & vibraphone students which concert pitches they will be listening for and playing (ex. Swing Vamp in Bb uses concert Bb and an d Db). Then, Th en, count cou nt off off the desired vamp for the rhythm section and let them settle into into a groove. groove. On your you r instrument, play pattern pattern #1 ("The Call") and have the students play the pattern pattern back to you ("The Response") . Do not move on o n to another pattern pattern until you feel all wind w ind and vibraphone v ibraphone students are accurat accuratee with the notes, rhythms and articulations of the pattern. pattern. Once your yo ur initi in itialal "call" "ca ll" pattern pattern is mastered by the students, students, you can then move m ove on to another an other patt pattern. ern. Please feel free to make up your yo ur own own patterns patterns or "calls" as well. Over time, the number nu mber of pitches used for "The Cal Call"l" can be increased from the printed one or two pitch p itch patt patterns. erns. Also, directors directors may elect to have any or all members m embers of the rhythm section on forego playing the printed part and also participate in "The Response". IV. Articulation on Studies: Studies: These are unison un ison exercis exercises es that can be played with either swing 8th notes notes or even 8th notes. Throughout these exercises, exercises, capped accents (^ ) should sho uld be articulated with with a "daht" syllable, tenuto marks marks (-) with with a "do" syllable, and sideways accents (>) with a "dah" syllable. You may elect to have your you r students play these patterns patterns in a "call " call & response" fashion fashion or have them read the patterns patterns in unison. u nison. For these exerci exercises, ses, drummers may play time (swing or or even 8th's) or read the printed rhythms. If playing the printed rhythms, drummers should play these on snare drum and a cymbal while keeping the hi-hat going on beats 2 & 4. Do not move on to another pattern pattern until you feel all wind win d and vibraphone v ibraphone students are accurat accuratee with the notes, rhythms rhythms and articulations of the pattern. pattern. Once your yo ur initi in itialal "call" "cal l" pattern pattern is mastered by the students, you can then move on to another pattern. pattern. I'd like to thank my friends and colleagues Paul Lucckesi, Director of Jazz Bands, Buchanan Educational Center, Clovis, CA and Mike Gangemi, Assistant Assistant Director Director of Bands, Westlake High School, Schoo l, Westlake Village, CA for their input and support suppo rt.. I hope you and your students find these exercises fun & rewarding as you continue studying your performance pieces! Mike Kamuf August 2014
Dear Directors, Effecti Effective ve Warm Ups For For Developing Jazz Ensembles Ensemb les is a collection of exercises exercises that I have found useful in helping hel ping students listen to and improve their pitch, articulation and abilit abil ityy to groove. These exercises exercises should not necessarily necessarily be played in succession. suc cession. Rather, use these these in a way that will help your ensemble improve their skills in a particular key area. Ultimately, this approach will result in improved technique within the group’s group ’s performance performance literature. literature. This collection collection is divided into four sections: sections: I. Chord Studies: Studies: There are three short exerci exercises ses each in the key key areas of: Bb major (1A, 1B & 1C); Eb Major (2A, 2B, & 2C); and F major (3A, 3B, & 3C). Each exercise, for the most part, has five part harmony. Chord Studies 1A, 2A & 3A deal with only four chords while the remaining chorales have six and seven chords. Each exercise should be played at a slow tempo with an emphasis on smooth articulations and proper balance in the winds. Also, winds should listen to the baritone saxophone, 3rd trombone and bass parts parts for intonation. intonation. Rhythm section players should agree ag ree on the mezzo forte dynamic level and not over power the winds. win ds. II. Chromatic Scales: It has been my experience that beginning jazz ensemble music can be a bit more chromatic than some of the beginning concert band literature. Reviewing one or more of these scales within the warm-up part of the rehearsal will help improve the student's technique and their ability to accurately perform enharmonic spellings. III. Call & Response: There are six printed rhythm section vamps (Swing in Bb, Swing in Eb, Swing in F, Bossa in Bb, Bossa Bo ssa in Eb and Bossa in F) and a part for the director. director. The style and key key area of a performance piece should sho uld dictate dictate the vamp/exercise that is played. In other words, if your group is studying a blues or swing number in Bb, the Swing Vamp in Bb would be the best choice. Instruct the wind & vibraphone students which concert pitches they will be listening for and playing (ex. Swing Vamp in Bb uses concert Bb and an d Db). Then, Th en, count cou nt off off the desired vamp for the rhythm section and let them settle into into a groove. groove. On your you r instrument, play pattern pattern #1 ("The Call") and have the students play the pattern pattern back to you ("The Response") . Do not move on o n to another pattern pattern until you feel all wind w ind and vibraphone v ibraphone students are accurat accuratee with the notes, rhythms and articulations of the pattern. pattern. Once your yo ur initi in itialal "call" "ca ll" pattern pattern is mastered by the students, students, you can then move m ove on to another an other patt pattern. ern. Please feel free to make up your yo ur own own patterns patterns or "calls" as well. Over time, the number nu mber of pitches used for "The Cal Call"l" can be increased from the printed one or two pitch p itch patt patterns. erns. Also, directors directors may elect to have any or all members m embers of the rhythm section on forego playing the printed part and also participate in "The Response". IV. Articulation on Studies: Studies: These are unison un ison exercis exercises es that can be played with either swing 8th notes notes or even 8th notes. Throughout these exercises, exercises, capped accents (^ ) should sho uld be articulated with with a "daht" syllable, tenuto marks marks (-) with with a "do" syllable, and sideways accents (>) with a "dah" syllable. You may elect to have your you r students play these patterns patterns in a "call " call & response" fashion fashion or have them read the patterns patterns in unison. u nison. For these exerci exercises, ses, drummers may play time (swing or or even 8th's) or read the printed rhythms. If playing the printed rhythms, drummers should play these on snare drum and a cymbal while keeping the hi-hat going on beats 2 & 4. Do not move on to another pattern pattern until you feel all wind win d and vibraphone v ibraphone students are accurat accuratee with the notes, rhythms rhythms and articulations of the pattern. pattern. Once your yo ur initi in itialal "call" "cal l" pattern pattern is mastered by the students, you can then move on to another pattern. pattern. I'd like to thank my friends and colleagues Paul Lucckesi, Director of Jazz Bands, Buchanan Educational Center, Clovis, CA and Mike Gangemi, Assistant Assistant Director Director of Bands, Westlake High School, Schoo l, Westlake Village, CA for their input and support suppo rt.. I hope you and your students find these exercises fun & rewarding as you continue studying your performance pieces! Mike Kamuf August 2014
By Mike Kamuf
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Chord Study 1A - Bb major
1st Eb Alto Saxophone 2nd Eb Alto Saxophone 1st Bb Tenor Saxophone 2nd Bb Tenor Saxophone Eb Barito Ba ritone ne Saxophone 1st Trumpet 2nd Trumpet 3rd Trumpet
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© 2014 Mike Kamuf Music www.mikekamuf.com All Rights Reserved including Pu blic Performance
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Chord Study 1B - Bb major
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Effective Warm-Ups
