A Guide to Jazz Improvisation Key of Bb [Paperback]

John LaPorta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Many famous musicians have learned to develop their own unique jazz style using Berklee Professor Emeritus John LaPorta's techniques. First published in 1968 and now thoroughly updated and revised, his method provides a practical and intuitive approach to teaching basic jazz improvisation through 12 lessons and an accompanying CD. Features information on jazz theory, rhythm training, performance ear training and much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Berklee Press Publications (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634007629
• ISBN-13: 978-0634007620
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,328,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Starting Jazz Improvisation, January 16, 2002

By 

"coolea" (Macroom, Co. Cork Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to Jazz Improvisation Key of Bb (Paperback)

There are many books on learning improv. I have several of them. This book begins by working on listening and developing an ear for tonality and jazz phrasing. This is a feature I have not found in other tutors, and I think it works very well. Another feature is a homework section where the student is encouraged to work with others in the call and response process - again this is a feature missing in many other texts. The lessons are parsed out so that one can learn something well before going on, and the CD backing tracks are at a reasonable tempo for the beginning learner.

While there should be other books in a learner's tool bag, I give Laporta's high marks.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good study for playing "more than the notes", April 11, 2006

By 

frankp93 "frankp93" (Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Guide to Jazz Improvisation Key of Bb (Paperback)

Available in both horn and concert pitch editions, LaPorta's approach is nevertheless geared towards horn players reading ensemble charts, combining written lines with improvisatory passages.

However this makes the book especially valuable for plucked string players: guitarists, mandolinists, and electric bassists who may not have have extensive ensemble/improvising experience. The emphasis on articulating phrases and interpreting dynamics is not normally found in the jazz literature for these instruments but is essential to musicianship regardless of what type of setting you perform in.

The book is divided into lessons, each one based around a tune, various rhythmic abstractions and forms of melodic development to be emulated and imitated.

LaPorta's three part work maxim is stated as "Memorize, compose, improvise". Don't be scared by the "compose" part.
In this context think of composing as "slowed down improvisation, allowing for corrections and refinements".

The melodic material is based on major and mixolydian pentatonic scales. For many players new to jazz, this is likely to
be the vocabulary they've already internalized from playing rock, blues or various forms of folk music. That's important because it's easy to become overwhelmed studying improvisation with so many new ideas and so much material to absorb. It's also easy to lose perspective and focus obsessively on the materials themselves (scales, arpeggios) rather than their use, namely making music.

If you're already comfortable playing pentatonic scales and phrases on your instrument and can read music notation (not expertly, but mostly quarter and eight notes, dotted with rests) you can dive right in and focus on absorbing the feeling of jazz phrasing and experimenting with you're own improvisations.

The demonstration recording was piano-based, which I suspect was done to be somewhat "instrument neutral" and for it to
function more effectively as a play-along.

The book has been a staple at Berklee where LaPorta taught for many years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Jazz Method, December 23, 2007

By 

Rodrigo Fernandez (Escazu, Costa Rica) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Jazz Improvisation Key of Bb (Paperback)

I'm really enjoying following this improvisation method.
I like the fact that all lessons end up with a real song to play and improvise with.
My only wish would be to have more CD tracks that would give more examples of some improvisations you could play with the songs so I could copy the ideas.
Besides this, it has been a great help.

Rodrigo Fernandez