Jazz Improvisation: The Best Way to Develop Solos over Classic Changes [Paperback]

Sam Most (Author), Debbie Cavalier (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

Jazz Improvisation is for students who wish to hone their improvisation skills, and is applicable to all treble clef instruments. Designed to also improve single line sight reading and an awareness of jazz chromaticism, this book builds upon 11 well-known chord patterns with increasingly difficult melodies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Warner Bros Pubns (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576236544
• ISBN-13: 978-1576236543
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Improvisational and Reading Exerciese, February 11, 2011

By 

M. D. Bell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz Improvisation: The Best Way to Develop Solos over Classic Changes (Paperback)

This is a set of exercises, based on standard progressions, to develop single note reading and improvisation. The author does not provide a list of the standards used, so here they are, in the order in which they are presented:

Blues in C
Minor Blues in C
Blues in F
Rhythm Changes
All of Me
Here's That Rainy Day
Black Orpheus
It's You or No-One
All the Things You Are
Someday My Prince Will Come
Giant Steps

This book has had two publishers and two titles, "Metamorphosis : Transformation of the Jazz Solo" (PMP Professional Music Products 1980), and Alfred Publishing (1996), so it has stood the test of time. The earlier (PMP) book had some pages of basic theory, which were omitted from the Alfred version, but apart from this, the content is exactly the same. These theory pages were more of a distraction than a help, so there removal has increased the focus of the book and is a welcome edit. There is a CD with some editions, which consists of backing tracks for the eleven progressions. I have the earlier version of the book. Highly recommended.