4 Responses

1. Josiah D

   December 2nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   1

   There are some private instructors (especially jazz players) who teach improv regularly. Try to find one in your area, though it may take some looking. Even if you find someone who plays/teaches a different instrument than you they can help you with the different scales, jazz theory, etc.

2. William W

   December 2nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   2

   i don’t think there’s a specific teacher for improv. but you can ask your jazz director for guidance, or if you can find one, a professional/advanced jazz musician.

3. Paul

   December 2nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   3

   Yes there is: you.

   Assuming you have some training and experience – classical – you will have some technique under your belt to enable you to explore this wonderful world of genuinely creative music.

   If jazz is within you then it will out. You need to listen all you can to jazz greats. This is so that their imaginative playing may rub off on you and it will given time.

   I have heard many players perform who have been raised on standard modes of learning and although they are often very good and fluent you hear the same approach and phrases all the time.

   Jazz should come from the heart and soul not from a textbook. Let the great players be your teachers and use your own feelings to personalise your adaptations of their ideas.

   having said that, the Jamie Aebersold playalong series is a very useful aid as you will be able to practice with a real rhythm section.

   Good luck!

4. Art C

   December 2nd, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   4

   Since auditions are coming up fast, I’d say your best bet for the time being is to pore over solo transcriptions. I know Steve Khan has a number of transcriptions on his website (60-70), and Bruce Saunders has a good deal of material as well–these are pretty guitar-centric sites, but they’ll work for any instrument. Spend a little while getting each solo up to snuff, and keep your ear open for any really good licks. Then you can start mixing and matching ideas to craft your own.

   If you had more time, I’d suggest checking out Willie Thomas’s Jazz Everyone website. It’s a membership-type site, but he has a number of instructional videos on his "Pentatonic Pairs" system that a budding improviser would find handy. YouTube is a good tool also, provided you find quality videos, and webcam lessons can be beautifully convenient, if local jazz musicians/instructors are scarce.