Jazz Flute

When I started playing jazz, I knew nothing about it. I really wanted to learn so I went to see Hubert Laws, a famous jazz flutist. I lived in New York at the time and he lived there also. He told me that I already had all the skills to play jazz and did not need lessons. What I needed to do was to play along with records or a group, and start to improvise on my own. I was not thrilled about this. I was hoping for an easy formula. But I was lucky in one way, because I knew all of the basics. I thought about the two choices he had given me and chose the latter. I found a group called NOVA JAZZ and began to "sit in."

What are the basics? Some of you won't want to hear this, but they are scales, thirds, fourths, and all of the other intervals. They can be found in Trevor Wye's Scale Book, also in Marcel Moyse's Scale Book. You must have them all memorized in order to improvise. It may seem like a lot of work but it will be worth it for your classical training also.

I was fortunate enough to have had teachers that already stressed the importance of knowing all of your scales, intervals, and etc. by memory. Improvisation requires a good memory. When you start to improvise you will probably use scale wise passages at first and then branch out.

As a rule of practice, you should start out by learning one key a week. Let's take the key of C. Do your regular C Scale. Then do the scale in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, and 7ths. Now try the thirds like this: CDE, DEF, EFG, FGA and so on. Then try this method with all of the intervals. Now you have a start for improvising. Do this through all twelve key signatures.

Next, take an easy song that you know very well by memory. Figure out the chord pattern. Or use music that has the chords listed above it. Play the "head" of the tune (main melody). Get this melody in your head. Now try playing different scale patterns off of the chords above.

When improvising, you must get the "head" or melody of the piece in the back of your mind while you "take off" on your solo. You may take as many chorus's as you please, but as a rule 2-3 are enough. Better to leave them wanting more than wanting less!!

Because the harmonic structure in jazz is based on "blue notes", major scales do not work all of the time. So, after you have mastered your major and natural minor scales, experiment with these "blue notes". In other words, flat the third, fifth, and seventh notes of the scale.

This may sound very complicated. But, if you listen to some jazz and play along with recordings it should fall into place.