Woodshedding Sourcebook

Jazz performers and educators continue to search for shortcuts to improvisation. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. Hours and hours of work are required to produce a great jazz improvisor. A student interested in learning to improvise does not need to hear a great jazz player many times before the realization occurs that it is advisable to reduce the amount of time spent listening and begin woodshedding . In the early days of the big bands, the term woodshedding was introduced by jazz musicians to indicate log practice sessions in a private place where the musician could practice alone and undisturbed, as in a woodshed hideaway where in childhood he might have sneaked a secretive corncob pipe. Frank Tirro, in his book Jazz, A History states, "Woodshedding refers to practicing or rehearsing in private, in order to gain technical mastery of one.s instrument before going into a jam session." Woodshedding also means practicing as a group, practicing a new song in private, or practicing to get a part "down."

Many great jazz players have taken a period of time off from public performance and recording to practice alone and rethink improvisational techniques and create new material. In short, woodshedding is an self-imposed exile which any creative musician must endure to reach their true potential. The Woodshedding Sourcebook and the Polytonal Rhythm Series are a guide which presents a tried and proven approach to practicing and is, in essence, woodshedding in book form. Rehearsing with this method daily will improve your technique, reading ability, rhythmic and harmonic vocabulary, eye/finger coordination, endurance, range, theoretical knowledge, and listening skills - all which lead to superior improvisational skills, and most important of all, connecting your instrument to your ear and being able to play what your ear is hearing.

This book/CD package presents a new, comprehensive publication to The Polytonal Rhythm Series and is offered to aspiring players everywhere as an essential resource for improving musicianship. The CD can be used as a play along rhythm section by turning off one side of the balance.

How to use this book

This book is intended to be played as one would read a novel or textbook. Read through a number of pages and mark the place where you decide to stop. In your next practice session, continue where you left off until the book is completed. Always use a metronome. This book can be played again many times, thus bringing the results that would take many years of playing experience to accomplish. Depending on students needs, teachers can assign lessons from different sections.

Using the Rhythms
Several rhythms accompany the exercises. Play one of the rhythms throughout the exercise and repeat the page with each variation. Employing the rhythms presented exposes the student to the equivalent of over 1800 pages of etudes and produces equivalent benefits and results. The variations also suggest different possibilities in the rhythmic flow of improvisation and break the monotony of playing the same study the same way during each practice session. The rhythms refine technique and lead to better sightreading. Improvement of playing is felt immediately.

Using the CD
The CD provides a full rhythm section for practicing each exercise and a demonstration of the various rhythm patterns. Playing along with the audio will enable you to hear the sound of each study against its proper harmonic background. Chord symbols appear to help familiarize you with the proper chord names and the corresponding keys for the scales and arpeggios being practiced. Exercises have been recorded at various tempos and may also be used as play-along jam tracks. Use tracks 1-3 to tune up. Then follow the audio icons throughout the book.

Sample Pages with Audio:

1) The Ionian Mode
2) The Cycle of Fifths
3) The Tritone Cycle