Peter Lamb, professional jazz saxophonist, suggestions for the US Jazz Band (playing Caravan)
Intonation
- Practice with a tuner that plays all of the pitches so you learn to tune by ear
- Always be able to hear the tonic of the key (1st note of the scale)
- Every day, practice long tones with the tuner
- Set tuner for the tonic of the key and play through each note of the scale over top of the drone
- Guitar/Bass players – learn to tune by ear. Start out of tune and bring it in tune.
Improvisation
- Rhythm section – make the tune NOT boring. Experiment with dynamics, comping patterns, etc.
- Caravan should be quiet, intense, subtle. Make it Sexy and Scary.
- Solos – practice on one note (tonic) and communicate
- Rhythm Section – talk WITH the soloist, don’t talk over the soloist
- Have group jam sessions with rhythm section staying on one scale/chord
- Peter works up a sweat when he plays becasue he is putting so much energy into it.
- We are not putting nearly enough energy into our playing.