if anyone plays jazz on any instrument out there, is it possible to get good at jazz without dealing with all that music theory stuff? chris
well i've been doing jazz for about 5 or 6 years now....... you don't NEED all of the theory, but it would definitely help you out a ton and i suggest learning music theory and improvisational techniques before you start jazz. it will do wonders for you if you don't want to do that, just start out by popping in a jazz cd and playing along. usually to do jazz you need to know the key the song is in, so you at least need to know how to do that. but like i said, just pop in a cd and jam along with it.
Depends what kind of jazz you want to play. If you're insanely musical, with an amazing ear, you can play modal jazz without theory without a problem. I don't know about bop however. I know my theory and everything, but I don't read music, and I'm a really good jazz guitarist, and I'm getting pretty good on bass too. But you should know some theory. It really ends up so much easier. There are those good jazz CD/books for learning by Jamey Aebersold. You won't find any crazy psycho-fusion like John Zorn or anything, but they're really good practice. The truth is, it's way easier if you do learn your theory. That doesnt mean that you shouldnt do things by ear. Most of what I do is by ear, but I know what I'm doing in terms of improvisation because I know theory. I know which notes to play, and get some good melodic phrasing ideas. Like I said, I can ignore a lot of this in a lot of standards and modal jazz, but when I'm playing some standards, and bop, there's no way I could do without theory. At the very least learn your scales, modes and learn about chords. And practice them, and your arpeggios until they are fluent. This will help. I'm not saying you can't do it without this, but it'll make it so much easier.
learn your jazz chords, learn the modes, learn some standards, learn to improvise, know how to stay in key over a vamp..stuff like that.
good tips, listen to this guy (i would priorotize modes standards and improvisation out of that list)
You need to have some understanding with theroy. Theory is'nt so hard, I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about it.
i can play jazz, but i have no fucking clue what i'm doing when i play (anything, not just jazz though, or just guitar), haha. i just know what sounds good. i make mistakes, yes, but everyone does... i started playing along with various styles of jazz recordings last fall, i could not really play by ear at the time but i've gotten better for sure, i can play along with most anything now. im not sure what the chords are called and without a guitar in my lap i could not tell you the fingerings, but i just know them, i cant really explain it. no doubt though, i'd definitely be a lot better if i knew some theory. or at least i'd learn things quicker. but, i've yet to encounter anything i've not been able to play after a few attempts, so for me i see it as being nothing more than a waste of time. george (orsino2) is a great example of this. ************ partly unrelated, but in my opinion, music theory kills creativeness (do keep in mind though i've never seriously studied it). i have a few friends who could tell you most everything about guitar and music theory, but when it comes to expirementing they just "cant," too afraid to break 'rules' or some odd stuff like that.
another thing, check out a teacher. i would be alot better at jazz if i had a mentor who knew alot more than me. i've been to lazy to get one though. you can learn without theory and still kick lots of ass, but a teacher or some knowledge of theory will only make you better.
i know the basics to theory, and i have a pretty good ear. like someone else said, i can learn almost anything by ear, even if it takes a little while. but i don't know the major shit that the pro jazz players know about theory
