Easy Easy Bebop

Book excerpt: For years people have asked me to put what I showed them into a book. This book is my contribution to music education. This concept opens up many possibilities of phrasing that develop and flow easily. This concept was developed while living, playing and tutoring in New York City. Bebop licks, lines and phrases are still used in most of today's different forms of music. In this book you'll find licks and phrases you can use for Soul, Funk, Hip Hop Jazz, Cool Jazz, Smooth Jazz and easy Bebop tunes.This book uses words to help give jazz notation easy to remember sound qualities. Just as the famous "Cry me a river" jazz lick is used to teach a specific bebop lick, this book has many useful jazz licks.Basic Example,Notes = C D E GNumbers = 1 2 3 5Easy to remember words,Words = "Play some be - bop"Numbers = 1 2 3 5The above example uses the simple first 4 notes of the pentatonic scale to show the notes to words approach. This book uses many of the typical scales used in music. These scales become less simple and more musical in edited and inverted form. Most of the music we hear and play use the same scales and notes. It's usually the syncopation of the rhythm and arrangement of the notes that makes the different styles of music. This book has edited down the scales to the licks, lines and phrases used from BEBOP to FUNK, HIP HOP, NEW JACK SWING, COOL and SMOOTH JAZZ. Most of today's music still has a huge bebop influence, so first think simple bebop when reading the notes and words in this book. Once the sounds are in your ear, they'll come out naturally in other styles of music. Just follow the rhythm of the style of music you're playing. Listen to a drummer and follow his accents and you can usually play a variation of what you like to play. Written music is a good tool to show musicians the notes. Words are used to express the feeling of the music. Rhythm provides the groove and pulse of the music. Take time and try all of the examples in this book. Say the words and play the notes. Find the ones that flow freely from your instrument. This is not a technical struggle. Have fun.This book is my contribution to the "Wonderful world of jazz".