SWING READER

This book is designed to strengthen students' reading skills in the jazz ensemble setting, which can be accomplished over time in as little as a few minutes daily. 

All pitched instruments play unison exercises until arrangements begin with exercise #63. The piano part is right hand only until #63, although chords are introduced prior.

The drummer plays a swing groove for all exercises, and has rhythms indicated above the measures. These aren't meant to be played or "set up" by the drummer, but rather serve as a visual guide. An advanced drummer can play those figures while keeping time, and choose to set up those rhythms. The inclusion of those rhythms is helpful if you have multiple drummers; other students can play them on sticks.

Students are taken through a logical progression of rhythms as follows:

PART 1 - Basic Counting

• Multi-rests (establish the need to count)

• Beat 2 entrances 

• Beat 3 entrances

• Beat 4 entrances

• Combination of the above entrances (starts at #11)

• Ties

• Dotted quarter notes

PART 2 - Upbeat Entrances, Ties & Syncopation

• &-of-1 (the and of one) entrances

• &-of-2 entrances

• &-of-3 entrances 

• &-of-4 entrances 

• Combination of the above entrances (starts at #38)

• Syncopated figures common to jazz (starts at #53); Includes a combination of prior elements

• More frequent accidentals

PART 3 - Arrangements 

Piano left hand doubles the bass part. 

Arrangement Primers

• Major Trend - Wind parts are still unison, but the rhythm section players assume their roles.

• Little Bear - Introduces independent wind parts. The star constellation Ursa Minor is a play on words alluding to a minor key in music. Ursa Minor is translated Little Bear.

Concert Material

• Shuffle Kerfuffle - 12 bar blues in B flat.

• Mr. Nice Guy - 32 bar AABA form, based loosely on “Killer Joe” by Benny Golson.

• Parisian Quacker - 12 bar blues in F.

• Lots of Folks Just Like You - 32 bar AABA form, based on the chord progression from the standard “There Will Never Be Another You”.

• Fling a Femur - a.k.a “throw ‘em a bone” because they now have a funk/rock chart, the only non-swing item in the book.