Alfred Jazz Easy Play-Along Series, Vol. 2: Easy Standards: C, B-flat, E-flat, & Bass Clef Instruments Book & Online Audio

Nine essential jazz standards come to life with professional rhythm section support and a clear window into how a seasoned player approaches each melody. The recorded demo lets you sit in on a masterclass before you step up to solo yourself.

Jazz students at the early intermediate level who need a structured entry point into improvisation, whether in a group setting or working alone. This works equally well for a jazz combo making their first foray into standards or for individual players strengthening their solo vocabulary across different instruments.

• Study the demo track first to absorb the melodic and rhythmic character of each tune before attempting the play-along; this listening-first approach builds your sense of phrase and phrasing in the style.
• Work through the written sample solo multiple times until it feels natural, then use it as a launching point for your own variations rather than a script to memorize.
• Practice the rhythm section track at different tempos using the play-along audio, starting slower to nail intonation and time feel before pushing the original tempo.

Layer this into your jazz curriculum as a companion to repertoire study, using the written solos and accompanying recordings as teaching models for how jazz melody and improvisation actually sound and feel. You can also rotate different tunes into rehearsal over several weeks, letting students focus deeply on one tune at a time rather than juggling multiple charts simultaneously.

• Listening for and imitating jazz phrasing and articulation
• Building improvised lines from scalar and chordal vocabulary
• Developing time feel and rhythmic precision over a swing rhythm section
• Reading jazz chord charts and understanding chord-tone relationships
• Playing in tune and with stylistically appropriate dynamics across different registers
• Constructing solos that respond to and build on a written melody