Approaching the Standards, Volume 1: Bass Clef Instruments Book & Online Audio

Hill strips away the mystique from jazz improvisation without oversimplifying it. The combination of professional recordings, written examples, and transcription work creates a complete learning ecosystem that works equally well for a bassist preparing for jazz band or a director building improvisation into an ensemble curriculum.

Moving from the safety of written notes into spaces where you create your own lines. The standards here are familiar enough that you can focus on conversation and phrasing rather than wrestling with unfamiliar changes. There's real swing and groove on these recordings; you're playing with professionals, not backing tracks.

Bass clef players (tuba, bass trombone, cello, electric bass) who want to develop jazz language but lack formal jazz training or haven't had access to improvisation instruction. Directors can use this with individuals or integrate it into small group instruction within a jazz ensemble.

• Start with the demo recordings before you play. Hear how the pros voice the changes and where they place their phrases rhythmically; this trains your ear faster than reading alone.
• Transcribe one solo per week from the recorded examples, writing it out by hand. You'll internalize the vocabulary much faster than by just playing along.
• Use the written examples as a foundation, then set them aside and improvise over the groove without looking at the page. Trust your ear to find landing spots on the changes.
• Record yourself playing the head and your solos, then listen back critically. You'll catch rhythmic habits and unused chord tones that your playing ear might miss in real time.

Assign volumes over the course of a year to bass clef soloists in your jazz ensemble, rotating through the eight tunes as part of weekly preparation. You can also extract individual standards for combo rehearsals or use them as listening assignments that build transcription skills across your jazz program.

• Reading and responding to jazz chord changes
• Transcribing recorded jazz solos
• Phrasing and rhythmic placement relative to the groove
• Building vocabulary through guided examples and model solos
• Playing over unfamiliar tempos and feels without written guidance