Charting the Course, Score Book 1: Conductor/Teacher Method Book

The transcribed solos paired with suggested alternatives mean your players aren't guessing. They hear the recorded masters, learn the exact line, then have a scaffolded option to build confidence before they venture into their own ideas. That's pedagogy that actually works.

Modern and groovy without pretension. The six tunes span from the laid-back samba feel of Porto Alegre to the funky stride of Steam Punk Funk. Each chart breathes, leaving space for soloists while keeping the rhythm section engaged.

Grade 2-2.5 jazz ensembles ready to move beyond head-solos-head into real improvisation. This works for combos in schools that have developed solid fundamentals but lack a clear pathway into jazz soloing. Directors working with younger or newer players will find the structured approach removes a major teaching bottleneck.

• Start with the mini-clinics before touching the changes. Walking through the chord progression and suggested scales first prevents aimless noodling when the solo section arrives.
• Have your soloists learn both the transcribed and suggested versions. This builds security in one and ownership in the other.
• Use the play-along tracks for section rehearsals so every instrument gets individual time to sit in. Not every rehearsal needs the full band.
• Check which parts can be doubled or omitted based on your instrumentation. The flexible three-part scoring means you're not locked into one configuration.

These charts work well as a spring jazz concert program, where the variety of styles keeps audience energy high and showcases different aspects of your ensemble's abilities. You can also pull individual tunes across the year during rehearsals when you want to focus on improvisation skills without programming a full jazz performance.

• Reading and executing jazz comping rhythms in three-part arrangements
• Chord-scale relationships and their application to solo construction
• Transcription and analysis of recorded jazz solos
• Guided improvisation using provided thematic material
• Trading solos and responding to other soloists
• Interpreting chord symbols and changes notation
• Building solo vocabulary through both study and composition