Jazz Combo+ E-Flat Book 1: E-Flat_Instruments Method Book

These charts balance accessibility with genuine musicality. You'll find straightforward grooves alongside more textured harmonic territory, all of it grounded in the kind of jazz language that sounds professional without requiring virtuoso chops.

Jazz combo directors building a foundational repertoire for Grade 3-4 groups, or teachers introducing small-group jazz performance to developing players. The method book structure with embedded instruction makes it valuable for programs without a jazz specialist on staff.

• Assign students to transcribe one solo phrase themselves before looking at the easier version; this builds ear training and ownership of the material.
• Use the play-along tracks during the first pass-through so students hear the harmonic context and groove immediately, then remove them as confidence builds.
• Work through Blues & Other Hues first to establish foundational comping and solo concepts before moving to the more compositionally adventurous charts.
• Have rhythm section members study their own play-along parts to internalize timekeeping before running full ensemble takes.

Start with these as your combo's foundation during fall or winter rehearsals, then rotate through the set across the year as students' comfort with jazz phrasing and ensemble listening grows. The variety in styles (blues, funk, modal, progressive) means you can pull individual charts for jazz festivals or concert programming without needing to reprogram everything.

• Reading and performing jazz comping figures in various harmonic contexts
• Interpreting transcribed solos and adapting them to different tempos and keys
• Playing with sensitivity to groove and pocket in small-group settings
• Understanding blues form and extension beyond basic 12-bar structures
• Listening to and balancing independent lines within tight ensemble textures