Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Directors: Teacher's Training Kit (Manual, DVD, & CD)

Written by four accomplished jazz educators and performers, this kit cuts through vague advice and gives you specific, actionable fixes for the problems that sink rhythm sections: intonation issues, uneven time feel, balance problems, and lack of stylistic understanding. You get video demonstrations, exercises you can teach immediately, and a framework that works for any ensemble size, which means you're not buying separate materials for your big band, small combos, and vocal jazz groups.

Focused and uncluttered. You're not wading through theory or philosophy; you're getting hands-on diagnosis and treatment. The combination of manual, video, and audio keeps you engaged across different learning styles while maintaining a working musician's sensibility.

Jazz directors managing instrumental ensembles, small group combos, vocal jazz groups, or praise and worship bands who want practical, evidence-based solutions for rhythm section problems. This resource works whether you teach at the high school, college, or community level and whether your students are beginners or advanced.

• Study the DVD demonstrations alongside the manual; seeing what "locked in" bass and drums actually looks like matters far more than reading about it.
• Work through the exercises with your rhythm section in sectionals first, then bring findings back to the full ensemble.
• Use the CD examples to isolate specific grooves and feels; transcribe what you hear rather than relying on notation alone.
• Address intonation and time feel separately; rhythm sections often conflate the two, and untangling them accelerates improvement.

Build rhythm section sectionals into your rehearsal calendar during the first month of the school year to establish foundational time feel and blend before tackling repertoire. Return to specific exercises throughout the year as new charts demand different feels or when you notice ensemble problems creeping back in.

• Locking in and maintaining a steady, ensemble pulse across rhythm section instruments
• Distinguishing and executing different jazz feels and grooves (swing, straight eighths, Latin, funk)
• Listening critically to intonation, balance, and articulation within the rhythm section
• Understanding the harmonic and comping responsibilities of piano, guitar, and bass together
• Applying stylistic convention to repertoire across jazz subgenres