Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Directors: Complete Kit (Teacher's Training Kit, Plus Bass, Drums, Guitar, Piano, & Supplemental Melody Books with CDs)

This kit cuts through the frustration of teaching rhythm section fundamentals by giving you everything in one place: books, recordings, and video instruction designed specifically for the rhythmic and harmonic challenges jazz ensembles face. Lou Fischer and his co-authors built this around real classroom problems, so every component directly addresses what your section needs to hear and play.

The sound of a rhythm section clicking into place: when the bass locks with the drums, the piano voices land cleanly, and the guitar comps with intention. This kit teaches your players how to listen to each other and make real-time adjustments, replacing tentative, disconnected playing with the confidence that comes from understanding how all four voices support the ensemble.

Jazz directors working with high school or college ensembles who need structured, evidence-based approaches to rhythm section training. This kit also serves combo directors, vocal jazz instructors, and praise and worship band leaders who want professional-level foundation-building without hiring outside clinicians.

• Study the DVD instruction first to identify which specific rhythm section issues your ensemble faces, then use the corresponding book section and recorded examples to reinforce what you're teaching.
• Have the rhythm section isolate with the provided CDs during sectional rehearsals, focusing on one instrument's part at a time before locking the full section together.
• Use the supplemental melody books to give soloists and melody players context for what the rhythm section is doing harmonically, creating accountability across the entire ensemble.
• Reference the director's book strategies when you notice timing slippage or harmonic vagueness; these techniques translate directly to your regular ensemble rehearsals.

Work through the director's book and DVD during the first month of the school year to diagnose your section's specific needs, then rotate focus through each instrument's supplemental materials during regular sectional rehearsals. For small combos or vocal jazz groups, use targeted sections from the kit rather than the entire sequence, adapting the scope to your ensemble's size and experience level.

• Jazz comping and voice leading on piano and guitar
• Walking bass lines and harmonic awareness for bass players
• Swing feel and time-keeping coordination between drums and bass
• Reading chord symbols and changes in jazz context
• Listening and responding to other rhythm section players in real time
• Understanding common jazz repertoire forms and their harmonic structures