Tiger Rag (Hold That Tiger): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

This conductor score gives students direct access to an actual jazz standard rather than a written-down approximation of swing style. The Essential Jazz Editions series maintains the authentic voicings and rhythmic textures that make Tiger Rag distinctive while making the piece playable for developing ensembles at the 3.5 level.

Tiger Rag moves with the boisterous swagger of a street parade, full of sharp rhythmic stabs and spirited call-and-response between sections. The piece swings with infectious energy, layering multiple melodies and counter-melodies until everything locks into a joyful, driving groove.

Jazz ensemble directors teaching intermediate students who are ready to tackle genuine jazz literature rather than simplified arrangements. This score works for any ensemble with the instrumentation to support a full jazz band section, whether in a school program or community setting.

• Establish a clear pulse with your rhythm section before ensemble rehearsal begins. The piece demands precision in the coordination between drums, bass, and comping instruments.
• Shape the melodic phrases with slight swells on the hottest licks rather than playing the whole thing at one dynamic level. Jazz phrasing lives in the details.
• Balance your ensemble so the lead voices cut through without drowning out the harmonic foundation. New Orleans jazz depends on the clarity of multiple lines happening at once.

Pair this with other Essential Jazz Editions selections from the New Orleans Jazz collection to build a full concert around the birth of jazz in America. It also serves as an accessible entry point to jazz repertoire when introducing students to the genre or when you need a high-energy closer for a concert.

• Swing eighth-note articulation and phrasing
• Coordination between melody, harmony, and rhythm section
• Reading jazz chord symbols and comping notation
• Call-and-response section writing
• Ensemble precision and dynamic control in multi-line textures