Re: high-end harp

[haandruss@xxxxxxx (Harvey Andruss)]

At 11:04 PM 2/8/95 Mike Curtis wrote:
> Anyone interested in playing jazz harmonica would do well to
>learn various scales and how to apply them to improvisational situations.

Sorry for the delay in responding to this, but since this is a recurring
question on this list off-and-on, I thought I'd offer a good book I started
using by David Baker, a reknowned music professor (Frangipani Press,
Bloomington, Indiana 47402).  He has several books, but the scale book I'm
referring to is called ~Theory of Improvisation~ Volume 1 (of 3) and I
think it's about $10.  It lists all the modes of the major and minor, but
then focuses on various incarnations of the blues scale and lydian scales
(specific modes of jazz and harmonic minor) used in jazz.  Lots of
exercises, appregios, etc. all written out in "C" -- it's assumed that you
will do the transposing on your own to all 12 keys.  You could spend a
lifetime on this and still not get through it all -- well :-)  The other
two volumes in this series focus on II-V and turnbacks/turnaarounds,
respectively.  He also has other books focusing on bebop and other advanced
improvisation. These have been around for awhile, not glitzy, but it's all
there. Jamey Abersold also has books/tapes, eg. Volume I (of about 90, some
with Baker also !) on ~improvising~ has a basic scale syllabus worth
checking out for those interested.  Don't have here, but they advertise in
Downbeat, Jazz Times, etc.

Harv <HAAndruss@xxxxxxx> -- opinions mine, see sharp on 10  :-)