Frequently Asked Questions
about
Visual Jazz Products
Improvisation Sightreading Other
AOI
CD-ROM Sightreading Jazz Visual
Jazz Sampler
AOI
Suite Teacher’s Guide, SRJ Deft-initions
Classroom
Method SRJ
for Ensembles
Sight-rdg Chord Prog. SRJ on Disc
Improvisation
Art of Improvisation (AOI) CD-ROM Read the IAJE Review
Q1 – What hardware or software do I need to run the
CD-ROM?
A1 – The Art
of Improvisation CD-ROM runs on either PC or Mac. The only software you need is
the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (available from http://www.adobe.com).
If you have an older Macintosh, make sure you have the
Q2 – Can I run AOI from my hard disk instead of from the
CD-ROM?
A2 – Yes; in
fact that’s usually the preferred method. Simply drag the AOI3 folder from the
CD-ROM to the top level of your hard disk and you’re ready to go. You can
create a shortcut or alias to the AOI-Home.pdf file
for easy startup.
Q3 – Does AOI start up automatically?
A4 – On a
PC, yes. On a Macintosh, you need to open the AOI3 folder on the CD-ROM and
double-click the AOI-Home.pdf file to get started.
When you copy the AOI3 folder to your hard drive and create an alias to it (see
Q2 above), you won’t need to access the CD-ROM for the Mac.
Q4 – How do sound files and graphics work?
A4 – AOI
uses your default media player and graphics display utility, so make sure they
are set up properly. Use a graphics utility that loads quickly (such as Windows
Viewer instead of Adobe Photoshop, for example).
Q5 – Can I use AOI on more than one computer?
A5 – Yes, as
long as it’s not shared with anyone else. Read the AOI license agreement on the
CD-ROM for the full details.
Q6 – How do the AOI Bookmarks work?
A6 – You can
display a full Bookmark menu for AOI by selecting Window | Bookmarks in Acrobat
Reader. Pressing F5 on a PC does the same thing. Once displayed, the bookmarks
take you quickly and easily to just about any AOI location. You can disable the
Bookmarks by deselecting the menu choice or by pressing F5 again.
Q7 – Can I print material from the CD-ROM for my own
use?
A7 – Yes, as
long as you don’t distribute it to anyone else.
Q8 – Can I play the CD-ROM in my audio CD player?
A8 – No, the
CD-ROM is designed to work on a computer, not an audio CD player. Sightreading Chord Progressions and The Classroom Method
for AOI do include CDs that can be played on an audio player.
Q9 – Are the musical examples shown in treble clef?
A9 – Yes, and a bass clef version of the CD-ROM is under
development – stay tuned.
Q10 – Do I need a Bb or Eb
version of the CD-ROM if I play sax or trumpet?
A10 – No, the CD-ROM has chord progressions in Concert, Bb, and Eb for each tune, so you’re covered.
Art of Improvisation Suite
Q1 - What’s included in the AOI Suite?
A1 – You get
the CD-ROM plus the two printed/bound AOI books: the Main Book and the
Companion Book.
Q2 – Is everything in the books also on the CD-ROM?
A2 – Yes.
The books are an easy, convenient way to study the text of The Art of
Improvisation. You can also study the text on screen with the CD-ROM.
Q3 – Is there any text on the CD-ROM that’s not in the
books?
A3 – The
CD-ROM contains pop-up notes and tutorials that are not re-printed in the
books. That type of content works a lot better online than in a book.
Q4 – Is the CD-ROM in the Suite exactly the same as the
AOI CD-ROM that can be purchased separately?
A4 – Yes.
Classroom Method: Art of Improvisation Read the IAJE Review
Q1 - What’s the difference between the Suite and the
Classroom Method?
A1 – The Classroom Method is a condensed version of AOI. It
does not have a CD-ROM – it has audio CDs instead for classroom and personal
use.
Q2 – What’s the difference between the Teacher’s Guide and the Student Guide?
A2 – The basic text is the same for both, with synchronized
page numbers for easy reference. The Teacher’s Guide contains additional
chapters, comments, and notes for teachers to help them use the Classroom
Method in classroom instruction.
Q3 – Are there different courses for
less experienced or more experienced students?
A3 – Yes. The Classroom Method comes in three courses: Course
1 (Starting), Course 2 (Intermediate), and Course 3 (Advanced). Each course has
its own Teacher’s Guide and Student Guides, with audio CDs.
Q4 – When I teach from the Classroom
Method, do I already need to know how to improvise?
A4 – No prior improvisation experience is required - you can
learn right along with the students.
Q5 – Do I have to be a teacher or
currently enrolled student to use the Classroom method?
A5 – No, anyone can purchase and use it. For example, if you
need a condensed approach to AOI or prefer working with audio CDs, the
Classroom method would also be a good choice.
Q6 – Can I use the Classroom Method
with younger students?
A6 – Course 1 can be used with elementary students up to
college students – the concepts are simple and effective. Students need to be
able to read basic music notation (pitches and rhythms) to use the Classroom
Method.
Q7 – What if I want to buy a set of
these books to use in class – are there volume discounts available?
A7 – Yes – see the order page for details on volume
discounts.
To discover
the differences between The Art of Improvisation and The
Classroom Method, click here.
Sightreading Chord
Progressions
Q1 – Is SRCP for all musicans?
A1 – Yes. The
chord progressions are printed in Concert Key and transposed for Bb and Eb instruments as well. It’s ideal for any improviser,
whether instrumentalist or vocalist.
Q2 – Do I need previous improvisation experience to use Sightreading Chord Progressions (SRCP)?
A2 – To get
the most from SRCP, you should be understand basic
chord symbols and scales. These are explained in many jazz methods, such as The
Art of Improvisation.
Q3 – What are the main benefits of Sightreading
Chord Progressions?
A3 – First,
you’ll learn to play better-sounding solos the first time you see a
progression. Second, you’ll have access to a wealth of tunes with progressions
that keep you on your toes as you practice reading chords and improvising.
Q4 – What’s different about Sightreading
Chord Progressions?
A4 – Most
play-along methods are geared towards learning and playing familiar tunes. Sightreading Chord Progressions has no familiar standards,
but it has plenty of cool-sounding chord progressions in many styles – bossa, swing, hip-hop, calypso, fusion, etc. The 50 tunes
are short and sweet, to give you the ultimate immersive experience in reading
chord symbols and improvising with them.
Q5 – So is this a play-along
method, or is it a reading method?
A5
– Both. Each of
the 50 tunes has a play-along track on audio CD, plus the printed chord
progressions. But there is plenty of material in the book
Q6 – Is there text that explains how to sight-read
chords while improvising?
A6
– Definitely.
There are chapters in the book that explain how to simplify chord progressions,
how to smoothly connect across tricky chords, how to use chord anticipation,
etc.
300 Standards - Chord Progressions
300 Standard Tunes – Chord Progressions
Q1 – What’s the goal of 300 Standard Tunes
– Chord Progressions?
A1 – This
method provides you with a collection of chord progressions for 300 essential
jazz standards. No obscure tunes here – just the best and brightest
progressions from all the top jazz composers and songwriters.
Q2 – What about Bb and Eb
instruments?
A2 – There
are separate versions for Concert, Bb and Eb, so you
can choose whichever version works best for you.
Q3 – Is there additional info besides the chord
progressions?
A3 – Yes –
in addition to 300 great chord progressions, there are several chapters in the
book that help you learn and memorize standard tunes. Check out the ingenious
process for practicing standard-tune chord progressions away from your instrument, using the powerful Virtual Practice
Method. In time you’ll be hearing these progressions in your mind so well that
you can actually improvise to them anywhere – in the car, in the shower, at
school, at work – with or without a background track playing for you.
Q4 – Is that for real? Can you actually learn chord
progressions without hearing the recorded track?
A4 – Yes!
I’ve done it, and in the book I show you how.
Sight-Reading
Sightreading Jazz
(Treble
Clef or Bass Clef)
Q1 – Do I need a special version of the book to fit my
instrument?
A1 – Order
the Treble Clef version if you play a treble clef instrument (piano, guitar,
trumpet, sax, etc.) Likewise, order the Bass Clef version if you play a bass
clef instrument (trombone, bass, etc.)
Q2 – What about using Sightreading
Jazz in a jazz ensemble (Bb, Eb, Concert
instruments)? How are the transpositions handled?
A2 – Sightreading Jazz makes a terrific jazz ensemble reading
and warmup method.
Q3 – How well does Sightreading
Jazz work for vocalists?
A3 – Great!
Vocalists can sing the exercises, and it provides a solid workout for improving
pitch, intervals, and rhythms.
Q4 – Are there really over 500,000 possible exercises?
A4 – Yes.
Using the Customization Approach that’s explained in Sightreading
Jazz, you can expand the exercises almost infinitely. You’ll be amazed at how
flexible and comprehensive Sightreading Jazz is.
Q5 – What’s the difficulty range?
A5 – The
printed exercises range from very easy (simple stepwise melodies) to “nearly
impossible” (difficult exercises with difficult customizations) – and every
level in between.
Q6 – What about drummers?
A6 –
Percussionists will find plenty to do with the rhythm exercises and
customizations. The pitch exercises work great for mallet instruments. In a
jazz ensemble, the drummer can play rhythm exercises as the rest of the
ensemble plays pitch exercises.
Q7 – Is there any connection between The Art of
Improvisation (AOI) and Sightreading Jazz (SRJ)?
A7 – More
than you might think. The pitch exercises in SRJ are based on Flexible Scales,
which is one of the foundation pieces of AOI. Also, both books rely heavily on
the art of swing rhythms, with a common approach in both books.
SRJ on Disc
Q1 – Does SRJ on Disc contain all the exercises that are
in the printed version of Sightreading Jazz?
A1 – Yes, it includes
all the SRJ treble and bass clef exercises. It also includes a license to print
a single Treble copy of SRJ and a single Bass copy of SRJ for your personal
use.
Q2 – When would SRJ on Disc be the best choice to use?
A2 – Here are some sample use cases:
A) You’d like to get both the Treble and Bass clef SRJ versions at a more
affordable price.
B) You’d like to be able to practice the exercises from a laptop or
desktop computer.
C) You want to display the SRJ exercises in a multi-media method, such as
on a computer projection system in a classroom.
Q3 – What about using SRJ on Disc over a computer
network or with file sharing?
A3 - The main version of SRJ on Disc is not for use on a computer network or with any
type of file sharing – its license requires that it be run on only one computer
at a time, without distribution. If you are interested in getting a network
version of SRJ on Disc, contact Visual Jazz (info@visual-jazz.com) for licensing details.
SRJ
Teacher’s Guide
Q1 – What’s in the SRJ Teacher’s Guide that’s not in the
regular version of Sightreading Jazz?
A1 – The SRJ
Teacher’s Guide contains coaching tips for teaching sight-reading. It also has
a wealth of customization approaches that unlock the doors to thousands of
innovative ways to play sight-reading exercises - in a group as well as
individually. The group customization methods are found only in the
Q2 – What’s the difference between the SRJ Teacher’s
Guide and SRJ for the Ensemble (see below)?
A2 – To get
a good picture of the differences and purposes, think of SRJ for the Ensemble
as the airplane and the Teacher’s Guide as the cockpit instrument panel. SRJ
for the Ensemble has all the component parts and materials to get you off the
ground with sight-reading. The Teacher’s Guide helps you understand the customizations
so you can take the reading experience to the right places.
With the
Teacher’s Guide you have complete control over the musical elements of the
reading experience - difficulty level, key signature, rhythmic style, etc. –
enabling you to get the best results.
Q3 – Can I use the SRJ Teacher’s Guide without using SRJ
for the Ensemble?
A3 – Yes,
you can use it with private or small-group instruction – but its greatest power
comes when used in a jazz ensemble setting.
SRJ
for the Ensemble
Q1 – What’s the goal of SRJ for the Ensemble?
A1 – SRJ for
the Ensemble gives you and your ensemble a virtually unlimited supply of
sight-reading material. It uses the rhythm and pitch approaches of Sightreading Jazz to help your students improve and refine
reading skills.
Q2 – What are the components?
A2 – SRJ for
the Ensemble comes with customizable Treble, Bass, Bb, and Eb
exercise packets for each player in your jazz ensemble, plus a free copy of Sightreading Jazz for the conductor. 20 Packets are
included for standard jazz ensemble instrumentation:
7 Bb packets
(5 trumpets and 2 tenor saxes),
3 Eb packets (two alto saxes and a bari sax),
6 Bass Clef
packets (5 trombones and a bass)
4
Treble Clef packets (piano, guitar, two misc.)
Q3 – What about other combinations of packets?
A3 – The
minimum packet order is 20, but you can request more packets or different
combinations. For example, a vocal jazz ensemble could order any combination of
treble and bass packets to best fit the singers in the group. Or a jazz
ensemble could get more Bb packets, fewer Bass Clef packets, etc., as long as
the packet total is 20.
Q4 – Are the packets the same as the Sightreading
Jazz books?
Q5 – The
packets contain most of the pitch and rhythm exercises of Sightreading
Jazz, but not the etudes or text concepts on reading and phrasing. That makes
them more affordable to use in most classroom settings. If the text portions
are important for each member the class, such as
Q5 – How does the Teacher’s Guide (see above) fit with
SRJ for the Ensemble?
A5 - The SRJ
Teacher’s Guide provides the instructions on how to coordinate and use the
exercises effectively. It’s up to the teacher to explain and illustrate the
text concepts, such as swing phrasing and reading tips – these are not
contained in the packets.
Q6 – How about an example?
A6 – OK!
1)
Select
an exercise from Sightreading Jazz.
2)
Tell
the students the page number and line number of the exercise.
3)
Each
student turns to that location in their individual packets.
4)
If
you want, choose a customization option from the Teacher’s Guide and explain to
the students how to use it.
5)
Ready,
set, read!
Q7 – Can the sight-reading exercises be used in short time
segments?
A7 – SRJ for
the Ensembles is ideal for 5-10 minute warm-ups at the start of a rehearsal, or
longer and more intensive reading sessions. It’s up to you!
More
Visual Jazz Sampler
Q1 – What’s in the Sampler?
A1 – The
Visual Jazz Sampler is a CD-ROM that lets you walk through samples of the
Visual Jazz products.
Q2 – What are the computer requirements?
A2 – Like AOI,
the Visual Jazz Sampler runs on PC or Mac – you just need Adobe Acrobat Reader
(free) and you’re ready to use it!
Q3 – Are the samples the same as on the Visual Jazz web
site?
A3 – Some
are the same, but the Sampler also contains additional samples and sound files
not found on the web site. It’s also a convenient way to get all the sample
files in one place without navigating the Internet.
Deft-initions
Q1 – Is this a music book?
A1 – No,
although there is a music section in it. It’s a word-play book – instead of
playing notes, you play words.
Q2 – Is it puzzles or is it just reading?
A2 – It can be
either, depending on how you use it. You can try to guess the answers from the
clues, or you can just dive in and read it …
Q3 – Could this actually help me improvise?
A3 – It won’t help you learn your harmonic minor scales, but
it will help you practice seeing layers of meanings – and that’s a common
thread between words and improvisation.