Hi. I was wondering if anybody could offer me any advice please?

I am a woodwind peripatetic teacher, and (after the annual sorting out timetable feat), have begun teaching thi week.

I am a clarinettists first, but very comfortable on sax. Have done all the usual music college stuff, and teaching degree.

However, and this is a big however. I have never played jazz, and quite frankly am in awe of anybody that can! One of my pupils, who has recently started sax, wants to do the jazz exams, and we have agreed that we will start looking at grade 3. She klnows I have not done it before, as I thought that was only fair. I will not though, teach her just muddling through. I don't teach my other pupils juts by plodding along, and dont intend to start now.

My question then is this. How would you suggest that I go about familiarising myself with the requirements for these exams (syllabus obiouvly I know), and what do you think are the most important aspects of taking somebody through these exams? Also are there ABRSM teaching aid books that explaing everyting (rather a jazz for dummies affiar I was hoping), and is there nything else you think I should know.

he whole dilemme being based on the fact that I want to keep this pupil interested and if jazz is what she wants, its what she ehould have, but I dont ant to end up teaching her inadequately.

I would appreciate any help and advice at all, but please, if you have only negative comments (like I shouldn't be doing it if I don't know it), please don't post because that is exactly what I am trying to find out. Some negative is good, but not all.

Thanks everyone, and I look forward to be enlightened on what I think at the moment is a very scary journey!

Ta.

Hello clarinez!

I'm not a teacher, I'm just a jazz lover and not even a jazz player...

Until you get some knowledgeable replies, you could try having a look at this thread which was started by somebody else who wanted to teach jazz. In a nutshell the advice was to listen to lots of jazz to get a feel for it, and have some lessons yourself with a jazz teacher.

I can see you don't come on the forums very often, so you may not know that the jazz forum is normally a very quiet forum If you don't get many responses, you could try asking the mods if they will move your thread to the teachers forum where you may get more replies

I think there was going to be a melody instrument version eventually, but a lot of what is in "Jazz Piano From Scratch" is very applicable to any instrument. (T'aint cheap but I found a copy on eBay and saved quite a lot)

(I've also used "Jazz Fiddle Wizard" and "Jazz Fiddle Wizard Junior", which Violinia introduced me to, with non-string people and again it gives some great ideas and such that are applicable all round even though it's supposed to be for string players)

Listen to as much jazz as you can - if you have a DAB radio there is now a radio station devoted to jazz called theJazz.

One think that (IMO) is really important is the improvisation which forms a constituent of almost every section of the exam... it is important NOT to let your pupil learn an "improv" by heart in order to play it in the exam room - IMO that makes a mockery of what the exams are designed to test and teach.

If you can find a jazz specialist who will be willing to give you a few lessons, or if you can go on a course (AB or otherwise) that would be great.

Learn the scales and stuff yourself first and in as many keys as you can (not just those set for the grades) - it will help you with improv and will help you to help your students.

I am like you a novice at jazz, did grade 1 jazz flute last session, doing grade 2 this session, and just beginning to incorporate some jazz stuff in lessons. Like you I make no pretense to students that I am an experienced jazzer, but pupils and friends who I have done jazz with seem to have really enjoyed it. If a student clearly has an aptitude for it, they probably need to have lessons from someone who really knows their jazz. It would (IMO) be a bit unfair on them otherwise.

A workshop with Violinia a couple of years ago (before which I would have assumed that I was not a natural jazzer at all) gave me masses of ideas and has been immensely helpful, IMO if you can find someone to take you through some basics, it will help a lot!

& have fun!!

Have a look at the workshops and courses the Associated Board are running next year (see the front page of this website for details). I'm hoping to get a place on the London course for next year, as I applied too late to get in last year.

http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/jazz/item.html&id=405 - that's the direct linky (I hope!) - the jazz courses sound brilliant fun.

ps... just noticed there is now an intermediate course too! Wish they weren't so far away.

The improvising element can be quite tricky - and improvising is of course a cornerstone of jazz (and therefore the jazz exams). If you're unsure about it, a lesson or two I'd think would reap dividends.

I really do think you need to develop an appreciation and enjoyment of jazz yourself before even considering entering students for jazz exams. Anything less would be a bit odd; how would you answer the question if a dyed-in-the-wool jazzer asked the same advice but for classical exams? You'd say: develop an interest in classical music, learn about classical music history, get yourself a classical teacher and become a convincing and competent player of classical repertoire yourself first, wouldn't you? And if not, why not?!?

I started teaching jazz myself a few years back but only after playing jazz for 20 years and doing a relevant project as part of the CTABRSM course where I developed my own method, teaching materials etc etc. Since then I've discovered new teaching materials which I use, but am always on the look-out for new ideas and better ways of doing things. I'm also constantly listening to jazz and keeping up with what's happening on the contemporary scene as well as increasing my knowledge of jazz history. I also work as a jazz musician. I'm not suggesting you need to have played jazz for 20 years yourself, but all the same.....

From where you are now I'd say: go and buy some jazz CD's particularly featuring musicians playing on your chosen instrument. Study the development of jazz until you have a pretty good picture of what happened when. Build up a big collection of CD's from the earliest days up to contemporary times. Go to gigs and talk to the musicians afterwards, asking them how they got into jazz and what inspired them.

Then - and only if you find you enjoy jazz! - find yourself a jazz teacher and take some lessons. When you've built up a bit of confidence, find out if there are any workshops in your area and go along. Once you start to become confident there, perhaps start a jazz group of your own, playing first for pleasure and then at private parties etc.

Then and only then start teaching jazz.

All this can be achieved if the will is there and if you really want to do the best by your pupils. I don't think anyone should be teaching jazz without at the very least immersing themselves in the genre. If you're going to do it, aim to do it to the very best of your ability and this will take some immersion and hard won skills of your own - there really is no getting away from this!

I use jazz stuff in lessons and have done informal sessions with friends. But I'm a long way from setting myself up to teach jazz - I teach classical and I dabble in getting students to try jazz because I think they will enjoy it and it will do them the world of good. I can't imagine putting someone in for even grade 1 jazz until I feel I am well beyond the standard the AB require for grade 5, and even then I will only teach it as an addition to what I profess to teach, and will pass someone on to a specialist if I ever get to teach jazz to someone who clearly has an aptitude for it - it would be unfair not to, however much I enjoy introducing people to improv etc I'm just not good enough myself to attempt to teach it to others beyond the basics. DO try this stuff out and I encourage you to have a go. But don't fall into the trap of looking on it as some sort of add-on to classical teaching which you must be able to do because you can do the classical side of things.

DO have a go though, because it's just brilliant.

Good point Sarah. It takes so long to become good at jazz or classical (or any other kind!) of music that there is no shame in being a 'specialist'. There is just so much to know about each subject you could go on learning just one style for ever!!! (although dabbling in others in obviously healthy and useful)

*edit sorry if this makes no sense...am very tired and off to bed now!

Actually I think your post made more sense than mine, pianodub! I couldn't work out how to express what I wanted to say

I don't even feel like much of a specialist in classical flute... ahh well, the day I stop learning....