What aspect of music is the foundation of everything else? Rhythm, of course.
Before there were any set melodies or songs, people played rhythms. With this in mind, Rhythm First! builds students’ ability to improvise from the bottom up. This book is classroom-friendly and is a perfect introduction to jazz for younger musicians.
In a step-by-step fashion, Rhythm First! increases the student's library of rhythmic figures and has them playing along with the accompanying CD download to get the sound and feel of jazz soloing under their fingers. Melodically, the book starts with playing simple rhythmic figures on any note, then on the tonic of the F blues scale, followed by the tonic and one other note. Over the course of the book, it progresses to show how and when to use three kinds of blues scales.
The Rhythm First! method is more fun, and therefore more successful in getting kids starting to improvise than any other approach. This is a must-have resource for any school band program!
A Few Ways to Use This Book:
-
As a teaching guidebook for beginning improvisers, even as young as elementary school (9 or 10 years old with about a year of playing experience).
-
For a player in a middle school, junior high or high school jazz band who has never tried to improvise can get started soloing easily with concrete steps to build solos that sound good.
-
If you can already improvise a solo but find all your solos sounding the same, this book will help you listen for more than just "the right notes" and create solos with rhythmic and melodic interest.
-
Rhythm First! can be used by professional musicians or teachers who have had limited jazz playing experience, but need to teach beginner jazz improvisation.
-
"Classically" trained musicians teaching themselves swing feel, jazz rhythm reading, and improvisation.
-
Even accomplished players in other genres who are just looking for fresh ideas can find useful, challenging ideas here to stimulate creativity and add rhythmic vitality to their solos.
Includes a free CD download with both play-along and demonstration tracks!
Spiral-bound, 103 pages, Table of Contents.
Sample Pages: Two-Beat Figures, F (Concert) Minor Blues Scale
Sample Audio: Track 8, Track 11, Track 14
Endorsements from Music Teachers:
“Rhythm First! is a much needed resource for the developing jazz ensemble. The concept of creating improvisation from a rhythmic starting point is what has been missing from the jazz literature until now! Tom skillfully crafts this book to meet this need in a way that is sequential, musical and entertaining. The audio tracks are terrific and fun to play along to. Rhythm First! also strengthens students' rhythmic vocabulary which not only prepares students for soloing but for chart reading as well. Every school should have this book as a dietary supplement to inspire and develop their students' skills.”
— Chris Colaneri, Director of Columbia Middle School Concert Band and Jazz Band, Berkeley Heights, NJ
“I really appreciate the idea of a book about rhythm in improvisation. The idea of students having a set group of rhythms to build on is great. I especially find chapter 14 useful. It is tough sometimes to get kids to improvise, they don't know what to think about. To give them an extended list that they can have in front of them is priceless. There are so many ways I can incorporate this into my program. Thank you for taking the time to put this all down and share it with everyone.”
— Tracy Walsh DeRagon, Music Coordinator, K-12 Ballston Spa (NY) Central School District
Tom Kamp is a versatile musician known for his skills in trombone, teaching, and composition. He serves as a band director for Berkeley Heights Public Schools in New Jersey and has over 30 years of private teaching experience, specializing in low brass and jazz improvisation. Career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Birdland jazz club, as well as unique gigs like playing with the Woody Herman Orchestra and backing the Temptations and the Four Tops. He's also known for his innovative "Exploring Music and Technology" class at Governor Livingston High School.
