Jazz discussion

If you can't figure the chords by listening to it the bassline works too.
Bass in jazz generally is a "walking" bass, which means that they just arpeggiate the chords with quarter notes.
If you transcribe the bassline, you can get out the chords since unless you have half a bar the bass will walk over the 3rd and 7th.
If the chords are altered that's harder, but anyway once you have the basic chord down it's easy to see whether it's lacking something.

I've always found it pretty difficult to determine the harmony just from the bass. For one thing, on a lot of older recordings it can be pretty hard to hear the bass at times. And then there are the times when you can hear the bass but it's still nearly impossible to discriminate between the minor 3rd or major 3rd just because of tuning or intonation.

how much theory should I jnow before I start trying to play jazz? is the mark levine theory book good for beginners or does it start out with advanced concepts?

Well that's the theory, the truth is what you said, however if you have the bassline and the melody getting the base of the chord is usually doable.
Anyway unTIL you get a good ear no matter what you do, it'll be mostly a task of trial and error, and trying to deduce the chords you can't hear based on the ones you already have.

I would say it's a good idea to understand the construction and function of all the different kinds of seventh chords and to have some experience doing some harmonic analysis of classical music.

I think the Levine book assumes that you know about that much, so if you do it would be a good starting point.

anybody want to rec some cool jazz?

>to understand the construction and function of all the different kinds of se
>i

I recommend that you spend that time listening to bebop and hard bop instead

wat

>ards by ear is the

troll confirmed
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