In
Straight from the Source: A Tune-Based Approach to Learning Jazz Improvisation
, veteran teachers Chuck Ciorba and John Kocur offer a comprehensive guide for all instrumentalists to learn how to improvise. "Straight from the Source" suggests that great jazz recordings and the tunes themselves should be the primary source material for the beginning and novice improviser. Built around seven common tunes, each chapter contains important historical and cultural background mixed with music theory and practical exercises. Throughout the book, readers will discover how jazz musicians throughout history have used five techniques to create music spontaneously with others: (a) rhythmic invention, (b) melodic paraphrase, (c) harmonic generalization (with pentatonic and blues scales), (d) chordal embellishment (making the changes), and (e) melodies from modes. Instead of endless exercises, the authors began with great solos on real tunes, then worked backward to figure out how someone could learn to improvise like the greats. Each chapter addresses various parts of the tunes: The Story, The Song, The Chords, The Arrangement, and The Solo. Readers will find examples written for concert pitch, Bb, Eb, and bass clef instruments making the book suitable for classroom instruction or individual practice on many instruments. Most other improvisation methods on the market lack the cultural context of the eras, artists, and communities from which this music comes. "Straight from the Source" offers an authentic example of how to learn music theory, jazz history, and culture while digging into the music one tune at a time.