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Hey Knotty, I went with 4 Stars Book 4 and I just received it. It looks fine. I can still read it (though not fast). This was marked 'Early Intermediate'. It's still simple, the only difference are the keys (this one starts in the Key of D and F in the first couple of pages.

Crossing my fingers here but it looks like I was on the verge of figuring it out and I may have reached a milestone here.

TLT - there is no doubt I know what I am not good at I've been embarrassed more than a few times when I freeze in front of my teacher. But it seems like reading away from the piano has helped (I've been doing that in the last few months).

Perhaps any of you might be interested in working on 'Naima'?

Such a beautiful tune. Harder than I thought.

I'm playing this at a gig soon so I'm cramming. I know I'm taking a risk but I'm playing 10 new tunes at my next gig.

Naima is fine with me . . . love the tune.

OT: I just joined a few days ago because I am in the buying process... haven't owned a piano for 7 years. I just saw this forum/thread and am excited! Looks like there is great support not only for buying but for learning and improving.

Absolutely adamkaz! Welcome, get yourself a recording device and hop in.

Naima is a cool tune. I was just messing around with it a little. I'll see what I can do. I haven't got all set up yet for recording... just got moved to Chicago area.

Scott, that sounds quite major. That's like starting from scratch with students and such. Let us know how you're getting along.

I've played Naima more as a solo piano piece and it sounds great for that. But to do it combo style and double-timing the solo was harder than I thought. After awhile I was repeating ideas...

All non-functional harmony.

I still hate the term 'non-functional' harmony, so I'll just pretend that no one is saying it anymore.

In any case, I'm wondering about some typos in the Real Book Hal Leonard version for Naima. I've got the original real book and the versions are virtually identical except for an A or Ab chord in the 4th bar. Both sound good with the right voicing, but I'm thinking the chord should be Ab, given the same progression later on has Ab.

Anyone know for sure?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ywkpVJ624

If in doubt go to the source.
Trane's solo here is unbelievable, such intensity.

Ab it is.

I was practicing it with Ab. I just used my Iphone App changes and that's what it had.

So what's your problem with non-functional harmony? Because it sounds negative? It's just a word. If someone said modal and non-modal, does that hurt your feelings? LOL.

Hi, I've been hanging around the piano teachers forum mostly, but I thought I'd introduce myself here.

I studied jazz in college (at IU) and have learned mostly from the David Baker/Aebersold methods/books. I guess they're a little passé now, but oh well. LOL.

I'm trying to get into playing again (as well as teaching a few students the basics). I imagine my posting will be an odd mix of offering and asking for advice. But I'm happy to find a thread where musicians can discuss the technical and other aspects of playing jazz!

You're very welcome scotpgot. David Baker's teachings will never go out of style.

Yup - I can't imagine how David Baker would go out of style. My teacher studied with David Baker at IU for a little bit.

In the late 70's David Baker held a week long seminar here in Stockholm, it was 9 - 5 everyday.
He took us through arranging, harmony, improvisation, how to practise, how to teach - his energy was relentless.
Packed with Sweden's finest jazzers, he commenced to blow their collective minds with his concepts - and that jazz could actually be taught.
Apart from participating, I also had the job of transcribing the taped sessions, so I got to hear him several times.
He started off with: "the first rule is that there are no rules - the rest is practice practice practice and listen - listen a lot to music".

Amongst the sessions during the week he approached re-harmonizing by writing the melody of ATTYA (a collective gasp in the classroom - "a standard???!!??" "how dare he . . . !!??!!"
He then said "Ok, give me chord, any chord, any colour . . ."
Somebody said "A-major!"
"Ok, that makes it AMaj7 as the first chord"
He then proceeded to ask for chords, always altering them so they fit with the melody, until the whole tune was done. And then he played it - it was wild it was weird it was SO cool.

And then the 'mayhem' started " its not according to the rules" "it's not ehhh jazz" (somebody actually said) "its only an intellectual concept" bla bla bla and so on.

DB said "aha . . not jazz?" with a smile and then proceeded to blow us away improvising on the changes.

That week has stayed with me. So when I picked up the piano and started practising again seven years ago; DB's teachings sprung forth from somewhere within.

David Baker rules.

Ah, good to hear. Really, really good to hear.

During my time there, we were able to become friends, and I've kept in touch with him.

He's the only real, true genius (a word I hesitate to use ever when describing someone) I've ever known.

When I was going through his Improvisation book (again!) recently, I had to laugh. The first 4-6 pages are basically, "learn every chord, in every mode, in every key, starting on any note". A good year of practice in those first 4-6 pages. A lifetime to master the rest of the book.

Saw an article in the paper today and thought of ya'll..

http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2011/06/music_lovers_learn_new_techniq.html

It's a yearly jazz camp, and they have a piano program.

No, it hurts my sensibility of what the function of any harmony is. So to call something 'non'functioning, it implies that it doesn't serve a purpose, or doesn't work. What it doesn't do though, is fit simply into the classical theory of iis and Vs. But upon closer look at each chord those functions still exist, but sometimes at the same time (as in a V and a I), and then since it is harder to pinpoint their function (is it a V? is it a I?) they are labeled as non-functional.

So, for me at least, when I am progressing through learning how different composers from different eras use chords, I like to analyze how they arrived at certain chords, and if I called everything I didn't understand 'non-functional', then I would personally believe that I'd missed the point of how those chords were actually functioning. I'd also find it harder to learn the pieces, or to be able to solo intelligently over the changes.

Maybe later I'll acquiesce, or maybe even accept the term. But for now I'm on a little bit of a mission to get others to understand that maybe the term itself is non functioning.

Scep, well I agree with you but since it's the standard terminology, I don't know what else to call it. My point though is that the tune does not have a ii-V cadence anywhere and with the bass pedal, really makes it more of a modal tune I suppose.

But Naima has a ethereal quality to it that just appeals to me. It is just hard though to come up with a "story" on the solo though (as with most modal tunes).

I'm going to call them poly-function chords, since that's what they really do.

As for the ii V cadence you're looking for, what else would you say is happening going towards the 4th bar, and the repeat of the same section at the end of the tune? Maybe not ii V as you might want to see it, but clearly, there is cadence material there wouldn't you say?