Playing Dixieland 

Rhythm playing is the main subject of this essay, though there are a few notes at the end for the horns. Old music has its own rhythm styles, just as modern jazz and rock do. And if any of the rhythm players barge ahead and do their own thing, they can destroy the impact of the music, even take all the fun out of it for everyone else in the band and audience. They aren't teaching old-style rhythms in school at any level, so the teachers don't know them either.

Younger rhythm-folk and anyone else who doesn't know the music, Hear This: In old music, the rhythm section sits behind the horns, both physically and artistically. Your job is to make the horns sound good and the dancers groove the roof. You are the rhythm section; unlike modern jazz and pop players, you are not equal to the horns. You provide, appropriate rhythm, strokes, and chords. KISSS method--Keep It Simple, Solid and Soft--Yes, S-O-F-T:  the horns control the volume dynamics--you follow them and make sure you don't play louder than they do!!

Before you stroke a lick, notice the instrumentation. In fact, when you get booked, ask the bandleader about the:

Now, figure out what kind of strokes you are going to use. That is, will the bass or tuba play 1&3 or 4-4; will the piano boom-chuck, do mainly right-handed zaps, stride, or ricky-tick all night? Will the drummer ride the big cymbal or do brushes or go b-o-o-m chick or do "4-on-the-floor" bass drum, or play a lot of press rolls? ---> If there is a banjo, the drummer should stay off the ride cymbal; use nice whacking brushes with the guitar for non-slow tunes. Listen to what the horns are doing as a group or individually, and support them; if they are syncopating, play straight 4--it'll send their notes flying into the stratisphere.

Banjos and guitars can play a powerful dynamic role simply by proper choice of chopped 4-4, off-beats, or held strokes. Zaps and solos are part of the fun of playing dixieland; but comping is an art, and a worthy rhythm person knows how and when to comp; knows how to play the various rhythm styles; can feel whatever style is being played; and supports the effort by playing appropriately. The rhythm section

Routines
Verses: Most old songs had a Verse. The verse may or may not played in a particular tune depending on tradition; it's usually before the melody (first) chorus, but often may be played after the melody, and often is played again before the out choruses. EG. Verse-Chorus-Solos, Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Solos, Chorus-Verse-Solos-Verse-Chorus.

Endings are usually more or less at the whimsy of the lead horn, but there are some tunes with well-known endings. Standard patterns: Any tune may have 1 or 2 "out" choruses. "Traditional  jazz" bands end multi-strained tunes with a 2-bar extended or "double" ending, using the same chord, inserted between bars 31 and 32 (23 and 24 for blues, which are usually played 2 X per strain); and may use double endings for anything fast. However, the piano-bass / Eddie Condon style bands often use the drum tag pattern: Sudden ending, 4 bars drums (maybe 8), 4 bars (maybe 8) band tag. Dance band or jazz horn players often use the I / VI ending. Routines vary from band to band, depending in part on which, if any, classic version of the tune is being copied.

Breaks and Stops are very important in traditional jazz. Rhythm is silent or plays a specific beat pattern ("stop"), while a horn solos. You ZAP the first note of the break. Some breaks (Tiger Rag) and stops (Dippermouth Blues) are standard parts of the tune; others are part of a band's arrangement, or are called ad hoc by a horn, or even rhythm person: > - - - or >>> - or - > - > (- is a tacit beat; > is a band zap on the beat). If played with authority, they really zip up the tune and make it more fun to play. Be prepared to take a break of one or two bars without advance warning--someone may turn around suddenly and point to... you. A nifty break by a newcomer is most impressive. They may be testing you.

Dynamics is very important. Volume well might vary from strain to strain or chorus to chorus. If there are 2 band "in" choruses, 1st is "up", 2nd is "down" ; if 2 out choruses, 1st is down, 2nd is up. Or vice versa. A great effect is to drop the volume of bars 17-23 in the out chorus, then really hit the last 8 bars. Many lead horns, especially in small formats, open and close with the melody, playing it "down". Some consistently play a hot out chorus. Follow the leader !!

1920s pop tunes. This is "square" two-beat music. Piano mostly boom-chucks, or syncopates as a change-up. Banjo often plays 2 - 4, changing-up with a 4 - 4, gliss, or occasional mummers stroke. Tuba / bass mostly does 1- 3. Drums use bass on 1 - 3 , snare on 2 - 4, with frequent zaps on choked 6", 8" or high-hat cymbal. Chords often change in 3 beat cycles (the usual is 4 or 2!!) Eg: C..G7 ..C. This pattern is not used much in Dixieland, but if you ever play the original stock charts, you'll need to practice it.

The Horns
Many of the general comments on the music apply to the horns. Here are some considerations for the front line.

Style is important. Dixieland played by modern jazz players, no matter how good they are, usually sounds like hell because Dixieland isn't Bebop: it isn't "cool", it's "hot". This statement is directed at you as an individual, playing with a group of traditional style players. Of course, if the other players are beboppers, the music may be great--But it ain't Dixieland and if your audience–the ones paying the freight--expects Dixieland, the folks may be disappointed. As a minimum, you should be able to play 30s swing-style, without extended chords, with a warm, not "cool" sound.

Solos: The traditional New Orleans style featured ensemble playing, with very few solos, except in breaks. However, most bands structure the performance of each tune with one or two ensemble choruses going in, maybe chorus-verse-chorus, or verse-chorus, a string of solos, one or two out ensemble choruses. It all-too-rarely occurs to the musicians that the same routine tune after tune can be b-o-r-i-n-g to the audience. Even when the performance is varied with more or less fancy arrangements going in or out, the solos remain.

Consider this: do you really have something interesting to say or hot licks or fancy gimmicks for every tune? Sure, you have fun soloing, and of course some of your best moments come from the stimulation of what's happening at the moment. But if you find you feel no inspiration during a tune, why not pass on it rather than bore the audience? It seems that most of the time, the rounds of solos occur in mindless cycles. This isn't so bad for fast tunes, but a lower tempos, especially slow tunes, it makes the tunes drag on and on. Try splitting up the solos into 16- or even -8 bar segments. Harmonize with other horns behind the solo. As a listener, I really don't get much pleasure from 9 choruses of "Georgia"--4-5 will do just fine...

Liberal use of mutes provides a great change-up in the sound of the band--the brass can do straight or solotone mute harmonies behind the clarinet, or use the mutes during ensembles.

Dixieland styles:
There are several basic styles. 1. New Orleans traditional, 4-beat, usually neither "fast" nor "slow", and features much ensemble playing. 2. The most commonly played style is New York/Chicago/Eddy Condon, piano-bass-(guitar), which essentially is a form of 4/4 swing, has a greater variety of tempos and tunes, from slow to hot/fast, features rounds of solos. 3. "Ragtime", which is square and not played that often for entire gigs. 4. 1940s New Orleans "Revival", hard square 4-beat. 5. West Coast "Revival", 2-beat (banjo-tuba), not "fast".

Tune sources: CDs and music books
lf you intend to play Dixieland regularly, listen to the old records. There are many CDs of just about everything you'd need. The original Audio Fidelity "Dukes of Dixieland" records (to date only one CD has been issued) have all the cliches and patterns, and are great learning tools. Turk Murphy (well represented on CD) did all the trad and saloon tunes. The Stomp Off label has current bands playing 20's jazz. Robert Parker's CDS label stereoizes many basic 20's and 30's records; John R. T. Davies' "restorations", which are found on many CD labels, seem to get the most sound out of the 78's. Check in on this website periodically: one day there will be some discographies for beginners, both of jazz classics and modern versions for playing along. Meanwhile, Red Hot Jazz has it all. Check out the links and discography sections. As for music books, the publishing industry has done badly by us. So right now, your best sources are to be found on http://americanmusiccaravan.com
 
The best learning tool is a tape recorder under your chair recording every performance, rehearsal--every time you play. Listen to it as soon as you get home, to hear what was right or what you screwed up--what didn't fit and what made the band sound better--while you still remember the gig and what you were thinking while you were playing. This is the quickest way to become useful in a band or solo context. Don't let the bad stuff get you down; look for what's right and practice it; note what to avoid in the future, so you don't get into any bad habits. Do use your tapes for reality checks--new players and bands usually don't know when they are playing well or badly. Even experienced musicians have times when a performance felt good and was actually terrible ... and vice versa 

Remember: You're there to entertain the audience. As an individual, you are there to make the band sound better, and make the client want to have the band for his/her next event. You never know who's in the audience, so always conduct yourself in a professional manner, on and off the bandstand. If you're playing with the band for the first time, check with the leader from time to time to see whether he wants you to play more or less conservatively.

Have fun, break a leg, and vaya con dinero.

Copyright 2000  by David W. Littlefield