Peter Blair

Sequential Warm-Ups

This unique set of 17 warm-up pieces for the young Jazz Ensemble covers the essential rhythmic and harmonic elements found in two styles of Jazz: “even eighth note” (such as Latin Rock) and Swing music. After the initial two legato warm-ups, the music is divided into four sections: Even eighth note examples in B flat, Swing examples in B flat, even eighth note examples in F and Swing examples in F. Each exercise builds on the previous example so younger jazz students will be introduced to essential rhythms and phrases in a well-sequenced method. The rhythm section parts are carefully crafted to allow maximum flexibility for each player. All the Warm-ups are designed to work at a variety of tempos and with various dynamic shadings, so each one can be used in a multitude of ways.