If you’re new to playing jazz cello, or just want to improve your skills, here are a few tips to help get you started.
First, learn the basics. You don’t need to know everything, but having a basic understanding of jazz chord progressions, scales and arpeggios will give you a strong foundation to build on. Next, practice regularly. The more you play, the better you’ll sound.
And finally, find a jam session or gig where you can apply what you’ve learned. Playing with others is a great way to develop your skills and expand your repertoire. With these tips in mind, you’re ready to start playing jazz cello!
Need a little more inspiration? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about how to play jazz cello!
What Genres Can Cello Play?
The cello can also be adapted to play a variety of other genres, including:
- Folk
- Jazz
- Rock
- Classical
- Contemporary
In recent years, cellists have even begun to experiment with electronic music, creating unique and innovative sounds.
As a string instrument, the cello can play a wide range of genres, from classical to contemporary. Its rich, resonant sound is well-suited to classical pieces, and its versatility makes it a popular choice for soloists and chamber musicians.
No matter what genre of music you enjoy, there’s a good chance that the cello can play it. So why not give this versatile instrument a try? You might be surprised at how much you enjoy its unique sound. Sign up for cello lessons today to learn how to play jazz on cello and consider the benefits of doing so by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZqKoU32KJg
Can You Play Jazz on the Cello?
The cello is often considered a classical instrument, but it is actually quite versatile. With its rich, full sound, the cello can add depth and texture to any type of music. Jazz is one genre that particularly benefits from the cello’s unique capabilities.
The most important thing for a jazz cellist is to have a good sense of rhythm. This can be challenging, as the cello doesn’t have any frets to help keep the notes in place. Instead, the player has to rely on their own sense of timing and intonation.
But once you get the hang of it, the cello can be a great addition to any jazz ensemble. Another important element of playing jazz on the cello is improvisation.
This is where the player gets to show off their creativity and really make the music their own. Improvising can be daunting, but it’s also one of the most rewarding aspects of playing jazz. With some practice, anyone can learn to play jazz on the cello.
How to Play Jazz Cello: Simple Tips
The latest Pixar film, Soul, focuses on a jazz musician and shows how his passion for beautiful music inspires others and enriches his life. This movie’s amazing soundtrack will inspire you to play jazz any way you can, even on cello! Jazz is a very broad musical genre, including subgenres like bebop, latin jazz, and rag, with roots in African traditional music combined with Western instruments.
Jazz cello uses special harmonies, melodies, and techniques for a unique sound. This article will look at how cellists can incorporate the instrument into jazz in two ways. The first step to learning this musical style is emulating the double bass with basic pizzicato lines, which helps learn the jazz harmonies.
What makes jazz distinct from most cello repertoire is the very free harmonies, and expressive melodies without the strict voice-leading and harmonic expectations of classical music. For the low-ranging instruments in the ensemble, such as double bass, electric bass, and cello, the first thing to learn are how to emphasize these special harmonies.
Play Like a Bass
Before we learn to play arco melodies on the cello, we will emulate the sound of a bassist’s pizzicato.
In jazz ensembles, the bass is considered part of the rhythm section, not the string section. Imagine yourself in the back of a big band with a full brass section in front of you, a drum set beside you, and yourself as the only bass player. You must keep up with the beat from the percussion, but also be adaptive for the melody. Put down the bow, and pluck the strings like a bass: keep the wrist high and pluck in one direction with the entire index or middle finger. Use a good amount of force to pluck the string, so you can support the melody while also being heard over the percussion and other accompaniment.
Jazz bassists don’t just play the root note of each chord, they also connect the harmony by “walking” up or down to make chord inversions, or omitting certain thirds to create a more open harmonic environment for the melody. There are audible expectations for the bass line, so you must decide where you want to be predictable and where you will alter the bass line to subvert expectations.
Play Like a Cello
Stephan Grappelli, the “grandfather of jazz violinists” incorporated the gypsy violin style into early French jazz in 1934, setting the groundwork for future string players in jazz. Fred Katz was the first cellist who pioneered playing arco on jazz cello a short time later, with the Chico Hamilton Quintet in the late 1950s. Katz’s cello is rarely the foreground in the ensemble; instead he uses the cello to create color with tremolo, chopping, and scale passages to connect harmonies, such as in I Want To Be Happy.
Tremolo is executed the same as in classical technique, with the one difference that it doesn’t need to be as measured. Chopping is using the weight from the bow to make a rhythmic, percussive sound. This style of jazz cello is great for incorporating your sound with a small ensemble, because you can work yourself into the music as often as you want.
Even though playing the melody line is exciting because you are in charge, you want to make the audience happy and your band happy by playing something recognizable and enjoyable. This takes some of the pressure off, as all you really need to pay attention to is making your melody sound good, and thereby making the band sound good.
Jazz Cello Solos
Of course, there are jazz cello solos which incorporate all of the above techniques to the extreme. One of the most popular solo pieces is Julie-O by Mark Summer, which was so popular it was used in a series of Apple advertisements in 2015.
Notice how the different sections use a variety of sounds such as pizzicato chords, melodic embellishment, and plenty of harmonic variation. In the extended arco section at the end the melody always comes first, but the glissando and flourishing scale runs keep it from being repetitive.
Another great example of what jazz cello is capable of is Wassily Gerassimez’s Cello Blues, which explores several jazz sounds in a series of episodes.
One More Tip for Playing Jazz Cello
One crucial piece of jazz missing from this article is improvisation, which will take an entire article of its own.
To work your improvisations into jazz, you need to understand the structure of the music and how your improv will work against the harmony and melody already established in the music. Practice along with your favorite jazz music using the techniques above and with time you will discover your unique jazz cello sound.
If you want to start playing jazz cello, the best way to get started is by taking lessons from a professional. There are many great teachers out there who can help you learn the basics and give you feedback on your playing. With some hard work and practice, you’ll be able to play jazz cello like a pro in no time!
William Crider