SCORES & SHEET MUSIC
For all you clarinetists out there, here's one of my etudes for any clarinet -
free download:
Etude for Bass Clarinet
Jazz Combo Charts for High School or Middle School.
These jazz tunes draw on a variety of musical styles including, funk, swing, rock,
2nd line, groove based, post bop, and latin, all with flexible instrumentation
that give plenty of options for creativity and improvisation for all players.
After teaching band for 25 plus years at a High School and Middle School on Manhattan's Upper West Side, I felt like I couldn't always find easy to intermediate charts that I wanted my students to play, so I wrote them myself. Easy enough for quick results but challenging enough to push some limits, and with styles to appeal to current sensibilities; contemporary but classic, jazz to funk to rock, these pieces span the modern, era and can appeal to students on any instrument.
The charts have been band class tested in the 6th to 12th grade age group, but could be played by older or younger students too. Written for a 4 part horn section, plus Rhythm section as follows:
1st part, Trumpet; 2nd part, Alto sax; 3rd part, Tenor Sax; 4th part, Trombone;
plus standard rhythm section of Piano, Guitar, Bass and Drums.
Please specify format when ordering;
$40.00 (USD) Sibelius file emailed to you.
$45.00 (USD) hard copy score and parts as written;, free US shipping.
Paypal preferred. Send payments to: timottomusic@gmail.com -
Check - Please make checks payable to Tim Otto. Sorry no credit cards.
All the recordings on this page are of an eight piece band - 4 horns and 4 rhythm; but the tunes can reduced or expanded to be playable by as little as a trio rhythm section + 2 horns, up to a standard Big Band.
The Compositions
1. Brass Blowout - Jazz Rock
A simple call and response rhythmic figure sets up section A, transitioning to a 3 part harmony melody in the bridge. This is a good tune to feature your piano soloist, but it can be opened up for any instrument. A pentatonic soli with added counterpoint brings it back to the DS at the bridge, and back to the main melody to end. Easy. Key of Eb
2. Dogs in Space - Spy Rock
A rock groove in the bass, piano and drums sets up the horns for a high energy long note intro and melody at letter B. Feature your drummer at the key change at letter G for a big, take no prisoners finale. Medium difficult. (Trumpets to high D.) Key of D minor
3. Lazy Days - ¾ Rock Ballad
A slow rock ballad with simple piano voicings and an arppegiated guitar vamp. A flowing melody leads to 3 part counterpoint and a bright trumpet melody in Sergeant Pepper style. Long notes complement the melodies leading to a key change finale. No solos.
Medium easy. Key of Bb
4. Too Cool for School - Swing rock/Latin
This catchy tune has an easy going groove set up by the rhythm section at letter A with the bass doubling the LH piano. The melody in the alto and tenor enter at B with varied instrumentation through letter C. At D the groove changes to funky latin – take extra care with the bass part – and builds back to the melody at E. The tenor sax solos at F over an easy II-V modulating up a step and back. After the solo, a DS to letter D (the bridge), and to the melody once more to the coda and fine. Medium difficult. Key of F
5. Waltz for Eddie - Slow swing waltz
This song was written for, and is dedicated to a dear colleague of mine the late, great Eddie Locke. A superb swing drummer known for his long stints with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge, Eddie was also in the most famous jazz photo ever taken, A Great Day in Harlem, and can been seen extensively in the documentary of the same name. Eddie and I taught at the same school for over 15 years together, and I wrote this song for him and our students after his passing in 2009.
An easy groove in ¾ time in the rhythm sections sets up the song for 2 part counterpoint and modulation between major and minor with plenty of dynamics. 2 guitar parts - lead and rhythm. Bass Clarinet can substitute for Tenor Sax. No solos. Easy. Key of F
6. Westside Drive - Latin Rock
For this pop groove tune, you have to imagine that you’re cruising on your bike in your favorite park. After a ‘bell tone’ intro with the horns, the melody rolls over the different grooves based on a II V in F concert, then modulating to Bb/F in the bridge.
Letter G is open for solos by any instrument; easy, quiet backgrounds pad the solo back to a DS al coda. Medium. Key of F
7. Dee Minor Blues
An easy minor blues with a primary melody range of only a 5th. Using only one type of chord (minor 7th), it’s great piece to introduce improvising – great for pentatonic and/or any type of minor scale application. After setting up the vamp, the melody enters in 3 part harmony at letter A; add the counter melody at the 2nd chorus at letter B. Open it up for solos, then use the melody at letter A (D.S) as the background for the last solo; then letter B and take the coda. Good piece to use your flute player, (or doubling sax player on flute), and as a nice optional color, mute the trumpet with unison flute. Bass Clarinet can nicely substitute for the tenor sax. Easy. Key of D minor
8. Trevorpalooza - Marching Band Funk
Named after the school where I have taught band for 18 years – The Trevor Day School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
This tune is based on a ‘2nd line’ New Orleans street marching band feel. After setting up the cut-time vamp in the intro, the woodwinds come in with the melody augmented with brass hits. Trumpet and trombone take the melody for the bridge, then it’s back to the woodwinds before stop-time tutti hits at letter D. Feature your drummer and other soloists over this repeated section, adding instruments either soloing with the drums, or go free-form and build it up with whoever want to solo. Bring it home with a cue to letter E and back to the melody and coda. Medium difficult. Key of C
9. Rock the Blues - Swing Blues
A simple blues using 3 interlocking riff-based melodic patterns in basic 2 part harmony. Trombone takes the solo, then horns come in with a simple soli that can be used alone or as a background to the last chorus of the solo(s). Patterns can be mixed ad lib for 2 and 3 part counterpoint. Easy. Key of G
Tim Otto & Harmony Hall are...
Tim Otto - Tenor Sax, All compositions, & arrangments
Peck Allmond - trumpet
Steve Elson - Alto Sax http://www.steveelson.com
Curtis Hasselbring - Trombone http://www.curha.com
Barney McAll - Piano & Rhodes http://www.barneymcall.com
Cameron Greider - Guitar http://www.myspace.com/camerongreider
John Mettam - Drums http://www.johnmettam.com
Dom Richards - Bass