Here’s a little method I devised for working on basic big band-style kicks and set-ups, using Ted Reed’s Syncopation. Like many of the ways of working with Reed, it involves some selective reading/interpretation, but in a constructive way. We’re not just making things difficult because we don’t feel like buying another book- the interpretive skills developed in this method are very close to what’s required in playing actual charts. The biggest leap of imagination is putting in the ties, and you can mark those in with a pencil if you want.
