As Professor of Trumpet Technique at the Amsterdam University of the Arts and member of the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, Erik Veldkamp has learned first hand what works for players at levels to establish their own style of improvisation. This book is the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of work and experience in the field, and is such a simple step-by-step manual that you will be creating improvisations that you never thought possible by the end. Complete with 127 audio files of demos and backing tracks, and 200+ pages of studies and solos, there is simply nothing else on the market like it.

This book is based on melodic improvisation. Using 16 different jazz standards as your guide, you will learn systematically how to use theme development, articulations, modes, broken chords, approach notes, and enclosures, to take your improv to the next level. The part of the book are:

Part 1: Plain language explanation of what theme development, articulation, modes, broken chords, approach notes, and enclosures are, and how great players use them to create new music off the top of their head.

Part 2: 16 Jazz Standards, each written out with 6 choruses. First you play the theme, then Erik develops new improvisations (all written out and with demo recordings), a theme interpretation, a theme development, an improvisation, then a free improvisation. You then get to use the backing tracks to play through all 6 choruses yourself with the written material, then try your own improvisation on the last chorus! This is followed by 4 more jazz standards with nothing written out by Erik, this is where it is your time to shine and graduate as a fully fledged Jazz Soloist.

Part 3: Appendix. This is where you find more scales, approach note exercises, enclosure examples by Clifford Brown, A closer look at jazz articulation, and ending with St. Louis Blues by Louis Armstrong.

Your purchase gets you the 200+ page book, two full albums of audio (one is demos and samples, the other is all backing tracks).

I have put some samples to the left, and included an entire tune. Listen to Erik play each chorus below, then the last track is backing band only so you can try yourself. The list of all the standards included is at the bottom. Dig in everyone!

Song List

1. Freddie Freeloader
2. I’ve Never Been In Love Before
3. I’ve Got Rhythm
4. Honeysuckle Rose
5. All of Me
6. Someday My Prince Will Come
7. Autumn Leaves
8. On The Sunny Side of the Street
9. All The Things You Are
10. Lulu’s Back in Town
11. Soon
12. Just Friends
13. Sometime Ago
14. Secret Love
15. Stella by Starlight
16. Sweet Georgia Brown
17. I’ll Close My Eyes
18. Tea for Two
19. A Foggy Day
20. It’s All Right With Me

Erik Plays Through “Autumn Leaves”

Backing Track for Autumn Leaves, Try It with the Samples!

More Books in this series

1. Veldkamp, The Improvisation Big Book
2. Veldkamp, Patterns for Improvisation
3. Veldkamp, Playbook for Improvisation
4. Veldkamp, The Jazz Articulation Big Book 1
5. Veldkamp, The Jazz Articulation Big Book 2
6. Veldkamp, Flexibility Big Book
7. Veldkamp, Flexibility Big Book 2
8. 50% OFF Veldkamp Jazz Articulation Series