I've been playing a bit of 1920's era trad Jazz lately. Not being a facile reader, I learn tunes by repetition using the amazing slow downer (ASD).
So many of these tunes were recorded in keys favored by horn players, especially Bb and Eb. Being primarily an old time music player, I am new to these keys. Its getting a bit easier to play in these horn keys as I expand my jazz repertoire, but remains a worthy challenge to my improv fluidity.
Today I tried something new, using ASD to lower the Bix classic, “singing the Blues”
From Eb to D. Doing that, I learned the changes and started developing lines and phrases immediately. It was a breath of fresh air.
I'm curious what experiences the rest of you might share regarding the question: do I transpose or not?
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