ABOUT JPL :: HOW IT WORKS :: 12VOLTARTS :: JOHN JOHNSON :: CONTACT ::

How it works I tried to make jazz practice loops as easy to use as possible. I hope that even the novice computer user can grasp the concept easily. Here's a basic guide: First, click on 'practice loops' on the menu above. Then choose which practice session on the left that suits you. I tried to include the basic types of loops from years studying with Aebersold...2-5-1 progression, minor blues and major blues, scales, modal, etc. I also included a standards section that hopefully at some point include many of the standards found in the fake books. Once you click on a session type, you'll see a list of practice loops available. In all but standards, there should be a representation of keys and tempos. Clicking on the link will bring up the loop player. When you load the loop player, it will run in a second window. Some of the loops and arrangements are large, especially the standards. The preloader will tell you how much has loaded before it is ready to begin. Due to Internet Explorer security settings, it might ask you to allow for pop ups and active content. These are not ads nor are they malicious content. The pop up alert is caused by the javascript I use to open a secondary window. You can tell Internet Explorer to okay these pop ups, and the window will open. The active content alert is caused by the Macromedia Flash player. Press "Allow Blocked Content" and the Flash movie will load as intended. In the loop player, there are controls at the top for playing the loops, and a copy of the sheet music (if applicable) to use to follow along. You can resize the window to any size you want, even full screen if you want to view it from across the room. In the controls at the top, you'll see a place to enter the amount of times you want the loop to repeat. The default setting is one. Enter as many times as you wish. By using Macromedia Flash, I was able to set the loop point for the part to be repeated. That means you'll hear the count-off for the piece, but the count-off part will not be looped. One caveat, though: The looping is not perfect. You'll hear a slight break or delay when it loops. I tried to make it as clean as possible, but there still is no way to do that easily in Flash. When the play button is pressed, the loop will count off and the soloist can begin playing along. Pressing the stop button will stop the player altogether, and take the piece back to the beginning. For the standards, the soloist will here an a count-off, then a short intro to the piece. You can play along to the melody if you wish, or simply wait until the solo part of the standard. Entering a looping number in 'loops' will only loop the solo section of the piece, not the entire arrangement. Therefore, you can put on a copy of "Impressions" and solo over the changes as many times as you want. When the final solo loop has played through, it will take you through the head and the out for the end of the piece. It's as close as you'll get to directing your own ensemble over the Internet! When you are finished with the loop, simply close the resizable window. Open another if you like. Try not to open more than one at a time, as they are processor intensive and will greatly reduce the performance of your computer.