The best and greatest way to learn improvisation is to study with a teacher who can improvise and knows how to explain it to other people. Many aspiring jazz enthusiasts are not able to do this so I'm giving you 5 different things you can do to help prepare yourself to improvise.

1. Listen to as many jazz recordings as you can. Big bands, combos, soloist with rhythm section, any combinations you can find. All styles from dixieland to bebop and fusion. Check your public library for recordings, trade CD's with your friends and buy recordings by your favorites. A good source for purchasing jazz CD's is Doubletime Jazz.

2. Read as many books about jazz as you can find.Bios, books about improv, critical essays, anything to increase your knowledge about the music. Keep in mind that books represent the author's opinion. You don't have to think the same thoughts.

3. Practice chords, scales, patterns, etc. in all 12 keys. This kind of practice is similar to memorizing multiplication tables. At first you may not have a reason for doing this, but eventually you will need this information and it is quicker in the long run to have them memorized and under your fingers. It is fine to know where the 1/2 steps are in a major scale, but for an improviser you must know the scales, there will be no time to stop and figure them out.

4. Transcribe solos, play along with CDs and tapes. Pick easy solos, learn the melody, play along with anything that will sharpen your ear.

Suggested Altoists who play simple solos: Johnny Hodges, Hank Crawford, Louis Jordan. 

Suggested Tenorists: Lester Young. Gene Ammons.
 

5. Learn several jazz standards. These are all standards that are played on many types of gigs. Even in you can't improvise on these knowing the tune will help you get more out of the tune when you hear someone else play it.

Suggested tunes: 
1.  Satin Doll (C)
2. Autumn Leaves (Bb)
3. Girl from Ipanema (F)
4. A Train (C)
5. Sweet Georgia Brown/Donna/Dig (Ab)
6. Honeysuckle Rose/Scrapple from the Apple (F)
7. Indiana/Donna Lee (Ab)
8. On Green Dolphin Street (Eb)
9. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (C)
10. All of Me  (C)

The biggest deficiency I see in beginning jazz students is that they have little background in the music. They want to play jazz but haven't really heard enough of it to know what it is. Listening, reading, and transcribing even if you don't understand what to do with it yet gives you the raw material you need when you are able to put it together.
 

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