Ornithology

[Bob]

Any helpful tips for playing charlie parker's ornithology?

[SonnyMurphy]

Sorry i don't have a tip on that one :oops: - but I thought i should clarify ('cause I know the family) that trumpeter Bennie Harris, who was a contemporary of Bird and Diz, actually wrote Ornithology. "You could look it up!" as Casey Stengel would say.
thanks
ps. another bit of trivia, the beginning of the melody is almost exactly like a line from a famous Prez solo.

[RS]

Maybe learn the song it's based on--"How High the Moon". Try keeping the melody and lyrics in mind as you play through the chord changes.

[Buster]

Learn it phrase by phrase. Listen to Parker playing it - playing each phrase over and over and if possible singing them along with the disc.
Simply trying to play the right notes is not enough, you have to try to get that singsong nature. Once you have mastered two phrases play them together and so on. I strongly recommened you try the singing bit - it works for me every time. Good Luck

[ferrari]

In my quintet, we used to start out with "How High the Moon" and go straight to "Ornithology", then go to the solos. Great tunes both.

Listen to Bird. Get the Omnibook with his transcribed solo; it's a kick to play.