Performance Tip: Practice the Ending Lick First

Commonly the roughest part of a song is the last chorus, especially the ending. This is for a simple reason—it’s the last thing we learn. We get tons of reps on the opening of a song, and much less on the ending. The added challenge of the ending is that we need to signal it, listen carefully to the band so that we can sync up rhythmically (there’s often a ritard and straightening of the swing rhythm), and give a final ending signal. It makes sense to make the ending lick (maybe the last four bars) the first thing you learn, reviewing it often as you study the song.