Musical goals for new year

Happy New Year! 8 Musical Resolutions That Will Change Your Playing

By

Eric

Chords, Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Rhythm, Scales, Transcribing, Visualization

A new year is the perfect time to look back at what you’ve accomplished in the practice room and to look forward  to what you still wish to achieve as a musician. It’s also a great time to make a fresh start, to realign yourself musically, and to set some new goals. So, Happy New …

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How to reach your musical goals

Hitting the Target: How to Accomplish Your Goals in Music and Anything Else

By

Eric

How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Playing Techniques

On this site, we often talk about the specifics of learning improvisation: ear training, transcribing, chord progressions, language… But what about the big picture? How do you accomplish what you want to as a musician? How do you get from the player you are today to the player that you want to become down the …

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Overcoming mental limitations in music

Overcoming Mental Limitations in Music

By

Eric

Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Perspectives, Playing Techniques, Visualization

I can’t. We’ve all said these fateful words at one point or another. Fill in the blank for your own situation. “I can’t (____)”…draw, run long distances, wake up early, stop eating cheesecake. Every day there are literally dozens of things that we convince ourselves that we simply cannot do, and playing music and improvising …

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10 more exercises for jazz improvisation

10 Exercises to Practice When You’ve Run Out of Ideas (Premium)

By

Eric

Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Standards, Premium Only, Rhythm, Scales, Transcribing

We often get a ton of great questions from our readers about what to practice. These inquiries range from players that are stuck in a daily musical rut to aspiring improvisers that simply don’t know the next step to take in the practice room. The truth is, every musician encounters frustrating days on their instrument …

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