Inspiration for improvisers
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Perspectives
When you begin something new, there’s so much to learn. Improvement is quick and often, practice is exploratory and fun. But after doing anything for a while, you settle into a routine and your once explosive improvement tapers off. Wherever this may leave you, you can’t seem to get beyond this plateau. Why are you …
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Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Perspectives
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you want to be the best. You want to walk into a room with your instrument and completely smash the competition. To tackle every chord progression, every tune, and every challenging technical passage with effortless mastery. To have every other player’s jaw drop as they look on in …
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Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips
There are perks to being a musician. You get to step out into the spotlight and be the star of the show. You get to experience the exhilaration of creating music in the moment with other musicians. And you get to share your music with family, friends, and complete strangers. But there’s one thing you …
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Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Myths, Perspectives
You’re searching for the perfect sound. You want to play long improvised lines with ease. You want to have effortless high range, to play swinging phrases with a stellar tone, and to sound great on any jazz standard. And to get there you just need that perfect instrument. That vintage Martin Committee trumpet, that mint condition …
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives
It’s been a few weeks since the new year when we posted articles on setting goals and making musical resolutions. Did you make some resolutions this year? If so, how are they holding up? Maybe you didn’t exactly make a conscious resolution, however you probably have some areas of your playing that you want to …
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Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Education, Jazz Standards, Perspectives
Take a peek into a high school jazz band rehearsal or grab a seat at a college jazz combo concert. Better yet, walk into your local jam session or take a close look at the jazz trio playing the next time you’re at a wedding. What do you see? In each case you’ll find the …
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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 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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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Standards, Perspectives, Transcribing
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar:You walk into a jam session ready to play a tune that you’ve been sounding great on. As the band finishes up a set you gather up your courage, walk up to the stage, and call this tune you’ve been working on memorizing all week. But at the last …
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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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Composition, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives
I love John Mayer. There, I said it. My secret is out. I’d totally go to one of his concerts if I could stomach being one of many in a herd of screaming fourteen year old girls. I’m not about to be a part of Bye Bye Birdie, so sorry John, not sure when I’ll …
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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 …