Every serious improviser has to deal with the blues. From the players just starting out in school, to the musicians at local jam sessions, to the biggest names performing on international stages. Because the blues...Read More
Every serious improviser has to deal with the blues. From the players just starting out in school, to the musicians at local jam sessions, to the biggest names performing on...Read More
It's the subtleties of articulation that make melodies come alive. But, being so subtle, articulation is one of those concepts that's difficult to grasp, or for that matter, even teach. And it's personal. Nearly every...Read More
It's the subtleties of articulation that make melodies come alive. But, being so subtle, articulation is one of those concepts that's difficult to grasp, or for that matter, even teach....Read More
Improvising over any chord progression can be a challenge. But the true test of your skills as an improviser comes in those moments when the band drops out and you're forced to improvise alone, without...Read More
Improvising over any chord progression can be a challenge. But the true test of your skills as an improviser comes in those moments when the band drops out and you're...Read More
No pianist has influenced the modern approach to jazz piano more than McCoy Tyner. From players like Chick Corea and Mulgrew Miller to non-pianists like Woody Shaw and Michael Brecker, McCoy has left his mark...Read More
No pianist has influenced the modern approach to jazz piano more than McCoy Tyner. From players like Chick Corea and Mulgrew Miller to non-pianists like Woody Shaw and Michael Brecker,...Read More
It sounds so complex. So difficult. So advanced. Great jazz musicians sound as though they're implementing highly complex and difficult concepts that mere mortals could never hope to access, but in reality, professionals think simpler...Read More
It sounds so complex. So difficult. So advanced. Great jazz musicians sound as though they're implementing highly complex and difficult concepts that mere mortals could never hope to access, but...Read More
You’ve been thinking about it all day. As you ate breakfast. On your commute to work. And while you were sitting at your desk watching the seconds tick by. You need to practice. You need...Read More
You’ve been thinking about it all day. As you ate breakfast. On your commute to work. And while you were sitting at your desk watching the seconds tick by. You...Read More
Herbie Hancock is one of the greatest living improvisers. From his work with the great Miles Davis Quintet to his own musical explorations, he has spent decades evolving and pushing musical boundaries. But the thing...Read More
Herbie Hancock is one of the greatest living improvisers. From his work with the great Miles Davis Quintet to his own musical explorations, he has spent decades evolving and pushing...Read More
What comes to mind when you hear the word diminished? A chord? A scale? Wait, is it whole-steps and half-steps...or the other way around? If you're like most players, the diminished sound often creates more...Read More
What comes to mind when you hear the word diminished? A chord? A scale? Wait, is it whole-steps and half-steps...or the other way around? If you're like most players, the...Read More
Alterations are at the heart of jazz. In no other genre of music can you freely alter chords in a such a fluid and flexible manner. As chords whiz by, the soloist has the freedom...Read More
Alterations are at the heart of jazz. In no other genre of music can you freely alter chords in a such a fluid and flexible manner. As chords whiz by,...Read More
You want to play exciting solos. Ones that will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, that'll make you stand out from every other musician in the room. But when you improvise...Read More
You want to play exciting solos. Ones that will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, that'll make you stand out from every other musician in the...Read More
If you've spent any time practicing jazz improvisation, chances are you've heard of the turnaround. Those little two bar chord progressions that pop up at the ends of tunes or in the middle of your...Read More
If you've spent any time practicing jazz improvisation, chances are you've heard of the turnaround. Those little two bar chord progressions that pop up at the ends of tunes or...Read More
John Coltrane is probably best known for Countdown and Giant Steps, or his earth-shattering intensity on A Love Supreme. But often overlooked is the depth and beauty of his phrasing and lyricism... When I first...Read More
John Coltrane is probably best known for Countdown and Giant Steps, or his earth-shattering intensity on A Love Supreme. But often overlooked is the depth and beauty of his phrasing...Read More
You've heard solos with wrong notes. Unfortunate note choices that make you cringe, questionable scales that clash with the chords, and licks that sound forced and unnatural. But I'm guessing you've also heard players that...Read More
You've heard solos with wrong notes. Unfortunate note choices that make you cringe, questionable scales that clash with the chords, and licks that sound forced and unnatural. But I'm guessing...Read More
Open up a music theory book and you’ll likely find pages and pages of definitions. Terms like apogituras, retograde inversions, mordents, hemiolas, turns...Good information, but not exactly stuff that you'd want to put into your...Read More
Open up a music theory book and you’ll likely find pages and pages of definitions. Terms like apogituras, retograde inversions, mordents, hemiolas, turns...Good information, but not exactly stuff that you'd...Read More
Back in September we released a free presentation walking you through What You Should Practice. And in that presentation, we showed you and discussed the 3 essential pieces to practicing jazz improvisation... Getting new language...Read More
Back in September we released a free presentation walking you through What You Should Practice. And in that presentation, we showed you and discussed the 3 essential pieces to practicing...Read More
Ever wonder how the best players seem to improvise brilliant lines without any effort? All while you're struggling to make even the simplest chord tones sound good. If you're like most players you know this...Read More
Ever wonder how the best players seem to improvise brilliant lines without any effort? All while you're struggling to make even the simplest chord tones sound good. If you're like...Read More