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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using permutation in music

Using Permutation to Create Unlimited Musical Ideas…and Killer Technique

By

Eric

Composition, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Rhythm, Scales

Time and again, we’ve stressed on this site that scales are not the secret to jazz improvisation. However, scales can be beneficial if you practice and apply them in the right way. Once you aurally understand and ingrain the vital aspects of the jazz language (i.e. phrasing, melodic construction, expression, harmonic application, time, articulation, etc.) …

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how to master sightreading

5 Steps to Mastering Sight-Reading

By

Eric

Jazz Advice and Tips, Rhythm

A reader recently asked: At my college, to get into the lab bands you have to be a really great sight-reader. What are some ways to become a great reader besides just saying “read whatever you can.” I am decent at sight-reading, but I want to take it to that next level. How do I …

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how to phrase like a pro

How to Phrase Like a Pro

By

Forrest

Playing Techniques, Rhythm

Amateurs phrase in a way that sounds boring and boxy. In contrast, professionals phrase in a way that gives excitement and forward motion to their playing. In this article I’ll explore some tendencies that I’ve observed in the recordings of my heroes. Of course, your personal observations would result in different conclusions, which is why …

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developing a concept of swing

Developing a Concept of Swing

By

Forrest

Playing Techniques, Rhythm

A reader writes: It seems like everyone is taught the standard “off beat” articulation of swing eighth notes, but I feel that swing is really much more complicated. Why is it that some players seem to swing so hard while others do not? What’s the secret to swinging hard? Yes, everyone is taught the standard …

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exploring time and space in jazz improvisation

Exploring Space

By

Forrest

Rhythm

Music is the space between the notes – Claude Debussy. The use of space is what defines our lines. Learning how to control our use of space allows us to define our lines precisely how we want to. To gain this control, we must focus our attention on where we rest. Most of our practice …

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new rhythms in your playing

Integrating New Rhythms Into Your Playing

By

Forrest

Rhythm, Transcribing

Rhythm is often thrown to the wayside, in favor of working on harmony and melody. Perhaps this disregard is caused by a lack of understanding about how to approach this aspect of improvisation. Here’s a simple and effective process to find and incorporate new rhythms into your playing. Step 1: Choose a chorus You’ll need …

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develop strong time for jazz musicians

Develop a Stronger Sense of Time: Using a Metronome on 2 & 4

By

Forrest

Rhythm

The harmonic and melodic aspects of practicing jazz improvisation take up the bulk of our time. Consequently, developing a strong sense of time falls by the wayside. I’m as guilty as anyone else, thinking that somehow, it would just take care of itself. Unfortunately, things don’t work that way… The people who have “great time” …

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fast tempos in music

Fast Tempos Made Easy

By

Forrest

Rhythm

Here’s a recent question from a reader struggling with fast tempos: “Hi, I’m a saxophone player in Toronto. What might you recommend in terms of practice techniques to play on blistering fast tempos?” When it comes to fast tempos, we could all be better. Want to play fast? Start slow. Slow over fast tempos No …

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