Inspiration for improvisers
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Premium Only
As an improviser, the blues is central to everything that you do…at once a sound, a form, an expressiveness, and a medium through which you can tell your musical story. And it’s something that you’ll be dealing with as long as you play an instrument. You see, the best players not only understand this song …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Standards, Tunes
As musicians, we often treat the songs of the jazz repertoire in the same predictable way. We learn the chords, memorize the notes of the melody, and then we skip ahead to the important stuff – Improvising our own solos over the tune… But is this really all that jazz standards are good for?? For …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Musicians, Premium Only
The Blues is an essential form to master for every jazz musician, but just like most things in jazz, there are dozens of variations to explore. One of the most exciting variations and one that’s exceptionally fun to play over for improvisers of all levels, centralizes the harmony around minor chords rather than dominant chords. …
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Blues, Jazz Standards, Playing Techniques
Have you ever tried to play over a so-called easy tune, only to find that it’s not actually that easy? All Blues, one of the most incredible tracks from the legendary Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, is commonly referred to as an easy tune throughout jazz education, yet this seemingly simple composition contains more …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives
You’re staring at a chord progression on a lead sheet. Thinking through the first few bars of a jazz standard. You’re getting ready to start your solo and carefully choosing the first phrase you’ll play… It’s finally time to show off the stuff you’ve been working on. Time to create music on the spot instead …
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Blues, Chords, Composition, Jazz Standards, Music Theory, Perspectives, Tunes
Have you ever noticed how there’s a special group of improvisers that seem to know EXACTLY what to play over any tune at any time – no matter what it is? The key doesn’t matter, the tempo doesn’t matter, even the style of music doesn’t matter… You could blindfold them, fly them to a jam …
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Blues, Chords, Jazz Advice and Tips
One thing that gets lost in the day to day mentality of practicing jazz improvisation is this simple fact – you don’t have to solve EVERY musical problem each time you walk into the practice room… Contrary to all the stories you hear or the pressure you might feel, you don’t have to conquer huge …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Language, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards, Transcribing
If you want to learn the language of jazz, then transcribing a blues solo should be at the top of your list! But if you’re just starting to transcribe jazz solos, the task might seem daunting or way over your head. In fact many beginners who want to play jazz completely shy away from transcribing …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Language, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards, Perspectives
Blues is the backbone of so much in jazz. The melancholic feeling. The soul. The call-and-response phrasing, walking groove, and clearly defined melodic statements…blues is ingrained in jazz at its very roots. And every jazz musician at some point or another has to learn how to play the blues. There’s no way around it. If …
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Blues, Chords, Composition, Jazz Advice and Tips
When it comes to improving as an improviser, there are only so many tunes you can memorize. Only so many chord symbols and progressions you can force into your brain… After a certain point you actually need to learn how to play over these sounds. …and truth be told, this is something that took me …
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Blues, Composition, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Standards, Tunes
You know the routine…You pick out a new tune, read through the melody, and start to work on a solo. You’ve got a few ideas, throw in a couple of your favorite licks, and follow the guide tone lines. And then it happens…you’re stuck playing the same old scales and patterns that you use in every …
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Blues, Jazz Musicians, Playing Techniques
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 goes hand in hand with creating music in the moment. But unlike many players think, it goes beyond the blues …