Perspectives

    An Outlook On Practice: Reviewing and Moving Forward Simultaneously

    Improving at jazz improvisation is a process. It's an interesting process because it's both static and dynamic. It's dynamic in the sense that it constantly involves bringing new ideas, material, and concepts into your playing,...Read More

    Improving at jazz improvisation is a process. It's an interesting process because it's both static and dynamic. It's dynamic in the sense that it constantly involves bringing new ideas, material,...Read More

    Thinking Macro vs. Micro in Practicing Improvisation

    Your mental approach to the things you do can have everything to do with your success or failure. In fact, the way that you think about things like setting goals, learning new skills, or creating...Read More

    Your mental approach to the things you do can have everything to do with your success or failure. In fact, the way that you think about things like setting goals,...Read More

    The Secret of the Masters

    What exactly is it that makes the musicians that we call "masters" great? What sets them apart from everyone else? Is it their technique, their sound, their originality, the way they can play over chord...Read More

    What exactly is it that makes the musicians that we call "masters" great? What sets them apart from everyone else? Is it their technique, their sound, their originality, the way...Read More

    Going Against The Grain

    In learning most anything, there's an accepted and standard way of approaching the material. There exists a typical method that emerged over the course of many years. In many disciplines, this method came about through...Read More

    In learning most anything, there's an accepted and standard way of approaching the material. There exists a typical method that emerged over the course of many years. In many disciplines,...Read More

    F Is For Effort: How To Play With As Little Effort As Possible

    The old maxim "A is for effort" does not apply when it comes to jazz improvisation or playing any style of music. Effort is the last thing you want. In fact, we seek effortlessness. When...Read More

    The old maxim "A is for effort" does not apply when it comes to jazz improvisation or playing any style of music. Effort is the last thing you want. In...Read More

    Anyone Can Improvise…?

    Anyone can improvise! - The phrase rolls off the tongue with the banality of many a late-night infomercial. "Anyone can get ripped abs! Anyone can make millions from home! Anyone can speak Navajo!" But when...Read More

    Anyone can improvise! - The phrase rolls off the tongue with the banality of many a late-night infomercial. "Anyone can get ripped abs! Anyone can make millions from home! Anyone...Read More

    Dealing With Frustration In Practicing Jazz Improvisation

    When you're frustrated with your playing it's difficult to excel at all. It's difficult to make a coherent musical statement, let alone even listen to yourself. These bouts happen to everyone. The key is to...Read More

    When you're frustrated with your playing it's difficult to excel at all. It's difficult to make a coherent musical statement, let alone even listen to yourself. These bouts happen to...Read More

    Turning Jazz Rules into Tools of Expression

    In jazz education, one thing that you encounter right off the bat are rules. There seem to be rules for every aspect of the music: Which scales you're allowed to use over certain chords, which...Read More

    In jazz education, one thing that you encounter right off the bat are rules. There seem to be rules for every aspect of the music: Which scales you're allowed to...Read More

    Getting to the Next Level: 5 Ways to Speed Up Your Musical Progress

    Learning to improvise is a path with many steps leading to many different levels. Contrary to the belief held by some that improvising is a talent, or even a skill allowed to only a special...Read More

    Learning to improvise is a path with many steps leading to many different levels. Contrary to the belief held by some that improvising is a talent, or even a skill...Read More

    Thoughts On Learning Tunes

    We practice long tones. We work on two-five progressions until our fingers bleed. We work on new ideas and concepts. The work is mostly enjoyable, sometimes frustrating, and hopefully productive... But what is all this...Read More

    We practice long tones. We work on two-five progressions until our fingers bleed. We work on new ideas and concepts. The work is mostly enjoyable, sometimes frustrating, and hopefully productive... ...Read More

    6 More Mistakes You’re Making In Learning to Improvise

    In 6 Disastrous Mistakes You're Making In Learning To Improvise, we detailed some pitfalls that cause people to waste tons of time and cause years of frustration. Let's get right into it...here are six more...Read More

    In 6 Disastrous Mistakes You're Making In Learning To Improvise, we detailed some pitfalls that cause people to waste tons of time and cause years of frustration. Let's get right...Read More

    Don’t Sound Like A Jazz Robot: 5 Steps To Sound More Natural

    Ever feel like you sound mechanical, predictable, and boring, like a robot? Nobody wants to sound like a robot. We're human. We have thoughts, ideas, emotions...and we want to express these things in our music... ...Read More

    Ever feel like you sound mechanical, predictable, and boring, like a robot? Nobody wants to sound like a robot. We're human. We have thoughts, ideas, emotions...and we want to express...Read More

    Learn to Hear More Music with Selective Listening

    Hey, did you just hear that? Look, did you just see that? Wait, can you feel that? What's that smell? Wait...what?! On a daily basis our senses are bombarded with information. Sights, sounds, smells, and...Read More

    Hey, did you just hear that? Look, did you just see that? Wait, can you feel that? What's that smell? Wait...what?! On a daily basis our senses are bombarded with...Read More

    Jazz Is A Language….Or Is It?

    The idea that jazz is a language can be quite confusing and ambiguous. We often make this statement, as do many teachers and professionals, but it takes time to understand what this phrase actually means...Read More

    The idea that jazz is a language can be quite confusing and ambiguous. We often make this statement, as do many teachers and professionals, but it takes time to understand...Read More

    Harness the Power Of Opposites

    Things are not always what they appear to be. Sometimes the standard advice does not get you where you want to go. Here's an idea: approach what you're trying to achieve by doing the opposite....Read More

    Things are not always what they appear to be. Sometimes the standard advice does not get you where you want to go. Here's an idea: approach what you're trying to...Read More

    Getting the Most Out of Jazz Improvisation Articles

    We receive countless emails expressing gratitude for Jazzadvice.com and we greatly appreciate the thousands of people that visit each and every week. It's because of you (our awesome readers) that we continue to write and...Read More

    We receive countless emails expressing gratitude for Jazzadvice.com and we greatly appreciate the thousands of people that visit each and every week. It's because of you (our awesome readers) that...Read More