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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How one note matters

How One Note Can Change Your Ears and Spark Your Creativity (Premium)

By

Eric

Chords, Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Premium Only, Scales

Can one note really change your ears and improve your creativity? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. But let me explain…A few years ago I took a lesson with the great trumpet player, improviser and composer Ingrid Jensen. As I hopped on the the N train and headed to the lesson I looked over my practice …

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5 secrets to learning tunes

5 Secrets to Learning Tunes

By

Forrest

Chords, Jazz Standards

Learning jazz standards is a crucial part of every jazz musician’s practice routine. After all, as a jazz musician, the entire goal is to perform tunes, so it totally makes sense that they should be a central part of your practice… Now, when it comes to learning tunes, it’s how you first learn them that matters …

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understanding chord tones

Understanding Chord Tones

By

Eric

Chords, Composition, Ear Training, Playing Techniques

Recently we’ve gotten a few questions regarding chord tones: how to work on hearing them, how to aim for them in your lines, and how to connect them when you’re improvising over a chord progression. Understanding the sound and function of chord tones is important to your success as an improviser. However, it’s important to …

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