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

    5 Steps to Mastering Sight-Reading

    Areader 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...Read More

    Areader 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...Read More

    How to Phrase Like a Pro

    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...Read More

    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...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

    How to Organize Jazz Licks, Lines, & Concepts – The Jazz Musician’s …

    In an instant, musical ideas spring to life. Maybe you're transcribing and stumble upon something you like, or perhaps you suddenly play an idea that seemed to come from nowhere! This probably happens to you...Read More

    In an instant, musical ideas spring to life. Maybe you're transcribing and stumble upon something you like, or perhaps you suddenly play an idea that seemed to come from nowhere!...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

    Visualizing Musical Progress

    Visualization can be a very powerful tool when it comes to achieving your goals. Everyone from professional athletes to ballet dancers have used this simple, but effective technique throughout training and competition to reach their...Read More

    Visualization can be a very powerful tool when it comes to achieving your goals. Everyone from professional athletes to ballet dancers have used this simple, but effective technique throughout training...Read More

    Developing a Concept of Swing

    Areader 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...Read More

    Areader 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...Read More

    4 More Myths About Jazz Improvisation

    When your goal is to improve at a skill like improvisation, you will stop at nothing to gather as much information as you can. Your search leads you in every direction: out of print books,...Read More

    When your goal is to improve at a skill like improvisation, you will stop at nothing to gather as much information as you can. Your search leads you in every...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

    The Stages of Jazz Language

    We talk about jazz language a lot: what it is, what it isn't, how to get it, and what to do with it. We constantly strive to better communicate these aspects of learning language because...Read More

    We talk about jazz language a lot: what it is, what it isn't, how to get it, and what to do with it. We constantly strive to better communicate these...Read More

    Four Ways to Reinvigorate the Practice of Technique

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    We often get stuck in a rut when it comes to practicing technique. In the practice room we cover the same bases in our efforts to improve our overall technique. We run our major and...Read More

    We often get stuck in a rut when it comes to practicing technique. In the practice room we cover the same bases in our efforts to improve our overall technique....Read More

    A Simple Way To Hear Difficult Intervals: The 2-step method

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    Hearing larger intervals is difficult for most people. After a couple weeks of practicing your intervals, half-steps, whole steps, major and minor thirds, perfect fourths, perfect fifths, and major sixths fall into place, but the...Read More

    Hearing larger intervals is difficult for most people. After a couple weeks of practicing your intervals, half-steps, whole steps, major and minor thirds, perfect fourths, perfect fifths, and major sixths...Read More

    7 Harmonic Breakthroughs that Completely Changed My Playing

    Every so often you'll make a musical discovery that will drastically change the way you approach improvisation. One day you're struggling over the same tunes, growing more and more frustrated with your own predictable patterns...Read More

    Every so often you'll make a musical discovery that will drastically change the way you approach improvisation. One day you're struggling over the same tunes, growing more and more frustrated...Read More