Alterations are at the heart of jazz. In no other genre of music can you freely alter chords in a such a fluid and flexible manner. As chords whiz by, the soloist has the freedom...Read More
Alterations are at the heart of jazz. In no other genre of music can you freely alter chords in a such a fluid and flexible manner. As chords whiz by,...Read More
Michael Brecker talked about it. Mulgrew Miller mentioned it time and again in masterclasses. And if you’ve spent any time on Jazzadvice, you've seen multiple articles about the importance of learning it. But why should...Read More
Michael Brecker talked about it. Mulgrew Miller mentioned it time and again in masterclasses. And if you’ve spent any time on Jazzadvice, you've seen multiple articles about the importance of...Read More
You want to play exciting solos. Ones that will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, that'll make you stand out from every other musician in the room. But when you improvise...Read More
You want to play exciting solos. Ones that will make the audience sit on the edge of their seats, that'll make you stand out from every other musician in the...Read More
Mastering jazz improvisation seems simple in theory. At least every great player makes it sound that way. And on paper it all looks pretty straight forward. Memorize the chords, learn a few scales, and listen...Read More
Mastering jazz improvisation seems simple in theory. At least every great player makes it sound that way. And on paper it all looks pretty straight forward. Memorize the chords, learn...Read More
Becoming fluent with jazz language is the key to unlocking your musical freedom when you improvise. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle. The lost ship. The thing everyone ignores… And it’s totally counter-intuitive... You...Read More
Becoming fluent with jazz language is the key to unlocking your musical freedom when you improvise. It’s the missing piece of the puzzle. The lost ship. The thing everyone ignores… ...Read More
If you've spent any time practicing jazz improvisation, chances are you've heard of the turnaround. Those little two bar chord progressions that pop up at the ends of tunes or in the middle of your...Read More
If you've spent any time practicing jazz improvisation, chances are you've heard of the turnaround. Those little two bar chord progressions that pop up at the ends of tunes or...Read More
Practicing lines in all keys is a must, but it’s not that easy or even clear why it’s so important in the first place. Many years ago, I remember trying to take a ii V...Read More
Practicing lines in all keys is a must, but it’s not that easy or even clear why it’s so important in the first place. Many years ago, I remember trying...Read More
If you’re like me, you can picture it in your mind. Walking on stage in front of an audience and jumping right into a solo. Knowing exactly what you want to play and confident that...Read More
If you’re like me, you can picture it in your mind. Walking on stage in front of an audience and jumping right into a solo. Knowing exactly what you want...Read More
What is a jazz musician's most important tool? Is it their ear? Their technique? The concepts at their disposal? All of these are extremely important, but without this one specific tool, they’re all useless… The...Read More
What is a jazz musician's most important tool? Is it their ear? Their technique? The concepts at their disposal? All of these are extremely important, but without this one specific...Read More
Most improvisers cringe when they hear the words Giant Steps. Their hearts start pounding and they frantically try to remember the patterns they've worked out over the chord progression. If you've ever tried to play...Read More
Most improvisers cringe when they hear the words Giant Steps. Their hearts start pounding and they frantically try to remember the patterns they've worked out over the chord progression. If...Read More
John Coltrane is probably best known for Countdown and Giant Steps, or his earth-shattering intensity on A Love Supreme. But often overlooked is the depth and beauty of his phrasing and lyricism... When I first...Read More
John Coltrane is probably best known for Countdown and Giant Steps, or his earth-shattering intensity on A Love Supreme. But often overlooked is the depth and beauty of his phrasing...Read More
If you’re serious about reaching your musical potential or stepping up your jazz improvisation game then the majority of your time as a musician should be spent in one place: The practice room. It’s where...Read More
If you’re serious about reaching your musical potential or stepping up your jazz improvisation game then the majority of your time as a musician should be spent in one place:...Read More
What do you play over a minor ii V? Minor ii Vs are notoriously tricky. As compared to their brother, the ii V in major, the ii V in minor adds quite a few more...Read More
What do you play over a minor ii V? Minor ii Vs are notoriously tricky. As compared to their brother, the ii V in major, the ii V in minor...Read More
You've heard solos with wrong notes. Unfortunate note choices that make you cringe, questionable scales that clash with the chords, and licks that sound forced and unnatural. But I'm guessing you've also heard players that...Read More
You've heard solos with wrong notes. Unfortunate note choices that make you cringe, questionable scales that clash with the chords, and licks that sound forced and unnatural. But I'm guessing...Read More
Everyone sets goals, but only a handful of people actually achieve them. And out of these highly-motivated people that achieve their goals, only a fraction of them are truly satisfied with their accomplishments. So what...Read More
Everyone sets goals, but only a handful of people actually achieve them. And out of these highly-motivated people that achieve their goals, only a fraction of them are truly satisfied...Read More
Open up a music theory book and you’ll likely find pages and pages of definitions. Terms like apogituras, retograde inversions, mordents, hemiolas, turns...Good information, but not exactly stuff that you'd want to put into your...Read More
Open up a music theory book and you’ll likely find pages and pages of definitions. Terms like apogituras, retograde inversions, mordents, hemiolas, turns...Good information, but not exactly stuff that you'd...Read More