"Ear Training"

    How Jazz Standard Play Alongs Waste Your Practice Time And What To Do About It

    It's Saturday. You've got plenty of time. You're excited  to spend some quality time practicing. You meander into your practice room, peruse your jazz standard play alongs and grab the first volume that sparks your...Read More

    It's Saturday. You've got plenty of time. You're excited  to spend some quality time practicing. You meander into your practice room, peruse your jazz standard play alongs and grab the...Read More

    Know the Rules then Break the Rules

    You have to know the rules before you can break them. You’ve probably heard this well-intentioned phrase before. It’s as common and overused as "Practice makes perfect" or any of the countless other sayings that...Read More

    You have to know the rules before you can break them. You’ve probably heard this well-intentioned phrase before. It’s as common and overused as "Practice makes perfect" or any of...Read More

    3 Keys to Effective Practice

    Practicing jazz improvisation is a life-long pursuit. But just because you put in the time, doesn't mean you'll improve. HOW you spend that time is just as important... Here are 3 keys to practicing...Read More

    Practicing jazz improvisation is a life-long pursuit. But just because you put in the time, doesn't mean you'll improve. HOW you spend that time is just as important... Here...Read More

    Time to Overhaul Your Practice Routine

    One of the biggest obstacles for musicians working to improve as improvisers lies in the development of a solid daily practice routine. We all know we should get into the practice room and diligently spend...Read More

    One of the biggest obstacles for musicians working to improve as improvisers lies in the development of a solid daily practice routine. We all know we should get into the...Read More

    Dizzy Gillespie’s Prerequisites for Successful Jazz Musicians

    Over the years, in learning this music and working on improvisation, I've encountered a lot of educational information: how to learn, how to practice, which scales to use, how to learn bebop in a week,...Read More

    Over the years, in learning this music and working on improvisation, I've encountered a lot of educational information: how to learn, how to practice, which scales to use, how to...Read More

    Learning to Let Go: Achieving your optimum performance mindset

    When I think about what it means to "let go," detailed scenes from Hollywood hits come to mind. Scenes like Neo in The Matrix learning that "there is no spoon," and Tom Cruise in the...Read More

    When I think about what it means to "let go," detailed scenes from Hollywood hits come to mind. Scenes like Neo in The Matrix learning that "there is no spoon,"...Read More

    The Myth of The Linear Path

    It's as easy as getting from point A to point B, right? Of course it is. But what they fail to mention is that the distance between the two points is not a straight line!...Read More

    It's as easy as getting from point A to point B, right? Of course it is. But what they fail to mention is that the distance between the two points...Read More

    Why The Fastest Way To Build Your Jazz Skills Doesn’t Require Scales or Chords

    When you think about the things that'll make you a better improviser, your mind probably goes right to music theory...The scales, the chords, the diminished patterns & the ii-V licks. If only you knew more of...Read More

    When you think about the things that'll make you a better improviser, your mind probably goes right to music theory...The scales, the chords, the diminished patterns & the ii-V licks. If...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

    The Philosophy of Learning Jazz Improvisation: Thinking like a Composer

    Composition is selective improvisation - Igor Stravinsky. In 15 seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in 15 seconds,...Read More

    Composition is selective improvisation - Igor Stravinsky. In 15 seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time you want to decide what...Read More

    The Power of One

    It's the time of year again when we make ambitious lists of resolutions and let me tell you, this year is shaping up to be different. Seriously…all those other years were just practice runs, this...Read More

    It's the time of year again when we make ambitious lists of resolutions and let me tell you, this year is shaping up to be different. Seriously…all those other years...Read More

    How To Be Mediocre

    While we typically focus on ways to improve, this article is all about how to be mediocre. Now, chances are you don't want to be mediocre, so while many of these listed points are tongue-in-cheek,...Read More

    While we typically focus on ways to improve, this article is all about how to be mediocre. Now, chances are you don't want to be mediocre, so while many of...Read More

    A Lesson With Bill Evans: 14 Techniques to Master the Minor ii V Progression

    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

    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

    4 Crucial Steps To Attaining Freedom With Jazz Language

    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

    Time Management for the Improviser

    One of the most frequently asked questions that we get concerns finding time to practice or improving with a limited amount of practice time. "What should I do if I don't have enough time to...Read More

    One of the most frequently asked questions that we get concerns finding time to practice or improving with a limited amount of practice time. "What should I do if I...Read More