How To Play Fast Tempos

How to Play Cherokee like a Pro: 24 Melodic Tricks for Insanely Fast Tempos (Premium)

By

Eric

Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards, Premium Only

Have you ever wondered how the best players can play incredibly fast, regardless of the key, the chords, or the tune? I’m not just talking about running memorized licks and technical patterns…I mean soloing at breakneck speed with actual melodic lines over the progression. Trying to improvise on uptempo tunes can be frustrating and the truth …

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The Girl From Ipanema: Learning from the Masters

By

Eric

Jazz Advice and Tips, Tunes

The Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim is well known to improvisers with dozens of tunes frequently played and recorded in the jazz repertoire. However, one song in particular stands out… The “Garota de Ipanema” or The Girl from Ipanema.  Composed in 1963, it propelled a Bossa Nova wave around the world and was recorded by …

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anyone can improvise

Anyone Can Improvise…?

By

Eric

Perspectives

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 it comes to jazz, is this statement really true? This has been a debate in the jazz education world since …

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Musical goals for new year

Happy New Year! 8 Musical Resolutions That Will Change Your Playing

By

Eric

Chords, Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Rhythm, Scales, Transcribing, Visualization

A new year is the perfect time to look back at what you’ve accomplished in the practice room and to look forward  to what you still wish to achieve as a musician. It’s also a great time to make a fresh start, to realign yourself musically, and to set some new goals. So, Happy New …

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