After you’ve been improvising jazz for a while, most chords are pretty familiar. You're used to major, minor, dominant, and half diminished…but just as you thought you were getting a handle on things, a chord...Read More
After you’ve been improvising jazz for a while, most chords are pretty familiar. You're used to major, minor, dominant, and half diminished…but just as you thought you were getting a...Read More
Here's something that I don't tell many people...I’ve practiced my instrument huddled inside a closet, surrounded by dirty laundry. I’ve worked out scales after dark sitting in the back seat of my car. I’ve practiced...Read More
Here's something that I don't tell many people...I’ve practiced my instrument huddled inside a closet, surrounded by dirty laundry. I’ve worked out scales after dark sitting in the back seat...Read More
Talent. It's a word that's thrown around in all professions and all parts of life. From sports and academics to art and music. And nowhere is it more prevalent than in jazz improvisation. We listen...Read More
Talent. It's a word that's thrown around in all professions and all parts of life. From sports and academics to art and music. And nowhere is it more prevalent than...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, 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
Here’s a thought. What if you could go back in time and take a lesson with John Coltrane? Yes, that John Coltrane. I mean drive up to his home in Dix Hills, knock on the...Read More
Here’s a thought. What if you could go back in time and take a lesson with John Coltrane? Yes, that John Coltrane. I mean drive up to his home in...Read More
Ever feel like something is missing from your solos? You spend hours learning tunes and transcribing solos from your favorite recordings, you've memorized the chord progressions and diligently practiced the tricky fingerings, but when you...Read More
Ever feel like something is missing from your solos? You spend hours learning tunes and transcribing solos from your favorite recordings, you've memorized the chord progressions and diligently practiced the...Read More
All practice is not created equal. There’s the practice that's fun. You're in a room with your instrument and maybe a few friends and you just start playing. The minutes fly by, but you're not...Read More
All practice is not created equal. There’s the practice that's fun. You're in a room with your instrument and maybe a few friends and you just start playing. The minutes...Read More
You’re searching for the perfect sound. You want to play long improvised lines with ease. You want to have effortless high range, to play swinging phrases with a stellar tone, and to sound great on...Read More
You’re searching for the perfect sound. You want to play long improvised lines with ease. You want to have effortless high range, to play swinging phrases with a stellar tone,...Read More
Time and again, we've stressed on this site that scales are not the secret to jazz improvisation. However, scales can be beneficial if you practice and apply them in the right way. Once you aurally...Read More
Time and again, we've stressed on this site that scales are not the secret to jazz improvisation. However, scales can be beneficial if you practice and apply them in the...Read More
Every improviser has to face it at some point. We're talking about those 32 bars of music that you know as Rhythm Changes. Sure it’s easy enough to sing the melody...And you've heard all the...Read More
Every improviser has to face it at some point. We're talking about those 32 bars of music that you know as Rhythm Changes. Sure it’s easy enough to sing the...Read More
Ever wonder how the best players seem to improvise brilliant lines without any effort? All while you're struggling to make even the simplest chord tones sound good. If you're like most players you know this...Read More
Ever wonder how the best players seem to improvise brilliant lines without any effort? All while you're struggling to make even the simplest chord tones sound good. If you're like...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 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
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
Do you find yourself having trouble remembering the solos you've transcribed? Have you ever memorized the melody to a tune only to forget it a week later? Do you have trouble recalling the chord progressions...Read More
Do you find yourself having trouble remembering the solos you've transcribed? Have you ever memorized the melody to a tune only to forget it a week later? Do you have...Read More
Can one note really change your ears and improve your musical 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...Read More
Can one note really change your ears and improve your musical creativity? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. But let me explain...A few years ago I took a lesson with the...Read More
Remember those times in school, where you were assigned a huge project and given a deadline to finish it by? You know, the ones where the teacher threw an enormous assignment at you as soon...Read More
Remember those times in school, where you were assigned a huge project and given a deadline to finish it by? You know, the ones where the teacher threw an enormous...Read More