We talk a lot about ingraining language. It's vital to have an array of ideas at your fingertips for any given harmonic situation. And these ideas should be so ingrained that you can easily make...Read More
We talk a lot about ingraining language. It's vital to have an array of ideas at your fingertips for any given harmonic situation. And these ideas should be so ingrained...Read More
So you've transcribed some lines and you're learning them in all keys. You've even started to apply them to tunes you're working on, but after several weeks, the line you transcribed which started out as...Read More
So you've transcribed some lines and you're learning them in all keys. You've even started to apply them to tunes you're working on, but after several weeks, the line you...Read More
Everybody wants to play "outside" the chord changes. They think there is something mysterious about getting outside the changes. In my experience, the phenomenal players that I've studied with along with the legendary players I've...Read More
Everybody wants to play "outside" the chord changes. They think there is something mysterious about getting outside the changes. In my experience, the phenomenal players that I've studied with along...Read More
The difference between many subjects and jazz improvisation is that the latter has no single correct and well-defined path. Every person takes a different route depending how they learn, how they hear, what they want...Read More
The difference between many subjects and jazz improvisation is that the latter has no single correct and well-defined path. Every person takes a different route depending how they learn, how...Read More
After hours spent practicing technique: endless articulation, tone, range, and fingering exercises, are you still not matching up to what you're hearing on your favorite records? Are those same étude books and exercises you've been...Read More
After hours spent practicing technique: endless articulation, tone, range, and fingering exercises, are you still not matching up to what you're hearing on your favorite records? Are those same étude...Read More
We all have those days in the practice room…days where you can't seem to get anything right. Where you're fighting your instrument and you want to scream... I'm sure you know the feeling of a...Read More
We all have those days in the practice room…days where you can't seem to get anything right. Where you're fighting your instrument and you want to scream... I'm sure you...Read More
On this site we frequently write about the benefits of ear training for improvising, with good reason. Hearing and singing intervals, melodies, chord progressions, etc. is one area of daily practice that will directly affect...Read More
On this site we frequently write about the benefits of ear training for improvising, with good reason. Hearing and singing intervals, melodies, chord progressions, etc. is one area of daily...Read More
Scales, Chords, Progressions, and Tunes... These are the words we all use to define and think about music. It's how we make sense of the songs we hear, how we talk about the solos we...Read More
Scales, Chords, Progressions, and Tunes... These are the words we all use to define and think about music. It's how we make sense of the songs we hear, how we...Read More
Several readers have written us lately asking how to practice scales. Simply practicing them is not difficult, but attaining a high level of speed and accuracy, while keeping your sound consistent throughout all registers is...Read More
Several readers have written us lately asking how to practice scales. Simply practicing them is not difficult, but attaining a high level of speed and accuracy, while keeping your sound...Read More
The ii V progression makes up the vast majority of chord changes within the jazz standard repertoire. Much of our success or failure as improvisors comes from being able to navigate this deceptively simple progression. ...Read More
The ii V progression makes up the vast majority of chord changes within the jazz standard repertoire. Much of our success or failure as improvisors comes from being able to...Read More
Time in the practice room doesn’t equal improvement. Hey, wait a second...That’s right, you read that correctly. It’s time spent practicing the right things that leads to improvement. And this isn’t always the case with...Read More
Time in the practice room doesn’t equal improvement. Hey, wait a second...That’s right, you read that correctly. It’s time spent practicing the right things that leads to improvement. And this...Read More
One of the most frustrating feelings I have, is to get to the end of the day and realize that I haven't practiced enough, or even worse, that I haven't even touched my instrument. Whether...Read More
One of the most frustrating feelings I have, is to get to the end of the day and realize that I haven't practiced enough, or even worse, that I haven't...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
You've heard about the scales. You understand the music theory. And you've even played through the patterns in a few exercise books. But when it comes to actually improvising with the diminished sound, something is...Read More
You've heard about the scales. You understand the music theory. And you've even played through the patterns in a few exercise books. But when it comes to actually improvising with...Read More
We've all seen concerts that have affected us greatly and left a lasting impression on our musical perception and even our lives. Performances that seem to transcend the stage into another form of communication and...Read More
We've all seen concerts that have affected us greatly and left a lasting impression on our musical perception and even our lives. Performances that seem to transcend the stage into...Read More
Ever go to the practice room with a plan of what you want to get done, only to realize that an hour has passed and you've just muddled around? Playing your instrument is fun and...Read More
Ever go to the practice room with a plan of what you want to get done, only to realize that an hour has passed and you've just muddled around? Playing...Read More