You know how it goes…you're feeling super confident as you solo creatively over one of your favorite jazz standards and everything’s going well. But then, just for a split-second you lose focus. All of a...Read More
You know how it goes…you're feeling super confident as you solo creatively over one of your favorite jazz standards and everything’s going well. But then, just for a split-second you...Read More
After hours spent in the practice room are you still having trouble remembering the chord changes to a standard you endlessly practiced, or the details of a jazz line you drilled over and over? Why...Read More
After hours spent in the practice room are you still having trouble remembering the chord changes to a standard you endlessly practiced, or the details of a jazz line you...Read More
Everyone hopes to be perfect one day. Play with perfect intonation, the perfect sound, perfect lines…But what if I told you that the whole idea of perfection is actually what’s holding you back? That aiming...Read More
Everyone hopes to be perfect one day. Play with perfect intonation, the perfect sound, perfect lines…But what if I told you that the whole idea of perfection is actually what’s...Read More
Why is it so difficult to learn jazz standards even when we have access to so much information about each and every one? We can bring up recordings with a few clicks of mouse via...Read More
Why is it so difficult to learn jazz standards even when we have access to so much information about each and every one? We can bring up recordings with a...Read More
Trust the process. Keep going and you’ll get there. Anything worth doing takes time. We hear these things over and over when we're learning and it's all good advice. But what they don’t tell you...Read More
Trust the process. Keep going and you’ll get there. Anything worth doing takes time. We hear these things over and over when we're learning and it's all good advice. But...Read More
Blues is the backbone of so much in jazz. The melancholic feeling. The soul. The call-and-response phrasing, walking groove, and clearly defined melodic statements…blues is ingrained in jazz at its very roots. And every jazz...Read More
Blues is the backbone of so much in jazz. The melancholic feeling. The soul. The call-and-response phrasing, walking groove, and clearly defined melodic statements…blues is ingrained in jazz at its...Read More
Jazz education has steadily become increasingly popular and for good reason: playing jazz is fun! In an attempt to make jazz improvisation accessible to everyone, much of the learning material has been reduced and packaged...Read More
Jazz education has steadily become increasingly popular and for good reason: playing jazz is fun! In an attempt to make jazz improvisation accessible to everyone, much of the learning material...Read More
Have you ever thought about why you’re practicing every single day for hours and what you’re actually trying to achieve with all your hard work? To play better over a G7 chord? To master that...Read More
Have you ever thought about why you’re practicing every single day for hours and what you’re actually trying to achieve with all your hard work? To play better over a...Read More
You know that you should be transcribing jazz solos. That you should be learning the language of Bird, Miles, Coltrane, and Monk. You've heard time and again that it's the unwritten "secret" to becoming a...Read More
You know that you should be transcribing jazz solos. That you should be learning the language of Bird, Miles, Coltrane, and Monk. You've heard time and again that it's the...Read More
Have you ever noticed how there's a special group of improvisers that seem to know EXACTLY what to play over any tune at any time – no matter what it is? The key doesn't matter,...Read More
Have you ever noticed how there's a special group of improvisers that seem to know EXACTLY what to play over any tune at any time – no matter what it...Read More
What solo should I transcribe? You've probably asked yourself this question. And you've probably searched far and wide for answers. If you look in the Aebersold Jazz Handbook you'll find a list with over 100...Read More
What solo should I transcribe? You've probably asked yourself this question. And you've probably searched far and wide for answers. If you look in the Aebersold Jazz Handbook you'll find...Read More
The idea that jazz is a language can be quite confusing and ambiguous. We often make this statement, as do many teachers and professionals, but it takes time to understand what this phrase actually means...Read More
The idea that jazz is a language can be quite confusing and ambiguous. We often make this statement, as do many teachers and professionals, but it takes time to understand...Read More
In a recent post: A Blueprint for Building Your Repertoire, I outlined some ideas to ponder while creating a repertoire of tunes. Concepts like how to learn, listen to, and how to approach the Great...Read More
In a recent post: A Blueprint for Building Your Repertoire, I outlined some ideas to ponder while creating a repertoire of tunes. Concepts like how to learn, listen to, and...Read More
A reader recently wrote in the following question: "I used to play classical guitar, then stopped for a couple of years, and am now trying to teach myself jazz guitar. Here's the thing: I'm a...Read More
A reader recently wrote in the following question: "I used to play classical guitar, then stopped for a couple of years, and am now trying to teach myself jazz guitar....Read More
As musicians, we often treat the songs of the jazz repertoire in the same predictable way. We learn the chords, memorize the notes of the melody, and then we skip ahead to the important stuff...Read More
As musicians, we often treat the songs of the jazz repertoire in the same predictable way. We learn the chords, memorize the notes of the melody, and then we skip...Read More
Ask any musician or teacher what you should practice to develop exceptional jazz improvisation skills, and you usually hear words like "Scales" and "Modes" or "Guide-tone lines." Sometimes even "Transcribing"... This is all useful information....Read More
Ask any musician or teacher what you should practice to develop exceptional jazz improvisation skills, and you usually hear words like "Scales" and "Modes" or "Guide-tone lines." Sometimes even "Transcribing"... ...Read More