Inspiration for improvisers
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education
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 classical etudes in secluded corners of Central Park and I’ve played into pillows after midnight to run through tunes. Looking …
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Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Perspectives, Premium Only
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 exactly working. Then there’s the practice that feels like homework. You’ve got a lesson or a concert coming up so …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips
There seems like there’s so much to practice, but it’s actually an illusion. In today’s day and age, we’re bombarded by information. In approaching or learning literally anything, there’s a million resources for how to achieve it. Looking for the perfect way to slice an apple, or the best diet to get a six-pack? A …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips
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 practice everyday? I want to practice more, but I don’t have time to.” If you haven’t already, at some point …
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Perspectives, Visualization
If you’re serious about reaching your musical potential or stepping up your jazz improvisation game then the majority of your time as a musician should be spent in one place: The practice room. It’s where you’ll do the dirty work of pursuing your musical goals and where you’ll build your foundation as a performer. It’s …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips
If you think about it, the elements of your practice routine are like the different sections of a well-structured work-out plan. You’ve got your warm-up & stretching, cardio, strength training, resistance work outs, and the list goes on… Every exercise has a specific role and develops a specific muscle group. When you put them together …
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Chords, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Language, Transcribing
Play it slow. Feel every beat. Subdvide. Hear every note. Concentrate on every single detail. There are dozens of different ways to describe the process of slow practice, yet it seems that the majority of successful musicians in any genre are saying “practice slowly!” Every teacher that I’ve ever had, from classical players to lead …
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Chords, Composition, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Jazz Language, Myths, Perspectives, Playing Techniques, Scales, Transcribing
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, while in improvisation you have 15 seconds – Steve Lacy. Learning to improvise is a big undertaking. Not only must …
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Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives
So you want to change the way you play? To improve your sound and your solos. To become more effortless in your technique. To finally get rid of those bad habits and creative roadblocks in your playing… Every aspiring musician can relate to these feelings and frustrations. But what does the process of getting better …
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Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives, Playing Techniques, Transcribing
Practice is an essential part of your journey as a musician. We all do it every day…or at least we try our best to, however daily practice doesn’t always guarantee improvement. Why? Simply because not all practice is created equal. If you look at the big picture there are two basic types of practice: (1) …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips
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 is that there’s one key thing that separates those who learn jazz fast, from those who get mildly better at …
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Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips
You’re a musician. Or at least you used to be one…You played an instrument in high school, faithfully took private lessons, and performed at dozens of recitals and concerts. Maybe you even went on to study in college. There’s a guitar sitting in your closet, a piano in the spare room gathering dust, and a …