"Jazz Language"

    The Four DirectionsThe key to practicing any jazz concept

    Asignificant part of practicing jazz improvisation consists of working on scales, chords, and patterns. Practicing them in a thorough manner will enable you to obtain the most benefit in the shortest amount of time. Unfortunately,...Read More

    Asignificant part of practicing jazz improvisation consists of working on scales, chords, and patterns. Practicing them in a thorough manner will enable you to obtain the most benefit in the...Read More

    Transcribing for Musical Style

    Amagical thing happens when you listen to a recording of your favorite player and begin to play along with the record. It's almost as if an unconscious transformation takes place, an instant instruction through aural...Read More

    Amagical thing happens when you listen to a recording of your favorite player and begin to play along with the record. It's almost as if an unconscious transformation takes place,...Read More

    5 Easy Tricks With Approach Notes That Will Make You Sound Like a Pro

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    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

    4 Ways to Use the Melodic Minor Scale

    The melodic minor scale is a scale that you've probably learned early on in your musical development, but it can take on a whole new life when applied to jazz. This scale is a very...Read More

    The melodic minor scale is a scale that you've probably learned early on in your musical development, but it can take on a whole new life when applied to jazz....Read More

    How to Use ii Vs to Activate Static Progressions

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    The infamous ii V is everywhere in jazz chord progressions. In fact, the ii V defines a sense of tension and release that prevails throughout all western music... An essential key to understanding how to...Read More

    The infamous ii V is everywhere in jazz chord progressions. In fact, the ii V defines a sense of tension and release that prevails throughout all western music... An essential...Read More

    Visualizing Musical Progress

    Visualization can be a very powerful tool when it comes to achieving your goals. Everyone from professional athletes to ballet dancers have used this simple, but effective technique throughout training and competition to reach their...Read More

    Visualization can be a very powerful tool when it comes to achieving your goals. Everyone from professional athletes to ballet dancers have used this simple, but effective technique throughout training...Read More

    The “Idea” vs. the “Technique” in the Mind of the Artist

    Imagine that you're strolling through an art museum on a lazy afternoon. Leisurely, you walk past magnificent paintings, weave between rows of sculpture, and meander through various galleries, each showcasing a bygone era of human...Read More

    Imagine that you're strolling through an art museum on a lazy afternoon. Leisurely, you walk past magnificent paintings, weave between rows of sculpture, and meander through various galleries, each showcasing...Read More

    Why You Hate Practicing: 3 Simple Ways to Love Your Instrument Again

    Practicing is the most important thing you can do as a musician. Or so everyone says...But let's be honest, practicing can be a real drag sometimes. It can feel like the daily chore that you...Read More

    Practicing is the most important thing you can do as a musician. Or so everyone says...But let's be honest, practicing can be a real drag sometimes. It can feel like...Read More

    A Simple Way To Hear Difficult Intervals: The 2-step method

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    Hearing larger intervals is difficult for most people. After a couple weeks of practicing your intervals, half-steps, whole steps, major and minor thirds, perfect fourths, perfect fifths, and major sixths fall into place, but the...Read More

    Hearing larger intervals is difficult for most people. After a couple weeks of practicing your intervals, half-steps, whole steps, major and minor thirds, perfect fourths, perfect fifths, and major sixths...Read More

    Miles Davis: The Power of the Triad

    Perhaps the most impressive thing about the musical masters that we look up to isn’t their ability to create incredibly fast and complex lines or even their vast library of harmonic knowledge… It lies in...Read More

    Perhaps the most impressive thing about the musical masters that we look up to isn’t their ability to create incredibly fast and complex lines or even their vast library of...Read More

    How to Learn Chord Changes Straight Off a Recording: A Handbook [Free Download]

    Learning a tune straight from a recording is THE way to learn it. But the most difficult part is always deciphering the chord changes. And it's certainly not an easy task compared to the alternative...Read More

    Learning a tune straight from a recording is THE way to learn it. But the most difficult part is always deciphering the chord changes. And it's certainly not an easy...Read More

    4 Reasons Why You Should Start Recording Yourself Today

    There are perks to being a musician. You get to step out into the spotlight and be the star of the show. You get to experience the exhilaration of creating music in the moment with...Read More

    There are perks to being a musician. You get to step out into the spotlight and be the star of the show. You get to experience the exhilaration of creating...Read More

    3 Easy-to-Fix Mistakes that are Making Your Solos Suffer

    Uggh…ouch...Have you ever made these sounds when you’ve listened to a solo? You know, one of those solos where you hear a couple of unsavory phrases and that’s it...no more! For the love of God,...Read More

    Uggh…ouch...Have you ever made these sounds when you’ve listened to a solo? You know, one of those solos where you hear a couple of unsavory phrases and that’s it...no more!...Read More

    3 Highly Effective Ear Training Exercises You Can Do All By Yourself

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    We've presented tons of exercises on how to practice ear training, but many require that you have someone to train with. So what do you do when you don't have a partner? When you have...Read More

    We've presented tons of exercises on how to practice ear training, but many require that you have someone to train with. So what do you do when you don't have...Read More

    5 Steps to Mastering Sight-Reading

    Areader recently asked: At my college, to get into the lab bands you have to be a really great sight-reader. What are some ways to become a great reader besides just saying "read whatever you...Read More

    Areader recently asked: At my college, to get into the lab bands you have to be a really great sight-reader. What are some ways to become a great reader besides...Read More

    Don’t Forget the Basics

    For a lot of musicians that are working to improve, it is easy to spend most of our practice time working on really complex harmonic and rhythmic concepts while fundamental skills, that we all basically...Read More

    For a lot of musicians that are working to improve, it is easy to spend most of our practice time working on really complex harmonic and rhythmic concepts while fundamental...Read More