Inspiration for improvisers
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips
We get hundreds of questions every month. We do our best to answer as many as we possibly can and write articles about the most provocative ones. Below are answers to the most common questions, pointing you to the many articles that will help resolve the question. Enjoy. Who should I transcribe? Transcribing is an …
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips
Time is the only thing we really have in life and there never seems to be enough of it. But whether your goals are to just play for fun or to become a professional musician, there are techniques you can start using today to make use of your time more effectively to become the musician …
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Chords, Composition, Jazz Language, Transcribing
You hear it over and over. Just transcribe. You want to get better? Transcribe. You want to have a better sound. Transcribe. Can’t seem to play over Rhythm Changes? Transcribe. And yes, when people tell you this, they’re correct. You can learn pretty much anything you want from transcribing. But, what they don’t tell you …
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Learn tunes. Transcribe solos. The instructions for aspiring jazz musicians are pretty much the same everywhere you go. You want to play longer lines and master tricky chord progressions? “Learn tunes and transcribe solos.” Need more technique and better ears? You get the idea… We receive this advice from our teachers, friends, and from our …
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Ear Training, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Jazz Language, Perspectives
Every single person who wants to play jazz starts out as a beginner. There’s no way around it!! And over the first couple years of learning how to improvise, only a small handful of beginners develop quickly toward the player they want to become…most actually have difficulty improving and never really get out of the …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Standards, Transcribing
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 college student. Between classes, homework, and work, it’s hard to get in practice time. What would you recommend working on …
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Blues, Jazz Advice and Tips, Perspectives
You’re staring at a chord progression on a lead sheet. Thinking through the first few bars of a jazz standard. You’re getting ready to start your solo and carefully choosing the first phrase you’ll play… It’s finally time to show off the stuff you’ve been working on. Time to create music on the spot instead …
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Believe me. I know how frustrating jazz improvisation can be. There have been many periods where I’ve wanted to quit for good. Never play again. Times when I’ve seriously considered putting my horn on Ebay, no reserve, shipping it off to an international buyer, somewhere far far away, and hanging it up for good… But …
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How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Perspectives
When you begin something new, there’s so much to learn. Improvement is quick and often, practice is exploratory and fun. But after doing anything for a while, you settle into a routine and your once explosive improvement tapers off. Wherever this may leave you, you can’t seem to get beyond this plateau. Why are you …
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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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Chords, Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Playing Techniques, Rhythm, Scales, Transcribing, Visualization
A new year is the perfect time to look back at what you’ve accomplished in the practice room and to look forward to what you still wish to achieve as a musician. It’s also a great time to make a fresh start, to realign yourself musically, and to set some new goals. So, Happy New …
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Jazz Advice and Tips, Transcribing
It’s just past one in the morning. I’m standing on the sidewalk in lower Manhattan as garbage trucks rumble by and panhandlers hustle for loose change. I’ve just stepped outside of Smalls, the last note of the show still ringing in my ears… After a few minutes, a well known trumpet player steps out and …