Open up any music theory book and you'll find the term "lydian." A funny sounding word that refers to the fourth mode of the major scale. You’ve, no doubt, played this scale. You've probably even...Read More
Open up any music theory book and you'll find the term "lydian." A funny sounding word that refers to the fourth mode of the major scale. You’ve, no doubt, played...Read More
Practicing lines in all keys is a must, but it’s not that easy or even clear why it’s so important in the first place. Many years ago, I remember trying to take a ii V...Read More
Practicing lines in all keys is a must, but it’s not that easy or even clear why it’s so important in the first place. Many years ago, I remember trying...Read More
You're a trumpet player. You play the piano or the guitar. Maybe you’ve taken up the saxophone. Out of a dozen different instruments, this is the one that you’ve chosen to amplify your musical voice....Read More
You're a trumpet player. You play the piano or the guitar. Maybe you’ve taken up the saxophone. Out of a dozen different instruments, this is the one that you’ve chosen...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
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...Read More
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....Read More
In the recent article Hearing in Color, Forrest discussed the technique of how to develop hearing individual chord tones in the context of triads and 7th chords. Just as the individual chord tones in a...Read More
In the recent article Hearing in Color, Forrest discussed the technique of how to develop hearing individual chord tones in the context of triads and 7th chords. Just as the...Read More
Being able to quickly hear, sing, and accurately identify intervals is essential to developing your improvisational ear. In this article, we've put together a plan for you to master your intervals in 28 days... ...Read More
Being able to quickly hear, sing, and accurately identify intervals is essential to developing your improvisational ear. In this article, we've put together a plan for you to master your...Read More
Chord function is a confusing topic that is intricately tied to other just as confusing topics like voice leading, harmonic tension and resolution, intervallic content, chord voicings, chord families and more! Today we’ll unravel the...Read More
Chord function is a confusing topic that is intricately tied to other just as confusing topics like voice leading, harmonic tension and resolution, intervallic content, chord voicings, chord families and...Read More
Imagine that you’re a construction worker. You’ve just pulled yourself out of bed at 4 a.m. and slipped on your steel-toed boots. As you stretch your tired legs you let out a sigh as another...Read More
Imagine that you’re a construction worker. You’ve just pulled yourself out of bed at 4 a.m. and slipped on your steel-toed boots. As you stretch your tired legs you let...Read More
After countless hours in the practice room, you've finally managed to transcribe one of your favorite players. You figured out a particular line that caught your ear, and now you're learning it in all keys....Read More
After countless hours in the practice room, you've finally managed to transcribe one of your favorite players. You figured out a particular line that caught your ear, and now you're...Read More
Bebop “heads,” what jazz players sometimes call the melody of a tune, tend to be some of the trickiest and most technically demanding strings of notes you’re likely to encounter. Much busier than classic jazz...Read More
Bebop “heads,” what jazz players sometimes call the melody of a tune, tend to be some of the trickiest and most technically demanding strings of notes you’re likely to encounter....Read More
Can one note really change your ears and improve your creativity? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. But let me explain...A few years ago I took a lesson with the great trumpet player, improviser and composer...Read More
Can one note really change your ears and improve your creativity? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. But let me explain...A few years ago I took a lesson with the great...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
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
Hey, did you just hear that? Look, did you just see that? Wait, can you feel that? What's that smell? Wait...what?! On a daily basis our senses are bombarded with information. Sights, sounds, smells, and...Read More
Hey, did you just hear that? Look, did you just see that? Wait, can you feel that? What's that smell? Wait...what?! On a daily basis our senses are bombarded with...Read More
The funny thing about learning a new skill is that we often carry our first experiences around with us for years. You might try drawing or you may try learning a new language and without...Read More
The funny thing about learning a new skill is that we often carry our first experiences around with us for years. You might try drawing or you may try learning...Read More