how to be a mediocre musician

How To Be Mediocre

By

Forrest

Inspiration, Perspectives

While we typically focus on ways to improve, this article is all about how to be mediocre. Now, chances are you don’t want to be mediocre, so while many of these listed points are tongue-in-cheek, they will provide you with insight into what not to do, if you wish to be better than mediocre. So, …

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going against the grain in music

Going Against The Grain

By

Forrest

Myths, Perspectives

In learning most anything, there’s an accepted and standard way of approaching the material. There exists a typical method that emerged over the course of many years. In many disciplines, this method came about through trial and error, meticulously analyzing what techniques have worked best to allow an individual to excel as quickly and efficiently …

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How to reach your musical goals

Hitting the Target: How to Accomplish Your Goals in Music and Anything Else

By

Eric

How to Practice Jazz, Inspiration, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Playing Techniques

On this site, we often talk about the specifics of learning improvisation: ear training, transcribing, chord progressions, language… But what about the big picture? How do you accomplish what you want to as a musician? How do you get from the player you are today to the player that you want to become down the …

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jazz improvising with chromaticism

Improvising With Chromaticism

By

Eric

Playing Techniques

As improvisers we are always looking to create new harmonic concepts or to find new ways of soloing over traditional changes that are innovative and creative. Actually, for the past sixty years jazz musicians have been playing the same basic set of standard tunes, each generation making their stylistic mark on the history of the …

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