"Transcribing"

    3 Tricks to Learning Tunes From Recordings That Have Nothing to Do With Practicing

    With all the play-along sets and backing tracks available everywhere today, it’s becoming less and less common for people to learn tunes directly from recordings. I mean, why waste your time figuring out the changes...Read More

    With all the play-along sets and backing tracks available everywhere today, it’s becoming less and less common for people to learn tunes directly from recordings. I mean, why waste your...Read More

    Chord Function: Music Theory Fundamentals You Need To Know

    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

    How to use the 4 stages of learning to achieve your dreams as a musician

    Why is learning how to play jazz so hard? Is it that there are a million tunes to know? Or the thousands of great jazz solos to transcribe? Or is it all that crazy music...Read More

    Why is learning how to play jazz so hard? Is it that there are a million tunes to know? Or the thousands of great jazz solos to transcribe? Or is...Read More

    Why The Way You’re Thinking About Music Could Be Holding You Back

    Scales, Chords, Progressions, and Tunes... These are the words we all use to define and think about music. It's how we make sense of the songs we hear, how we talk about the solos we...Read More

    Scales, Chords, Progressions, and Tunes... These are the words we all use to define and think about music. It's how we make sense of the songs we hear, how we...Read More

    4 Things To Practice This Summer That’ll ACTUALLY Improve Your Solos!

    Ahh the summer…a time to take a break from the daily grind and a moment to take stock of your progress. A few months to relax, reset, and refocus on the stuff you want to...Read More

    Ahh the summer…a time to take a break from the daily grind and a moment to take stock of your progress. A few months to relax, reset, and refocus on...Read More

    5 Must-Know Bebop Tactics From Sonny Stitt

    Bebop language is at the very heart of jazz. From the classic beboppers to the crazy out players, every great jazz improviser has spent time absorbing, imitating, and developing timeless bebop language. There’s just something about...Read More

    Bebop language is at the very heart of jazz. From the classic beboppers to the crazy out players, every great jazz improviser has spent time absorbing, imitating, and developing timeless bebop...Read More

    15 Jazz Improvisation Projects You Can Do at Home

    As musicians, we find ourselves in an interesting time. No concerts, no gigs, no rehearsals, and no one else to play with. However, there is one thing we all have more than enough of –...Read More

    As musicians, we find ourselves in an interesting time. No concerts, no gigs, no rehearsals, and no one else to play with. However, there is one thing we all have...Read More

    Essential Progressions – 4 Sonny Rollins Tools to Tackle The V7 of V7

    I can still remember the day I discovered how amazing the ii V7 chord progression could be. After struggling for years, It was as if a locked door finally opened and I was granted access...Read More

    I can still remember the day I discovered how amazing the ii V7 chord progression could be. After struggling for years, It was as if a locked door finally opened...Read More

    How to Turn Boring Theory into Your Next Brilliant Solo…

    You may think you know music theory. And you're probably willing to bet good money that you know the chords to your favorite tunes. Most musicians would...Hell, a few years ago I would've looked you...Read More

    You may think you know music theory. And you're probably willing to bet good money that you know the chords to your favorite tunes. Most musicians would...Hell, a few years...Read More

    Developing Musicality: Applying Scales vs. Applying Language

    Arecurring theme on this site seems to be language - acquiring, practicing, and applying the jazz language. There is a reason behind all the repetition, however. Language is a very powerful concept when it comes...Read More

    Arecurring theme on this site seems to be language - acquiring, practicing, and applying the jazz language. There is a reason behind all the repetition, however. Language is a very...Read More

    Jazz Improvisation is Hard…and Why That’s a Good Thing!

    Think about this for a moment. Your favorite musicians. Michael Brecker. Freddie Hubbard. Chick Corea. Sonny Rollins. Each and every one of them started at the bottom. Every single one of them began without any...Read More

    Think about this for a moment. Your favorite musicians. Michael Brecker. Freddie Hubbard. Chick Corea. Sonny Rollins. Each and every one of them started at the bottom. Every single one...Read More

    How to Organize Jazz Licks, Lines, & Concepts – The Jazz Musician’s …

    In an instant, musical ideas spring to life. Maybe you're transcribing and stumble upon something you like, or perhaps you suddenly play an idea that seemed to come from nowhere! This probably happens to you...Read More

    In an instant, musical ideas spring to life. Maybe you're transcribing and stumble upon something you like, or perhaps you suddenly play an idea that seemed to come from nowhere!...Read More

    The Truth About Ear Training and Jazz Improvisation

    What exactly is ear training? You’ve heard musicians talk about it. Your teachers have recommended it. And if you’re a regular here you’ve seen it pop up in more than a few lessons...But I'm guessing...Read More

    What exactly is ear training? You’ve heard musicians talk about it. Your teachers have recommended it. And if you’re a regular here you’ve seen it pop up in more than...Read More

    Mastering Sus Chords: Adding Options to Your Arsenal

    A reader from Colorado writes: "I would love it if you wrote an article on what to play over a sus chord. I played at a jam last night and played Maiden Voyage and would...Read More

    A reader from Colorado writes: "I would love it if you wrote an article on what to play over a sus chord. I played at a jam last night and...Read More

    Time to Overhaul Your Practice Routine

    One of the biggest obstacles for musicians working to improve as improvisers lies in the development of a solid daily practice routine. We all know we should get into the practice room and diligently spend...Read More

    One of the biggest obstacles for musicians working to improve as improvisers lies in the development of a solid daily practice routine. We all know we should get into the...Read More

    The Path to Finding Your Own Voice

    The notion of being original and innovative goes hand-in-hand with the idea of improvisation. The inspired act of being in the moment, creating on the fly with others in a group setting, and ultimately developing...Read More

    The notion of being original and innovative goes hand-in-hand with the idea of improvisation. The inspired act of being in the moment, creating on the fly with others in a...Read More