"Jazz Language"

    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 Beat the “I Don’t Know What to Play” Syndrome in Your Solos

    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... ...Read More

    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...Read More

    Mythbusting the Top 5 Myths About Jazz Improvisation

    Learning how to improvise is not nearly as clear as people think. And what makes it worse is that there are quite a few myths about it. Today, in no particular order, we're going to...Read More

    Learning how to improvise is not nearly as clear as people think. And what makes it worse is that there are quite a few myths about it. Today, in no...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

    Never Get Lost in the Chord Changes Again: How to hear form and anticipate chords

    You know how it goes…you're feeling super confident as you solo creatively over one of your favorite jazz standards and everything’s going well. But then, just for a split-second you lose focus. All of a...Read More

    You know how it goes…you're feeling super confident as you solo creatively over one of your favorite jazz standards and everything’s going well. But then, just for a split-second you...Read More

    5 Secrets for Mastering the Altered Scale

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    The dominant chord is one of the most versatile chords in the jazz repertoire, and it's your best bet for adding harmonic tension and melodic interest to your lines. The only problem is that many...Read More

    The dominant chord is one of the most versatile chords in the jazz repertoire, and it's your best bet for adding harmonic tension and melodic interest to your lines. The...Read More

    Time Management for the Improviser

    One of the most frequently asked questions that we get concerns finding time to practice or improving with a limited amount of practice time. "What should I do if I don't have enough time to...Read More

    One of the most frequently asked questions that we get concerns finding time to practice or improving with a limited amount of practice time. "What should I do if I...Read More

    20 Practice Hacks for the Busy Musician

    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,...Read More

    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...Read More

    The Anatomy of a Sound: Overcoming the Barrier of Music Theory

    From the moment we are born, the world tends to have a container already built for us to fit inside: A social security number, a gender, a race, a profession, an I.Q. I ponder if...Read More

    From the moment we are born, the world tends to have a container already built for us to fit inside: A social security number, a gender, a race, a profession,...Read More

    Keys to the Altered Scale

    The altered scale allows access to the beautiful tensions of a dominant chord in a flash. The effective use of this scale, however, is not easy. In this article, I've assembled what I have found...Read More

    The altered scale allows access to the beautiful tensions of a dominant chord in a flash. The effective use of this scale, however, is not easy. In this article, I've...Read More

    How To Master The ii-V-I Progression: 25 Essential Lines You Need To Know

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    There are certain things that you need to do if you want to improve your musical skills...Setting aside time each day to practice. Listening to important recordings. Seeking out teachers to guide you along the way. ...Read More

    There are certain things that you need to do if you want to improve your musical skills...Setting aside time each day to practice. Listening to important recordings. Seeking out teachers to...Read More

    10 Brilliant Jazz Solos And What You Can Learn From Them

    There is a secret that all great musicians have in common. You won't hear it on their recordings or even in their live performances. And some may even deny it that it ever happened at...Read More

    There is a secret that all great musicians have in common. You won't hear it on their recordings or even in their live performances. And some may even deny it...Read More

    10 Things Every Comeback Player Needs to Know

    You’re a musician. Or at least you used to be one...You played an instrument in high school, faithfully took private lessons, and performed at dozens of recitals and concerts. Maybe you even went on to...Read More

    You’re a musician. Or at least you used to be one...You played an instrument in high school, faithfully took private lessons, and performed at dozens of recitals and concerts. Maybe...Read More

    6 Practice Essentials for Every Improviser

    You walk into your practice room. You sit back in your favorite chair and mentally prepare to play your first note of the day. You glance at your stack of etude books, the half transcribed...Read More

    You walk into your practice room. You sit back in your favorite chair and mentally prepare to play your first note of the day. You glance at your stack of...Read More

    How to Acquire Useful Language: The Building Blocks of Your Solo

    Learning how to improvise can be overwhelming. There's an enormous gap in knowledge to overcome as soon as you decide that you want to play jazz. Before you even improvise a single note, you have...Read More

    Learning how to improvise can be overwhelming. There's an enormous gap in knowledge to overcome as soon as you decide that you want to play jazz. Before you even improvise...Read More

    Why These 8 Jazz Standards Should Be Your New Practice Etudes

    Every musician has spent time in the practice room working on etudes. Diligently running through exercises that cover various techniques like articulation, the altissimo range, or diminished arpeggios. This is a good start for most...Read More

    Every musician has spent time in the practice room working on etudes. Diligently running through exercises that cover various techniques like articulation, the altissimo range, or diminished arpeggios. This is...Read More