Learning to improvise is a life long pursuit. Constantly, we're bombarded with information on how to improve. From the teachers that give us private lessons, to friends who recommend their personal practice routines, it seems...Read More
Learning to improvise is a life long pursuit. Constantly, we're bombarded with information on how to improve. From the teachers that give us private lessons, to friends who recommend their...Read More
Contrary to what many people think, great solos don’t just happen by chance. They aren’t a lucky run of notes that happen to sound good or a sudden stroke of divine inspiration that hits once...Read More
Contrary to what many people think, great solos don’t just happen by chance. They aren’t a lucky run of notes that happen to sound good or a sudden stroke of...Read More
Sometimes a change in perspective is all you need. Jazz improvisation is a demanding pursuit, one that combines intellect, feeling and expression. It's easy to grasp the music theory side of things, but it's much...Read More
Sometimes a change in perspective is all you need. Jazz improvisation is a demanding pursuit, one that combines intellect, feeling and expression. It's easy to grasp the music theory side...Read More
When your goal is to improve at a skill like improvisation, you will stop at nothing to gather as much information as you can. Your search leads you in every direction: out of print books,...Read More
When your goal is to improve at a skill like improvisation, you will stop at nothing to gather as much information as you can. Your search leads you in every...Read More
Ican't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones - John Cage. At some point as an improviser, whether you welcome it with open arms or avoid it like...Read More
Ican't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones - John Cage. At some point as an improviser, whether you welcome it with open...Read More
In my article on Monday I talked about why you're not getting the results you want from transcribing whole solos. For the most part, that article was written with respect to language: how to make...Read More
In my article on Monday I talked about why you're not getting the results you want from transcribing whole solos. For the most part, that article was written with respect...Read More
When I think about what it means to "let go," detailed scenes from Hollywood hits come to mind. Scenes like Neo in The Matrix learning that "there is no spoon," and Tom Cruise in the...Read More
When I think about what it means to "let go," detailed scenes from Hollywood hits come to mind. Scenes like Neo in The Matrix learning that "there is no spoon,"...Read More
One of the most frustrating things about learning to improvise is the expectation that you can simply jump in and start creating a great solo right away... The belief that you can learn a single...Read More
One of the most frustrating things about learning to improvise is the expectation that you can simply jump in and start creating a great solo right away... The belief that...Read More
Let me guess...You’re smart. You know your stuff. And you have a sparkle in your eyes when you talk about music. You take lessons and you play in a band, and when you find a...Read More
Let me guess...You’re smart. You know your stuff. And you have a sparkle in your eyes when you talk about music. You take lessons and you play in a band,...Read More
All The Things You Are is a timeless jazz standard...Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra...these are just some of the legends that recorded it. But with its traveling tonal centers and unfamiliar keys, this...Read More
All The Things You Are is a timeless jazz standard...Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra...these are just some of the legends that recorded it. But with its traveling tonal...Read More
In talking, practicing, and performing with many musicians over the years, it seems that a number of players are having trouble getting started with improvisation. Even more have a hard time moving forward, but can't...Read More
In talking, practicing, and performing with many musicians over the years, it seems that a number of players are having trouble getting started with improvisation. Even more have a hard...Read More
So you've transcribed some lines and you're learning them in all keys. You've even started to apply them to tunes you're working on, but after several weeks, the line you transcribed which started out as...Read More
So you've transcribed some lines and you're learning them in all keys. You've even started to apply them to tunes you're working on, but after several weeks, the line you...Read More
You've seen it on TV or maybe you've even done it yourself. Trekking into the wilderness alone, armed with just a few essential tools and your own courage. Find your own shelter, find your own...Read More
You've seen it on TV or maybe you've even done it yourself. Trekking into the wilderness alone, armed with just a few essential tools and your own courage. Find your...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 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
I have a vivid memory of the first time I tried to play in an early jazz group. I was in school and was asked to play the trumpet part in an ensemble that met...Read More
I have a vivid memory of the first time I tried to play in an early jazz group. I was in school and was asked to play the trumpet part...Read More
What comes to mind when you hear the word diminished? A chord? A scale? Wait, is it whole-steps and half-steps...or the other way around? If you're like most players, the diminished sound often creates more...Read More
What comes to mind when you hear the word diminished? A chord? A scale? Wait, is it whole-steps and half-steps...or the other way around? If you're like most players, the...Read More