The process of learning to improvise is a journey. A long and rewarding journey and one that is punctuated by a series of milestones. This can be hard to see from that comfy seat inside...Read More
The process of learning to improvise is a journey. A long and rewarding journey and one that is punctuated by a series of milestones. This can be hard to see...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 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 extreme ranges of any instrument express extreme emotion, but they're not easy to tackle. The high register is notoriously difficult on most instruments and the low register is often under-developed and under-utilized. The standard...Read More
The extreme ranges of any instrument express extreme emotion, but they're not easy to tackle. The high register is notoriously difficult on most instruments and the low register is often...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 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
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
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
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
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
Kenny Garrett is an incredible musician. He's arguably had one of the largest impacts on alto saxophone since Charlie Parker. In fact, when he started to gain popularity, most every alto player in the world...Read More
Kenny Garrett is an incredible musician. He's arguably had one of the largest impacts on alto saxophone since Charlie Parker. In fact, when he started to gain popularity, most every...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 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
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
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
Beyond scales, music theory, and all those memorized licks lies something that gets to the core of what improvisation is all about - the art of crafting musical ideas. It's what we often refer to...Read More
Beyond scales, music theory, and all those memorized licks lies something that gets to the core of what improvisation is all about - the art of crafting musical ideas. It's...Read More
It’s been a while since you’ve picked up your horn, sat down to the piano, or even thought about practicing. As time goes by, it gets more and more difficult to get that spark going...Read More
It’s been a while since you’ve picked up your horn, sat down to the piano, or even thought about practicing. As time goes by, it gets more and more difficult...Read More
When exactly do I become good at improvising? Is there a single point that occurs where I can finally play like I want to? These are questions that inevitably pop up and hover at the...Read More
When exactly do I become good at improvising? Is there a single point that occurs where I can finally play like I want to? These are questions that inevitably pop...Read More