Inspiration for improvisers
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The Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim is well known to improvisers with dozens of tunes frequently played and recorded in the jazz repertoire. However, one song in particular stands out… The “Garota de Ipanema” or The Girl from Ipanema. Composed in 1963, it propelled a Bossa Nova wave around the world and was recorded by …
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Composition, Perspectives, Playing Techniques
Ask any musician or teacher what you should practice to develop exceptional jazz improvisation skills, and you usually hear words like “Scales” and “Modes” or “Guide-tone lines.” Sometimes even “Transcribing”… This is all useful information. And it will help you understand the harmonic function and music theory behind all those jazz standards. But it’s missing …
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Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards, Premium Only, Tunes
All the Things You Are is one of the first tunes musicians learn when it comes to jazz improvisation. But unlike many players think, it’s not exactly an “easy tune” or something that only beginners should play… While each section poses unique challenges, the Final ‘A’ section contains essential musical concepts that every serious improviser must …
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Composition, Jazz Education, Music Theory
Music theory is packed with quite a few dense explanations of esoteric concepts that plague the performer, and while music theory can be incredibly helpful to performing musicians, it has unfortunately steered so many players in the wrong direction. Recently we’ve had a handful of people write in asking about The Circle of Fifths and …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips
If you think about it, the elements of your practice routine are like the different sections of a well-structured work-out plan. You’ve got your warm-up & stretching, cardio, strength training, resistance work outs, and the list goes on… Every exercise has a specific role and develops a specific muscle group. When you put them together …
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Ear Training, How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Education, Jazz Language
Jazz is smart people music! I first heard these words from the great pianist Harold Mabern. Walking through the practice rooms at school one day, as was usually the case, a group of eager students was huddled around him as he told a story. An impromptu musical lesson that didn’t involve scales or chords, but …
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Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Language, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards
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 the feel, phrasing, and voice leading of bebop language that’s crucial for every jazz musician to understand… And to gain …
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Jazz ear training – What makes it different from general ear training? That’s a great question and when a reader recently asked this, it definitely made me think. They both focus on intervals, chords, root movement, and have other common ground, but how are they actually different? Over the years, I’ve taken quite a few …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Language, Premium Only, Tunes
The ability to play in every key is essential for all musicians. From the complete beginner, to the serious music student, all the way to the seasoned professional… And it’s especially important for musicians that are striving to get to the next level with the nuts and bolts of jazz improvisation. However, attaining freedom in all …
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Composition, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Standards, Rhythm
Phrasing is one of those things that everyone talks about, but most cannot clearly define. Like the concept of “swing,” it’s something you can feel and hear, but as soon as you start trying to use words to describe it, things get pretty ambiguous. First, let’s talk about musical phrases… In music, a phrase is …
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How to Practice Jazz, Jazz Advice and Tips, Jazz Language, Playing Techniques
So you’ve finally realized the importance of jazz language and you’re starting to learn lines in all keys…it’s like a whole new world has opened up. More creativity. More possibility. More options…Done are the days where you randomly mixed notes up from a scale trying endlessly to improvise a lyrical melody over the chord changes. …
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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 food, find your way out. You vs. Nature. To make it out alive, you need a few tools that will …