Quick and easy mastery of improvising jazz
Okay, let me come clean that the title of this post is completely misleading. But when you first saw it, admit that you had a tinge of excitement that it could be possible. Sorry about that, but I’m trying to make a point.
One fix to your jazz playing that will make you swing
My last couple of posts have been dedicated to time and rhythm.
So much of jazz education literature is obsessed almost exclusively to showing you the ‘right’ notes and scales to play
How is your sense of jazz time?
I’ve been listening to Youtube videos of jazz players. Not the stars, but players who most people would consider to be very capable.
Finding meaning for your jazz playing
I just read Viktor Frankl’s classic, Man’s Search For Meaning. It’s been on my reading list for a long time so my recent sojourn to the northern Arizona flower-covered mountains gave me the opportunity to finally read it.
So you REALLY think staring at chords helps you improvise better?
Learning to play jazz starts with the exploration of chords. You learn D minor to G7 to C major and all sorts of permutations of that progression and many others.
Memorization and jazz improvisation
I received an email this morning from a classical pianist eager to improve her jazz skills. Her question involves memorization, which she considers her ‘weakest area’.
Don’t blame the tool if you use it for the wrong task
There are lots of ‘tools’ available to someone learning to become a better jazz player. Are they good or bad? It depends on the context.
Abandoning the safety of the well-worn muscle memory of musical you
That was a comment by an attendee at my live webinar this week held for subscribers of my course Improvisation Savvy.
Answering the question that will lead to the best musical version of you
I love jazz because it showcases the expression of the individual. Sure, we play in groups and communicate with each other as we play, and at its finest, the group is the sum of the individual members creating something special from the mix of each of their unique artistic souls. Think steaming delicious stew.
An important musical lesson Sheila Jordan can teach us all
I’m producing video marketing for my Jazz Master Savvy product and I was reminded of a priceless clip from my interview with the great singer Sheila Jordan. In fact, I put her clip into one of my ads as an example of some of the gems from my library of interviews and other conversations.
Left versus right brain in the process of learning to improvise
The left and right hemispheres of your brain have a complex relationship, and that relationship facilitates how you function in every aspect of your life including how well you play jazz. I like to talk about the roles each hemisphere plays in creating art, specifically jazz improvisation. Think of the left side as the analytical […]
What you’re missing in most online teaching of jazz
I was forwarded a YouTube link yesterday of a young musician playing John Coltrane’s solo from Giant Steps note for note. He was a technically proficient player who obviously had worked hard to get each of Trane’s difficult phrases under his fingers.
