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The struggles of learning jazz

Have you seen any of my ads yet on Facebook and Instagram”?

They link to four revealing questions. And yes, they do promote the Jazz Circle memberships, but I have an ulterior motive for them.

They help me see more clearly about how you think and feel about your current improvisational skills. I’m always curious about that. And the results – so far nearing about 1,000 respondents – confirm what I hear from players.

Question 1

When you're improvising and something doesn't feel right, what are you mainly focused on?

Calculating or correcting notes, scales, or harmony 35.1%
Hearing ideas clearly but struggling to get them onto my instrument 24.8%
Worrying about time, feel, or losing my place in the tune 20.0%
Feeling tense or disconnected rather than expressive 20.1%
Question 2

Most of the time, your practice feels like...

Working on lots of things, but without a clear sense of priority 31.5%
Repeating familiar material and hoping it becomes more natural 34.3%
Following inspiration rather than a clear plan 19.6%
Focused and productive, but I'm unsure what I should work on next 14.7%
Question 3

After a gig, rehearsal, or jam, what's most likely to bother you?

I didn't sound like myself — just habits or patterns 18.5%
I knew what I wanted to play, but it didn't come out. 23.7%
My time, transitions, or feel didn't settle the way I wanted 16.4%
I filled the space, but it didn't feel like a story 41.4%
Question 4

Which statement feels closest to the truth for you right now?

I know a lot, but it doesn't come out naturally. 32.1%
What I play doesn't match what I hear in my head. 3.4%
I practice, but improvement feels slow or inconsistent. 31.3%
I'm not convinced I really have my own voice yet 33.2%

The survey paints the picture of a player who relies on the mechanics of improvisation as a guide.

They drill those mechanics, expecting them to show up in real playing. But after all that, they end up filling space with mechanics instead of music. It didn't feel like their voice.

Honestly... it was more content than music.

Does any of that sound familiar? Take the survey yourself. It may get you thinking about about aspects of your playing you may not be considering.

And when you finish, I want to send you a tip that just might help you with the main thing holding you back right now.

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Picture of Michael Lake

Michael Lake

Trombonist, author, marketer, & tech guy

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