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571 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Quick Win: 5 Jazz Practice Hacks to Improve Faster
28 januari 2022 · 12 min
So what are some practice hacks that can help you improve exponentially faster and not waste your precious practice time? Well, today I'm gonna share with you 5 you've probably never heard of before. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. The Pareto Principle
2. The 5 Filters
3. Filter #1- Goal Setting
4. Filter #2 - Know the 3 Pillars of Jazz Improvisation
5. Filter #3 - What Has Pizza Got to Do With This?
6. Filter #4 - The Fun Filter
7. Filter #5 - What is the LRC Practice Strategy Method?Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling bookLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Why Is My Jazz Improvisation Not Improving? This Could Be Why…
24 januari 2022 · 27 min
Show DescriptionWelcome to episode 319 where today I go over a common frustration many have which is feeling like their jazz improvisation is not improving, even if they are doing all of the right things. Lees meer
I go over some questions to ask yourself as well as some possible solutions to help bridge the gap.
Main Points:
1. The things you should be practicing as a jazz musician
2. Memorizing vs. not memorizing
3. Composing your own solos and lines
4. Managing expectations
5. Why practicing in different keys is importantImportant Links:
Show Notes
Get Tickets to Learn Jazz Live 2022 Virtual Summit
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: Creating AMAZING Jazz Solos Using Jazz Chords (3 Levels)
21 januari 2022 · 12 min
So how can you start playing amazing jazz solos using jazz chords to your full advantage? Well, today I'm gonna show you 3 levels to do exactly that. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Level 1 - Start playing this instead of scales.
2. Level 2 - How to creatively resolve these tones in your lines.
3. Level 3 - Combining Level 1 and 2 and figuring out different ways that you can resolve to them.Important Links:
Show Notes
Get Tickets to Learn Jazz Live 2022 Virtual Summit
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: 4 Must-Know BLUESY Jazz Standards
14 januari 2022 · 8 min
So what jazz standards can you get super bluesy in your jazz solos? Well, today I'm gonna teach you 4 of those tunes that you need to know. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Jazz Standard #1
3. Jazz Standard #2
4. Jazz Standard #3
5. Jazz Standard #4Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling bookLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Revealing Harmonic Secrets of a Bebop Jazz Standard
11 januari 2022 · 32 min
Welcome to episode 315 where today I walk us through a harmonic analysis of a bebop jazz standard. Lees meer
Analyzing the function of harmony within jazz standards is a great practice that can help you understand them better. You'll learn some amazing lessons from this jazz standard.
Main Points:
1. Benefits of analyzing jazz standards
2. Analyzing Yardbird Suite
3. Backdoor dominants
4. Secondary dominants
5. Deceptive cadencesImportant Links:
Show Notes
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Learn a Jazz Solo by Ear (Step-by-Step)
10 januari 2022 · 13 min
So how do you learn jazz solos by ear without sheet music so you can start improving your jazz improv exponentially? Well, today I'm sharing with you my full-step process for doing exactly that. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Two Things You Need To Become A Better Jazz Improviser
3. The L.I.S.T. Process for Learning Jazz Solos by Ear
4. Step #1: The L
5. Step #2: The I
6. Step #3: The S
7. Step #4: The T
8. What Is "Batching"? (Highly recommended)
9. The Bonus StepImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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The State of Learn Jazz Standards Address 2022
3 januari 2022 · 43 min
Welcome to episode 313 where today I talk about the state of Learn Jazz Standards, where things stand today, and what we are doing in 2022. Lees meer
This is a fun, different kind of episode to kick off the year to help fill you in on all of the exciting things to come.
Main Points:
1. The future of the podcast
2. The future of the blog/website
3. The future of the YouTube channel
4. The future of the LJS Inner Circle membership***Important Links***
Show Notes
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Get Tickets to Learn Jazz Live 2022 Virtual SummitLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Do a Self Jazz Audit to Speed Up Your Improvement
28 december 2021 · 35 min
Welcome to episode 312 where today I talk about how to do a self-audit of your jazz playing. Auditing your playing can be really valuable for honing in on the things you are good at and bad at so you can make action plans to hone in on them. I do a jazz audit on myself and walk you through my process. Lees meer
The New Year is around the corner, and what I want you to realize is that the things that got you to where you are now in your jazz playing are not necessarily the things that will get you to where you need to go next.
What we want to be able to do is to be able to give ourselves a true evaluation of where we are in our jazz playing today, so we can make a plan going forward that doesn't waste our time on things that don't matter.
So in today's episode, I'm going over how to give yourself a self jazz audit. I'll be conducting one on myself, and then I'll walk you through how to do it.
In this episode:
1. The two important questions to ask during your audit
2. Deciding a realistic amount of practice time
3. Using your questions to create action itemsImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: Using Rhythm for AMAZING Jazz Solos
23 december 2021 · 9 min
A huge mistake that many jazz players are making is not utilizing rhythm. So today I'm going to show you 3 common jazz rhythms and how to use them in your solos. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Jazz Rhythm #1
2. Jazz Rhythm #2
3. Jazz Rhythm #3
4. Rhythmic Motif Exercise
5. Adding Pitches to ExerciseImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling bookLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Gear I Use to Play, Teach, and Practice Jazz
20 december 2021 · 41 min
Welcome to episode 310 where today I talk about all of the gear I use to play, teach and practice jazz. I go over everything from microphones, amps, guitars, cameras, audio interfaces, and software. I talk about what they are, how I use them, and what I would recommend for you. Lees meer
Today on the podcast we are talking about gear - the gear I use for playing jazz, teaching jazz, and practicing jazz.I'll be covering the cameras I use, the microphones I use, the guitar and amplifiers I use, and a host of other things.
Gear is certainly not everything, but good gear can come in handy and make your jazz playing journey easier and more fun.
In this episode:
1. My Live Gig Setup
2. My Recording Setup
3. Software I Use for PracticingImportant Links: (Note: Some of these are affiliate links and at no extra cost to you we get a small kickback when you purchase through these links. )
Live Gig Setup:
Ibanez Artcore AF95
Mono Case
MXR Carbon Copy
Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
AER Compact 60
D’Addario Nickel Wound Jazz Medium Guage
Dava Jazz GripsRecording Setup:
Heil PR-40
Sennheiser MKE 600
Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD
Hindenburg Journalist
Kanto YU2
Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam
Canon EOS Rebel T7Practicing and Music Software:
Band in a Box
FinaleOther Resources:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: 3 Jazz Mistakes Beginners Make (Avoid These)
17 december 2021 · 10 min
Are you making any of these three critical mistakes when learning jazz? Well, today I'm gonna show you exactly what they are, how to avoid them, and what to do instead. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Mistake #1
2. Master This For Better Improvisation Skills
3. Mistake #2
4. How To Be More Creative With Your Own Licks
5. Mistake #3
6. How To Gain Freedom From Music Scores
7. The Best Way To Learn Jazz StandardsImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Why Practicing LESS Is Better Than Practicing More
13 december 2021 · 34 min
Welcome to episode 308 where today I talk about why the mindset of needing to practice a lot to improve as a jazz musician is potentially a toxic mindset. I go through 3 reasons why practicing less can actually have a much higher impact on your jazz playing. Lees meer
There have been a lot of regrets that I've had during my journey to becoming a better jazz musician. There are a lot of moments I look back at where I see I caused myself lots of unnecessary pain and suffering. When I think of one of the more prominent ones, it was the belief I had that I had to practice a lot in order to make meaningful progress in my jazz playing.
So in today's episode, I'm going to dive deeper into the reason why practicing more is not the answer, and what we can do to solve that mindset.
In this episode:
1. Understanding the Impact on Sustainability
2. Understanding the Impact on Efficiency
3. Understanding the Impact on MotivationImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Comp Like a Jazz Pro
11 december 2021 · 13 min
So how do piano and guitar players learn to comp like jazz pros? Today I'm going to show you 3 things you need to be practicing in order to get there. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Definition of Comping
2. Comping Tip #1
3. What are Inversions?
4. Comping Tip #2
5. Ascending Off Beat Exercise
6. Comping Tip #3
7. My #1 Tip for Improving CompingImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Get Un-Stuck In Your Jazz Playing (5 Steps)
6 december 2021 · 37 min
Welcome to episode 306 where today I talk about a 5-step process to help you get "un-stuck" in your jazz playing. Lees meer
Most of us completely resonate with the experience of being stuck on a musical plateau. It can be frustrating and feel like there's not a way out. But in this episode, you'll get a sure-fire process for moving forward.
I find that a lot of musicians that come to me for help are feeling stuck in their jazz playing. They are on the dreaded musical plateau, in the desert, and they can't seem to find a way out. This can be a very frustrating experience - feeling like your solos aren't up to snuff, your comping, your bass lines. Feel like you are still falling back into old habits that are holding you back.
In today's episode, I'm going to help you break through and get unstuck in your jazz playing. I'm going to give you a 5-step process that pretty much guarantees you'll break through to the other side.
In this episode:
1. Doing a Jazz Playing Audit
2. Doing a Jazz Practicing Audit
3. Defining Project Goals
4. Defining a Practice Strategy
5. Rinse and RepeatImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Go From Jazz Beginner to Intermediate, to Advanced
3 december 2021 · 21 min
So how do we go from beginner jazz player, to intermediate, and even advanced? Well, today I'm going to show you exactly how to level up your jazz playing. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Level #1 Complete Jazz Beginner
2. Level #2 Jazz Beginner
3. Level #3 Jazz Intermediate
4. Level #4 Jazz Advanced
5. #1 Tip for Leveling Up Your Jazz PlayingImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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5 Personality Traits of My Most Successful Jazz Students
27 november 2021 · 30 min
Welcome to episode 304 where today I talk about 5 personality traits that some of my most successful students possess. There are certain members of my Inner Circle community and course students that I see improve faster than everyone else. Lees meer
When I take a deeper look, these general traits they have tend to give them the upper hand. Learn what they are and how you can embrace them.
Main Points:
1. Resilience to Failure
2. Willing to Change (coachable)
3. Longterm Mindsets
4. Focused5. Transparent with Their Progress (vulnerable)Important Links:
Show Notes
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Overcome Jazz Performance Anxiety
26 november 2021 · 12 min
So you get up to play a song at the jam session and you're terrified, sweaty, and nervous. You just don't feel good. You're afraid you're gonna mess up, screw up, and embarrass yourself. In this video, we will talk about how to get over performance anxiety so we feel confident and fearless. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Overcoming Jazz Performance Anxiety Tip #1
3. Overcoming Jazz Performance Anxiety Tip #2
4. Overcoming Jazz Performance Anxiety Tip #3
5. Overcoming Jazz Performance Anxiety Tip #4
6. Overcoming Jazz Performance Anxiety Tip #5Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Beginner’s Guide to Learning Chord Progressions By Ear
22 november 2021 · 43 min
Welcome to episode 302 where today I walk you through an in-depth process for how to learn chord progressions by ear. For some learning any music by ear is difficult, but when it comes to hearing chords and chord progressions, it can be even more challenging. You'll learn some tips to make it easier and a step-by-step process for how to get started. Lees meer
Main Points:
1. Using backing tracks instead of recordings
2. Using a slow-downer to make things easier
3. Step 1: The Bass Notes
4. Step 2: The Chord QualitiesImportant Links
Show Notes
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: 10 Must-Know Jazz Standards for Jam Sessions
19 november 2021 · 14 min
There are some jazz standards that are so commonly called the jam sessions that you cannot get away with not knowing them. Lees meer
So, today I'm going to go over ten jazz standards from beginner to advanced.
In this episode:
1. Jazz Standard # 1
2. Jazz Standard # 2
3. Jazz Standard # 3
4. Jazz Standard # 4
5. Jazz Standard # 5
6. Jazz Standard #6
7. Jazz Standard # 7
8. Jazz Standard # 8
9. Jazz Standard # 9
10. Jazz Standard #10Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Behind the Scenes of Learn Jazz Standards (feat. Brett Pontecorvo and Justin Kellerer)
15 november 2021 · 1 uur 18 min
Welcome to episode 300 where today we're celebrating this huge milestone of the podcast with two very special guests, both members of team LJS - Brett Pontecorvo and Justin Kellerer. Lees meer
We recorded this episode live for our Inner Circle members and go behind the scenes and reveal the history of LJS and how it works.Listen to episode 300Learn Jazz Standards started back in 2010 as a simple blog.
Today it's something much bigger and different, and it's been quite a ride. Looking back over the years it's incredible to see how the Learn Jazz Standards community has changed and grown into something far more amazing than we could ever have imagined.
We recorded this episode live to celebrate the 300th episode milestone with two core members of team LJS to dive into the history and the inner workings of Learn Jazz Standards.
In this episode:
1. The History of Learn Jazz Standards
2. How we built Learn Jazz Standards
3. Some of our biggest failures and biggest wins
4. How we've refined our production and processes over the years
5. The future of Learn Jazz StandardsImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Play Scales Over Jazz Chords (Without Sounding Like Scales)
12 november 2021 · 11 min
How do you play scales over jazz chords so that you are playing the right notes but not making it sound like you are just playing scales? Lees meer
Well, today I'm going to show you a melodic approach to making scales musical.
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. The Big Problem with Scales
3. Taking Scales into Context
4. The Right Way to Think About Scales in Jazz
5. First Step to Making Scales Musical
6. Using Scales to "Fill In The Gaps"
7. The Locrian #2 Lick
8. Identifying Chord Tones in the Lick
9. Filling in the Gaps With Scales in the LickImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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From the Vault: My Interview With The Great Peter Bernstein
8 november 2021 · 36 min
Welcome to episode 298 where we go back in the vault to 2016 with an interview by the renowned jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein. Lees meer
This was one of the first shows of the LJS Podcast, and a tremendously amazing opportunity to sit down with one of the jazz guitar greats. Peter shares his musical knowledge and insights about being a jazz musician.
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: How to Play Instant Bebop (On Any Instrument)
5 november 2021 · 11 min
So how do you play killer bebop solos like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie? Lees meer
Well, today I'm going to show you a simple bebop hack that will help you start playing amazing bebop solos instantly.
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Target Notes and Approach Notes
3. 2 Different Kinds of Approach Tones
4. Using Enclosure
5. Chromatic Approach Tone Exercise
6. Analyzing the Approach Tone Exercise
7. #1 Tip for Improvising Bebop SolosImportant Links1. Subscribe to the Podcast- Apple Podcasts - Spotify 2. Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way 3. LJS Inner Circle Membership
Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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5 Filters for How to Know What You Should Practice
1 november 2021 · 39 min
Welcome to episode 295 where today I discuss 5 "filters" for knowing what you should practice. Lees meer
There are so many things out there to practice, and sometimes when told what to practice it can seem generic and not catered specifically to you.
So in this episode, you'll learn 5 filters to help you assess what to practice to shorten your jazz learning curve.
In this episode:
1. Your Master Goal Filter
2. Your Technique Filter
3. The 3 Pillars Filter
4. Jazz Standards Filter
5. Fun Filter
6. Your Practice Strategy FilterImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Show NotesLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: 30 Minute Jazz Standard Practice Routine
29 oktober 2021 · 9 min
If you're like most people who are strapped for time to practice, then you may wonder, how do I improve my jazz skills while practicing less? Lees meer
Well, today I'm going to show you a practice routine that packs a huge punch in only 30 minutes.
In this episode:
1. What is the Inner Circle Power Plan
2. Practice session #1
3. Jazz practice mindset 1
4. Practice session #2
5. Practice session #3
6. Jazz practice mindset 2
7. Inner Circle Power Plan - Week 1
8. Inner Circle Power Plan - Week 2
9. Inner Circle Power Plan - Week 3
10. Inner Circle Power Plan - Week 4Important Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Is Your Jazz Playing Healthy (3 Core Factors)?
25 oktober 2021 · 34 min
Welcome to episode 294 where today I discuss 3 core factors I look into when assessing the health of my student's jazz playing. Lees meer
I find that there are 3 main areas of strength and weakness in a musician that can make or break their jazz solos, comping, or bass lines. If we are able to identify where we fall short within these 3 areas, we can start softening the edges and improving exponentially.
As a jazz coach and a mentor, there are 3 core areas that I assess to determine the health of one of my students' playing. And I look into these 3 core areas because I want to make sure that not only are we really getting to the bottom of the issues that are within your playing but also to make sure that we're on the trajectory towards growth. Because oftentimes I find that if we are missing out on one of these core areas, even if we have the other two together, it can completely handicap our playing and stunt our growth as musicians, and of course, as jazz players.
So in today's episode, I'm going to go over those 3 core areas to assess the health of your jazz playing and what we can do with each one, and ways we can think about this to really progress further.
In this episode:
1. Assessing your Technical proficiency
2. Assessing your Harmonic competency
3. Assessing your Rhythmic competencyImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: Easy Jazz Standard to Improve Fast
22 oktober 2021 · 10 min
What are jazz standards that can help you improve quickly but not leave your brain hurting? Lees meer
Well, today I'm going to show you an easy jazz standard that does exactly that.
In this episode:
1. Why is this tune easy
2. 3 reasons why this is a powerful tune to learn
3. Reason number 1
4. Reason number 2
5. Major diatonic series of 7th chords
6. Why studying this tune is important
7. Reason number 3
8. What are secondary dominantsImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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What I’m Thinking About When I Improvise
18 oktober 2021 · 53 min
Welcome to episode 292 where today we listen to a recording of me improvising over a popular jazz standard and try to understand what I'm thinking as I improvise. Lees meer
Improvisation can be a mysterious thing, and it can feel difficult to connect the dots between the scales, licks, and patterns you are practicing to actually improvising great solos. This episode will give some insight into how pro and advanced jazz musicians think.
Now the art of improvising and playing great jazz solos tends to be a mysterious thing for those on the outside looking in. Like what are the advanced and pro-level jazz musicians thinking about when they improvise? How are they able to spontaneously create things? Are they thinking about scales? Are they thinking about chord tones? Are they thinking about licks that they've learned? Are they thinking about a particular emotion when they are playing? What is creating this ability to create spontaneously and great improvisations?
Well, in today's episode, I'm going to actually uncover that in myself to see if we can get inside of what I'm actually thinking when I'm improvising so that hopefully, you can take that information and that knowledge and apply it to your solos so that you do create great improvisations.
In this episode:
1. Improvisation is connecting the subconscious to the conscious
2. Great improvisers have often played what they are improvising before
3. It's important to practice things we want to play so that we develop our own "isms" that feel natural to usImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: Tasty Minor Bebop Altered Lick
15 oktober 2021 · 11 min
Today I'm going to show you a tasty jazz lick that's going to make you sound like a bebop pro over minor 2-5-1 chord progressions. Lees meer
In this episode:
1. What's a minor 2-5-1
2. How to get that bebop sound
3. What a Minor Bebop Altered Lick sounds like
4. What makes this lick so great
5. What are target notes
6. Importance of 3rds
7. Importance of 7ths
8. The altered notes
9. Tips for learning the altered lickImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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6 Powerful Reasons to Record Your Jazz Playing
11 oktober 2021 · 30 min
Welcome to episode 290 where today I talk about 6 powerful reasons why you should record your jazz playing. Lees meer
You may have heard people suggest recording yourself, but have you ever fully understood why it can be helpful? In this episode, I go over in detail how this simple regular practice could reap great rewards in your jazz playing.
If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you may have heard me say before that recording your jazz playing is a great idea. But I probably haven't really dug deep into why recording your jazz playing can actually have exponential benefits as far as you getting a lot out of your practice sessions and speeding up the progress of your jazz improv, and jazz comping skills in general.
So, in this episode, we are going to dive into that. We're going to go over six reasons why recording yourself is going to be helpful for you in your jazz playing, as well as some tips for recording yourself at the end.
In this episode:
1. Documenting your progress
2. Simulating a performance environment
3. Encourages repetition
4. Identify things you are good at
5. Identify things you need to work on
6. Get community feedback
7. 3 tips for recording yourselfImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Quick Win: Sick Minor Blues Improv Hack
8 oktober 2021 · 9 min
So how do you play sick bluesy licks over top of minor 2-5-1 chord progressions? Lees meer
Well, I'm going to show you a very simple tool to make this really easy.
In this episode:
1. What is a minor 2-5-1 chord progression
2. What is tritone substitution
3. How to use tritone substitution
4. Comparing to a Minor Blues Scale
5. The Importance of Chord Tones
6. How to Use Over a Jazz StandardImportant Links:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
2. Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Beginner, to Intermediate, to Advanced Jazz Musician – How to Do It
4 oktober 2021 · 56 min
Welcome to episode 288 where today I talk about how to go from a beginner jazz player to intermediate, and finally to advanced jazz musician. Lees meer
I teach you exactly what I would do if I was starting all over, and how to speed up the process and cut back on practice time.
How do we go from beginner to intermediate, to advanced jazz player in as little time as possible? Whether you are a beginner and you're just getting started to jazz, or you're somewhere in the middle of the road, how do we get to that next level?
Well, I'm going to go through in this episode exactly what I would do if I was starting from square one. Right from the very beginning, what would I do to most efficiently, most quickly become a better jazz musician? No matter what instrument you play, it really doesn't matter, this could be a huge key for you in your long-term success as a jazz player.
So, let's dive right into this. I would encourage you to get out your notes and to really pay attention to this one because this is going to be absolutely value-packed.
In this episode:
1. Start Listening (and a key tip)
2. Learn basic jazz blues (and 4 crucial steps)
3. Learn 1 jazz standard a month (and 5 crucial steps)
4. Learn 1 jazz standard a month (again)
5. Setting up regular jams/gigs
6. Analyzing problems and attacking them
7. How to speed up progress while practicing lessImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Deal With Musical Failure
27 september 2021 · 27 min
Welcome to episode 287 where today I talk about musical "failure" - how to think about it, how to deal with it, and ultimately how to appropriately use it to your advantage. Lees meer
In this episode, I talk about how there is only really one type of true failure, and how to adopt a mindset that sets you up to win every time.
Inevitably, somewhere along the line in your journey of becoming a better jazz musician, you are going to fail. There's going to be something that goes wrong, maybe even in your mind, very wrong, like you get lost in the middle of the chord changes at a jam session or gig and it's embarrassing, or you completely flob a solo.
It doesn't sound good. It sounds absolutely horrible. You may, even just in the practice room by yourself, disappoint yourself with the progress that you're making. And you'll look at it as a failure.
But how do we deal with that? How do we deal with those failures and how do we come out better on the other side of them? And how do we reframe our thinking about what musical failure actually is and what it means?
Well, that's exactly what I'm going to talk about in today's episode. We're going to dive deep into that topic so that we can start reframing the narrative and improving our jazz skills with the right mindset.
In this episode:
1. The only type of true musical failure
2. How to use "failure" to help you make gains
3. Adopting a mindset that helps you win every timeImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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3 Ways to Spice Up Your Minor 2-5-1 Playing
20 september 2021 · 26 min
Welcome to episode 286 where today I talk about 3 different ways to spice up minor 2-5-1 chord progressions. Lees meer
Minor 2-5-1s can be found everywhere in jazz standards, so how do we make our comping, bass lines, and improv more interesting over them? I give several different ways we can utilize harmonic movement in our favor.
Minor 2-5-1 chord progressions are found all over the place in jazz standards, so you'll be able to navigate them with relative ease. But how can we spice them up? How can we make them sound interesting when we improvise or walk bass lines or comp over top of these chord progressions?
Well, that's exactly what we are going to talk about today in today's episode. We are going to talk about 3 different ways we can spice up minor 2-5-1 chord progressions.
In this episode:
1. 1. i-bI7-tritone sub of ii-i
2. i-IV7-tritone sub of ii-i
3. i-IV7-II7-tritone sub ov V-iImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Play More Melodic Jazz Solos
13 september 2021 · 30 min
Welcome to episode 285 where today I talk about how to play more melodic jazz solos. Lees meer
What separates the amateurs from the experts is how melodic a jazz solo is. So if you are stuck with boring solos, or solos that sound like scales, this episode will give you actionable steps for transforming your solos into memorable ones.
If you're like 99% of the people that come to me for help with their jazz playing and their improvisation, you are not happy with your jazz solos right now. There's something about them that is missing and you are not quite sure what it is when you compare yourself to other great jazz musicians you know or your favorite ones that you listen to recordings on.
The key is that great jazz musicians are always playing melodically. And they don't sound like they're playing scales. They don't sound like they are playing chord tones. They don't sound like they are playing mechanically at all. They sound like they're playing organic, living, breathing melodies.
So how do you play jazz solos that sing and that are melodic? Well, that's exactly what I'm talking about in today's episode -- how do we improvise melodically. I'm going to give you some practical advice, some steps, and some things that you can practice today.
In this episode:
1. What makes a melody great
2. Strategy for making the chord changes come out in your solos
3. Voice leading as a tool for developing melody
4. Make your solos singable by practicing creating them.Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Know If You Are Ready to Learn Jazz
6 september 2021 · 30 min
Welcome to episode 284 where today I talk about how to know whether you are ready to start learning jazz. Lees meer
I hear from musicians who wonder if their skills on their instrument are up to par, ears good enough, or in general, have the talent necessary to learn and play jazz. I discuss how to know if you are ready, and several things you can do to set yourself up for success.
Am I ready to start playing jazz? That's the question that someone asked me recently and I've been asked this question many times by different subscribers over the years. And sometimes I am asked in different ways like, am I technically proficient enough in my instrument to be able to play jazz? I'm a classical musician. Am I able to play jazz even though I've never learned anything by ear before and I'm not even an improviser?
So many different iterations of this question, but all kind of come down to the root of is jazz a step above where I am right now and therefore, I have to sort of bridge that gap before we get there before we actually start diving into jazz and enjoying ourselves playing the music.
Well, that's exactly what I'm going to answer today. I'm going to give you the answer to that question directly and then give you some guidelines and some helpful tips so that you can be prepared to play jazz and really start taking off on the right foot.
In this episode:
1. How to know whether you are ready to play jazz or not
2. Tip 1: Know the basics of navigating your instrument
3. Tip 2: Know basic scales and chord tones
4. Tip 3: Be willing to failImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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3 Powerful Mindsets for Improving Faster While Practicing Less
30 augustus 2021 · 23 min
Welcome to episode 283 where today I talk about 3 powerful mindsets that you need to adopt to start improving faster while practicing less, and setting yourself up to win every time. Lees meer
If you can start recognizing the less helpful mindsets that many of us musicians have, and then replacing them with these, it could be huge for you.
Too many times, we musicians set ourselves up to fail. We set ourselves up to fail so that we are not able to improve in our jazz playing, in our skills, in our comping, in our walking baselines, in our single note lines.
Whatever it is that you are working on right now, we set ourselves up to fail because we have the wrong mindset. We have the wrong mindset for how to actually improve and because we've adopted some of these bad mindsets for how we approach actually going about learning this music, we dramatically decrease the way that we improve and how we are able to improve.
So, in today's episode, I'll be going over 3 powerful mindsets that, if you can adopt these mindsets, I can pretty much guarantee that you are going to start making more progress in your jazz playing while practicing even less.
In this episode:
1. Mindset 1: You can make huge progress with only the amount of practice time you have (without giving up anything)2. Mindset 2: The simple stuff is the BIG stuff - you don't need to practice harder and more things to improve
3. Mindset 3: Perfection is the enemy of progress - when we get stuck on perfecting one thing, we miss out on the other lessons waiting for us
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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The 3 Pillars of Bebop for Improving Your Bop Solos (feat. Brett Pontecorvo)
23 augustus 2021 · 47 min
Welcome to episode 282 where today I talk with a member of team LJS, Brett Pontecorvo, about the 3 Pillars of Bebop. Lees meer
Bebop is a style of jazz that has greatly influenced the way jazz improvisers play today. But bebop is no walk in the park. It requires a degree of virtuosity and strong knowledge of navigating chord changes. How do we break it down to make it easier?
Chances are, some of your favorite jazz musicians and the amazing solos that they play, are influenced by the style of jazz that emerged around the 1940s called bebop. Now bebop was pioneered by musicians like Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie and a host of others, of tunes like "Moose the Mooche", "Relaxin' at Camarillo", "Anthropology", "Ornithology" -- the list goes on and on of all these amazing tunes that are just wonderful and just the amazing solos that came out of this period.
But you may have noticed that playing bebop is quite difficult. It's a virtuosic style of music, it's very hard but we need to know how to play bebop lines in order to improvise as a jazz musicians in a way that is typical of the dialect that is played today.
So, in today's episode, I have a very special guest, a member of team LJS, Brett Pontecorvo, on the show, to talk about the 3 pillars of bebop so we can understand it better and you can start soloing over it better as well.
In this episode:
1. Pillar #1: Melodic Chromaticism
2. Pillar #2: Altered Harmony
3. Pillar #3: Syncopated Rhythm
4. The one thing you should do to improve your bebop solosImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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The 3 Track System for Skyrocketing Your Jazz Playing (feat. Justin Nielsen)
16 augustus 2021 · 57 min
Welcome to episode 281 where today I talk with a musical mentor of mine, Justin Nielsen, all about his 3 track system for accelerating your jazz growth. Lees meer
Justin has taught hundreds of students, some of which have gone on to be world-class jazz musicians, and his powerful 3 track system will make sure you are practicing the right things and moving the needle.
Today's episode is one of those episodes where I know I'm going to be pointing back to this one all the time because it is absolutely filled with golden advice and golden systems for truly improving your jazz skills much faster than you normally would. In my opinion, it's a great secret sauce formula for truly improving your jazz skills in a way that will yield huge results.
And I'm excited to have on today my jazz mentor, Justin Nielsen, who's going to walk us through his 3-track process that he talks all of his students through, so many of his students have gone on to become world-class musicians, and it's going to blow your mind. I'm really excited to share it with you.
He's going to show you real strategies, and real ways to practice to get amazing results in your jazz playing.
In this episode:
1. Track 1: Apply new concepts to these 7 chord progressions,
take through all 12 or multiple keys
-Maj 2-5-1
-Maj 1-6-2-5
-Blues
-A section to rhythm changes
-Minor 2-5-1
-Minor 1-6-2-5
-Minor blues2. Track 2: Pick your "Tune of Destiny," commit to it for a year and apply everything you learn to it.
3. Track 3: Choose 10 tunes, including your Tune of Destiny, that you will apply everything you learn to them, and commit to for a year.Important Links:
1. Justin Nielsen's Divine Colors album
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Create Killer Set Lists for Your Jazz Gigs
9 augustus 2021 · 38 min
Welcome to episode 280 where today we talk about jazz gig set lists and how to create ones that keep you and the audience inspired. Lees meer
A great set list can make a huge difference in both how you and the audience feel about your gig. I talk about 3 guidelines to consider when creating your set lists, and then I walk you through a 7 song set list that I created.
Alright, picture this. You're at your jazz gig, your bandmates are there. Everybody is set up, everybody is ready to play. And right before you are about to start, someone asked, "Well, what tune are we going to play first?"And dead silence comes over all the other bandmates. No one really knows which tune to play.
It takes a while to come up with one. You play the first tune and then... dead silence again. What tune do we play next? Or perhaps you do start coming out with tunes and calling tunes and even though it takes some time to come across them, you notice that everything sounds the same. It gets boring for you. It gets boring for the audience, and in general, it just kind of lowers the quality of the gig and the performance.
Well, my friend, that is exactly why you need a killer set list for your jazz gig that actually has variety, that is actually interesting to the audience and is interesting to you. That's exactly what we are going to talk about in this podcast.
We'll go over some guidelines and give you a 7-song set list to consider.
In this episode:
1. Guideline #1: Add stylistic variety
2. Guideline #2: Add emotional variety
3. Guideline #3: Consider what kind of gig you are playing
4. I walk you through a 7 song set list and why I made each song choice
5. Bonus Guideline: keep variety in your song keys and don't play the same key back to backImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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6 Reasons Your Jazz Solos May Sound Bad
2 augustus 2021 · 39 min
Welcome to episode 279 where today I share with you 6 reasons your jazz solos may sound bad. Lees meer
These are things I commonly witness in the playing of beginner and intermediate players, and even with some slight changes and focus on these areas, you can start taking your jazz solos from bad to mediocre, to great.
Alright, I am back after a 2-week break from the podcast, I'm ready to come back and serve you guys, and help you guys become better jazz musicians. And to get right back into the swing of things, I'm going to be talking about six reasons why your jazz solos may not sound so good. And I'm not just going to tell you why they may not sound so good,
I'm also going to give you actual solutions so that you can start fixing them and taking your jazz solos to the next level and iron out those little bits that are just holding you back from sounding like the great jazz musicians that you love and you admire.
In this episode:
1. You're not outlining the chord changes
2. You haven't learned enough jazz vocabulary
3. You are trying to copy and paste licks
4. Your time feel is bad
5. You're not considering the arc of your solo
6. You're only practicing things you already do wellImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Lessons From Learning 100 Jazz Standards in a Year
12 juli 2021 · 25 min
Welcome to episode 278 where today I share with you 4 important lessons I learned from learning 100 jazz standards over the course of a year. Lees meer
Struggle with remembering standards? Maybe you learn them but feel like you don't know them very well? These 4 lessons will help.
There's a year in my life when I had a lot of time on my hands and I actually learned 100 new jazz standards in one year. That's right. I'll say it again. I learned 100 new jazz standards in an entire year. And while I wouldn't necessarily recommend someone to do this, in fact, I wouldn't really ever tell my students to learn 100 jazz standards in one year and I'll explain a little bit about that in this episode, I did actually learn a lot of lessons about jazz and learning music very quickly because I went through that process.
So, in today's episode, I'm going to be sharing with you 4 things that I learned from learning 100 jazz standards in one year so that you can learn from them so that you can avoid doing that yourself and just take the lessons that I got from them.
In this episode:
1. Learn standards that you genuinely enjoy
2. Listen obsessively
3. Recognize common harmonic patterns
4. Play standards with others as often as possibleImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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I’ve got a confession to make…brace yourself
5 juli 2021 · 8 min
Today's episode may come as a surprise to you. I confess a deep, dark, secret on the show. Lees meer
As a listener of the podcast, you have a right to know. I'm prepared to accept the necessary punishment for my jazz crimes.
I've got a deep, dark bombshell confession I have to make to you. It's something I've avoided trying to tell you for a very long time but I have to come clean. I know that you may not think of me the same way after hearing this news, but the truth is, you must know, after all, you listen to my podcast to learn jazz from me and if I can't be honest about this thing, then what can I be honest with you about? I just have to tell you the truth... I haven't practiced my guitar.
In this episode:1. I confess my jazz crimes.
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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3 Week Jazz Tune by Ear Challenge (Week 3)
28 juni 2021 · 36 min
Welcome to episode 276 where we conclude a series of 3 episodes where we are going through a challenge of learning a jazz tune by ear in 3 weeks. Lees meer
We've learned the melody, we've learned the chords, and now it's time to learn some jazz language. I compose a 12 bar jazz etude live on the podcast and teach it to you at the same time.
On the podcast today we are concluding our 3-week challenge to learn a jazz tune by ear where I've been walking you through a simple process and holding your hand through it. So that by the end of this 3-week series not only will you have been able to learn the jazz tune by ear, no sheet music included, but also have some tools to solo over this tune. And so far we've learned the melody by ear. We've learned the chords by ear. You should know those if you have been following along with this series.
In today's episode, I'm actually going to help you learn a solo, just a one-course solo over the top of this jazz tune and we are going to kind of compose one on the spot. And then, I'm going to give you the challenge to compose your own once you've seen the process that I go through so hopefully this would be very insightful and enlightening.
In this episode:
1. Using the melody as a reference for your solos
2. Using "motivic development" to create theme and variation
3. Your challenge to compose your own 12 bar etudeImportant Links
1. Ready or Not backing track
2. Ready or Not Etude
3. LJS Inner Circle MembershipLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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3 Week Jazz Tune by Ear Challenge (Week 2)
21 juni 2021 · 53 min
Welcome to episode 275 where we continue a series of 3 episodes where we are going through a challenge of learning a jazz tune by ear in 3 weeks. And in addition to learning it, by the end of these 3 weeks, you'll be able to play a solo over it that you have created yourself. In Week 2, we are moving forward from the melody and learning the chord changes. Lees meer
We're on to week number 2 of our Learning a Jazz Tune By Ear Challenge! Last week, we've learned the melody of a jazz tune that I wrote called "Ready or Not". Now, in this week, week number 2 of the challenge, we are going to learn the chords to this song so that you are able to play them by the end of this episode.
And so by the end of this episode, actually if you have worked on week 1 of our challenge, you should know the entire tune and then the next set of courses to start figuring out how do we actually improvise over it. So, let's dive into this. Learning chords by ear can be difficult but I'm here to help you and walk you through it.
In this episode:
1. A few tips for learning chord changes by ear
2. We work through the Trial and Error method
3. Overview of chord changes and your Call to ActionImportant Links:
1. "Ready or Not" mp3
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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3 Week Jazz Tune by Ear Challenge (Week 1)
14 juni 2021 · 40 min
Welcome to episode 274 where we start a series of 3 episodes where we are going through a challenge of learning a jazz tune by ear in 3 weeks. And in addition to learning it, by the end of these 3 weeks, you'll be able to play a solo over it that you have created yourself. In Week 1, we learn the melody of the jazz tune. Are you up for the challenge? Lees meer
Today's episode marks the first in a 3-part challenge that I'm going to be walking you through. We're going to be learning a jazz tune by ear and also by the end of this 3-week challenge, I want you to be able to improvise a solo or play a solo over the top of this jazz tune. I'm going to hold your hand through the process, make it easy, and show you how to do it.
It's going to be like we are going to be practicing in some of these episodes, we are going to be learning some methodologies in these episodes. But overall, I think at the end of these 3 weeks, you will without a doubt be able to say that you know a new jazz tune that you can improvise over and you will learn tons of lessons along the way.
In this episode:
1. How the challenge works and what you'll learn
2. Introducing the jazz tune you'll be learning, "Ready or Not"
3. An overview of the L.I.S.T Process for learning by ear
4. Brent teaches you the melody note by noteImportant Links:
1. "Ready or Not" mp3
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Only 3 Things I Would Practice for the Rest of My Life
7 juni 2021 · 31 min
Welcome to episode 273 where I discuss the only thing I would practice for jazz if I could only pick three. Lees meer
Most of us don't have a lot of time to practice, but we want to improve our jazz skills quickly. We need to be focusing on the most impactful things and discarding the rest. I share with you mine and encourage you to think about yours.
One massive question that I get all the time from subscribers is what should I practice if I only have a very little bit of time to practice? What's going to get me the biggest bang for my buck? We don't have a lot of time to practice, to work on stuff but we want to improve as musicians. We want to improve our jazz improvisation. What do we do?
There are a billion things you could practice, a billion things you could do. And I'm always trying to answer the question. How do we simplify things? How do we boil things down to the most essential?
And that's what we are going to talk about in today's episode. I'm going to talk about only 3 things. If I were only to pick 3 things to practice for jazz for the rest of my life, what would they be?
In this episode:
1. Using jazz standards as your primary vehicle
2. The 80/20 rule for jazz
3. Chord Tones
4. Learning solos
5. Composing solos
6. Discovering your 20%Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Worst, Best, Most Challenging, Most Lucrative Gigs I’ve Played
31 mei 2021 · 1 uur 4 min
Welcome to episode 272 where I discuss an array of different jazz gigs I've played over my career as a performing jazz musician. Lees meer
I talk about the worst gigs I've played, the best ones, the worst paying, the best paying, the ones where I learned the most, and I share all the lessons I've learned along the way.
You know, over the years, as a professional jazz musician, I played hundreds and hundreds of gigs and I've really experienced the entire spectrum of experiences as a gigging musician. I've experienced some of the worst gigs ever like horrible working conditions, near-disasters, or just difficult people to work with. I've experienced amazing gigs -- incredible musicians, incredible experiences, maybe fancy gigs that I've attended or worked with. I've experienced ones that taught me a lot of lessons. I've experienced others that made me want to go and hang my head in shame when I got home.
I've experienced a lot and I'm excited to do a very special episode where I go through a bunch of different gigs that I have played and show you the good, the bad, and the ugly and the lessons that I have learned from all of them
In this episode:
1. Best long term gig I've played
2. Best overall gig I've played
3. Worst gig experience
4. The fanciest gig I've played
5. Worst paying gig I've played
6. Best paying gig I've played
7. Gigs where I've learned the most
8. Gigs that have had the biggest life impactImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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How to Know What the CORRECT Changes Are to a Jazz Standard
24 mei 2021 · 42 min
Welcome to episode 271 where today we are exploring the question of how to know what the correct chord changes are for a jazz standard. Lees meer
Because jazz musicians have often manipulated original chord changes, and often take liberties with chordal harmony, it can be difficult to know exactly what the chords are to standards. I give you some practical tips to help guide you through.
One thing that would be very frustrating about learning jazz and playing jazz is that a lot of times jazz musicians will play a song just slightly differently. Maybe it's the way that they phrase the melody. Maybe it's the way they play the chord changes -- adding chord changes, subtracting chord changes, playing an entirely different key. It can get very confusing and you wish you just knew what the exact original changes that everybody's playing at the jam sessions are so that you're not confused by all the options out there.
Well, in today's episode, we're going to be talking about that specifically. How do you know what changes you should be using and learning when you are learning a new jazz standard?
In this episode:
1. Don't use the Real Book or iReal Pro as primary resources
2. Consult the original recording, but realize that Great American Songbook original changes may be different than what jazz musicians play
3. Realize that some tunes have more than one set of "correct" changesImportant Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!
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Understanding Gypsy Jazz and Other Musical Truth Nuggets (feat. Dani Rabin and Danny Markovich)
17 mei 2021 · 1 uur 2 min
Welcome to episode 270 where today we have special guests Dani Rabin and Danny Markovich from the band Marbin, on the show to talk about Gypsy jazz. Lees meer
Our guests talk about the ins and outs of this style of jazz as well as many other musical insights and strategies.
One important style of jazz that came out of Europe is Gypsy jazz. And you're maybe familiar with musicians such as Django Reinhardt, who was the guitarist that really is the centerpiece of Gypsy jazz. But what is Gypsy jazz all about? What makes it unique and how do you go about actually playing it?
Well, on today's show, I have two special guests, Danny Markovich and Dani Rabin from the band Marbin, who just came out with an album on Gypsy jazz. And they are going to talk to us about Gypsy jazz, and how it works, and this is going to be a really fun and enlightening conversation.
In this episode:
1. What makes Gypsy jazz, Gypsy jazz?
2. Gypsy jazz comping technique for guitarists.
3. Stylistic approaches to improvising
4. Other important musical truths
5. Marbin's new Gypsy jazz albumImportant Links:
1. Marbin's Gypsy jazz album "Fernweh"
2. LJS Inner Circle Membership
3. Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart WayLearn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!