Jazz Advice
A Beginner’s Guide to Playing Jazz [UPDATED]
Okay, so you want to learn how to play jazz but you just don't know where to start.That's perfectly understandable! There is so much...
Jazz Advice
3 Lessons I Learned From Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”
Though it is practically a cliché in the jazz world today, it is nonetheless true to remark that 1959 was a profoundly significant year...
Jazz Advice
3 Rhythm Changes Strategies from John Coltrane on Oleo
In the 1950's, Miles Davis released a series of iconic recordings of jazz standards with his “first great quintet,” which, in its most classic...
Jazz Advice
3 Altered Licks All Jazz Musicians Should Know
There are some melodic lines that are so iconic that, despite my outspoken general opposition to the idea of “lick playing,” I believe every...
Bass
How to Practice Walking Bass Lines for All Jazz Instrumentalists
Here on Learn Jazz Standards, there are a few great posts on walking bass lines for bass players: How to Keep Your Bass Lines Interesting...
Jazz Advice
Using Chord Arpeggios as Jazz Blues Practice Tools
When I’m learning a new song, one of the most important things I do is repeatedly play through the harmony of a tune. Repetition...
Jazz Advice
3 Lessons Bill Evans Taught Me On “What is this Thing Called Love”
Bill Evans’s 1959 recording of “What is this Thing Called Love” from Portrait in Jazz was one of the first solos I transcribed as...
Jazz Advice
Jazz Improvisation Made Simple: A Step-By-Step Guide
You and I are not that different. We both want to become better jazz improvisers. We both have a passion for jazz music and...
Jazz Advice
How to Consistently Play to Your Full Potential on the Gig
(This is a guest post by Mark Morely-Fletcher.)Bird said it best.At least, I don’t know of anyone who’s said it better since.“You’ve got to...
Jazz Advice
2 Pro Tips For Maximizing Your Jazz Practice Routine Results
As jazz musicians, we dream of becoming great soloists. For the vast majority of musicians that is the ultimate goal to achieve. However, it...