Jazz Advice

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 and How to Write a Walking Bass Line. In this post,...

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 is a key component for committing new tunes to long-term...

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 a jazz major in college. I learned improvisational strategies from this...

You and I are not that different. We both want to become better jazz improvisers. We both have a passion for jazz music and we daydream about taking killer solos the next time we...

(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 learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then,...

As jazz musicians, we dream of becoming great soloists. For the vast majority of musicians that is the ultimate goal to achieve. However, it is not an easy task, and very few get to...

In recent years I’ve noticed what I feel is a troubling trend among some – but, to be fair, not all – jazz musicians and enthusiasts. Sometimes, when someone hears a style, sub-genre, or...

If we go around and ask every professional and accomplished musician, I believe they will all agree on one thing, and that is that slow-practice routines are an essential part of their development and...

(Editors Note: This is a guest post by Chad Lefkowitz-Brown) If you Google "How much money does a jazz musician make?", an NPR article will come up headlined, "Do Jazz Musicians Really Make $23,000 A...

Drum solos are entertaining and bring a ton of energy to the performance. However, they can also be a nightmare, because keeping your place during a drum solo is not always an easy task. For...