How Teaching Music Has Made Me a Better Musician
I have a very vivid memory from when I was in high school. One of those memories that sticks out among others, but I can't exactly place why. Let me give you the back...
3 Mistakes Musicians Make Learning Licks
One of the most important things a jazz musician can do is learn jazz language. Jazz language is simply the vocabulary used by jazz improvisers, and there are many ways to go about learning...
How to Start Playing Jazz With 3 Easy Steps
I get emails quite often from our readers and podcast listeners who come to Learn Jazz Standards looking for answers. In fact, just about all of our jazz community is here for this reason,...
4 Reasons Why Every Musician Should Study Jazz
Musicians spanning all kinds of genres across the world all have one thing in common: they want to become better at their craft. They want to become better players within their genre, and they...
How to Improvise Over Rhythm Changes Like a Pro
Like the Blues, “rhythm changes” is one of the most common song forms in jazz music. This 32-bar AABA form and its accompanying chord progression is derived from George Gershwin’s iconic composition “I Got...
Why Ear Training Is Important For Jazz Musicians
When it comes to jazz or any music that revolves around improvisation, having strong ears is of utmost importance.
What is improvisation anyway? It's playing in the moment. There is no time to pre-meditate the lines...
How to Get Huge Results From a 30 Minute Practice Session
As jazz musicians we know we need to practice. Practicing our instruments is essential especially when dealing with music like jazz which demands a lot of musical competence and ability.
We often hear stories of jazz...
Jazz Lick of the Week #17: “Ornithology Lick”
This week features an awesome jazz lick for you to use which I call the "Ornithology Lick". This lick refers to Charlie Parker's bebop composition Ornithology. This tune is actually what we call a...
2 Easy Exercises for Improving Your Jazz Improvisation
As a jazz musician always trying to improve, I'm constantly looking for different ways to practice. While the most classic tips for becoming a better jazz improviser include, learning solos by ear, licks, and...
3 Ways to Get Jazz Gigs
When it comes to becoming a better jazz musician, we all know that we need to spend time in the practice room. We have to hone our craft, get to know our instrument better,...