Welcome to episode 331 where today I answer the top questions I get asked about playing jazz. These questions come straight from my Monthly Jazz Mastermind Q&A sessions I have with our Inner Circle members, and are the most common ones that come up time and time again. See if you have any of these questions as well!
Listen to episode 331
Today on the podcast, I am answering the most common questions I get about playing jazz; the ones that come up time and time again, the ones everybody wants to know about, and I imagine that you wanna know about, too.
In this episode:
1. How do you know what the melody is to a jazz standard when the melody is played differently?
2. How do you know what the chord changes are to a jazz standard when different versions use different chords?
3. How do I know when to move on to the next thing?
4. Is there a step-by-step process for building a solo?
5. How do I retain the jazz standards I’ve learned so I don’t forget them?
6. How do I retain the solos and licks I learn?
7. Should I write down a solo I’m transcribing?
8. How do I transition from chord tone, guide tone, and approach tone maps to improvising solos?
9. What advice do you have to make solos more melodic or to improve the logic build of the solo as opposed to unconnected phrases and licks?
10. How do I prevent myself from getting lost while soloing?
11. What scales and chords are considered must-know for jazz?
12. How do we use the knowledge we learn in etudes and transcriptions in our own solos?
Important Links
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way