5 Ways iReal Pro Will Help You Learn To Play Jazz (And 4 Ways It Won’t)
For many jazz students, a tool like iReal Pro can be a game-changer. But knowing when and how to use it is just as crucial as having it in your toolkit. It’s easy to become too dependent on it, and your jazz playing can suffer.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into when to use iReal Pro, why it might not always be your go-to resource, and why your ear should always be your primary guide in the journey of jazz discovery.
And, if you’re feeling stuck in your jazz practice routine and want to see real improvement, you need to check out the Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle! When you join, you’ll gain access to top-tier learning resources, courses taught by professional jazz musicians, and a supportive jazz community.
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Table of Contents
What is iReal Pro?
If you’re new to the jazz world or haven’t encountered this app yet, you might wonder, “What is iReal Pro?” The iReal Pro app is an easy-to-use tool designed to help musicians of all levels in the practice room and on the bandstand.
It’s available to download from various app stores and can be used on any device (but it’s probably best on a large iPad).
You Can Do Much More Than Collect Chord Charts
This app offers an easily accessible library of thousands of individual charts and boasts many songs across various genres. It also has a large library of songs on the forums and an active community that posts new chord charts for different pop and rock songs, jazz standards, alternate arrangements, and original music.
Thanks to the hard work of other iReal Pro users, there is a good chance you can find your favorite songs on the extensive playlists in the forums.
Music students value it for its massive library of jazz standards, pop tunes, and a vast array of features. Its versatile backing tracks can be played in various accompaniment styles, and it has customizable chord progressions, different instrument choices, and an adjustable tempo feature, allowing musicians to create, share, and practice with their own chord charts in the app.
It’s like having a versatile backup band at your fingertips—but that backing band is midi.
Despite all these awesome features, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on the iReal Pro app to learn Jazz.
Why You Shouldn’t Rely Exclusively on iReal Pro to Learn Jazz Standards
Sheet music and chord charts do not represent the music itself. They are merely maps that provide harmonic and melodic suggestions. If you spend all your time with your head stuck in a map, you’ll be sure to trip over the stones that cross your path.
But you might be thinking, “This app sounds amazing! Why wouldn’t I use it all the time?”
While the iReal Pro app is a very useful tool, it should not be at the center of your music education, your practice routine, or always on your music stand at the gig (except for in certain situations).
When it comes to learning jazz standards, the app can help in several ways we’ll cover below, but it can’t provide the nuanced feel and distinctive interpretations you get from listening to and learning from the great jazz musicians themselves.
While the iReal Pro app gives you the common chord progressions for songs, it doesn’t give you the melody. It also doesn’t offer the human feel or the individual interpretation that comes from listening to real band members or musicians play a standard.
This is important because jazz isn’t just about playing the right notes; it’s also about the feeling, the swing, and the conversation between the musicians.
The Ear Should Be Your #1 Tool For Learning Jazz Tunes and Jazz Language
Jazz is not a visual art form. You should never rely on your eyes to learn jazz, just as you would never rely on your nose to learn how to drive. Don’t be the well-intentioned aspiring musician who falls into the bad habit of relying on their eyes to learn music.
You want to get as close to the source as possible, which requires using your ears.
Listening is at the heart of jazz. You can’t authentically capture the language of jazz or genuinely understand a jazz tune unless you spend significant time listening.
Listen to as many versions of songs as you can find. Hear how different musicians interpret the same song differently. Use your ear to understand the melody, the harmony, and the individual nuances each musician brings to their interpretation of a song.
This isn’t something that can be replicated by an app, even one as useful as iReal Pro.
So, while iReal Pro is an excellent resource for certain things, it should not replace listening to real recordings and using your ear to learn and understand the language and tunes of jazz. However, that doesn’t mean you should shun this app altogether.
5 Situations Where Using iReal Pro is a Good Idea
Though you shouldn’t use it exclusively to practice jazz, iReal Pro is a useful tool and shouldn’t be ignored. Here are 5 situations where you should use it.
1. When You Don’t Know a Song at a Gig or Jam Session
I guarantee this will happen to you at some point: You’re at a gig or a jam session, and someone calls a tune you don’t know. Panic? No, iReal Pro can come to your rescue.
On the iReal pro app, you can download whole playlists of jazz standards. There is a good chance that any standard tune you’d encounter at a gig or jam session is in the app’s playlists. So, in seconds, you can get a basic chord chart for most standards. It might not capture all the nuances, but it will give you a roadmap so you’re not completely lost.
This app is also useful if you are on a gig and need to play a tune in a different key. In seconds, iReal pro users can transpose the chords of a song into any of the 12 keys. While being able to transpose in your head should be a practice goal, it’s perfectly acceptable to use iReal Pro when you have to transpose on the spot.
But remember, it’s only a map! You need to keep your eyes (or ears) on the road!
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE...
If you struggle to learn jazz standards by ear, memorize them, and not get lost in the song form, then our free guide will completely change the way you learn tunes forever.
2. When You Need Clarification on the “Standard Version” of a Song
Jazz musicians are notorious for adding their personal flair and altering tunes. While this is one of the beauties of jazz, it can make learning a song a bit tricky. If you’re unsure what a song’s “standard” or commonly accepted version is, iReal Pro can give you a clear, straightforward chord progression, acting as a baseline.
That’s why it’s useful when you are in a pinch and need to learn the chords of a song really fast or when you have music schools breathing down your neck about upcoming assignments.
3. When You Need Help Learning or Hearing the Harmony of Songs
Understanding the harmony of a jazz tune is critical, and you can’t press play on paper sheet music or lead sheets. iReal Pro can be beneficial here because you can hear the chord changes played by the app’s backing track. You can adjust the tempo, slow it down, and really listen to the harmonic structure.
Check out this podcast if you want to check out our masterclass on hearing chords.
Despite its usefulness in hearing a song’s harmony, you should prioritize playing with real musicians over the backing tracks on iReal Pro. Despite the impressive tech, the backing tracks in iReal Pro are not a real-sounding band. The piano, bass, drums, and guitar are all midi. The swing is mechanical, and the feel is robotic (which makes sense, as you are playing with a computer program).
If you want to master playing jazz on your instrument, you’ll need to play with master jazz musicians, and this only happens at music schools, in the wild at jam sessions, or at gigs.
If you need help hearing jazz harmony, check out how to learn chord progressions by ear (no sheet music).
4. When You Need To Play Someone’s Original Music
iReal Pro allows users to create their own chord charts, making it a fantastic tool if you need to learn someone’s original music or share original music quickly. Musicians can compose chord progressions in the app, bring them to practice sessions, and share their iReal Pro files instantly.
5. When You Want To Perform an Analysis of Jazz Standards or Pop Songs
iReal Pro can be a valuable tool for analyzing jazz standards, making it useful for music students and professional musicians alike.
If you’re trying to understand a tune better, you can use the app’s loop feature to loop certain sections. It has other features as well. You can alter chord progressions and experiment with how different changes or chord substitutions sound.
It can be a laboratory for deepening your understanding of jazz harmony and structure.
When You Shouldn’t Use iReal Pro
It’s okay to use iReal Pro. It’s on my iPhone and iPad mini. I use it on gigs when I don’t know a tune as well as I should. However, practicing exclusively with backing tracks and never internalizing jazz standards can hurt your jazz playing. Here are some situations where you don’t want to use iReal Pro.
1. When iReal Pro Becomes a Crutch
Remember, iReal Pro is a tool, not a substitute for learning songs by ear and developing your musical skills. If you find that you’re reaching for the app every time you play, it might have become more of a crutch than a helper.
Always remember to balance using tools like iReal Pro with actual playing, listening, and transcribing. Check out this video on strategies for memorizing different jazz standards.
2. When You Are Too Dependent on Chord Charts To Actively Engage With Music
iReal Pro provides excellent chord charts, but if you find yourself staring at the screen instead of actively engaging with the music, it’s time to take a step back. Jazz is as much about feeling and listening as it is about the notes.
Your goal should be able to play and improvise without constantly referring to a chord chart. Check out this podcast episode if you want to learn how to not get lost in jazz standards.
3. You Should Prioritize Playing With Musicians, Not With Midi Backing Tracks
Despite all the buzz about AI, nothing can replace the experience of playing with real human beings. The conversation, the interplay, and the spontaneity are essential parts of jazz that a MIDI backing track can’t replicate. While the backing tracks found on iReal Pro and other programs can be helpful for analysis and occasional practice, they should not replace practicing with other musicians.
You should practice with real musicians to develop feel, practice improv, and work on comping. Check out our podcast on how play-alongs and backing tracks can hurt your jazz playing.
4. Don’t Use iReal Pro To Listen To Different Styles of Music
While iReal Pro covers a broad range of music—from jazz, rock, and blues to reggae, Latin, and bluegrass—it’s not ideal for exploring different styles.
Its interpretations of different genres can feel robotic and lack the subtleties and nuances of those styles. To explore and practice different styles, you must listen to and play with musicians specializing in those genres.
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