This Rhythmic Exercise Will Free up your Improvising (Ep:178)
In this podcast episode we show you an exercise you can use to both free up your existing jazz lines and discover new ones. Even the best improvisers repeat themselves now and then, but with this exercise you will find yourself playing phrases you’ve never played before! Follow along to discover this rhythmic device.
3 Easy Ways to Start Composing Jazz Now!
As aspiring jazz musicians, we find ourselves mostly focused on the art of Improvisation, a paramount skill for playing jazz. Another less discussed but equally important skill is Composition. Composition is essentially the same as Improvisation, except instead of creating music spontaneously in the moment, one is creating music in a slower, more controlled process. […]
JPS Ep:163 – What is “The Lady Bird Turnaround?”
If you have never encountered the Lady Bird turnaround or are looking for some new strategies with which to improvise over this device, search no further! In this podcast lesson, we’ll go over how Tadd Dameron came up with this trademark chord progression and how you can play over it with style and ease.
4 Guidelines for Pentatonic Improv
Don’t use pentatonics exclusively – This gets old fast. Pentatonics work best when they are mixed in with other harmonic language and textures. By combining pentatonics with chord-scale relationships, you can create countless paths to navigate changes. Start inside, take it out, then bring it back in – Pentatonics create tension. For this tension to […]
3 Step Process to Assimilate Improv Concepts
Have you ever wanted to incorporate a musical idea into your playing but struggled to get past the “Copy and Paste” phase? This process will help you internalize musical ideas and make them a part of who you are, not just a lick that you can play. First, decide on a musical subject. Identify a […]
JPS Ep:129 – 3 Tips To Improve The Blues Scale
Learning how to make your blues scale improv not sound terrible can be difficult. Trust me! I went through the same thing! Here are 3 very easy tips that will your blues scale improvisation instantly sound like you’ve been doing it for years! Enjoy
What is a Bebop Scale? And Why Is It Important?
Are Bebop Scales the secret to unlocking the mystery of bebop improvisation for you? No. In order to truly sound authentic with bebop improvisation, you must develop a solid bebop vocabulary and incorporate staples of bebop phraseology such as: enclosures, chromaticism, triplets in between a string of eighth notes, and particular sounds like the altered […]
How to Be a Great Modern Improviser
Part I: Understanding What “Modern” Improv Is First, let’s take a broad look at where improvisation started, and how we’ve ended up where we are today. Many people are unaware of the fact that improvisation began long before jazz ever existed. There was a time when the great composers could sit at the piano and […]
Jazz Piano School Ep. 121 – 7 Ways To Achieve An Out Or Modern Improv Sound
Oh boy…sometimes I just get going on some of these podcasts and this happens to be one of them. Seriously though…this one is AWESOME! I think you all are going to love the content in this. Would love to hear how your playing changes after working in some of the tips from this lesson. Happy practicing! Enjoy!
Modal Improvisation – Coltrane’s “Pursuance”: Achieving A Modern Sound
Recently, I had the privilege of performing Jim McNeely’s arrangements of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with Joe Lovano in a series of concerts at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Aaron Davis Hall CCNY. A Love Supreme notably includes 2 major piano solos, in the 2nd movement (“Resolution”) as well as the 3rd movement (“Pursuance”). […]
