Posts Tagged ‘jazz improvisation’
Getting the most out of Trombone Improvisation Savvy
I got an email recently from an owner of Improvisation Savvy who wrote that he isn’t getting what he had hoped he would from the book. He was looking for chord/scale instruction to teach him jazz improvisation and felt that the book was, therefore, for more advanced players. For anyone publishing materials for skill development,…
Read MoreHow to develop your unique musical personality and style through right brain connection with your instrument
Think about playing using your right (creative) brain. It’s the part of your brain that, if connected well to your instrument, allows for the most authentic improvisation. You hear a note, you’re better able to play that note. Your instrument becomes the amplifier of your musical “voice”. But there’s another aspect to improvisation that benefits…
Read MoreThe core skill of jazz improvisation you have probably not yet been taught
It’s been way too long since I wrote something here. My musical life has shifted and blogging has taken a back seat. It wasn’t that long ago that I felt guilty if I hadn’t written anything that week. As you’ll see throughout the next thousand words, my lack of blogging has not been for a…
Read MoreThis is how best to use the music tracks within each of my books
Today, I am laying the groundwork for a new video that I think will be my best. One of the assets within each of my books that I feel us underutilized is the musical drones. I’m not certain as to HOW underutilized, but I have this feeling… The video will lay out in my typical…
Read MoreEyes or ears for jazz improvisation?
A trombone player recently wrote me describing his struggle with improvisation. He’s recently acquired my books and is working on the ear strengthening exercises. After watching one of my videos on playing melodies by ear, he wrote, “I’ve been playing Happy Birthday in all 12 keys and trying to speed up a bit so I…
Read MoreJazz reharmonization of Happy Birthday
What lead me to reharmonize the I-IV-V chords of Happy Birthday? Teaching improvisation, of course! And Happy Birthday is lesson one in my book on strengthening your ear for improvisation. It’s called Jazz Ear Savvy. I just published a video on my Youtube channel that demonstrates how the simple tune Happy Birthday can help you…
Read MoreThe secret ingredient to mastering improvisation
I’m almost ready to publish my new book called Jazz Ear Savvy. The book is a deep dive into what I believe is the most fundamental skill of any really good improvisor: the connection between the musical mind, or “ear” AND the instrument. I bet that your mind can and frequently does conjure up musical ideas…
Read MoreImprovising more deliberately on your instrument?
I met a bunch of great students today at Glendale Community College. Enthusiastic, hungry to learn, open to new thoughts… Dave Schmidt, The director of the school’s jazz program, invited me to talk to his improvisation class. One hour seems like ten seconds when you are unraveling the mysteries of playing jazz. So naturally I…
Read MoreSlowing the difficulty curve of Trombone Improvisation Savvy
I received an email the other day from a very earnest guy working his way through Trombone Improvisation Savvy. His main question was, “The book quickly becomes advanced—that is, the book progresses faster than my ear! I probably could use more steps. It makes me think that I probably should go back and take some…
Read MoreHow to improve your jazz improvisation on trombone
Playing jazz well on trombone requires a number of skills including: a certain level of technical facility on the horn fluency with the many flavors and keys of scales a knowledge of harmony and chord progressions To build these skills requires coordination between your ear and your arm. To put it another way, the…
Read More