Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
852 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 446 ratingsThe LJS Podcast is the podcast where you get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories and advice for becoming a better jazz musician! Hosting the show is the jazz musician behind learnjazzstandards.com, author, and entrepreneur Brent Vaartstra, who’s one goal is to answer any question about playing jazz music you may have. Jazz can be a challenging music to learn and play, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. Each episode features a specific musical challenge that jazz students may come across, where it is discussed and answered. Special jazz guests frequent the show, sharing their expertise on an array of different musical subject matter. Listeners are invited to call in with their jazz questions to the podcast hotline, where it could get answered on a future LJS Podcast episode. Join thousands of other listeners getting free jazz education every week!
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Episodes
Quick Win: How to Learn Misty (Jazz Tutorial)
August 05, 2022 12:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBToday, we're talking about the classic ballad, "Misty" by Errol Garner. We'll take a look at the chords so we can figure out how to most efficiently learn it and find out what harmonic secrets we can discover in the process. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Misty - short demo 3. The best way to learn the melody 4. Identifying the key 5. Relating key centers 6. Relating the melody to the chord changes 7. Identifying backdoor dominants 8. Identifying secondary dominants 9. Understanding the form...
Why You Need to Learn Giant Steps
August 01, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBGiant Steps by John Coltrane is often known as a right of passage for jazz musicians because it is notoriously one of the most difficult jazz standards to learn and improvise over. Truly it is a complicated song. So, in today's episode, I'm actually gonna talk about why actually going into the trouble of working on and practicing and learning Giant Steps is actually gonna help you play all other jazz standards a lot better. In this episode: 1. Reasons why you need to study Giant Steps 2. ...
What to Do If You Are No Longer Passionate About Jazz
July 25, 2022 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBWelcome to episode 369 In this episode: 1. Why my friend is no longer passionate about jazz 2. Why there is nothing for you to do if you are no longer excited about jazz 3. A few caveats to consider 4. How jazz transformed my friend's playing forever Important Links: Free Guide to learning standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way LJS Inner Circle Membership Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month! Want to get your jazz question answered on the podcas...
Quick Win: 5 Pro-Level Jazz Licks You Need to Know
July 22, 2022 12:00 - 12 minutes - 8.48 MBI'm gonna show you 5 jazz licks to have you sound like a pro and unveil some of the secrets that jazz musicians are using in their solos. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Lick #1: What musicians would do over top of V-I chord progressions 3. Lick #2: Over I-IV-iii-vi chord progressions 4. Lick #3: Over a ii-V chord progression 5. Lick #4: Over another ii-V chord progression with a different approach 6. Lick #5: Over I-vi-ii-V chord progression Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free ...
How to Reduce Friction In Your Jazz Improvement
July 18, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBAlright, Magalie, can you say hello to the podcast listeners today? Oh, don't grab the microphone, it's expensive. Can you say, "Hi, podcast listeners!" (Baby mumbled) Yeah, hi! Okay, let's get on to the show now. Have you ever heard this saying before that insanity is doing the same thing, over and over and over again and expecting different results, right? You've heard that before. Well, I have to think about that in terms of friction. Like, what friction are we experiencing in our jazz...
Quick Win: $600 vs. $6,000 Jazz Guitar | Is Cheap or Expensive Better?
July 15, 2022 12:00 - 11 minutes - 8.01 MBThis is a $600 jazz guitar and this is a $6000 jazz guitar. Today, I'm discussing which one I personally like the most as well as the age-old question, "Does having an expensive instrument help you play music better?". You might be surprised. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. My $600 jazz guitar - brand and specs 3. My $6000 jazz guitar - brand and specs 4. Sound demo - $600 jazz guitar 5. Sound demo - $6000 jazz guitar 6. Sound comparison - my opinion 7. Which one do I like better? What Geo...
This Is What I'd Do If I Started Jazz All Over Again
July 11, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBHave you ever looked back on something that you've done and gone, "If I only knew what I know now, I would have done that thing a little bit differently"? Well, I was thinking about that the other day about my jazz playing. If I know what I know now, would I do something completely different or have a different approach to learning jazz than I did when I first started learning it? Well, in today's episode that's exactly when I'm gonna do. I'm gonna build a time machine. I'm gonna go back,...
Quick Win: How to Memorize Chords to Jazz Standards
July 08, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBAfter learning a jazz standard you may find it difficult to recall the chord changes in the long term, especially if you're learning a lot of them. So, I'm gonna share with you how I memorize chords to jazz standards so I don't forget them. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. #1: Reading A Chord Chart 3. #2: Learning the Chords by Ear 4. Learn this first before learning chord changes 5. The first basic thing I look for 6. The second thing I look for 7. The absolute key to memorizing chords 8. Ho...
Non-Jazz Music I Listen To (And How it Influences My Jazz)
July 04, 2022 12:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBOkay, so this is a jazz podcast, so obviously we talk a lot about jazz education: how do you play jazz, how do you get better at jazz, and of course, what jazz should you listen to and really digest in order to become a better jazz musician. However, I do not only listen to jazz music. I actually enjoy listening to an array of different styles of music and in some cases, I choose to listen to other styles of music over jazz. That being said, I often find that these other styles of music in...
How to Play Jazz Melodies Like a Pro (Thought Experiment)
June 27, 2022 12:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBIn today's episode, we're gonna do a little thought experiment that will help us get in the mindset that we need to be, to play melodies and solos creatively and at the top of our game, to take a boring expression of a melody and truly turn it into something that is riveting for the audience and riveting for ourselves. Main Points: 1. Playing a melody by the book vs. the way a pro jazz musician would play it 2. Example of a "basic" melody 3. The "Bluenote Thought Experiment" 4. Example of a...
Quick Win: The Best Jazz Practice Advice
June 24, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 5.52 MBIf you wanna be a good musician of any kind then you know you need to practice, especially if you want to play jazz. So, I'm gonna give you the very best practice advice I can give you to help you get set up for success. CHAPTERS: Intro Tip #1: Can't find more time to practice? Stop trying. Tip #2: Practice less Tip #3: Ditch these if you don't want them Tip #4: Focus on the things you're not good at Tip #5: Give it some space Tip #6: Keep a sense of accomplishment ***Important Links...
Why Are We Passionate About Playing Jazz (Story Time)?
June 20, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBSo today, I'm gonna share with you some important points in my music life, like, the first thing I played with my first guitar when I got it, how that one, 7-note lick that my first pro jazz teacher taught me gave me a "light bulb" moment, and most importantly, the reason behind what is in music that resonates with me so much that keeps me passionate about it Before I'll end this story, I'm gonna leave you with a challenge that would help keep that spark going that lights up your passion ...
Quick Win: The Best Ear Training For Jazz
June 18, 2022 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.34 MBYou've probably been told that playing jazz requires great ears. Well, how do you actually train your ears for jazz improvisation? I'm gonna give you 10 things you can do! CHAPTERS: 1. Intro 2. What are the Ear Training Fundamentals? 3. The Best way for becoming a Jazz Improviser 4. What is Applied Ear Training? 5. The 10 Different Ideas For Applied Ear Training 6. #1: Learn the Melodies of Jazz Standards by Ear 7. #2: Learning A Solo Lick or Etude by Ear 8. #3: Take A Lick Into Differen...
From the Vault: How to Beat the Brain Game for Musical Freedom (feat. Matt Vaartstra)
June 13, 2022 12:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBWe're doing a from-the-vault episode today. We're going back in time where I had my very own brother on the show to talk about performance and how to beat the brain game that goes on when we're playing music and trying to get better. Looking forward to bringing this one back and bringing it back to life. In this episode: 1. The power of mindset over musical performance. 2. How to train a positive mindset with a Self-Talk Script. 3. Using the “Three D’s” to cut off your negative thoughts....
Quick Win: How to Play Changes In Your Jazz Solos
June 10, 2022 12:00 - 9 minutes - 6.57 MBThe best jazz musicians in the world can play a solo, unaccompanied and you know exactly the tune they were playing. You can do that, too. CHAPTERS: 1. Intro 2. The secret to playing chord changes 3. A great jazz-blues solo 4. Targeting Chord tones 5. What are guide tones in a chord? 6. What is motivic development? 7. Tension and Resolution Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Listen to the Learn ...
Frameworks for Ingraining Jazz Recordings
June 06, 2022 12:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBListening to jazz is one of the best ways that you can improve your jazz playing without even touching your instrument and actually retain material so that it becomes exponentially easier to play when you actually do pick up your instrument. So I wanna talk about some plans for listening to jazz if your intention is to retain and ingrain musical information. In this episode: 1. Why listening can be a game-changer for your jazz playing 2. Framework for internalizing a jazz album 3. Framew...
Quick Win: How To Play Chord Melody On A Jazz Standard
June 03, 2022 12:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBIf you're a guitar or a piano player, one important thing that you'd be able to do is chord melody - playing the chords and the melody of a jazz standard at the same time. But this presents a particular challenge, especially for jazz guitar players. So what are the basics of chord melody and how do you do it? In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Creating chord melody - Polka Dots and Moonbeams 3. The basics of creating chord melody: 4. How to find the chords under the melody notes - Section A...
How To Play Chord Melody On A Jazz Standard
June 03, 2022 12:00 - 14 minutes - 9.7 MBIf you're a guitar or a piano player, one important thing that you'd be able to do is chord melody - playing the chords and the melody of a jazz standard at the same time. But this presents a particular challenge, especially for jazz guitar players. So what are the basics of chord melody and how do you do it? In This Episode: In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Creating chord melody - Polka Dots and Moonbeams 3. The basics of creating chord melody: 4. How to find the chords under the mel...
How Long Will It Take to Play Great Jazz Solos?
May 30, 2022 12:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBToday on the podcast, I'm answering the question, "How long does it take to become a great jazz improviser?", from day 1 until that day when you're really playing solos that you're enjoying, hearing back, and feeling happy about. In This Episode: 1. Variable that will influence how long 2. Defining what a "great jazz solo" is 3. Conditions of practicing during timeframes of practice 4. General time frames starting from a beginner level 5. The secret to staying consistent ***Importan...
Quick Win: Using Pentatonics for AMAZING Jazz Solos
May 27, 2022 12:00 - 8 minutes - 6.03 MBIf you know the pentatonic or the blues scale you can actually play really amazing jazz solos using just those notes. In this episode: Intro Demo: SOUL STIR BLUES - A jazz blues solo Kinds of Pentatonic Scales used in Soul Stir Blues How I put the solo together Applying rhythmic concepts Summary Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast Get our Amazon Bes...
Is Learning Jazz Solos Worth It (And How to Get Results from Them)
May 23, 2022 12:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIf you've been studying jazz for a little while, you've probably heard from somebody, whether it would be me or somebody else, that it's a good idea to learn jazz solos or jazz etudes. And you may or may not fully understand why it's a good idea to do, and if you don't understand that, it could be not very motivating to go through the process of doing something tedious like this. So in today's episode, I'm gonna explain why this is a great practice and some insights that I think you'll f...
Is Learning Jazz Solos Worth It? (How to Get Results from Them)
May 23, 2022 12:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIf you've been studying jazz for a little while, you've probably heard from somebody, whether it would be me or somebody else, that it's a good idea to learn jazz solos or jazz etudes. And you may or may not fully understand why it's a good idea to do, and if you don't understand that, it could be not very motivating to go through the process of doing something tedious like this. So in today's episode, I'm gonna explain why this is a great practice and some insights that I think you'll f...
Quick Win: How to PRACTICE Improvising Over a Jazz Standard
May 20, 2022 12:00 - 10 minutes - 6.94 MBSo, if you're practicing over jazz standards but you continually feel like you're not improving, not getting any better, it could be that you're just practicing them wrong in the very first place. So, I'm gonna show you strategies for practicing over jazz standards and actually improvising over them. In this episode: Intro Demonstration First strategy: Study the chord changes of a jazz standard Isolate just one chord and practice improvising over it Demonstration: How to improvis...
21 Things For You to Practice
May 16, 2022 12:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBWelcome to episode 350 where today I discuss 21 different options for jazz practice. So if you are wondering what you should practice today, this week, or this month, this episode should give you a handful of good ideas to work with. Hey listen, so if you're sittin' there this week going, "I actually don't know what to practice to improve my jazz playing this week". Well, this episode is gonna leave you with zero excuses 'cause I'm gonna go over 21 different ideas for you to practice today...
Quick Win: The Most IMPORTANT Music Theory for Jazz Standards
May 13, 2022 12:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBWhat are the most important music theory concepts that you need to know to make learning and improvising over jazz standards much easier? In this episode: Intro Concept #1: Secondary Dominants Concept #2: The Backdoor Dominant Concept #3: Relative Keys Concept #4: Parallel Keys Concept #5: Sidestep 2-5 Concept #6: Hybrid 2-5 Concept #7: Deceptive CadencesConcept #8: Passing Diminished Chords Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear. Learn...
The Last Time I Will Play My Guitar
May 09, 2022 12:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBWelcome to episode 348 where I play a jazz ballad solo guitar set to commemorate the last time I play my guitar. I play through my 6 favorite jazz ballads and briefly discuss what makes them great jazz standards and a few harmonic and melodic lessons from each. So, I've got a shocking announcement: On this episode today, this is going to be the last time that I play my guitar, the very last time. Okay, okay, okay, maybe not the very last time. Actually, I probably will play it in the futu...
Quick Win: Instantly Improve Your Jazz Solos (3 Strategies)
May 06, 2022 12:00 - 7 minutes - 5.42 MBIf your jazz solos feel like they're missing that secret sauce that pro-level jazz musicians have, then you could be missing out on one of these strategies. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Example/Demo 3. 1st Strategy 4. 2nd Strategy 5. 3rd Strategy 6. Video recommendation Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear. Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast Get our Amazon Best Selling book See you in the next vi...
6 Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Jazz Community (2 Year Anniversary Special)
May 02, 2022 12:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBWelcome to episode 346 where, in celebration of the 2-year anniversary of our Inner Circle membership, we're sharing 6 lessons we've learned from our jazz community. Joining us is a member of team LJS, Brett Pontecorvo, and we dive into things most successful members are doing to improve their playing within the community. Today, we have a special edition of our LJS Podcast because we are celebrating the 2-year anniversary this month of our LJS Inner Circle membership and we're gonna sha...
Finding The ONE Thing That Will Accelerate Your Jazz Skills
April 25, 2022 12:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBWelcome to episode 345 where today I talk about finding your ONE thing that if you accomplish this, will make playing jazz so much easier, and even make other things you would practice unnecessary. I talk about this concept and then share ONE thing from members of our Inner Circle. My friends, what is the one thing that you can do this month for your jazz playing that if you accomplish this one thing, will make everything else exponentially easier or no longer even necessary? That's what I ...
Quick Win: The Most Important Scales for Jazz Standards
April 22, 2022 12:00 - 11 minutes - 8.04 MBSo what are the most important scales that will help you improvise over jazz standards? In this episode: 1. Intro 2. The 5 Qualities of 7th Chords Song Sample: Stella By Starlight 3. The Minor 7th (b5) Modes 4. The Dominant 7th Altered Scale Ideas 5. The Minor 7th Mode 6. The Dominant 7th 7. Mixolydian Mode 8. The Other Scale Choices 9. The Fully Diminished 7th Chord in Have You Met Miss Jones Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn ...
7 Lessons I’ve Learned As A Pro Jazz Musician (Music Advice)
April 18, 2022 12:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBWelcome to episode 343 where today I talk about my experiences as a professional performing jazz musician and the music lessons I've learned. Having dedicated most of my life to playing and teaching music, I've learned a thing or two. This advice is helpful for hobbyist musicians, from the perspective of a pro. In today's episode, I wanna talk about my experience as a professional jazz musician. Looking back on my career, the lessons that I've learned about playing music, playing jazz wit...
Quick Win: 10 Jazz Blues Songs You Need to Know
April 15, 2022 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBSo what are some jazz blues heads that you absolutely need to know for jazz jam sessions and gigs? Well, today I'm gonna share with you 10 that you absolutely should know. In this episode: 1. Simple melody with some kind of cool bebop-y elements in it. 2. Super easy blues head that uses only 5 notes! 3. A very common jam session jazz-blues 4. A minor blues head 5. A unique concert Eb blues 6. An entry-level bebop head 7. A great up-tempo minor blues 8. This one's super easy to learn ...
How to Play Wrong Notes and Still Sound Good In Your Solos
April 11, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBWelcome to episode 341 where today I talk about one of the most important skills you should focus on when it comes to jazz improvisation. If you master this, you could literally play any note (in the key or out) and make it sound great. Learn what it is and how you can start mastering this skill. So I was at the Village Vanguard the other day, here in New York City. It's perhaps the most famous jazz club in the entire world, and I was watching a band play and something that stood out to me ...
Quick Win: How I Memorized 100 Jazz Standards In One Year
April 08, 2022 12:00 - 11 minutes - 7.71 MBSo how did I learn 100 new Jazz Standards in one year? Well, I'm gonna show you the exact strategies that I use so that you can use them, too! In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Strategy #1 The circle of10? 3. Strategy #2 The key to learning these standards 4. Strategy #3 Learn this first instead of the chord changes 5. Strategy #4 Do what the Romans did 6. Strategy #5 Ears first before the eyes 7. Strategy #6 Repetition is the key 8. Strategy #7 Start from #1 with a different playlist Imp...
Deep Dive Into My Favorite Jazz Ballad
April 04, 2022 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBWelcome to episode 339 where today I walk you through one of my favorite jazz ballads. Ballads are important to know, and this particular one has a lot to teach us about jazz harmony and how to create an amazing melody. I play the ballad and then deep dive into the harmonic analysis. In today's episode, I'm gonna be going over one of my favorite jazz ballads of all time, do a little deep-dive into the harmony, and hopefully, you're gonna come away with some amazing lessons that you can lear...
Quick Win: How to Master Rhythm Changes
April 01, 2022 12:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBSo how do you master the seemingly difficult but important jazz song form rhythm changes? Well, today I'm gonna show you 8 simple steps to do exactly that. In this episode: 1. Step #1: The obvious first step 2. Step #2: Get "a-head" of the game! 3. Step #3: The first place I really start with improvising 4. Step #4: This makes the chord changes pop! 5. Step #5: Get really good at this instead of scales 6. Step #6: Exposure to these will generate ideas for your solos 7. Step #7: Time ...
Are You Ready to Go to a Jazz Jam Session (Checklist)?
March 28, 2022 12:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBWelcome to episode 337 where today I talk about jam sessions and how to know if you are ready to attend one. I also share a 6 step checklist for how to prepare for a jam session so that you feel more comfortable, confident, and set up for more success. In this episode: Step 1: Know 5 Standards Step 2: Go to the session and evaluate Step 3: Learn tunes you don't know Step 4: Record yourself and identify problem areas Step 5: Go to session and call a song you know well Step 6: Re-evaluate su...
Quick Win: Why Your Jazz Improv Isn’t Improving…
March 25, 2022 12:00 - 10 minutes - 7.56 MBIf you're feeling stuck in your jazz playing today, it's likely because of one of the reasons I'm about to share with you. So, I'm gonna be your jazz doctor today, diagnose your issue, and tell you how to fix it. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. 10 Reasons Why Your Jazz Improv Isn't Improving 3. Reason #1: This results in licks that don't sound organic 4. Reason #2: Learn more of these 5. Reason #3: Learn more of these very well 6. Reason #4: Scales alone doesn't do the trick 7. Reason #5...
How to Get Unstuck From Playing The Same Stuff Over and Over
March 21, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBWelcome to episode 335 where today I talk about how to get unstuck from playing the same stuff over and over again in your jazz solos. It's easy to get comfortable playing the same stuff because we know it will sound good every single time. But this also keeps us stuck, unsatisfied, and wishing for more. I go over my simple solution for turning this around. In this episode: 1. Why do we get stuck playing the same stuff 2. Making conscious decisions when we play 3. Practicing making mistake...
Quick Win: Perfect BEBOP Minor BLUES Solo
March 18, 2022 12:00 - 11 minutes - 7.63 MBHow do you craft amazing bebop lines over a minor blues so that you sound like a jazz pro? I'm gonna walk you through the perfect minor blues solo. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. What actually are the chords in the D minor blues? 3. Try to add these to make your solos sound super "Bebop-y" 4. The quintessential bebop rhythm 5. The 3 Take-aways Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner ...
My Entire Philosophy On Learning and Teaching Jazz
March 14, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBWelcome to episode 333 where today I talk about my entire philosophy on learning and teaching jazz. I discuss what I believe about teaching jazz, using music theory, how to learn to improvise, and how to practice to get the most success. This episode consolidates a lot of talking points discussed within many different episodes of this podcast. In this episode: 1. My 4 Core Philosophies 2. Philosophy for what you should focus on 3. Philosophy around jazz standards 4. Philosophy around jazz...
Quick Win: Best Jazz SCALE EXERCISE Ever
March 11, 2022 13:00 - 10 minutes - 7.37 MBThese are the best scale exercises you can do if you wanna turn these boring linear patterns into amazing jazz solos. In this episode: 1, This is the very first place we need to start 2. Add this to automatically make your scales a little bit more musical 3. Small musical ideas repeated 4. This will create different patterns and chord tones 5. Notes beyond the scale Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Le...
Top Questions About Playing Jazz Answered
March 07, 2022 13:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBWelcome 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! 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 standar...
Quick Win: How to Use Jazz Licks In Your Solos (3 Steps)
March 04, 2022 13:00 - 9 minutes - 6.86 MBI'm about to show you a powerful 3-step process for how to get jazz licks to come out naturally and effortlessly in your solos. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Learn this "L" first 3. Do not skip this "C" 4. "I" is for reacting! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month! Want to get your jazz question answered on the podcast? Click here.
3 Mindset Shifts That Helped Me Enjoy Playing Music More
February 28, 2022 13:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBWelcome to episode 329 where today I talk about 3 mindsets that helped me start enjoying music more. It's a strange thing when something you used to enjoy doing a lot starts to lose its appeal for a variety of different reasons. For me, it always comes down to mindset, and I share a few that have really helped me continue to have fun playing music. In this episode: 1. How skiing taught me non-judgemental curiosity 2. How installing closet systems taught me patience during a challenge 3. H...
How to Effectively Practice Improvising
February 21, 2022 13:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBWelcome to episode 327 where today I talk about how to effectively practice improvising. Often on this show we talk about tactics for learning how to play great jazz language, like learning jazz solos. But we also need to actually practice improvising. So how do we do this effectively other than just doing it? That's exactly what you'll learn. In this episode: 1. Why practicing improvising is different from improvisation tactics 2. Batching your improvising 3. Importance of slow practice ...
Should I Learn Jazz By Reading Music?
February 14, 2022 13:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBWelcome to episode 325 where today I dive into the controversial question of whether or not it's a good idea to learn jazz by reading music notation. Many musicians feel comfortable reading music but have heard that jazz is best learned by ear. I dive into my philosophy and why the answer to this question isn't so cut and dry. Main Points: 1. How my philosophy has changed over the years 2. The benefits of learning by ear 3. The benefits of reading notation to learn jazz 4. My philosophy o...
Quick Win: How to Instantly Learn Chord Progressions for Jazz Standards
February 11, 2022 13:00 - 12 minutes - 8.6 MBSo how can you play jazz standards at jam sessions and gigs even if you've never heard them before? Well, today I'm sharing with you my top tips for recognizing chord progressions. In this episode: 1. Intro 2. Tip #1 - Start understanding and getting familiar with these. 3. Tip #2 - Learn as many of these as possible! 4. Tip #3 - Not much in the ear realm. 5. Tip #4 - Get into the trenches and do the dirty work. 6. Tip #5 - This could help you if you're really not good at hearing chor...
Rhythm Changes Accelerator: A Powerful Course to Help You Master Rhythm Changes
February 10, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBWelcome to this special bonus episode where today I talk about our new Rhythm Changes Accelerator course we just released in our Inner Circle membership. Learn why learning rhythm changes is so powerful and how to master this important song form. Important Links: Get Access to Rhythm Changes Accelerator with LJS Inner Circle Membership Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month! Want to get your jazz question answered on the podcast? Click here.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Have a Lot of Time to Practice?
February 07, 2022 13:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBWelcome to episode 323 where today I answer the question of what you should practice if you don't have very much time to practice. It's common for us to be time-poor when it comes to spending time improving our jazz skills. So what are the high-level activities we can work on, and how should we do them? This episode will help. Main Points: 1. Debunking the false narrative that you need to practice a lot 2. The #1 activity I recommend practicing 3. Examples of how to work backwards from you...