This weeks starts a series of Motivation Monday episodes on having the best practice routine that you possibly can. In this first episode, we talk about planning the week in a way that will lead you to success! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

This episode continues our Lick of the Month series utilizing a line from Dexter Gordon's solo on Three O'clock in the Morning. We talked about the melody to this tune on a previous episode, but now it's time to take a look at part of his solo and learn from it. We feature an 8 bar phrase that moves from pure melodic joy into a more bebop approach. We talk about the evolution of the phrase and how you can inject this type of thing into your own playing. Enjoy the episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES … [Read more...]

Can't believe I forgot to mention this one! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kx-QuVszOk&t=1591s … [Read more...]

This episode is in response to a question from one of my students, Mike. His concern was those tunes with fast tempos and dense chord changes. Something we all struggle with. This episode is all about turning those tunes into an opportunity instead of a section to be feared. By turning them into a ballad or a set of cadenzas, we can free ourselves up to try new things and develop new pathways through tunes and keys. When we look at things like this as learning tools, we suddenly change our view … [Read more...]

Just got back from a relaxing vacation and I thought I'd subject you to a rambling podcast on what I was thinking about! Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

This week continues our discussion on stylizing a melody. This time, we take a look at a great jazz standard, I Remember You, and talk about some concrete techniques we can use to make it more interesting than what is written in the book. David, one of our loyal listeners should be credited with bringing these ideas up and suggesting this tune. Thanks, David, and I hope you all get something out of this episode! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS EPISODE?? Head over to our Patreon … [Read more...]

This week I respond to many questions I've been getting about the great Barry Harris and his methods. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwS4aPW0QGp5TbRhVnKNNShvblBMENi_n Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

Playing the melody is an often overlooked skill. We focus so much on the solo we are about to play, that the melody becomes an afterthought. This week, we put an end to that thinking and make sure we treat the melody with the care and respect it deserves. We start our journey by transcribing the melody, and only the melody, to a great Dexter Grodon recording of the tune, Three O'clock in the Morning. Dexter is going to teach us some things (as he always does) about swing, feel, and articulation. … [Read more...]

Just finished teaching a two week jazz camp and wanted to share some thoughts with you all. Would you like to support the creators of this podcast? If so, please head over to our Patreon page and show your love by donating $3 or more each month. You get incredible benefits and this keeps the podcast coming at you regularly. Thanks so much! … [Read more...]

We are back with another edition of our tune of the month series! This month's episode is an extension of things we have been working on in the past couple of episodes. We are doubling down on double time (see what I did there). This episode is going to teach you how to apply the concepts we learned about in episodes 165 and 166. Remember, the key to anything you're practicing comes down to application. This episode features that sentiment in action. Enjoy! WANT THE PDF THAT GOES ALONG WITH … [Read more...]