Students often ask me why they should use one sort of chord rather than another – say, a C7(b9) as opposed to a C9. Music theory tells us lots about the differences between chords. But there is an indispensable way of answering these questions that’s more direct, and people often overlook it. [read more]
Jazz Blog
— 2019 —
Jul
4
Approaches & Enclosures
These melodic devices have been a mainstay of jazz lines ever since bebop. This article presents them, discusses how & why they work and why we need to single them out for practice, and gives a sequence of exercises for integrating them into our ears and fingers to use for improvisation. [read more]
— 2019 —
Apr
10
Better Than Practicing in 12 Keys
Practicing music in all 12 keys is a time-tested way to integrate musical ideas into your vocabulary. Here’s a variant on the approach that not only ensures that you learn the material at a deeper level that’s more useful for improvisation, but actually speeds up the learning process too. [read more]
— 2019 —
Jan
23
“Take The A Train” Chord Changes
A look at the chord changes of Duke Ellington’s signature tune and all the ways they show up elsewhere… including some surprises… [read more]
— 2018 —
Oct
8
The “Neutral” Scale
A journey into quarter tone harmony lets us see the modes of the major scale from a new perspective. [read more]
— 2018 —
Aug
30
Music on Hold
Musings about the music that drives us crazy (with a couple examples). [read more]
— 2018 —
Jan
1
Minor Fourths, Major Fifths
We’ve all been taught that most intervals are either major or minor… but that unisons, fourths and fifths are special intervals, considered “perfect.” Let’s question that for a minute. Here’s an alternative way of thinking about it that I think makes more sense… [read more]
— 2017 —
Oct
22
Music and an Accident of Mathematics
Did you know that virtually all of the music we listen to hinges on a big mathematical coincidence? Namely, that two to the 7/12 power is approximately equal to 1.5. Seriously. Let me show you what I mean… [read more]
— 2017 —
Feb
3
Practicing Slow II: What Video Games Teach Us
Here’s another compelling reason why musicians ought to practice slowly. To understand it best, consider an analogy to video games. Not playing them… designing them. [read more]
— 2017 —
Jan
5
Unlikely Inspiration from Coltrane
An early recording from John Coltrane is inspiring because it so compellingly debunks any notion that he was born to be a musical genius. His brilliance was hard won through intense practice. [read more]
— 2016 —
Aug
1
Remembering the Modes
A different, very useful way of ordering the modes of the major scale in your mind… and a trick for remembering the modes in that sequence… [read more]
— 2016 —
Jul
26
Practicing Slow
Here’s a tip for when you’re trying to improve your improvisation but you’re stuck: Learn to play so it sounds like you’re moving through molasses. Let me explain how & why it works… [read more]
— 2016 —
Jan
8
Pentatonic Scales: A Deeper Look
Pentatonic (five-note) scales are the basis for simple folk melodies and nursery rhymes all around the world. So how is it that they can be used in jazz so powerfully, to create so many colors and degrees of tension and dissonance? Let’s take a look. [read more]
— 2015 —
Aug
12
Audiation
An extremely useful word for something we’re all familiar with. [read more]
— 2015 —
Jul
28
Sus Chords part II: Their Uses
In a previous post called “Understanding Sus Chords” I discussed suspended chords—what they are and how to think of them. In this one we look at their uses in songs. [read more]
— 2015 —
Jul
21
Pronouncing “Repertoire”
A simple post about a common word in music that seems to trip up a lot of people: REPERTOIRE. [read more]
— 2015 —
Jul
14
Dynamic and Static Chords
Consider these two statements: “When you see a G7 chord you can use the G blues scale.” “When you see a G7 chord you can play a G altered lick.” Are they true? The simple answer to each is an unsatisfying “sometimes.” For a more satisfying answer, we need to understand an important distinction… [read more]
— 2014 —
Nov
6
Celebrating Adolphe Sax
A few amazing things you might not know about the man who gave us the saxophone, on his 200th birthday. [read more]
— 2014 —
Jun
20
Back-to-Front Learning
A host of compelling reasons why it’s more efficient and effective to practice sequences of new material in reverse order. [read more]
— 2013 —
Jul
25
How we make money from music
Did you know that a recording artist gets paid when his/her performance is played on satellite radio, but not when it’s played on FM radio? Take a quiz to test your knowledge of how money flows in the music world… or just read it as a wonderful tutorial. [read more]
