Jazz Improvisation Practicing
Growth occurs at the edge of our comfort zone. If you are fully comfortable when you are practicing, then you aren't growing!

What to practice? 

There are a few different angles to work on jazz improvisation. All should be addressed, however if one skill is lacking, then the others are harder to learn. For example, you may be great at coming up with improv ideas but struggle for it to come out of your instrument. Or you may be great at playing in all 12 keys, but you need help using good idiomatic jazz rhythms in your playing. In jazz class, we will focus on all three of the following skills:
  1. All 12 Keys
  2. Essential Jazz Language (ii-V-I Licks)
  3. Jazz Solo Transcribing (Learning by ear, and learning great ideas from master musicians)
If you are a complete beginner at these concepts, then begin with the ALL 12 KEYS practice first. After you have mastered a couple of videos, then try learning Essential Language Lick 1 in a couple of good keys--Concert Bb, Eb, and F, for example. Then add keys as you get more comfortable. 

A Note on structuring your practice

There are so many things that you could be practicing at any time, it's SO. EASY. to get down about it or at the least not know where to start. Here are some basic suggestions on structuring your practice sessions. Start with large goals over a large amount of time. Start with a month, for example. Then plan out the smaller tasks that help you climb toward your large goal. Happy practicing!

Start Here: Large Goals
(like...this week, month, or semester)

Start with the big goals. What do you want to get better at doing?

Possible goals:
  • Better control over my instrument
  • Understand chord changes
  • Learn more songs
  • Learn more jazz language
  • Play with better time
  • Many, many more!

So you have one or more main goals for the next bit of time. Now what? 

It is imperative that you incorporate your main goal into every practice session. No matter what! Here's an example:

Main Goal: Better control over my instrument
In order to achieve this goal, I need to figure out smaller steps to tackle which will help me get better. Some smaller steps I can take to gain more control over my instrument include All 12 Keys studies (Mr. H's playlist) and scales. So what I can do is practice level 1 of All 12 Keys in every practice session. If I can perform the whole video correctly (the video repeats three times through the circle) then I can move on to level 2 next time! Over the course of the next month, I am aiming to at least make it to level 5. If I learn faster or slower, then I can adjust my goals for the next month!

 Next Step: Individual Sessions
​(like...the next 30min)

Plan out your session. Like actually. PLAN. IT. OUT.

If you're only practicing for 30 minutes, then set 2 goals from the following list:
  • Technique/fundamentals (all 12 keys, scales, tone studies...)
  • Etudes (written exercises)
  • Language learning (put a lick in all 12 keys)
  • Transcribing a solo
  • Learning a new melody
  • Learning a song's chord changes (apply all 12 keys patterns to the changes)
  • Free improvisation
  • Many, many others! 

It is important that your practice tasks be planned in advance and that they are measurable. What's the best way to measure a musical task? "Five Times Perfect."

5 Times Perfect

If you can do something perfectly five times IN A ROW, then you have created the neural pathways necessary for that skill. You may need to review again tomorrow, but now we're learning!

If you mess up, make sure you start again at #1!!!