Youtube--'Walk That Bass'
How to Practice Jazz
1. Most of the Giants of Jazz practiced every day, for hours
1)Coltrane practiced scales for hours --
in every key
2)Bill Evans practiced every possible chord, in every possible inversion, in every possible voicing --
in every possible key
3)Charlie Parker famously practiced the song 'Cherokee' endlessly. He learned to play it in every key and at a break - neck speed.
2、Technique
1)Practice scales, arpeggios, chords, finger exercises, etc. at a SLOW TEMPO, with a METRONOME.
2)Then gradually build up SPEED
3)Check out: The Virtuoso Pianist - Charles-Louis Hanon
4)Building up your technique and speed through finger exercises is important, but playing actual songs is much more interesting and useful.
5)So I would recommend the following exercises
3、Play a II-V-I in every key going around the Circle of fifths.
1)Play II-V-I's with different CHORD VOICINGS [About 4、]
2)Play II-V-I's with left hand only chord voicings and improvising with your right hand
3)Do the same exercise but moving down in semitones
4)Do the same exercise but with another common jazz chord progression (like I-VI-II-V, or 12 Bar Blues, etc.)
4、II-V-I's descending around the Circle of Fifths using Rootless Chord Voicings
\Gm7\ --- \C7\ ----- \F Maj7\ --- \F Maj7\
\F-A-Bb-D\-\E-A-Bb-D\-\E-G-A-C\--- \E-G-A-C\
\Dm7\ --- \G7\ ---- \C Maj7\ -- \C Maj7\
\F-A-D-E\- \F-A-B-E\-\E-G-B-D\-- \E-G-B-D\
\Am7\ --- \D7\ ----- \G Maj7\ -- \G Maj7\
\G-B-C-E\-\F#-B-C-E\-\F#-A-B-D\--\F#-A-B-D\
\Em7\ --- \A7\ ----- \D Maj7\ ---- \D Maj7\
\G-B-D-F#\-\G-B-C#-F#\-\F#-A-C#-E\--\F#-A-C#-E\
and so on...
1)Perform the same exercise with other chord voicings
2)Perform the same exercise with ascending up the Co5
3)Perform the same exercise moving down in semitones
4)Perform the same exercise with other progreesions
*5、Learn a (simple) Jazz Standard in every key
1)Play the Standard with left hand only chord voicings while playing the melody in your right hand
2)Play the Standard with two handed chord voicings which combine chords and melody
3)Play the Standard with left hand only chord voicings while improvising in your right hand
6、Reharmonize the Jazz Standard
7、Find a recording of a Jazz solo that you like, and transcribe it - or at least find some licks that you like and try replicate them
8、Play along with a song or a backing track
1)Many Jazz songs change keys often and quickly and in odd ways (think Giant Steps & Wayne Shorter). This requires you to be able to play in every key.
2)The best way to learn how to improvise is to listen to, transcribe and copy lots of Jazz
3)Creativity is just disguised theft.
Don't be afraid to copy a solo note for note
4)Every great Jazz musician has transcribed a Charlie Parker solo and learned to play it note for note.
5)Some improvisations become so popular and well known that they become a song in and of itself.
-----Coleman Hawkin's solo over Body and Soul became so popular that it has been arranged into a song (by Benny Carter), and the melody has even had lyrics added to it (by Eddie Jefferson)
9、Some final practice tips:
1)Practice everything IN EVERY KEY
2)Accuracy is more important than speed - so practice everything slowly. Speed will come naturally if you're accurate.
3)Practice improvising slowly to learn how to think fast
4)Listen to and transcribe everything
5)Play along with songs and backing tracks
6)Record yourself and listen back to it
7)Don't be afraid to make mistakes
