Learn Jazz Standards Podcast

Welcome 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 ar...

Welcome 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 th...

So 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 Imp...

Welcome 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 j...

So 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....

Welcome 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 famo...

So 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....

Welcome 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...

So 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 t...

Welcome 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 an...

If 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...

Welcome 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 s...

How 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 Members...

Welcome 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. Philosop...

These 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 Circ...

Welcome 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...

I'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...

Welcome 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...

Welcome 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 improvisi...

Welcome 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...

So 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 trench...

Welcome 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 mon...

Welcome 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 t...

So what are some great jazz standards to learn for playing jazz gigs? Well, today I'm gonna go over 8 jazz standards you need to know. In this episode: 1. A tune with a little bit more energy, swinging, and a lot of fun. 2. A more minor and bluesy kind of tune. 3. A little more introspective and a little bit different. 4. An up-tempo tune you should have in every jazz gig. 5. Every single gig...

Welcome to episode 321 where I compose a jazz tune on the podcast. I put myself on the spot and rely on those creative juices to flow. You'll get a real-time look at how I compose, think about chord progressions, and even hear me improvise over my new tune for the first time. Main Points: 1. I compose a jazz tune from scratch Important Links: Show Notes LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide...