Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur

Learn Jazz Standards Podcast

Music EN ↓ 571 episodes

The LJS Podcast is the podcast where you get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories and advice for becoming a better jazz musician! Hosting the show is the jazz musician behind learnjazzstandards.com, author, and entrepreneur Brent Vaartstra, who’s one goal is to answer any question about playing jazz music you may have. Jazz can be a challenging music to learn and play, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. Each episode features a specific musical challenge that jazz students may come across, where it is discussed and answered. Special jazz guests frequent the show, sharing their expertise on an...

Author

Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur

Episodes

How to Listen to a Jazz Recording (And Learn From It) 10.12.2018 33:19

Welcome to episode 145 of the LJS Podcast where today we are listening to some jazz together and doing some critical listening. We take Miles Davis' rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and pick a section of it apart by honing in on each instrument individually. Lot's to learn from this recording. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn...

Bonus Episode! My New Podcast On Making Money Teaching Music Online 05.12.2018 10:00

This is a short bonus episode where I announce a new podcast I've recently come out with that could be helpful for LJS Podcast listeners who teach music. If you're someone who makes money off of music at all, whether it be gigging or teaching, you may wonder how I make a living teaching music online. The Passive Income Musician Podcast is where I'm sharing the deets! Important Links...

How to Know When to Move On From Something You Are Practicing (feat. Brent Arnold) 03.12.2018 50:39

Welcome to episode 144 of the LJS Podcast where today we are closing up a series of coaching calls with one of my 30 Steps to Better Jazz Playing students, Brent Arnold. Brent asks a lot of really great questions, including how to know when to move on to something new. We talk through them one by one. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Lea...

Learning Jazz by Ear and Putting Away Fakebooks (feat. Ina Dennekamp) 26.11.2018 29:04

Welcome to episode 143 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking to 30 Steps to Better Jazz Playing student, Ina Dennekamp, about her journey in learning jazz. Ina is an inspirational character and someone who loves learning more about music. She shares her tips and what's working for her. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn...

Creating Melodic Jazz Solos and the Art of Not Thinking (Coaching Call with Dan Sich) 19.11.2018 39:59

Welcome to episode 142 of the LJS Podcast where today we are sitting in on a coaching call with 30 Steps to Better Jazz Playing student, Dan Sich. Dan asks how he can better outline chord tones, guide tones and other techniques without losing focus and getting off track. Brent gives out some exercises that take things in a slightly different direction. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle...

What I Think About When I Take a Jazz Solo 12.11.2018 28:41

Welcome to episode 141 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about what I am thinking when I take a jazz solo. This is a question I get a lot so we talk about what the end goal should be and I record a solo and analyze it. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 5...

3 Hip 1-6-2-5 Licks to Practice 05.11.2018 12:21

Welcome to episode 140 of the LJS Podcast where today we have a short but sweet episode demonstrating 3 hip I-VI-ii-V licks. This is an important chord progression found in jazz and it's important to learn some jazz language over it. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Sign up for our free eCourse &qu...

Learning Jazz by Ear or Sheet Music (Which One is Better?) 29.10.2018 24:23

Welcome to episode 139 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about learning jazz by ear and with sheet music. Which one is better and what are the benefits of each? Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

How Alexander Technique Can Help You as a Musician (feat. Christian Steineder) 22.10.2018 34:57

Welcome to episode 138 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking with Alexander Technique teacher and guitarist Christian Steineder. He talks all about Alexander Technique, what it is, and how it can help you as a musician. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50%...

Chord Progression Hacks to Make Playing Jazz Simple (feat. Steve Nixon) 15.10.2018 54:59

Welcome to episode 137 of the LJS Podcast where today we have on special guest Steve Nixon to talk about the three categories of chord progressions you need to know. Steve has a great way of making music seem simple and we talk about a lot of other fun stuff too. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn J...

I Critique My Jazz Playing From 7 Years Ago 08.10.2018 29:31

Welcome to episode 136 of the LJS Podcast where today I listen back to a recording of myself from 2011 and give myself some honest feedback and critique. It's a great practice to record yourself and listening to old recordings can help you gain insight into where you were, where you are now, and how you can improve. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn s...

How to Learn Difficult Jazz Standards 01.10.2018 36:06

Welcome to episode 135 of the LJS Podcast where today we are exploring how to learn, understand, and memorize complex jazz standards. We take a look at Wayne Shorter's "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" and extract lessons we can apply to others. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Start understanding standard...

10 Myths About Playing Jazz You Need to Stop Believing 24.09.2018 31:50

Welcome to episode 134 of the LJS Podcast where today we are debunking 10 common myths about playing jazz. These myths are limiting beliefs that are holding us back from our full potential and improving as jazz musicians. You may resonate with some of these. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz S...

The Sad Truth About Ear Training Fundamentals (Why You Should Practice Them) 17.09.2018 23:30

Welcome to episode 133 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about ear training fundamentals and why you should be working on them as a jazz musician. The sad truth is they are being ignored by so many. But I want you to recognize their importance and allow them to level up your skills. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz...

Avoiding “Avoid Notes” and When Not to Avoid Them 10.09.2018 28:32

Welcome to episode 132 of the LJS Podcast where today we are answering a question from a podcast listener who asked about avoid notes. Avoid notes are used in music academia to help identify which notes to not play over given chords or chords in the context of chord progression. But should you really "avoid" avoid notes? Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide...

The Neuroscience Behind Radical Musical Improvement (Feat. Marc Gelfo) 03.09.2018 46:01

Welcome to episode 131 of the LJS Podcast where today we have on special guest Marc Gelfo to talk about neuroscience and the music learning process. Marc calls himself a neuro-symphonic french hornist, and he's the CEO of the Modacity practice platform. He talks all about the power of neuroscience and music. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards...

Ask Me Anything- Listener Jazz Questions Answered 27.08.2018 42:52

Welcome to episode 130 of the LJS Podcast where today we are having a special show where Brent answers questions from podcast listeners. Some are musical questions and some are more personal. It's a fun episode and lots of great tips for all. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards In...

Using Musical Parameters for Next Level Jazz Practice (feat. Josiah Boornazian) 20.08.2018 44:25

Welcome to episode 129 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking with saxophonist, composer, and educator Josiah Boornazian. Josiah is a brilliant musician, and he lays down some of his best tips. He hones in on the concept of setting parameters in your practice sessions and lays down three great options. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by...

3 Hip 2-5-1 Licks for You to Practice 13.08.2018 14:05

Welcome to episode 128 of the LJS Podcast where today we are exploring 3 hip 2-5-1 licks. Learning licks is always a good practice for learning jazz language, and 2-5-1 chord progressions are arguably the most common in jazz harmony. This is a great episode to help you take action and practice. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz...

How to Maintenance Practice to Keep Up Your Jazz Skills 06.08.2018 25:33

Welcome to episode 127 of the LJS Podcast where today I spend some time maintenance practicing. Maintenance practicing is a great way to keep up your skills even when you have very little time to spend practicing. I play through my quick routine and let you know how I keep my fingers fresh. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Sta...

Practicing Away from the Instrument Effectively and Using Jazz as Therapy (feat. Joyce Kettering) 30.07.2018 34:16

Welcome to episode 126 of the LJS Podcast where today we are doing a coaching call with current 30 Steps to Better Jazz Playing student, Joyce Kettering. Joyce has an inspiring reason why she started learning jazz. We spend some time talking about that, and how she can effectively practice even when she doesn't have access to her instrument. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membe...

The Power of Structured Jazz Practice (Coaching Call with Francis Belanger) 23.07.2018 37:15

Welcome to episode 125 of the LJS Podcast where today we sit in on a coaching call with 30 Steps to Better Jazz Playing course alumni Francis Belanger. Francis took our jazz practicing course last year and Brent checks up on post-course life. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner C...

The Only 3 Big Things You Need to Be Practicing as a Jazz Musician 16.07.2018 29:20

Welcome to episode 124 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about the Big 3 things you need to be practicing in order to improve as a jazz musician. This episode piggybacks off of last week's episode where we talked about focused, goal-oriented practicing. Learn what to practice so you don't get overwhelmed and how to do it. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membershi...

5 Powerful Results That Come From Focused, Goal-Oriented Jazz Practicing 09.07.2018 29:28

Welcome to episode 123 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about 5 powerful results that come from focused, goal-oriented practice sessions. If you want to improve as a jazz musician you need this kind of practice. That's why the next handful of episodes are geared towards this and how to accelerate your jazz skills. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide...

How to Use Target Notes to Create Melodic Jazz Lines (Feat. Jens Larsen) 02.07.2018 37:25

Welcome to episode 122 of the LJS Podcast where today we are joined by special guest Jens Larsen to talk about using target notes to create melodic jazz lines. Jens is a pro jazz guitarist and teacher, and he lays down his tips on how to bring out the chord tones in your jazz solos and use them to make real melodies. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn stand...