Learn Jazz Standards Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Quick Win: How to PRACTICE Improvising Over a Jazz Standard May 20, 2022

Show notes

So, if you're practicing over jazz standards but you continually feel like you're not improving, not getting any better, it could be that you're just practicing them wrong in the very first place.

So, I'm gonna show you strategies for practicing over jazz standards and actually improvising over them.
In this episode:

Intro
Demonstration
First strategy: Study the chord changes of a jazz standard
Isolate just one chord and practice improvising over it
Demonstration: How to improvise over one chord
2nd strategy: Practice improvising over common progressions
Demonstration: Improvising over one chord
Demonstration: Improvising over two chords
3rd Strategy: Practice the transitions
Demonstration: Practice transitioning 3-chord progressions

Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling book

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

21 Things For You to Practice May 16, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to episode 350 where today I discuss 21 different options for jazz practice. So if you are wondering what you should practice today, this week, or this month, this episode should give you a handful of good ideas to work with.
Hey listen, so if you're sittin' there this week going, "I actually don't know what to practice to improve my jazz playing this week". Well, this episode is gonna leave you with zero excuses 'cause I'm gonna go over 21 different ideas for you to practice today. And at the end of the episode, I'll also give the ones that I personally focus on.
In this episode:
1. Scales
2. Arpeggios
3. Enclosure
4. Minor Pentatonics
5. Intervals
6. Learning a lick by ear
7. Take a lick into all 12 keys
8. Learn a jazz solo by ear
9. Learn a jazz standard
10. Learn a standard in a different key
11. Learn a jazz blues head
12. Learn a rhythm changes head
13. Practice a jazz etude
14. Compose your own jazz solo
15. Practice specific chord progressions
16. Practice improvising over one chord
17. Compose your own jazz lick
18. Compose a contrafact
19. Practice guide tones
20. Practice playing with a metronome
21. Listen to jazz
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!

Quick Win: The Most IMPORTANT Music Theory for Jazz Standards May 13, 2022

Show notes

What are the most important music theory concepts that you need to know to make learning and improvising over jazz standards much easier?
In this episode:
Intro Concept
#1: Secondary Dominants Concept
#2: The Backdoor Dominant Concept
#3: Relative Keys Concept
#4: Parallel Keys Concept
#5: Sidestep 2-5 Concept
#6: Hybrid 2-5 Concept
#7: Deceptive CadencesConcept
#8: Passing Diminished Chords
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear. Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling book
See you in the next video!

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

The Last Time I Will Play My Guitar May 09, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to episode 348 where I play a jazz ballad solo guitar set to commemorate the last time I play my guitar. I play through my 6 favorite jazz ballads and briefly discuss what makes them great jazz standards and a few harmonic and melodic lessons from each.
So, I've got a shocking announcement: On this episode today, this is going to be the last time that I play my guitar, the very last time. Okay, okay, okay, maybe not the very last time.
Actually, I probably will play it in the future, but I can pretty much guarantee I won't be playing it very often anymore, and I definitely won't be playing it for probably a while. I'll tell you about that in just one second, but obviously, since this is happening, to commemorate the moment on today's episode, I'm gonna play a little solo guitar show for you on this guitar, playing my 6 favorite jazz ballads, all about telling you why they're great ballads to learn and some lessons you can learn from them as well.
In this episode:
1. Why this is the last time I will play my guitar
2. Prelude to a Kiss
3. My Ideal
4. But Beautiful
5. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
6. Peace
7. Darn That Dream
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!

Quick Win: Instantly Improve Your Jazz Solos (3 Strategies) May 06, 2022

Show notes

If your jazz solos feel like they're missing that secret sauce that pro-level jazz musicians have, then you could be missing out on one of these strategies.
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Example/Demo
3. 1st Strategy
4. 2nd Strategy
5. 3rd Strategy
6. Video recommendation
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear. Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling book
See you in the next video!

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

6 Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Jazz Community (2 Year Anniversary Special) May 02, 2022

Show notes

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 are celebrating the 2-year anniversary this month of our LJS Inner Circle membership and we're gonna share 6 lessons, 6 important things that we've learned from our jazz community, specifically our most successful members.
So, whether you're a member or a non-member of the Inner Circle, you're gonna learn a lot about how to become a jazz musician, the most effective way through the community in this episode and we have a special guest to join us.
In this episode:
1. Simplicity Scales
2. Sharing Frequently Stimulates Forward Motion
3. Those Who Give Often Receive More
4. A Willingness to “Fail” brings Freedom
5. Celebrating Small Wins Matter
6. Collaboration Creates Motivation
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!

Finding The ONE Thing That Will Accelerate Your Jazz Skills Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

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 thing, will make everything else exponentially easier or no longer even necessary? That's what I wanna talk about today. What is that one thing for you that you can do in your jazz playing?
In this episode:
1. The ONE thing concept
2. Why establishing a ONE thing can help you as a musician
3. Examples of our members sharing their ONE things
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!

Quick Win: The Most Important Scales for Jazz Standards Apr 22, 2022

Show notes

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
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling book
See you in the next video!

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

7 Lessons I’ve Learned As A Pro Jazz Musician (Music Advice) Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

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 jazz musician. Looking back on my career, the lessons that I've learned about playing music, playing jazz with other people, and so on and so forth, and particularly I wanna hone in on some lessons that I've learned that I know are gonna help you as a non-professional hobbyist jazz musician.
In this episode:
1. Best solos come when you don't care
2. You're never going to be satisfied with your playing
3. The best people to play with are...
4. Equipment does matter
5. Practicing a lot helps, but...
6. Hardest gigs for me are...
7. Professionalism matters
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!

Quick Win: 10 Jazz Blues Songs You Need to Know Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

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. An entry-level bebop head
7. A great up-tempo minor blues
8. This one's super easy to learn as long as you know the Bb pentatonic scale
9. A great bebop bird blues to play
10. This blues is uniquely in 3/4 time signature
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way
Listen to the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast
Get our Amazon Best Selling book

Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Learn Jazz Standards Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected