I like clean technique together with repertoire, good listening skills, good time, good swing feeling when appropriate, good groove at all times, good articulation, nice tone, blues feeling, melodicism, harmonic knowledge and storytelling. I like players who have something idiosyncratic about their playing. Did I leave anything out? 🎸EDIT: Oh yeah, dynamics.
with shell voicings it only started to really make sense to me - when i learned to not only play the shell voicings with the root in 6th or fifth string but also the root on forth string. After I learned this third option- credits to Uli Hoffmeier - the harmonies started to flow and i started to move from position to position with much less effort than before. To me this was a game-changer.
I write down all the notes to each chord on fretboard paper. That gives me something to use no matter where I find my fingers. That in combination with knowing lots of chord positions makes it hard not to improvise. I just started doing this and wish I'd done it a long time ago.
Learning the diatonic 7th chords is a big accelerator and precursor to improvisation. One exercise I like and still use as a warmup is to practice free improvisation with the restriction that I can only play lines made up from the diatonic 7th arpeggios. The challenge is to create interesting melodic phrases that resolve nicely. Sometimes I use simple progressions - 1,6,2,5,1, etc, but it works well also to just follow your ears. The next step is to begin adding non diatonic notes for color. I also try to focus on keeping my left hand in one position while doing this. Great lesson, Jens - cheers!
Inventing UA-cam sooner would probably save the greatest global amount of time on guitar practice, so we work on a Time Machine and we use it to invent UA-cam sooner for jazz guitar purposes, then we destroy the machine and sort out the enormous consequences of our actions while playing incredible jazz guitar
Hell no, I’m so glad I grew up in a world without internet and mobile phones. Don’t change that. I do wish music schools were more attractive back in the time.
@@tomm5023indeed. I would gladly build a time machine to stop the internet from being created in the first place 😅 I pity my kids that they have to grow up being constantly filmed and uploaded for everyone to see…
@@neiles335 It is difficult to give too specific advice because everybody is different and at different levels, but maybe check out this post: jenslarsen.nl/how-to-learn-jazz-guitar-suggestions-to-begin-studying/
I learned all this stuff and worked on all of it on and off until I understood it and when to use it. After 50 years I still use all of the things you said forget about in the beginning. One of my pet peeves is the supposedly simple approach of "Play Em7 or Am7 arpeggio over C major chord to get 'hipper' sounds. This involves a lot of unnecessary mental gymnastics and you don't really understand what is the VALUE (9th, 11th , maj7, 13th etc.) of the notes that you are playing. In the long run it's easier to just learn your arpeggios and then add each upper partial so you are not a trained monkey repeating a 'hip' formula without really understanding what you are playing ( This also applies to the Pat Martino just 'play a minor scale on everything' by using a formula idea).Yellow mixed with Blue is Green, not Yellow/Blue) I was around (I'm old- all we had was the Mickey Baker book and the Johnny Smith book plus a couple others)) when the slash chord approach got popular. If you are playing Am7/D you have no idea of the value of the notes A C E and G in that context. If you really want to learn to play is it that hard to learn modes ( you already play the major scale is it SO hard to start from a different degree of the scale using the same fingering?) My other pet peeve is the worship of velocity/speed in modern players. They usually just offer a steady stream of 16th notes with no real melody or rhythmic interest. Imagine if we revered singers because they sang real fast. That being said all roads lead to Rome and there are many ways to skin a cat (sorry PETA, no animals were actually harmed in this post). There is no formula besides wanting to get to Rome in the first place. Everyone is an individual and uinderst6ands the world of music differently. It's a great endless journey . Take time to stop and learn as much as you can. Best of luck to all. I don't always see things exactly like Jens but he has one of the very best jazz guitar UA-cam channels. Many thanks to him for his dedication.
As somebody new to jazz, and relatively new to guitar (but not to music), my take is not that he's saying things like modes are not ever worth learning but that they are something of a trap for many new players. The greatest benefit for any new player is to actually start playing the music, so in the same way that starting with simple shell chords lets us more quickly play songs learning single octave diatonic arpeggios more quickly lets us start improvising. For those with only relatively basic theory it's better to get to grips with that and how to apply it rather than get bogged down in more complex concepts which they are simply not equipped to properly understand or use. I do agree that people should take time to learn as much as they can, and importantly to learn the things that interest them, but there is also (one hopes) plenty of time to dig into more complex theory as one progresses. On the side note of modern players and the speed fetish, that really bugs me as well. I fell in love with the playing of Django Reinhardt a while back, yet when I listen to most (though not all) modern Gypsy Jazz guitarist I hear so little of the musicality and playfulness that he had but instead torrents of high speed scales and arpeggios with little melody and even less swing. Makes me appreciate Django's playing even more.
“Everyone is an individual “… “I’m not…” Sorry, just some Monty Python. Agree with you on the modern players. They can play scales super accurately and super fast, but with no feeling or melodic content. Someone said guitar players should listen to sax players in order to sound more human and melodic.
Excellent lesson. It's wonderful that you always mention the teacher. That way, we who watch your lessons will always remember what we've learned from you. Thank you so much.
Thanks Jens. I'll try ur suggestions You didn't mention my altered dominant hacks 1. Half dim from min 7th of 5 chord 2. Melodic minor half step above 5 chord root 3. 7th or 13th from half step below 2 chord
Thank you Jens larsen : this is very valuable information that indeed can save years of practive, i totally agree with Jens Larsen. (i have been playing pro for more than 40 years) This kind of info is gold for beginner guitarist that can be overwhelmed with too much material, the worst is to spend time practicing things that are not useful.
practicing any instrument as a musician is a lifelong pursuit. There is no way to minimize the amount of years of learning, as it never actually ends. Like language, music theory & practice are things we constantly build upon our entire lives as we realize & confront them
@@JensLarsen yes Jens, nobody wants to waste their time. Actually, over some 40something yrs of playing & learning none of it was ever a waste of time as long as I have a guitar in my hands 🤘
@@bebopisthetruth I don't know why anyone would worry about any of that. You learn what you have to do in theory, and then practice it. Once it becomes fluid & intuitive there is always something else to learn
Jens, thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us. That is very kind. Most of the famous guitar players have their roots in Jazz education - just like the absolutely fantastic Matteo Mancuso. Again, thank you for these very helpful videos. As always - interesting would be a video about the gear that you are using.
This is incredible. These are very useful exercises that give me some direction. I know music theory on paper and somewhat in practice, but with jazz it can be overwhelming to see all the possibilities tugging at your mind. This helped me narrow my focus onto small attainable goals that will allow me to gradually integrate techniques in a purposeful way. Thank you so much!
Thank you for another "Wait. What?!!" moment Jens. You mean you can use a major 7th arpeggio from the seven of a dominant chord? How is this possible? Oh heck yeah this is great. And the best thing about the guitar is that I only have to figure out a couple different fingerings and it's in my fingers and in my ears. Poor piano players who have to run through this in every key LOL. Great job Jens. Keep it coming!
Nothing beats a cup of Joe and some Jens lessons to get my day started. I'd give anything for a livestream to listen and play along with your improving, and to ask questions!
I love how you share info in your videos progressing through various levels of each topic. Anyone watching from beginner to advanced can learn something new from some part of the video. I adore your work here!
Definitively valuable! Just makes me regret what I tried to learn and remorse what I did not😅. I still don t understand how music is taught with all these useless modes and scales. I found the answers in the kenny werner books. Effortless mastery.
Hey Jens! Back with another question :) When you are improvising, do you think in terms of intervallic functions, or do you think of actual chord names? Example would be thinking F Lydian vs thinking IV in C If the latter, how do you keep everything straight!?! For the non-diatonic chords of course :) Thanks again for everything you do for this community!
Although I love YT when I grew up there was no internet I had to hear the stuff on record or tape and if I couldn't hear it I had to come up w what it THOUGHT was the line or idea? So I kinda found my own way that way? I love there channels but ..whenever I find something myself I never forget it. I think we're in an information gathering age and not enough actual playing that said I'm still picking up whatever I can online too but I don't know...just a thought appreciate all the work Jen's does here btw not a knock at all ❤❤❤❤
Thanks Jens. In this and your similar videos on arpeggios, you play them ascending through the scale. Is it as useful to practice them descending? From the 7th or from the root?
I am actually not sure if it is a Pro II but is is an Epiphone Sheraton. I talk about it and the first set of pickups I had put in there here: ua-cam.com/video/bIQiWfeWLA4/v-deo.html& There's another video on these pickups, let me know if you want a link
Niiiice. Learning the arpeggios slowly for each chords, makes it easier to switch between chord positions while soloing? I have had problems when I try to follow a song, f x a blues where the chords change. Will try this out.
Great practice tips, the video shows how to practice really well! However, the exercises don't quite sound like the jazz you hear on records. Is it normal?
Thank you! I don't know what Jazz you listen to so that is hard to say for sure, but given the level of this lesson then the examples are at the very least simpler and slower (and not with a band)
@@JensLarsen What I mean is that these exercises sound too much like exercises and not enough like the jazz vocabulary you hear on records (take Jimmy Bruno’s 'Like That' as an example). My question is: isn’t it pointless to practice arpeggios and scales like this instead of working on lines transcribed from records?
@@itsmrpalomar I don't think so, and neither did Barry Harris. I suspect most people spend time working on exercises as well as vocabulary. Doesn't Jimmy Bruno tell people to learn scales and arpeggios? For most people knowing the exercises will make it easier to hear and play phrases like licks of records, and also make it easier to learn from those phrases so that you don't just copy/paste some lick off a record but really make it your own. But just because this works for a lot of people does not mean that it also works for you, so you should do what motivates you and gets you results.
@JensLarsen Thank you, Mr. Larsen. I appreciate when a teacher and musician explains their viewpoint while allowing the freedom to choose which path to follow. It also clears up my doubts about practicing scales and arpeggios.
@@itsmrpalomar No worries! I think you will get a similar response for most people, but be careful with describing exercises that you don't like as pointless, that sort of suggests that you are not open to there being more than one possible approach.
Here’s my brief attempt to help. Why harmonic minor? In the A minor scale, we have a V chord, which is E minor, but in that progression, as far as I know, E7 is used instead. So, the minor ii-V-I is B half diminished (ii), E7 (V), and A minor (I). The problem is that E7 contains the notes E, G#, B, and D, and G# is not in the A minor scale, but it is in the A harmonic minor scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G#). Try using a B diminished arpeggio (B, D, F, G#) over ii and V, and when it’s time for the I tonic, try resolving from G# to A or from F to E. I’m not good with English, but I hope I’ve clarified it a little.
Why would the arpeggio from the b7 from the dominant be useful? It sounds good when I here it played in the video, but is there a deeper explanation that could relate to theory or some musicial concept? Also, is there a video where barry harris talks about why that's his favorite chord?
Ya know, I find that Jazz is far easier to play using 4ths tuning.. I tried it, I will never go back.. cuts what I had to learn by 2/3rd.. don't know why people remain using the standard tuning, it's just harder to master..
In Classical and Berklee Theories you have to be able to identify what your ears hear - otherwise you can hear the same thing later on and not realise you already know its' sound. That doesn't save time. It's like knowing people's faces but not their names. You learn Music the same ways you learn English - or any other language. Speak / listen / read and write versus play or sing / listen / read and write. Best wishes. 😁
As much as I appreciate the lesson I find this shortcut approach/idea very illogical. Think about it: in order to even remotely grasp what the proposed shortcut is you already need to have a pretty good understanding of music theory. You need to have spent quite a lot of time thinking about and practicing, scales, chords, arpeggios and so on. Otherwise all that is said here is just unintelligible.
I am not sure I completely agree, the theory you need used boils down to: - Knowing the notes in the scales - Knowing how diatonic chords are constructed by stacking 3rds - Looking at how different diatonic chords contain the same notes So it depends on what you mean by "a good understanding of music theory", if you come from having no clue what notes are in the scales and only thinking in diagrams, then you need to build some skills, but already if you know the notes in the scales then this is very easy to have get overview of. As I say in the beginning: basic theory = 10x more options
Right but this is saying once you have your head wrapped around those concepts this video shows you how to USE them to develop jazz playing skill. If you know all that stuff and just try to play jazz, you're gonna waste a bunch of time. Trust me.
What skills do you consider helpful and important? 🙂
I like clean technique together with repertoire, good listening skills, good time, good swing feeling when appropriate, good groove at all times, good articulation, nice tone, blues feeling, melodicism, harmonic knowledge and storytelling. I like players who have something idiosyncratic about their playing. Did I leave anything out? 🎸EDIT: Oh yeah, dynamics.
The jazz 2 - 4 metronome is a must for me...
with shell voicings it only started to really make sense to me - when i learned to not only play the shell voicings with the root in 6th or fifth string but also the root on forth string. After I learned this third option- credits to Uli Hoffmeier - the harmonies started to flow and i started to move from position to position with much less effort than before. To me this was a game-changer.
I write down all the notes to each chord on fretboard paper. That gives me something to use no matter where I find my fingers. That in combination with knowing lots of chord positions makes it hard not to improvise. I just started doing this and wish I'd done it a long time ago.
@@cbolt4492 I have a shirt that says: "Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3." :)
Learning the diatonic 7th chords is a big accelerator and precursor to improvisation. One exercise I like and still use as a warmup is to practice free improvisation with the restriction that I can only play lines made up from the diatonic 7th arpeggios. The challenge is to create interesting melodic phrases that resolve nicely. Sometimes I use simple progressions - 1,6,2,5,1, etc, but it works well also to just follow your ears. The next step is to begin adding non diatonic notes for color. I also try to focus on keeping my left hand in one position while doing this. Great lesson, Jens - cheers!
Learn Arpeggios and what to do with them instead of just learning Modes is Golden advice.
🙏
Wow. So much great, practical info packed into 10 minutes. Had to pause, pick up my guitar, and rewind many times while watching this.
agree!!😀
I wish I had known this earlier!
That was about the best "Quick Start" guide to Jazz guitar I've seen. Thanks Jens🇦🇺
Glad it was helpful!
Inventing UA-cam sooner would probably save the greatest global amount of time on guitar practice, so we work on a Time Machine and we use it to invent UA-cam sooner for jazz guitar purposes, then we destroy the machine and sort out the enormous consequences of our actions while playing incredible jazz guitar
😂👍
That’s heavy.
Hell no, I’m so glad I grew up in a world without internet and mobile phones. Don’t change that. I do wish music schools were more attractive back in the time.
@@tomm5023indeed. I would gladly build a time machine to stop the internet from being created in the first place 😅 I pity my kids that they have to grow up being constantly filmed and uploaded for everyone to see…
This is and will be one of your top ten videos, tons of info in 10 minutes. Thanks again Jens. (You must visit Argentina)
Glad it was useful! 🙂
I'm stuck learning impro , so this is useful and I saved it to work on. Thanks @JensLarson 😊
Jens, do you have lesson series on Beginners Improv ? Is could you link me please? thx!
@@neiles335 It is difficult to give too specific advice because everybody is different and at different levels, but maybe check out this post: jenslarsen.nl/how-to-learn-jazz-guitar-suggestions-to-begin-studying/
@@JensLarsen Thank you Sir
I learned all this stuff and worked on all of it on and off until I understood it and when to use it. After 50 years I still use all of the things you said forget about in the beginning. One of my pet peeves is the supposedly simple approach of "Play Em7 or Am7 arpeggio over C major chord to get 'hipper' sounds. This involves a lot of unnecessary mental gymnastics and you don't really understand what is the VALUE (9th, 11th , maj7, 13th etc.) of the notes that you are playing. In the long run it's easier to just learn your arpeggios and then add each upper partial so you are not a trained monkey repeating a 'hip' formula without really understanding what you are playing ( This also applies to the Pat Martino just 'play a minor scale on everything' by using a formula idea).Yellow mixed with Blue is Green, not Yellow/Blue) I was around (I'm old- all we had was the Mickey Baker book and the Johnny Smith book plus a couple others)) when the slash chord approach got popular. If you are playing Am7/D you have no idea of the value of the notes A C E and G in that context. If you really want to learn to play is it that hard to learn modes ( you already play the major scale is it SO hard to start from a different degree of the scale using the same fingering?) My other pet peeve is the worship of velocity/speed in modern players. They usually just offer a steady stream of 16th notes with no real melody or rhythmic interest. Imagine if we revered singers because they sang real fast. That being said all roads lead to Rome and there are many ways to skin a cat (sorry PETA, no animals were actually harmed in this post). There is no formula besides wanting to get to Rome in the first place. Everyone is an individual and uinderst6ands the world of music differently. It's a great endless journey . Take time to stop and learn as much as you can. Best of luck to all. I don't always see things exactly like Jens but he has one of the very best jazz guitar UA-cam channels. Many thanks to him for his dedication.
As somebody new to jazz, and relatively new to guitar (but not to music), my take is not that he's saying things like modes are not ever worth learning but that they are something of a trap for many new players. The greatest benefit for any new player is to actually start playing the music, so in the same way that starting with simple shell chords lets us more quickly play songs learning single octave diatonic arpeggios more quickly lets us start improvising. For those with only relatively basic theory it's better to get to grips with that and how to apply it rather than get bogged down in more complex concepts which they are simply not equipped to properly understand or use. I do agree that people should take time to learn as much as they can, and importantly to learn the things that interest them, but there is also (one hopes) plenty of time to dig into more complex theory as one progresses.
On the side note of modern players and the speed fetish, that really bugs me as well. I fell in love with the playing of Django Reinhardt a while back, yet when I listen to most (though not all) modern Gypsy Jazz guitarist I hear so little of the musicality and playfulness that he had but instead torrents of high speed scales and arpeggios with little melody and even less swing. Makes me appreciate Django's playing even more.
“Everyone is an individual “… “I’m not…” Sorry, just some Monty Python.
Agree with you on the modern players. They can play scales super accurately and super fast, but with no feeling or melodic content.
Someone said guitar players should listen to sax players in order to sound more human and melodic.
This is a masterpiece
Thank you!
Man I just love this guy. Thank you Jens.
🙏🙂
Thanks!
Thank you for your support Tom!
A fantastic crash course intro to jazz. Particularly helpful e.g. for a non jazz guitarist trying to make the transition to jazz.
Great! Go for it 🙂
Another great video! Always very helpful. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your kindness and energy you put into making these videos. You are so good at teaching.
Excellent lesson. It's wonderful that you always mention the teacher. That way, we who watch your lessons will always remember what we've learned from you. Thank you so much.
My pleasure!
I grinded arpeggios quite a bit. This gave me a great idea how to utilize them in practice. Thanks Jens.
Excellent!Go for it!
Fantastic lesson!! Thanks!!
My pleasure!
I thought this was bait but this is 100% accurate 😂
Thank you! 😎
Thanks Jens. I'll try ur suggestions
You didn't mention my altered dominant hacks
1. Half dim from min 7th of 5 chord
2. Melodic minor half step above 5 chord root
3. 7th or 13th from half step below 2 chord
Go for it! There is no need to mix in more scales than you need in the beginning.
Awesome lots of information thank yup
Thank you Jens larsen : this is very valuable information that indeed can save years of practive, i totally agree with Jens Larsen. (i have been playing pro for more than 40 years) This kind of info is gold for beginner guitarist that can be overwhelmed with too much material, the worst is to spend time practicing things that are not useful.
Another great lesson! Thanks, Jens.
Glad you liked it!
This is absolute gold ☀️ Thank you! 🙏🏽
Glad you enjoyed it!
practicing any instrument as a musician is a lifelong pursuit. There is no way to minimize the amount of years of learning, as it never actually ends. Like language, music theory & practice are things we constantly build upon our entire lives as we realize & confront them
Certainly! But you still don't want to waste your time 🙂
@@JensLarsen yes Jens, nobody wants to waste their time. Actually, over some 40something yrs of playing & learning none of it was ever a waste of time as long as I have a guitar in my hands 🤘
Yeah, but it’s still great to not worry about modes and triad inversions!
@@bebopisthetruth I don't know why anyone would worry about any of that. You learn what you have to do in theory, and then practice it. Once it becomes fluid & intuitive there is always something else to learn
Best tutorial I've seen on how to start jazz improv
Thank you!
Jens, thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us. That is very kind. Most of the famous guitar players have their roots in Jazz education - just like the absolutely fantastic Matteo Mancuso. Again, thank you for these very helpful videos. As always - interesting would be a video about the gear that you are using.
My pleasure! I should indeed make a video on what I use 🙂
This is incredible. These are very useful exercises that give me some direction.
I know music theory on paper and somewhat in practice, but with jazz it can be overwhelming to see all the possibilities tugging at your mind.
This helped me narrow my focus onto small attainable goals that will allow me to gradually integrate techniques in a purposeful way.
Thank you so much!
Super helpful, thank you!
You're welcome!
Thank you for another "Wait. What?!!" moment Jens. You mean you can use a major 7th arpeggio from the seven of a dominant chord? How is this possible? Oh heck yeah this is great. And the best thing about the guitar is that I only have to figure out a couple different fingerings and it's in my fingers and in my ears. Poor piano players who have to run through this in every key LOL. Great job Jens. Keep it coming!
Nothing beats a cup of Joe and some Jens lessons to get my day started. I'd give anything for a livestream to listen and play along with your improving, and to ask questions!
Vielen dank!
Wow, these are useful to me. thank you so much❤
Glad it was useful! 🙂
I love how you share info in your videos progressing through various levels of each topic. Anyone watching from beginner to advanced can learn something new from some part of the video. I adore your work here!
Nice excerpt from your roadmap 😊
Always good to build a strong foundation 🙂
I just got your 2 books, you're an awesome teacher, thank you
Thanks so much, Jens! Very informative and useful lesson.
Definitively valuable! Just makes me regret what I tried to learn and remorse what I did not😅. I still don t understand how music is taught with all these useless modes and scales. I found the answers in the kenny werner books. Effortless mastery.
Excellent Jens
Thank you James!
Excellent!
Glad you liked it!
You really are the arpeggio master.
Or maybe the arpeggio obsessive 😂
Great video! Wish I'd practiced more of this when I started in on jazz.
Just keep at, you are doing fine 🙂
new subscriber Really a nice Video thanks for sharing
Glad it is useful!
Hey Jens! Back with another question :)
When you are improvising, do you think in terms of intervallic functions, or do you think of actual chord names?
Example would be thinking F Lydian vs thinking IV in C
If the latter, how do you keep everything straight!?! For the non-diatonic chords of course :)
Thanks again for everything you do for this community!
I guess I think Fmaj7 in C major, but I am not sure. I don't think a lot when I play.
@@JensLarsen thanks for the response! Best teacher on UA-cam :)
Excellent lesson! May I ask you which pickups you are using? Really like this sound! Thank you in advance.
Thank you! I talk about the pickups in this video: ua-cam.com/video/lOQ1seUYRKc/v-deo.html
Superb as always.... Please come to the UK
Thank you Christian! I hope to go there in the future, you never know 🙂
Hi teacher my name is Sergio , I am mexican, My English is not good, but I like the jazz music, I want to lear, thanks, see you
That's great Sergio! Go for it 🙂
Thx Jens
Glad you like it!
Although I love YT when I grew up there was no internet I had to hear the stuff on record or tape and if I couldn't hear it I had to come up w what it THOUGHT was the line or idea? So I kinda found my own way that way? I love there channels but ..whenever I find something myself I never forget it. I think we're in an information gathering age and not enough actual playing that said I'm still picking up whatever I can online too but I don't know...just a thought appreciate all the work Jen's does here btw not a knock at all ❤❤❤❤
Thanks Jens. In this and your similar videos on arpeggios, you play them ascending through the scale. Is it as useful to practice them descending? From the 7th or from the root?
Absolutely! I do practice both, but you will end up using them more ascending 🙂
Is that a Sheridan II pro? Looks nice! Bigger frets and different pickups? I've been looking at grabbing one - they're fun to play!
I am actually not sure if it is a Pro II but is is an Epiphone Sheraton. I talk about it and the first set of pickups I had put in there here: ua-cam.com/video/bIQiWfeWLA4/v-deo.html&
There's another video on these pickups, let me know if you want a link
@@JensLarsen thanks for the info!
Niiiice. Learning the arpeggios slowly for each chords, makes it easier to switch between chord positions while soloing?
I have had problems when I try to follow a song, f x a blues where the chords change. Will try this out.
Learn jazz make music 🎵
Great practice tips, the video shows how to practice really well! However, the exercises don't quite sound like the jazz you hear on records. Is it normal?
Thank you! I don't know what Jazz you listen to so that is hard to say for sure, but given the level of this lesson then the examples are at the very least simpler and slower (and not with a band)
@@JensLarsen What I mean is that these exercises sound too much like exercises and not enough like the jazz vocabulary you hear on records (take Jimmy Bruno’s 'Like That' as an example). My question is: isn’t it pointless to practice arpeggios and scales like this instead of working on lines transcribed from records?
@@itsmrpalomar I don't think so, and neither did Barry Harris. I suspect most people spend time working on exercises as well as vocabulary. Doesn't Jimmy Bruno tell people to learn scales and arpeggios? For most people knowing the exercises will make it easier to hear and play phrases like licks of records, and also make it easier to learn from those phrases so that you don't just copy/paste some lick off a record but really make it your own.
But just because this works for a lot of people does not mean that it also works for you, so you should do what motivates you and gets you results.
@JensLarsen Thank you, Mr. Larsen. I appreciate when a teacher and musician explains their viewpoint while allowing the freedom to choose which path to follow. It also clears up my doubts about practicing scales and arpeggios.
@@itsmrpalomar No worries! I think you will get a similar response for most people, but be careful with describing exercises that you don't like as pointless, that sort of suggests that you are not open to there being more than one possible approach.
Great, the little I thought I knew... I didn't need all along!.. ;-)
Glad I could help! 😁
Don't forget to practice those 7th arpeggios back down too!
beautiful helpful inspiring as always!! thanks @JensLarsen
You're so welcome!
Do these strategies also work on a 2-5-1 in minor?
Yes of course, but you need to also practice harmonic minor
Here’s my brief attempt to help. Why harmonic minor? In the A minor scale, we have a V chord, which is E minor, but in that progression, as far as I know, E7 is used instead. So, the minor ii-V-I is B half diminished (ii), E7 (V), and A minor (I). The problem is that E7 contains the notes E, G#, B, and D, and G# is not in the A minor scale, but it is in the A harmonic minor scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G#).
Try using a B diminished arpeggio (B, D, F, G#) over ii and V, and when it’s time for the I tonic, try resolving from G# to A or from F to E. I’m not good with English, but I hope I’ve clarified it a little.
Tem como traduzir pra mim
No, I don't speak Portuguese
Barry Harris was a great teacher
Certainly 🙂
Why would the arpeggio from the b7 from the dominant be useful? It sounds good when I here it played in the video, but is there a deeper explanation that could relate to theory or some musicial concept?
Also, is there a video where barry harris talks about why that's his favorite chord?
Ya know, I find that Jazz is far easier to play using 4ths tuning.. I tried it, I will never go back.. cuts what I had to learn by 2/3rd.. don't know why people remain using the standard tuning, it's just harder to master..
Who starts with jazz without already knowing your instrument?
🤙🏻
Glad you like it Daniel!
a lot of information for one video , how do I digest all of that?
I wish this channel existed back in 2006.😂
Number one thing to work on. Using your EARS. Not talked about enough, if at all.
In Classical and Berklee Theories you have to be able to identify what your ears hear - otherwise you can hear the same thing later on and not realise you already know its' sound. That doesn't save time. It's like knowing people's faces but not their names. You learn Music the same ways you learn English - or any other language. Speak / listen / read and write versus play or sing / listen / read and write. Best wishes. 😁
As much as I appreciate the lesson I find this shortcut approach/idea very illogical. Think about it: in order to even remotely grasp what the proposed shortcut is you already need to have a pretty good understanding of music theory. You need to have spent quite a lot of time thinking about and practicing, scales, chords, arpeggios and so on. Otherwise all that is said here is just unintelligible.
I am not sure I completely agree, the theory you need used boils down to:
- Knowing the notes in the scales
- Knowing how diatonic chords are constructed by stacking 3rds
- Looking at how different diatonic chords contain the same notes
So it depends on what you mean by "a good understanding of music theory", if you come from having no clue what notes are in the scales and only thinking in diagrams, then you need to build some skills, but already if you know the notes in the scales then this is very easy to have get overview of. As I say in the beginning: basic theory = 10x more options
Right but this is saying once you have your head wrapped around those concepts this video shows you how to USE them to develop jazz playing skill.
If you know all that stuff and just try to play jazz, you're gonna waste a bunch of time. Trust me.
So you're practicing arpeggios.
"I wish I knew this sooner" means that you wish somebody would tell you sooner - in the future. What you mean is: "I wish I had known this earlier."
Pedantry is tiresome.
I swear most of these videos are the same