1 practice with metronome 2 more slow tempos 3 practice starting phrases and ending phrases in different places 4 practice with actual classic recordings 5 count your way through your fave drum solos
You guys have great chemistry working together. Adam is very good at keeping the material focused and relevant, Peter always has practical, masterful “tricks-of-trade” to extrapolate on those ideas. As a jazz guitarist, this podcast has been so, so helpful. It has been an amazing resource for musical ideas, inspiration, and practice. It also has given me insight into the lives and practice of instrumentalists of jazz music other than guitarists, which is something we guitarists really need. It honestly makes me wish I had chosen piano as my principal instrument. As I’m learning, I’m finding how many limitations the guitar has compared to the piano, given its shorter range, the relative anatomical and physical constraints in playing it...there are so many voicings that just aren’t possible on the guitar, and many things that wouldn’t be too difficult to play on any another instrument are just really difficult to execute on just a technical level. Learning to play jazz on the guitar is REALLY challenging (learning jazz on any instrument is REALLY challenging). Just hoping to shred some appreciation for the jazz guitarists out there, we have to compete with you crazy genius piano-playing bastards, and that shit isn’t easy. Keep up the great work!
The dancing really does help. I used to only be comfortable just sitting and playing bass but I now stand up and play at church, especially since I’m off the platform and hardly anyone is paying attention to me lol. Doing a simple two step helps me to connect with the music better and keeps me on time
When I'm working new coordination time exercises I typically start at something very vanilla like 120 bpm but always take it down past the 60 bpm range and even slower. I think it was John Riley who said that Joe Morello had him practice stuff at 40 bpm to focus on the technique and getting the muscle memory trained. This is particularly important for drummers and other rhythm section players whose instruments demand a high degree of muscle memory development. It's actually faster to train the body at slower speeds. In my experience, having finally adhered to this philosophy, I'm now developing new material far quicker than I did when I tried to ram through at much faster tempos. The slow focus also forces a drummer to keep all four limbs "on the grid" and helps tighten up the vertical elements (where multiple voices fall together} and helps reinforce the awareness of the spacing in the linear elements.
great lesson. I always try to count or sing my way through Art Blakey's solo on Hank Mobley's This I Dig Of You. It's tough. I thought they lost the form. Tonight, I listened at half speed and tried to sing the melody in my head. I think I had been wrong and they got it. I would love to see other comments on this tune. One of my favorites. Art's solo, Wow!
Use this as inspiration for my practice sessions recently boplicity with metronome on 2+4 60 bpm = 120 melody, comping , solo , melody then the same with metronome on the 4. 30 bpm = 120. Comping with meet the bass player f blues at 40 bpm. Then comping with dexter Gordon what’s new , comping with pat martino sunny and along came Betty , comping with michel petrucciani sentimental mood( have to work out the reharm on the last A ) comping with rosenbergs bossa dorado and for Sephora and comping with joe Henderson inner urge tried to count Elvin Jones drum solo got completely lost 😂
Do you guys push the metronome even further by playing on 4 then leaving a bar then on the 4 again ? I’m using the lockdown to work on my comping great show
and 2 and 4? One thing, if you're playing a while in a specofic tempo then have an intermediate passage at half-speed, even played to a click, it can subjectively seem to drag when listening back. I've sometimes tweaked the intermediate passage in post, to be shorter. I think live players probably do this too.
So helpful. Any advice on how to physically feel or keep time when playing? I’ve heard Hal Galper say tap you foot on one, but have seen Kenny Garrett tap 200 BPM on one foot! What do you guys suggest doing?
Thomas Dancer hi. I think you have to use the metronome on both 1&3 and then 2&4 and then on off beats if you want to develop good time. Try to reduce the metronome to improve your internal clock by clapping on beats. Though word of warning: don’t ever clap on 1&3 😀
I understand about playing with recordings. Though for me, at this point anyway, that can be a bit intimidating (course I understand the need to put myself out my comfort zone to improve, as you said). Still. I have the iReal Pro app on my phone and I’ve been using the ‘canned’ backing tracks/tempos (which can be looped) to practice. For instance, I’m currently started playing along with the backing track for ‘So What.’ I don’t want this to be a dumb question, but I’m assuming that even though it’s not an actual band recording this approach works too, right? 😳 Anyway, as always, great stuff from you guys. Thanks! 👍
executing your ideas with great time and feel is the hardest aspect of jazz. Well, maybe bringing smething genuinely new to the table is the hardest but. Yeah.
1 practice with metronome
2 more slow tempos
3 practice starting phrases and ending phrases in different places
4 practice with actual classic recordings
5 count your way through your fave drum solos
6 dance
You guys have great chemistry working together. Adam is very good at keeping the material focused and relevant, Peter always has practical, masterful “tricks-of-trade” to extrapolate on those ideas. As a jazz guitarist, this podcast has been so, so helpful. It has been an amazing resource for musical ideas, inspiration, and practice. It also has given me insight into the lives and practice of instrumentalists of jazz music other than guitarists, which is something we guitarists really need. It honestly makes me wish I had chosen piano as my principal instrument. As I’m learning, I’m finding how many limitations the guitar has compared to the piano, given its shorter range, the relative anatomical and physical constraints in playing it...there are so many voicings that just aren’t possible on the guitar, and many things that wouldn’t be too difficult to play on any another instrument are just really difficult to execute on just a technical level. Learning to play jazz on the guitar is REALLY challenging (learning jazz on any instrument is REALLY challenging). Just hoping to shred some appreciation for the jazz guitarists out there, we have to compete with you crazy genius piano-playing bastards, and that shit isn’t easy. Keep up the great work!
agreed!
The dancing really does help. I used to only be comfortable just sitting and playing bass but I now stand up and play at church, especially since I’m off the platform and hardly anyone is paying attention to me lol. Doing a simple two step helps me to connect with the music better and keeps me on time
Dance! Absolutely! 🙏
When I'm working new coordination time exercises I typically start at something very vanilla like 120 bpm but always take it down past the 60 bpm range and even slower. I think it was John Riley who said that Joe Morello had him practice stuff at 40 bpm to focus on the technique and getting the muscle memory trained. This is particularly important for drummers and other rhythm section players whose instruments demand a high degree of muscle memory development. It's actually faster to train the body at slower speeds. In my experience, having finally adhered to this philosophy, I'm now developing new material far quicker than I did when I tried to ram through at much faster tempos. The slow focus also forces a drummer to keep all four limbs "on the grid" and helps tighten up the vertical elements (where multiple voices fall together} and helps reinforce the awareness of the spacing in the linear elements.
"one-e-and-a-two-e-and-a-three-e-and-a-SWING!" LOL
Best way to start this day! ☕
Great excsrcises!!! Thanks guys, keep it up! You also are pretty funny an entertaining.
I have a piano synth with different patters swing, blues ,bossa Nova, ballad,rock, waltz. I start at 80, 100 110. 120,130 and up
great lesson. I always try to count or sing my way through Art Blakey's solo on Hank Mobley's This I Dig Of You. It's tough. I thought they lost the form. Tonight, I listened at half speed and tried to sing the melody in my head. I think I had been wrong and they got it. I would love to see other comments on this tune. One of my favorites. Art's solo, Wow!
Anothe. Best lesson ever from u guys
Love #3! I also start a phrase on 1, improvise, breathe, and then start the next phrase on 2 ... etc. If gets me out of ruts.
We need more of this kind of lessons
So grateful to you guys! Great lessons every time. I love your courses too...alway inspirational. Deepest thanks!
love it!!
Great video! Awesome tips. And if you ended every video with a tango duet I wouldn’t be mad at all. 🤩
So great lesson !!! So cool !!! Thank a lot Adam and Peter
several weeks, 50+ videos, 18:02 mins in... SUBSCRIBED!
Great content and insight! Subscribed!
i listen to Chill everyday on my run! i just discovered that recording and can't wait until the new release of great quartet.
awesome content as always!
Use this as inspiration for my practice sessions recently boplicity with metronome on 2+4 60 bpm = 120 melody, comping , solo , melody then the same with metronome on the 4. 30 bpm = 120. Comping with meet the bass player f blues at 40 bpm. Then comping with dexter Gordon what’s new , comping with pat martino sunny and along came Betty , comping with michel petrucciani sentimental mood( have to work out the reharm on the last A ) comping with rosenbergs bossa dorado and for Sephora and comping with joe Henderson inner urge tried to count Elvin Jones drum solo got completely lost 😂
Aguante el jazz y el tango! 😁🎶🇦🇷
Do you guys push the metronome even further by playing on 4 then leaving a bar then on the 4 again ? I’m using the lockdown to work on my comping great show
What's the tango tune you guys play at the end? It sounds amazing.
Great stuff. Thanks! What about a session on Tango basics?
and 2 and 4? One thing, if you're playing a while in a specofic tempo then have an intermediate passage at half-speed, even played to a click, it can subjectively seem to drag when listening back. I've sometimes tweaked the intermediate passage in post, to be shorter. I think live players probably do this too.
Peter Martin is the Pitbull of Jazz
So helpful. Any advice on how to physically feel or keep time when playing? I’ve heard Hal Galper say tap you foot on one, but have seen Kenny Garrett tap 200 BPM on one foot! What do you guys suggest doing?
Thomas Dancer hi. I think you have to use the metronome on both 1&3 and then 2&4 and then on off beats if you want to develop good time. Try to reduce the metronome to improve your internal clock by clapping on beats. Though word of warning: don’t ever clap on 1&3 😀
Check out o passo the link between walk music and conducting.
I understand about playing with recordings. Though for me, at this point anyway, that can be a bit intimidating (course I understand the need to put myself out my comfort zone to improve, as you said). Still. I have the iReal Pro app on my phone and I’ve been using the ‘canned’ backing tracks/tempos (which can be looped) to practice. For instance, I’m currently started playing along with the backing track for ‘So What.’ I don’t want this to be a dumb question, but I’m assuming that even though it’s not an actual band recording this approach works too, right? 😳 Anyway, as always, great stuff from you guys. Thanks! 👍
You HAVE to check out John Nastos’ METRONOMICS app on the App Store. He’s a killer musician in Portland with me and the app is killer.
1:56
Nice one again! Thanks. May I ask what's the name of this tango please ?
Why are musicians so afraid of dancing?!?!
Lindy hop was how I finally naturalized the feel of swing time. Plus it was a blast.
what keyboards do ya'll have?
👏👏👏🎶🎶
executing your ideas with great time and feel is the hardest aspect of jazz. Well, maybe bringing smething genuinely new to the table is the hardest but. Yeah.
Dig. It
👍
J
We need more of this kind of lessons