Greetings from Denmark

[JesperT]

Hi, guys and girls. Greetings from Denmark.

I'm new to the forum. I just recently took up learning to play jazz after having played rock and various other styles earlier in life.

I got inspired by watching a video of jazz pianist Hal Galper, where he talks about the musician being the instrument and listening to the music within yourself when playing. In the video, he said: if you can't play it, it's because you can't hear it clearly enough, which really turned my world upside down.

When I first started playing as an 18-year old, I found it easy to play what I heard when it came to pop and rock, but jazz always puzzled me. Unfortunately, my musical development went in the direction of getting chops, overfocusing on technique such as playing fast arpeggios and learning boxes on the fretboard, but my playing was just not very musical. So Hal made me realize I need to get back to developing my ear as well as my knowledge of melody, chords, theory, etc., to progress. It also inspired me to get into jazz.

I decided that to get into jazz I must first learn the common language by learning the standards. So I bought a realbook ("The New Realbook"). I'm currently unemployed, so I've spend a few hours each day learning one new standard, starting from "A". Gonna start work again on monday, though.

I also bought a program called EarMaster, where you train being able to recognize and distinguish intervals, chords and progressions.

I don't really have a decent jazz-box for playing on, since I came from rock and heavy. All my electrics are solid-bodies. I have a Fender '62 reissue strat, a Washburn N4 humbucking/floydrose-equipped axe and a Washburn X50Pro, which is kind of similar to a les paul (set neck, humbuckers, mahogany body, tune-o-matic bridge), so I'm trying out which one sounds and feels best for jazz comping, etc. The Fender is by far the best quality guitar, but the Washburns both have a Seymour Duncan PAF '59 humbucker in the neck, which sounds good for jazz, I think, although the N4 is a bit too punchy and twangy (it sounds much like a humbucking telecaster), so I have to dial that out. I'm using a Rivera tube amp (Chubster 40), and, at least for home practice volumes, it gives a nice clean sound.

Anyway, that was a bit about me as a musician. Oh, I also play bass, by the way. As for the rest of my life, I work with rehabilitating people with pain, I'm married and have 3 lovely kids, and my other hobbies include weightlifting and meditation.

I look forward to exchanging knowledge and musical ideas with all of you!

[Banksia]

Hi Jesper and welcome. The neck pickup on a Strat is fine for jazz and anything with PAF 59s should be close enough, too.

[JesperT]

Thanks!

[derek]

Welcome to the group Jesper.