Everyone can play jazz - yes or no?

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 04:41 AM

what is your opinion about that?

**Stevebol** · 05-23-2015, 05:24 AM

Nope. I can't play jazz. I was banished to jazz purgatory by muses.

**vintagelove** · 05-23-2015, 07:19 AM

Everyone who is willing to practice a couple hours a days for several to ten years can play jazz well, assuming they are put on the right track by a good teacher.

If your not going to put in the work it is unlikely you will get very far.

Lastly, this process could be faster if you grew up listening to jazz and it's in your ears at a young age.

my 2 cents...

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by vintagelove

Everyone who is willing to practice a couple hours a days for several to ten years can play jazz well, assuming they are put on the right track by a good teacher. If your not going to put in the work it is unlikely you will get very far. Lastly, this process could be faster if you grew up listening to jazz and it's in your ears at a young age. my 2 cents...

Work..OK but... this is not a classical music. I know some classical musicians who like jazz and work a lot but can not get right feel...etc.

**eddy b.** · 05-23-2015, 08:11 AM

Well yes and no. First we have to define "jazz", good luck with that... Then apply the definition to everyone's playing. So what is jazz? Is it every sub genre and style from Buddy Bolden, Joe Oliver and Louis Armstrong all the way up to the here and now guys Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau and Kurt Rosenwinkel... If that is the working definition of jazz then I do believe the answer is yes everyone can learn to play jazz. Because in that 100 years of music making there will be at least one player that one could find, emmulate and learn to play from. I mean it's a lot of really diverse music that makes the history of jazz. If your definition of jazz is one small time period in the overall history of the music then I believe it becomes harder and harder to cop the feels, phrasings and articulations for some less experienced players. In general the fact that I play jazz guitar on a professional level leads me to believe that everyone and anyone that wants to play jazz can learn to play jazz....I did.

**MarkRhodes** · 05-23-2015, 08:35 AM

Jamey Aebersold loves to say 'anyone can improvise.' He demonstrates this by having someone sing / hum over a backing track. Nearly everyone can do this. Further, when doing this, most people hit strong notes (-chord tones.) It's not Charlie Parker, but it's a start.

I don't think people will go to the trouble it takes to get good at this if they don't care about it. It takes time to get good at anything---fixing cars, translating Latin, gardening, cooking, hitting a golf ball so that it lands where you aimed, following subtle arguments, long division---and getting good at playing jazz is no exception.

**Frethack** · 05-23-2015, 08:44 AM

Anyone can play a jazz song. There are some standards that just are not that difficult. I should know. Know your fretboard, have a sense of timing, learn five chords, and you are well on your way. I think "playing jazz" is understanding on a much higher level in a way that you have begun to master the many aspects of the music that just learning a song does not provide.

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 08:51 AM

what about the blues? is everyone feel it good? blues is a root of jazz in my opinion... just my 2c...s

**pamosmusic** · 05-23-2015, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by vintagelove

Everyone who is willing to practice a couple hours a days for several to ten years can play jazz well, assuming they are put on the right track by a good teacher.

If your not going to put in the work it is unlikely you will get very far.

Lastly, this process could be faster if you grew up listening to jazz and it's in your ears at a young age.

my 2 cents...

Sounds like that about covers it.

**Captain Caravelle** · 05-23-2015, 08:58 AM

With enough work and practice I think anyone can learn to mimic jazz.
As far as really feeling it and playing it? My answer is no.
I have a good friend who's an amazing flamenco player and has been playing for thirty plus years. Can't improvise to save his life. Especially in the jazz arena. I truly believe some are born with it and some are not. I've seen pretty good imitators but I can spot the true guys a mile away.

**henryrobinett** · 05-23-2015, 09:07 AM

What the hell is that question supposed to even mean??

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

Sounds like that about covers it.

not sure.

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

What the hell is that question supposed to even mean??

It is mean who can really can play jazz...:-)

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:15 AM

I have a friend who is a great clasical player .He ask me to learn play jazz.I said ok and after few lessons he said " I did not know that is so difficult"...
so it is a reason of my question...:-)

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Jamey Aebersold loves to say 'anyone can improvise.' He demonstrates this by having someone sing / hum over a backing track. Nearly everyone can do this. Further, when doing this, most people hit strong notes (-chord tones.) It's not Charlie Parker, but it's a start.

I don't think people will go to the trouble it takes to get good at this if they don't care about it. It takes time to get good at anything---fixing cars, translating Latin, gardening, cooking, hitting a golf ball so that it lands where you aimed, following subtle arguments, long division---and getting good at playing jazz is no exception.

I know this great video of J A.

destinytot · 05-23-2015, 09:19 AM

**mr. beaumont** · 05-23-2015, 09:28 AM

Play jazz? Or play jazz well?

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Play jazz? Or play jazz well?

+1
Play "jazz"?

**grahambop** · 05-23-2015, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by kris

I have a friend who is a great clasical player .He ask me to learn play jazz.I said ok and after few lessons he said " I did not know that is so difficult"...
so it is a reason of my question...:-)

I started in 1982 and I only found it difficult for the first 33 years.

**kris** · 05-23-2015, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by destinytot

piano player has really great jazz feel...:-)

**henryrobinett** · 05-23-2015, 09:50 AM

Anyone can play jazz. It is difficult. Takes hard and long hours over many years to even play decently, not even well.

**MarkRhodes** · 05-23-2015, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

What the hell is that question supposed to even mean??

I think it means: can anyone learn to play jazz (-yes or no)? Yes means you think anyone can learn to play jazz. (Not great, mind you, just like everyone can learn to cook but not everyone will become a good cook and some will be rudimentary at best.) "Not" means the opposite of yes here. (The OP is from a non-native speaker of English, methinks.)

**marcwhy** · 05-23-2015, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

Anyone can play jazz. It is difficult. Takes hard and long hours over many years to even play decently, not even well.

And we can probably repeat this answer for other questions: Can anyone be an accountant? A painter? a Surgeon? A plumber? a computer programmer? A classical guitarist? A French horn player? An attorney? blah blah ..

Yes, sure, there are "naturals" in each area, yet all the "naturals" I've known practice their craft many hours per day. Interesting, they tend to love their craft, too..

**MarkRhodes** · 05-23-2015, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

And we can probably repeat this answer for other questions: Can anyone be an accountant? A painter? a Surgeon? A plumber? a computer programmer? A classical guitarist? A French horn player? An attorney? blah blah ..

Yes, sure, there are "naturals" in each area, yet all the "naturals" I've known practice their craft many hours per day. Interesting, they tend to love their craft, too..

I think this is a good answer. Unfortunately, some people---especially young people---seem to think "you either got it or you don't" and give up too soon. (I've known people who feel this way about relationships too: 'if there is any "work" involved, you should break up because obviously you don't belong together.')