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What do you think is the best single bit of practice advice you would give to a newbie?
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08-02-2024 01:27 PM
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Hi!
First of all learn tunes. Memorize the melody and the chord progression of the most common songs (and some blues too...). Play these songs on the backing tracks or (better) with a friend (player or singer). Then, after you have learned about 20/30 songs, start to transcribe some easy solo from a player that you like.
If you are in (big) difficulties, take some lesson from a good jazz teacher.
Remember: you can play what you want and what you like.......and there is only one BIG mistake: to leave the guitar in the case!
Ettore
Website
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Same advice I give everyone.
1. Turn off youtube
2. learn the major scale up and across the neck
3. learn 3 tunes and start playing with other people
If you pay attention, you'll know where to focus after that.
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Don't be hard on yourself and be patient.
It may seem like there's a lot to learn, but discovering what feels good to you within the things you're supposed to be learning, those are the things that will help you identify what, out of all the things you learn, you'll develop into music.
Keep in mind, learn about the notes, but strive to find the music.
You'll know what I mean when you're on the right track.
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Always always always endeavor to play in time and in tune.
In time: there is a steady rhythmic pulse and you are locked in with it. The pulse could be a metronome, a recording, or other people. Don't practice or play without it.
In tune: There is a harmonic (implied or real) framework to what you are doing, and you are playing in it, whether it is comping, playing a melody, improvising single notes, or what-have-you.
If you play or practice while being in time and in tune you are practicing being musical. You must always have both.
There are instagram and youtube videos of people actually playing things on the guitar that look hard, but that are neither in tune or in time. Pity those people. Don't spend any time being unmusical. Because you become what you do.
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Slower.
Smaller.
Play slow and take your time.
Make the problem smaller. Play over a single octave for a while and learn it well before moving on. Learn small shapes and patterns and work on stringing them together later. Play over a single tune for a while and work on it one section at a time. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
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Best advice one can give.I remember watching Joe Pass at Musicians Institute over 30 yeras ago and as he is walking out to his car the students are following him and in essence he says to them stop playing all those scales and play some tunes.
Originally Posted by equenda
Hi!
First of all learn tunes. Memorize the melody and the chord progression of the most common songs (and some blues too...). Play these songs on the backing tracks or (better) with a friend (player or singer). Then, after you have learned about 20/30 songs, start to transcribe some easy solo from a player that you like.
If you are in (big) difficulties, take some lesson from a good jazz teacher.
Remember: you can play what you want and what you like.......and there is only one BIG mistake: to leave the guitar in the case!
Ettore
Website
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Learn ‘All of me’ in C
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I don't know how to answer this question. There are so many paths to success and so many blind alleys.
But, if there is one thing I wish I heard when I was a newbie it would be "Don't Neglect Ear Training".
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See step 3 of my post above. Originally Posted by pingu
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1. Make sure that your practice includes elements you enjoy, and not just work you heard was good for you.
2. Don’t ask strangers on the internet you’ve never heard play how to practice.
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[insert mushroom cloud gif] Originally Posted by John A.
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Love this advice. I was feeling overwhelmed by the mountain of stuff that apparently you absolutely had to know. Then I came across this Tim Lerch video and it really struck a chord for me (pun intended).... "Take small bites and chew well". Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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Make sure you want to learn jazz because you love it and not because someone else told you it might be a good idea to learn it.
Train your ears for melodies and chord changes.
If learning songs, learn them with lyrics if available. Helps with form and remembering melodies. And trains your long-term memory.
Make active listening to especially jazz but also other styles of music a big part of your practice time.
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For what it’s worth, I started playing jazz because my first guitar teacher was like “you’re really taking to this theory stuff — ever listen to jazz?” Originally Posted by Bop Head
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How old were you? When i started playing recorder (flute) at 5 my teacher never talked about theory LOL. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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Invest yourself in everything you do-- there's fun in being serious.
John Coltrane
My advice: know the SHIT out of 5 things rather than "know of" 50. It's like the Bruce Lee quote about the guy who has practiced 10000 punches vs the guy who's practiced 1 punch 10000 times. Or some big number.
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Don't forget to play some music for at least part of your practice. It's possible to do good stuff without straining your brain. Spend a little time in a modal groove for EG.
What you don't want is to turn it into a series of hurdles you have to leap over to get happy. What a headache! There's always one more. We call it playing music, not working music. Play like a child!
Do everything. I've practised some bebop heads waaay more than ten thousand times and I'm still not satisfied.
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Play jazz tunes, especially with others. Much of what one needs to know is in them there tunes.
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For a newbie..
Cover all the basics. Don't spend 90% of time to be obsessed about one thing, leaving out the others.
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Don't procrastinate your practice session (whether daily or weekly or...) no matter what! Originally Posted by raylinds
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Play and practice consistently. Everyday.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Fourteen. Originally Posted by Bop Head
I told my mom (who worked at the library) to bring me back a jazz album and she came home with ?A Love Supreme.
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That's a tough introduction to jazz for a young person! As much as I loved jazz and Coltrane, that one took me a number of listens before I could deal with it. Now it is one of my favorites, but it was a process. Originally Posted by pamosmusic
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