| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Songs | |
| loveforJAZZ -- 09/20/2007, 14:38:19 -- #37173 | |
| My goal this year is to learn to play twelve new songs (twelve 3 to 4 minute piano solos). Do you think that's enough for a year or does the average jazz pianist learn even more than that per year? Approximently how many songs do you know at this time? | |
| Mike -- 09/20/2007, 15:13:54 -- #37173 | |
| I have stoped counting. i think when you first hit the streets as a pro there is enourmous pressure to have a huge repetoire both from your audience and from other musicians. And the repetoire has to be in memory. When someone comes up to you at the piano and requests Misty you cant be opening up no fake book and still have anyones respect. And it is competitive out there. Make no mistake about it ... if you are trying to make a living at it... there is serious competition. And the competition is against Musicians. Musicians are amongst the lowest life form out there ... they willl stab you in the back for a nickle. If they can steal your gig by playing for five cents they will, And be sure of one thing, All of your competition is working repetoire all day long 24/7. So how does this all apply to your question? Well it depends on where you are going with this piano thing.... Are you just kind of learning for fun .. as a hobby .... or are you planning on being a pro. If the former your goals are fine; If the later forget about it... you just gotta learn as many tunes as you can like your life depends on it ... as soon as you got one .... hurrry up and get another! I dont count anymore cause I already made it as a pro ... now I just learn new tunes when I feel like it which happens to be often ... because i am addicted to this piano like a bad drug. or a good drug... I am not sure sometimes | |
| Scot -- 09/20/2007, 16:01:39 -- #37173 | |
| Learn as many tunes as you can. One every few days. As you learn them and practice jazz piano skills, you'll be able to play the songs you are learning and the ones you already know much better, as long as you intend to have your arrangements grow with your skills. Some people learn a tune and never change the way they play it- they stagnate. Whenever I learn new techniques and such, I always apply them to the tunes I know (lost count at this point). Click on the "top ten tunes" link in the left menu for ideas on the best tunes to begin with, tunes you'll need to know if you want to make it in the all too real competition that Mike talks about above. | |
| loveforJAZZ -- 09/20/2007, 18:20:03 -- #37173 | |
| For me, learning jazz piano is nothing more than a hobby. I don't make a living at it, I would just like to learn a bunch of songs. | |
| loveforJAZZ -- 09/20/2007, 18:21:09 -- #37173 | |
| And be good at it too! | |
| smg -- 09/20/2007, 19:43:56 -- #37173 | |
| It's important to realize that in jazz,learning a given tune gives you the basis for others built on the same progression in many cases-if you choose 12 songs like Stella or a Wayne Shorter tune,etc.(ones with original structures) to really focus on mastering,you can add one of these standard types a week or something along with it......... | |
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