Practicing while working on LearnJazzPiano.com

Jazz Piano Book Reviews • Piano Teacher Search • Jazz Piano Links • Jazz Piano Lessons

Practicing while working

hi...i work fulltime. although i don't particularly love my job, i do have the opportunity to listen to music pretty much all day. i have a great collection of jazz and all the aebersolds on mp3 as well. does anybody have any ideas for excercises, practicing away from the piano that i can do at work...things to listen for etc? the listening in itself i'm sure is beneficial, but i want to try and engage more with what im listening to.

by fidel on 01/25/2008, 00:53

There are 7 comments, leave a comment.

i'm sure the guys on here will agree that immersing yourself in the type of music you want to learn is great learning in itself.
one idea is to improve your relative pitch by trying to recognise the intervals in the melodies or solos. also trying to pick out the relationships between the chords - ii/v/i's etc.
making up solos in your mind over backing tracks ?
learning the words of standards may help.

LJP Like

by Gordon on 01/25/2008, 05:18

learn the heads and or solos by humming,singing, mentally singing... learn them so well that by the end of the day you can play them on your instrument.

LJP Like

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:04

don't feel bad if it takes longer than a day to learn the heads or solos on instrument.

LJP Like

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:06

i'd definitely go with the aebersolds....you'd be surprised how much just listening to the tunes whose changes you want to be able to solo on will get this together for you......"making up solos in your mind over backing tracks" will become second nature if you listen for a while first then start to see what kinds of things you're hearing over them...then you could try this providing it won't get you fired........pick up one of those little handheld mini-cassette recorders and try singing the ideas over the track..then when you get to the keyboard play it back(one of the advantages of using these is that they have a half-speed switch..usable providing you make sure the level of the batteries is producing the correct pitches keywise,i.e.at full speed c might become c# at half-speed,etc....)and figure out what you hear,turning the lines into material for practice........

LJP Like

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:32

also you could tape onto a mini casette the solos you're studying/intending to transcribe and listen to these at half-speed....then compare the types of ideas you have with these......

LJP Like

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:34

i would recite the chord changes to all the standards to yourself and visualize the chord form. i would also practice hearing phrases in my head in forward motion while i am tapping 4/4 in my left heal. i would also tap bossa/samba patterns with my two hands on my legs.

LJP Like

by Jazz+ on 01/25/2008, 11:12

this is what i do at job.

i decrease the speed of the song a 75% using the transcribe software.

then i hear over and over the solo at the lower speed until i feel comfortable singing it.

then i hear the original song (at the original speed) an now its amazing that i can actually hear every note... and sing it

***************
the same for learning the heads of the songs...thats the way i leaned recently spain by chick corea & electric band

LJP Like

by Chacky on 01/25/2008, 13:09

Reply to Thread

Please sign in to post.

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

Practicing while working

There are 7 comments, leave a comment.

by Gordon on 01/25/2008, 05:18

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:04

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:06

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:32

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:34

by Jazz+ on 01/25/2008, 11:12

by Chacky on 01/25/2008, 13:09

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

Sign In to LearnJazzPiano.com

Practicing while working

There are 7 comments, leave a comment.

by Gordon on 01/25/2008, 05:18

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:04

by Paul on 01/25/2008, 10:06

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:32

by smg on 01/25/2008, 10:34

by Jazz+ on 01/25/2008, 11:12

by Chacky on 01/25/2008, 13:09

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In