Jazz
two definitions & a bumper sticker

The academic definition- a music genre featuring rhythmic complexity, improvisation, and individualism.

Rhythmic complexity includes, but is not limited to, syncopation, polyrhythms, triplet feel, swinging 8ths, and "playing with the time” (moving ahead or lagging behind with rhythmic phrases, especially in solos)

syncopation-emphasizing the normally weak beats of the bar, 2 & 4. Accenting off beats.

improvisation-making stuff up as you play or perform. Extended soloing in which you do that.
The rhythm section does it too.

individualism (personal style)-unlike classical musicians, members of an orchestra or chamber ensemble for example, who are taught, trained, and expected to blend in with their brethren, achieving a sort of musical homogeneity, jazz musicians are encouraged to develop their own sound, separate and distinct from others.

A unique, recognizable “voice,” sound, or style, is highly regarded, sought after, and respected. It's a cornerstone of the genre.

My philosophic definition- Jazz is a way of life.
Jazz is all about exploring, improving, and growing, and committing to those goals like nobody’s business.
It’s about being open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.
That’s what improvisation is. It is fearless experimentation and a determination to navigate the
changes we encounter, and forge new pathways.

It is willingness to make mistakes as we search for better ways to express ourselves, constantly building and refining the tools that enable us to do so.

Jazz is about finding the grace and humility, the wherewithall, to recognize and acknowledge our weaknesses while at the same time, summoning the strength to work on them. That means practice, practice, and more practice. It’s daunting how much practice growth requires. Personal growth is truly evolutionary.

That’s the nature of the beast - being the best version of yourself is laborious!

Jazz is mindfully resisting complacency and torpor.

Jazz is Listening.
Jazz musicians listen intently to each other, to every note, nuance, and turn of phrase.
They listen to the bass line, the comping (the rhythm and the chords) and the drums of course.
They listen deferentially, supportively, with intense interest in what other players have to offer.
Each player gets to express themselves as long as they wish. And fellow players are listening deeply, fully attentive.
There’s a constant conversation going on. Tons of interplay, and one player will cop a lick from another and toy with it, rephrase it, develop it.

All of these foundational traits of jazz can be applied to so many aspects of life.
Imagine if we listened with that kind of focus, and patience, and deference, as we walk through the woods, canoe on a lake, converse with our loved ones, communicate with our business associates, board members, or strangers, or adversaries. Imagine if we listened to ourselves that way, more often, in stillness, without distraction.

Imagine if we applied the discipline of jazz to continued learning, personal development, and the pursuit of dreams.

It’s really hard to apply these tenets of jazz to our daily lives..
but if we can, and when we do, magical things will happen.

Jazz on a bumper sticker: Hunger, Heart, and Discipline.
Many people possess one or two of those qualities, but rarely all three.
And it takes all three to be the best you can be.

You must hunger deeply for the journey. You must want it with a burning passion or
you’ll fizzle out along the way.

You must have heart to endure all the challenges, setbacks, sacrifices, and the Sisyphusian-like nature of personal development.. yikes! to first realize, then embrace the fact that your progress will be evolutionary.

You must have discipline to stay the course, learn how to practice, and continue to practice.

Call & Response, Exude The Groove, exercise attached

Many of my students struggle to exude the groove, maintaining tempo and feel, be it swing, Latin, funk, blues, etc..There are 2 main reasons for this. 1. It’s really challenging. 2. Most students don’t practice it enough.
I’m pretty sure students don’t practice it enough because it’s really challenging. Which applies to many things!
Exuding the groove requires rhythmic integrity, unassailable sense of time, and commitment to that aspect of playing music.
Laying down a groove is the most important element of music regardless of genre. The groove is sacrosanct.
Think of it as the foundation of a house. A house cannot stand, and will surely crumble if its foundation is flawed.
So it is with music. If the groove is wobbly the music suffers.
You can practice exuding the groove with any jazz standard you know, or in a blues progression.
The blues progression is simpler so that’s a great place to start.
Practice comping. (chords only) Set up a swing/shuffle rhythm, a dotted quarter to an 8th note (+ of 2) rhythm, both played short.
Resting on beats 3 & 4
gives breathing space, and silence, which are essential components of any groove. Where we don’t play is as important as where we do play.
Comp through the tune many times. Use inversions. Use a metronome beating on 2 & 4.
Maintaining tempo, feel, and rhythmic integrity is difficult to do. Persevere. Make this a part of every practice.
You can also do the same thing but playing only the roots of the chords.
Eventually try alternating chords and licks. Play a chord for 1 bar using the designated rhythm, then play a lick through the next bar.
One possibility-the lick could start on the + of 3 of the first bar and you’d play + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + (rest on beat 4, then repeat the swing rhythm w/chord on beat 1 of the next bar) Can you repeat this pattern throughout the tune?
Play 2 bars of chords with a specific feel and then 2 bars of a riff etc..

You shouldn’t need or rely on anybody to help you exude the groove.
Aspire to exude the groove the moment you touch your instrument.
Whether you’re practicing, teaching, noodling, or performing.

When coming up with the riffs or “responses,” focus on the phrasing.
Create concise licks, just the right notes, just the right phrase.
Play In The Pocket - licks that keep the music flowing but don’t detract from the rhythm and feel of the groove.
Attached is an exercise to improve your groove.

Chew On The Root, Don't Eschew It

You may think that I'm espousing a vegan diet, or some antiquated prescription for gleaning energy, or reaching a higher plane. But no. I'm speaking to improvisers about soloing. I'm always surprised when students of improvisation can't play the root of every chord in a progression. At first, try playing the root on beat one of every new chord. There are lots of advantages to doing this. First of all, it requires that you KNOW the changes, or chord progression. Memorizing the root of every chord helps you memorize the tune. And creates a road map for navigating through the tune and branching off to create and experiment with more complex soloing ideas.

Second of all, it sounds good. Yes, yes.. I know it seems simplistic and unnecessary to say but.. the root or tonic of a chord is a very pleasant sounding note. Especially when you're playing with wonderful jazz accompanists who embellish their chords with just the right tensions, sprinkle them with colors that make the ROOT sound exotic. So today's advice to every practicing improviser: Play the hell out of the root. Be able to play it at any time, on any string, in any range, any beat of the bar. Take control of it. Know what it sounds like. Bend it, gliss into it, fall out of it, play it short, play it long, use a vibrato or not, mordent or none, play it loud, play it soft. But play it. Take control of it. Chew on it. Don't eschew it.

For guitarists and other string players, an additional challenge would be to play all the roots on one string only, or any two strings, or any combination of strings.

If you can't play the root of every chord, in tempo, making it sound good, throughout the entire tune, you'll be ill-equipped to execute scales and arpeggios over the very same chords.

Comping Is An Art

Playing with rhythmic integrity, constancy, and certitude is not easy. But you know it when you hear it. It is essential to making good music, regardless of genre. It is easy to focus on, and spend a disproportionate amount of time on note playing or soloing. Try not to be that kind of guitarist. Devote ample time, and I'm here to tell you that means a lot of time, to playing chords. Practice comping the changes for every tune you play, over & over & over. Listen to yourself. Record yourself. Play with a metronome. Experiment with where you hear the click - beating on 2 & 4. beating on 1. beating on 4. etc.. Can you change the feel and maintain the groove? Can you easily alternate between swing and samba, throw in some funk, drop out completely and come back in exactly where you're supposed to be? Can you create and maintain a compelling rhythm in the intro to Wave, playing it the same way every time?

Number one priority: Exuding the groove. Laying down a beautiful rhythm that conveys the feel of the tune, maintains the flow of the piece, and enables the solo player to move freely and comfortably, weaving in and out of the changes. Use rhythmic motifs that serve as the foundation. Establish them with confidence (*this does not mean volume) but does mean precision and pocket playing. Rhythm is the engine in music. It's what captivates the listener and binds us together. Does your comping make you want to move? (I don't mean move out of town:-)

Playing chords on different combinations of strings: Can you adhere to certain combinations? 6, 4, 3, 2 (low E, D, G, B strings) Inner four strings? Top four strings? Practice playing any tune, including simpler progressions like the blues, on a specific combination of strings all the way through, over & over, utilizing inversions. If you are comping in a duo, you've got to be able to play all your chords w/the low E string included (master 6, 4, 3, 2 voicings) Later you can leave off the top note or second string. This is all about creating a bass or low-end kind of sound. This is one of my favorite sounds to solo against.