3 Goals That Block Your Progress Learning Jazz Guitar

[@JensLarsen]

*What is your best, most efficient practice advice?* How The Pros Think About Chord Progressions (and you probably don't) kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6TQlZWuqM-grKs

[@NickWeissMusic]

Use. A. Metronome. I even do it myself sometimes! 😅

[@typedeaf]

Your channel as been the only way that I started learning jazz and enjoying it. Shell chords and walking bass line-type stuff. Unfortunately, I didnt stay with it too long. Maybe later.

[@RickGtr271]

My advice is to stay in one position on the neck and improvise a very simple melody when you play with jam tracks. Don't worry about the entire scale; say something with a few notes to understand how to communicate with the listener.

[@Nn-uh2kb]

Jens, the sophistication of your comedy and video production has grown in parallel to your ever increasing skill of teaching jazz. It's clear that you love what you do, and that attitude is contagious!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@sitarnut]

Jens.. we so much appreciate all that you do for us. As teenagers in the 60's we didn't't have teacher, but burned up the old Magnavox turntable rig listening to as many LPs as we could afford to buy. By just listening and lots of practice we learned to play by ear. I can barely stress how important that is. We must have taken the needle off the Wes LP's hundreds of times and put it back on his solos until we learned. All by ear. We spent all our bread on Johnny Smith, Jim Hall, Paul Desmond, Wes, Kenny Burrell, John Grey, all those cats. We've been playing jazz for over 55 years. Now, finally thanks to you I'm learning some new scales. The real Bossa Nova chords from Brazil are very special. Darker sometimes..but totally different harmonic sensibilities. The Choro and Bahia rhythms are worth learning. Peace out...

[@seattlevegas66]

Jens, the quality of your education is on a steep upward slope - and I have followed you for a long time. Thank you again!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like the videos and keep coming back 🙂

[@RickGtr271]

Best advice for any musician right in this video! I remember reading an interview with Joe Pass where he said that players need to use their ears rather than memorizing diagrams. I do recall hearing that Joe's dad would make him learn songs when Joe was a kid which taught him the language of music in the context of jazz and not just disconnected concepts of music theory.

[@j.a.c.839]

This is it. This is the Jens video that gets me to just go out there and try. But the exercises were good. They definitely help.

[@blackraro]

The production quality of these videos makes them so entertaining

[@kevindonnelly761]

Everyone knows you need to practice. Even non musicians know that. Sometimes on TV Shows you hear parents tell their kids to practice. It's everywhere. What we rarely hear is HOW do we practice ? It's like saying: 'Do something you don't have much of an idea about - and do it a lot ! Do it every day !' That surely must put a lot of Musicians off. Thanks for the video Jens. 🙂

[@JensLarsen]

Yes indeed! It is not so that people just magically know how to do that the right way

[@marciamakesmusic]

Exactly! And in the worse case you might end up learning things wrong or in a way that can really set you back, like bad technique that you have to unlearn later

[@kevindonnelly761]

@@marciamakesmusic Yep, it's called 'practicing your mistakes.'

[@powerforward1955]

I have experienced this in sports, academically and especially in music playing 3-instruments. …one can be bombarded with that word “practice” until it becomes sacrilegious because the people barking it don’t share or know what one should practice and in the most beneficial order. I suffered setbacks on the keyboard & organ because of this. P.s., my musical life leaped forward when I began learning songs and playing with other musicians as my form of practice-my ear took me places I couldn’t describe but the music was great! Thx for the reality vitamin, Jens. Peace.

[@kevindonnelly761]

@@powerforward1955 I had the same experiences when I was younger. As an adult, I became a High School Teacher for a while. I made it my goal to 'enlighten' students and other staff re 'practice' (of anything - sports too). I was going to save the school from the rubbish I went through as a teenager. It was a waste of my time. I was just banging my head against a brick wall. No other 'teachers' wanted to know - or had a clue. I also taught Music privately and had tremendous successes. I had hoped to translate this to a school environment. It was like trying to nail jelly to a tree ! The 'sport' teacher in my high school once told us: 'you have to learn a sport this term.' I told him I'd like to try tennis. I knew nothing of tennis. He told me I had to learn. I asked him 'how do I learn ?' He just walked away - and he was the sports master for our school. I agree with you. Who is living in reality ?

[@ishaq24722]

Jen is right---when you play songs you use what you've learned---and if you don't know a shape well you've learned a new shape by learning a new song. Learning My Favorite things and Aqua De Beber taught me much.

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly!

[@jrod9777]

I'm a music composition major currently trying to pick up jazz guitar,. Man, when I first found this channel, I was skeptical from all the graphic effects and stories you tell, which aren't really about the specific technical and theoretical details like how to practice certain things or how to think while playing and improvising on the guitar, but you always prove me wrong in the latter half of the video and even explain stuff like how to find the inversions up the fretboard in such simple ways that have been roadblocks in my practice and arrangement with the guitar since I picked it up. It's clear that you're a very talented and well-trained musician and a natural educator, and I just wanted to thank you for providing this type of content online for free! In terms of efficient practice advice, I would say that you should never think about stuff that you have to practice as "chores" or checkboxes on a to-do list. The songs that I chose to learn are all songs that I always pull up and listen to anyways, so it makes it incredibly enjoyable and motivating to learn them on my instrument of choice. Going along with this theme, when I sit down and start practicing piano or guitar, I might start with warmups and technical exercises because I personally find them fun and therapeutic, but I never strain or force myself to get every single exercise perfect on every single fret of the fretboard. If I get tired halfway through with an exercise or my fingers start to feel strained I just take a break or more often just move on since I already do those exercises every day anyways. Apply that to every aspect of your learning and playing, if you like a certain exercise or song you don't have to stop yourself practicing it just to move on to the song/exercise you hate. If you find a specific exercise or song that's a dread and a bore but something you still feel is necessary for your craft, then just go through it once a day or every other hour slowly and simply. So for example I'm learning the whole tone and diminished scales on piano rn but they seem weird and uncomfortable so I really only just practiced the scale once in C and F every day for 2 weeks. Just running up and down nothing more. It only took 60 seconds out of my routine, was painless, and by the second week I was even able to do it in Bb, and G as well. Another week later and I'm already feeling myself starting to subconsciously incorporate it into my practice and improvisation. I'm of the school that any practice is better than no practice, so although this method might lead to moments of noodling, where you're not really improving but just running through the stuff you already know, I believe that if you practice the right stuff outside of that noodling, what you'll notice is that your body will subconsciously incorporate that stuff into your noodling over time.

[@aaronocelot]

that 1-2-3-4 you give at 3:18 is pretty smart and simple.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! 🙂

[@lazyrrr2411]

Sitting in the dark , all wrong in an easy chair with my eyes closed leads me to benign "mistakes" that turn into new ideas & approaches ... ALSO that let's my Ears be my guide & teaches my hand to go anywhere on a split seconds notice - - - or something like that

[@JensLarsen]

Improvising and giving yourself time to hear what comes next is a great exercise! 👍

[@grape_salad]

the editing just keeps getting better and better, thanks for being such a great teacher and entertainer Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@stuartpayne3180]

Thanks for the lesson. Always a pleasure to listen..and learn

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@GregoryPearsonMusic]

I found the process you used to analyze the pentatonic for CMaj7#11 very insightful. The video also demonstrates why learning standards is so useful - something I need to get more serious about

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@teelurizzo8542]

2:47- Aha, Ted Greene's 'Single Line Soloing' Vol. 2! I got that, Vol1 and Chord Chemistry and Modern Chord Progressions, they are great books, helped me a lot in terms of vocabulary and connection between changes (still working on them!). In any event, this is a great video, w/ many insights and always the very essential points to what makes real music, w/o getting lost in all the rabbit holes that complicate progress.

[@ezrhino100]

so this whole time i have been learning wonderwall, it's been holding me back. liam and noel owe me an apology.

[@renzocalcagno536]

I can relate to this vídeo as you talk about common mistakes I usually made when learning jazz. Yes, I thought having good technique & learning all the fretboard was the best thing to do. But that ain't worth jack if you can't play a decent melody that makes sense or comp behind a soloist (within the style I mean). Technique is a deceiving way to gauge a player's skills and I've heard many 'technical' players who can really play, but lack in comping and melodic skills. I'd add that training your ear is a crucial skill that will make you play better (learning songs by ear, the way the masters did, it's highly recommended). Again, great video about a very important topic!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Renzo 🙂

[@jamesperry4470]

This is where I am. I spend an hour or so a day practicing different ways of horizontal and vertical playing in different diatonic and altered? scales (mix b2b6, super Locrian, lydian dominant, whole tone). I enjoy it but ask me to play a song, I don't have one for you. I gotta start on that 😄. I also do ear training which has helped my musicianship

[@JensLarsen]

I would try to fix that 🙂

[@jamesperry4470]

@@JensLarsen Aha then I should start with "The First 10 Jazz Standards You Need To Know"

[@JensLarsen]

@@jamesperry4470 sure!

[@Trombonology]

Jens, great ideas -- as always. Looking back on my now lengthy guitar journey, my greatest regret is that I didn't begin with jazz ... perhaps if I'd been born a few decades earlier. However, the thing that has been most helpful to me is that my practice has always been song-driven. When I discovered jazz, I wanted to play standards, because I loved the harmonic structures. I jumped right into songs and memorizing (and then personally modifying) solos. I wasn't going to be held back by the fact that I didn't yet know every inversion for every chord.

[@JensLarsen]

I sometimes think it would have been nice to start with Jazz earlier, but we can't travel in time so... Doesn't surprise me that you work on songs, and I do think that is the best approach. I really think that my biggest jump was my last year in Copenhagen playing Standards on the street, and my first year in The Hague because I was expanding my repertoire massively, and really learning and playing the songs.

[@robertopino7250]

Nailed it, as usual. I value a lot the way you deal with how the mind of a guitar-learner works. Sometimes I just wonder if I am practicing the right things to improve my overall understanding of jazz/music. And it's good and reassuring to find out the majority of learners come across the same difficulties. So yeah, I can really relate on this topic! Keep it up, you're very helpful no matter what the content of your video is and even though you're not revealing mysterious secret knack to playing the guitar. Cheers

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Roberto! Glad you like the videos!

[@ohtravo997]

just got to 7:01 in the video, Jens, you're on fire lately! loving the new wardrobe additions 😆

[@JensLarsen]

😂🙏

[@cbolt4492]

Fabulous video. Please come and play in the UK, I'd love to see and hear you and I'm sure loads of others do 😎

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Christian! I hope I will get the chance to do so 🙂

[@ZekeZaita]

Completely amazing ! I learned and laughed at the same time. Who knew it was possible?

[@michaelkeegan262]

When I started learning guitar in the 70s, at least we had tape recorders we could play a riff over and over. I can't imagine how hard it was for Wes and Joe etc. Did they spin an LP( long play vinyl album ) slow over and over, or did they simply listen enough times to sing the parts they wanted to learn. Must have amazing ears.

[@elbichito69]

Thanks master, God bless you

[@MakttacK]

5:55 is such an awesome way to think, thanks Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I think people make inversions way too complicated when they teach!

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

As a Swede I love that Wakenius is saying ”lätt som en plätt”. 😂 Is that saying world famous or is there something similar in Danish / Dutch?

[@JensLarsen]

I think it is only Swedish 😁

[@mannoplanet]

piece of cake!

[@bassyey]

Yeah, at some point you have to stop practicing arpeggios and scale by themselves. I mean, they pretty much look the same across the neck, just needs a few adjustment. And start practicing music, which is what I've been doing. Your last video where you mentioned motif, development, and conclusion for improvising helped me a lot! I feel like the notes I've been hitting have a direction now. And I can play a few bars longer. Hoping there's an video that expands on that.

[@markslist1542]

Excellent lessons. Best on the web. Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@mannoplanet]

I often said, "When you practice you play to the instrument and when you play you play to the music." Now, as I have gotten to know the instrument better (the notes, the scales etc) the distinction between practicing and playing is more mixed.

[@NATJANOFF22]

It does really help if you have perfect pitch. Even though Herbie Hancock told me at the Blue Note that he didn’t have perfect pitch and a lot of his favorite players don’t.

[@JensLarsen]

I think that is often overrated, it seems fantastic but having perfect pitch doesn't mean that you are creative, melodic, know the style or have good time.

[@NATJANOFF22]

@@JensLarsen yes I agree with you.

[@mrquick6775]

The best of the best ALWAYS seem to have perfect pitch. Guys like Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum etc. I can name any note(in any octave) someone plays esp on piano. So what i do is use perfect pitch to find the key then use relative pitch to find all the chords and stuff! But yea Chick, and Herbie Hancock are exceptions. However to me Oscar and Art are just in a class by themselves..

[@renzocalcagno536]

@@mrquick6775I wouldn't bet on that. Can't say about the greats like Parker or Armstrong but I don't believe each and everyone of the jazz masters had perfect pitch. I do know people who do have perfect pitch and guess what? They're good players, but not the best I've heard.

[@mrquick6775]

@@renzocalcagno536 Yea, I mean it depends. But one things that never talked about is muscle memory. I worked with a guy that played keyboards (I play all band instruments). He had perfect pitch but we sat down to learn a tune and a gig. It took him longer than me to learn them and that’s because his muscle memory wasn’t developed enough. His primary instrument was violin and a lot of violin players have it. So regardless of whether you have it or not you still have to practice. The reason why most of the grownups you see with are so good is because the had perfect pitch and they practice for hours on end every day too!

[@akinnon2000]

Very valuable wisdom thanks

[@pensado3000]

thank you, brother.

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome

[@joshuamarks1129]

The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine is very practical as it explains 99% of jazz with actual examples from legendary recordings

[@solomann940]

Thanks Jens 🙏

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@marciamakesmusic]

I do think knowing the fretboard is important, especially if you want to be able to read in any capacity. But you definitely can go over board, I've seen people try to memorize voicings from chord chemistry, which is like memorizing an encyclopedia

[@renzocalcagno536]

It makes no sense learning stuff you won't readily use. Let's say you're learning Satin Doll and you need a different 7(#5) voicing than the one you already know. That's when I would search 'chord chemistry' book. I'd also build my own voicings applying what I've learned about chord construction and voice leading (I think Jens has videos teaching that as well).

[@kleberveridianogoncalvesde6293]

Thank you !

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome!

[@daudabuhana7375]

Playing with other people is a lot of the reason why I started to play guitar; actually finding people to play with seems difficult, at least for me. I have been to jam sessions but I don’t feel that I get what I need from them as songs are blasted through with no review of the results and I don’t find that helpful. Maybe I am looking for the wrong thing, but I feel that at a beginner level it would be more use to spend a bit of time on a song, working out what works for the group and what doesn’t. The jam sessions seem to me to be more about individual performance than about the music as a whole. Finding one or two people to play with who are at a similar level would be nice but… Have you an opinion about this?

[@fer7068]

Thank you Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@MaxSchranner]

Wow, this is a lot of information. Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@deanchambers7116]

Jens, You are amazing! I have been playing 45 yrs - Not much Jazz or theory. When I first saw one of your videos I thought this is a guy who has a mathematical mind- Then I just read your bio that you are a mathematician, makes sense. Question, Which I intuitively think- And….I think you just answered in this video- What is the best way to start to get into understanding Jazz Theory, Guitar playing? You mention - learn a basic song then apply the theory? There was one song you recommend - Penthouse? Ok Any other beginner jazz suggestions? Snd do you do Skype lessons? Thanks Jen

[@KCOOKSMUSIC]

What books would you recommend to learn the language

[@JensLarsen]

You could try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXuYlJmAq9Rsrrs But learning solos by ear is maybe the best way: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWiygGCpaJajhbc

[@3r1cratpool22]

Learning standards was realy important to me.

[@rdpatterson2682]

You do a great job with your videos!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like them!

[@jamescopeland5358]

Great video Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you think so!

[@javierfromvenezuela]

i think in all styles we all fall into the "practice" trap. to me, part of it is a fear of getting out there, of tackling things unknown and uncertain. practicing scales is way easier in comparison

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, I think that is very likely to be true!

[@GuitSiva]

Good job.. 👌😘

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks 😊

[@jcruise24]

Jens’ editing is awesome. Knowing people can’t focus he constantly shifts things, in a good way, to keep your attention. Not to mention, the explanation of the information is simple and straightforward. Good stuff Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂 Glad you like it!

[@marshorner1573]

People need to realize that practice is more than just getting techniques under your fingers. You are literally learning to SPEAK in the language of your instrument and bring your inner voice to fruition in real time. Music theory is just a way to help explain and interpret it and make creative decisions easier.

[@zantonz]

Love your videos, Lars, even they are too far a stretch for me from theory (and practice) for my current skill level. I have a question though: 8:45 Going to the "parent" G major scale, where C is the 4th. Why exactly G major, not F major, where C is the 5th? Any specific reason for that?

[@JensLarsen]

There's no Cmaj7 in F major, that would be a C7.

[@zantonz]

Ouch, my bad! Your comment made me revisit some theory materials. It means I learned even more today!

[@JPVillalobos27]

I like the Viking playing acoustic guitar. I think there must be kind of inside joke there lol.

[@deanc.5984]

Great video. Awesome edits, entertaining, you're experience and decades of study-practice makes it look easy but IT DEFINITELY IS NOT. Alot of times your videos get complicated without you even knowing it because it's so simple to you 😂 Alot of guitar players are trying to switch to jazz/blues, so we know chords, strumming, rythym but not jazz chords/techniques. Please throw us a 1st day at jazz college lesson occasionally, I'm a Jazz Noob!! I WANNA B COOL LIKE JENS🍺😎👍🥳👏👏👏

[@melbourneguitaracademy1557]

Great lesson, thank you :)

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@leoagan2586]

Wow! that is impressive resume, mathematics and compsci and guitar.

[@nescudero7928]

Hi Jens. I've been watching your channel for a few weeks now and I really appreciate your videos. I was curious to know what guitar you use in your videos and what you would recommend for an intermediate jazz player. I know hollow body's are typically the way to go, but I'm wondering if there are any specific models you'd recommend. Thank you in advance!

[@JensLarsen]

That is tricky to say, because I haven't played that many guitars. This might be an option: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHq0moqcmrx_d5Y

[@DavidDaminelli]

I think my biggest difficulty with Jazz is finding what to hear and what songs to learn. Everytime I search "begginer jazz songs", people recommend songs like Mile Davis Autumn Leaves - good song, but not a guitar one.

[@JensLarsen]

Songs are not really instrument specific In Jazz. But maybe try to learn Kenny Burrells Chitlins Con Carne

[@DavidDaminelli]

@@JensLarsen Yes, I tottaly understand that. But is hard for a newcomer (at least it is for me) to understand how to play guitar while listening other instruments, especially about techniques. But, idk if im doing something wrong 😅Do you have any modern jazz guitarist recomendations to listend to?

[@JensLarsen]

@@DavidDaminelli Try these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWiygGCpaJajhbc

[@DavidDaminelli]

@@JensLarsen Thank you!!

[@AndreaRinciari]

I don’t know about having good coming is making melodies with chords and stuff. Personally, I think comping to be really effective has to be done to support someone to make everything feel good. Comp until it feels good, but it’s hard to comp for no one, I think comping must be practiced with people. It’s the only way to get good at that. You need to learn how to react to what’s happening in the moment and support whoever is taking a solo, or even instigate them. Bet suggestion to practice by yourself comping it to comp sax trio records where there’s no piano or guitar, and you try fit and make it sound good. Also, ofc transcribe comping!!!

[@justanothernguyen2334]

What's most difficult for me is to outline the changes by hitting the guide tones in while staying melodic at the same time. The progress is mindnumbingly slow but i guess that's true for everyone who attempt to learn to play the changes. Sometimes i question if its all worth it or not

[@JensLarsen]

Really? I am not so sure it is that difficult. But make sure you have the right guide-tones 🙂

[@justanothernguyen2334]

@@JensLarsen what i mean is switching between different geometries (chord tones, scales, etc) at the changes while aiming for specific guide tones (3th+7th for basic 7th chords and b9#9b5#5 for altered doms- per ted greene's alt naming system), all the while remaining melodic and in time. I guess there's no magic other than training your ears to "forward listen" to the target notes. Right now i tend to focus on a handful of arpeggios in one position as visual anchor points and try to weave runs that outline the changes at clearly as possible, among other things.

[@JensLarsen]

@@justanothernguyen2334 It could be that you are having trouble because you are not choosing the right target notes. It should also not be switching they are there at the same time, and they should be connected.

[@justanothernguyen2334]

@@JensLarsen thanks. On the subject of positions, do you have some tip that ease the process of connecting two adjacent positions? I always try to "see" two positions at the same time but often end up "bridging" between the two using one-string approach (that requires knowing which scale degree you are on and scale formula). Do the pros only focus on one position at a time and only cross over another here and there?

[@JensLarsen]

@@justanothernguyen2334 Maybe spent 10 minutes everyday making lines that move from one position to the other? I pretty much never think about positions, I just play. But I did practice improvising while forcing myself to move position so that I developed that overview.

[@85481]

My biggest struggle is that I have limited time and unlimited amounts to learn. I get very overwhelmed. I sit down, play some scales, play some arpeggio patterns, run through chords I'm trying to get familiar with and then review a tune I'm working on and the basic arrangement I'm trying to make of it for myself. The thing I find really difficult is if I try to add learning vocabulary by ear or reading practice I get overwhelmed. Partly because I find just 10 mins a day on most things useless so I want to do more but don't have time to do more.

[@quincytennyson6020]

Improvements are improvements, and good takes time. Don't waste any of your time thinking about how little time you have, though.

[@JensLarsen]

Then only work on songs by ear when you have more time than 10 minutes. You have the time that you have, and that limitation is impossible to run away from-

[@rogerweafer2179]

In every documentary I've seen (and there's TONS these days) you'll hear that they LIVED with a guitar in their hands. This means they had rich benefactors or were very poor unless they played for a living. By playing a SONG at least you're starting where THEY began their LIFETIME exploration. For example,I'm working on Doc Watson's version of "Deep River Blues". I have to remind myself that he "embellished" this tune for 60 YEARS. It's unrealistic to think that I can DO it in 2 WEEKS! But if it wasn't FUN TO PRACTICE I wouldn't be doing THIS.I'd try coin collecting (which means I'd have SOME money... get it)?

[@renzocalcagno536]

If you only have 10 minutes with a guitar in your hand, yes... learning songs should be your priority. That's what you will play when you're asked to play, anyway. But you could still do ear training drills without your instrument. There's many ET apps that you can download on your phone and use with earbuds. Believe me, you will play better when you hear things before you play them. Keep playing and don't quit. You'll be rewarded!

[@jakemf1]

With ten minutes you will not get any better. It requires more dedication than that

[@JONIMONDofficial]

Got some books from Ted Greene, but so theyre in English i understand even less^^

[@JensLarsen]

Just play the examples, don't worry about the rest 🙂

[@vintagerumors]

What I've noticed over time is that people usually play like they talk, or at least how they drive their car, like a friend of mine playing drums🥁

[@JensLarsen]

That is actually not my experience, otherwise a few of my colleagues would have killed people in traffic.

[@vintagerumors]

@@JensLarsen 😁

[@Mikkokosmos]

Ulf Wakenius was the first real Jazz guitarist I saw live

[@JensLarsen]

Doesn't get a lot more real than that 🙂

[@lennoxsmith915]

May I ask, what state are you living in? How can I reach you and take lessons from you?

[@JensLarsen]

I live in the Netherlands, but I don't teach one-on-one. The best I can offer is my course The Jazz Guitar Roadmap. Let me know if you want a link 🙂

[@jasonkeaton5140]

awesome

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you!

[@markslist1542]

Lesson request: How should we view our own progress? Standards, aims, goals, ect...

[@renzocalcagno536]

Record yourself. That little recording device of yours won't lie.

[@fairboop]

Not on the theme of the video but just an idea for piggybank of video ideas, you never had a video about call-response stuff which i personally dont really understand its quite a big part of jazz

[@JensLarsen]

I actually talk about it quite often 😁 Most stuff about developing solo skills will also touch on motivic development and Call-Response since they are the two most common ways of describing how melodic phrases are related

[@fairboop]

@@JensLarsen will have to rewatch those thank you, i just tried searching purely for call-response; thought theres none

[@JensLarsen]

@@fairboop Except for the first one then I think these all contain stuff on call-response: www.youtube.com/@JensLarsen/search?query=call%20response

[@fairboop]

@@JensLarsen much appreciated!

[@pedrocacela1885]

What about those rare players that, like Dizzy Gillespie said, aren't that interested in music and much less in songs but are only interested in sounds? Do you have to be already a master virtuoso to have this approach to jazz, or can you just freely improvise, whitout a care in the world, playing quite "unmusically" most of the time, and then, sometimes, creating a fabulous line that it's easily lost and forgotten forever, and then always starting all over again, in an endless mostly failed creation? Isn't this the real poetry of Jazz, not to record formulas to always make "good music", but to abandon oneself to sound intuition, improvising the extraordinary out of what would be considered imperfection?

[@JensLarsen]

In the end, you can do whatever you want, but you do have to be aware of what it is that you want. But, random is usually a horrible strategy for anything 😁

[@pedrocacela1885]

Thanks for answering Senhor larsen. I must confess that it really isn't even a strategy but an intuitive attempt at improvisation. It also isn't completely random, since i improvise using the pentatonics and the melodic minor. I have this amateurish approach, more poetical than musical, because i do not like chord progressions and i am bored with the "song" structure of music. Maybe that's why Grant Green is, by far, my favourite jazz guitarist. Very bluesy and playing almost only lines. Bebop is more ethereal with its ascending spiral and therefore more lyrical and free. Trying to have that blues emotion within that sound vortex is, for me, the highest aim in jazz guitar. Chromatic legato playing with clean guitar and bluesy inflections inside a translucid sound flow is very difficult to achieve. Perhaps George Benson got it sometimes.

[@JensLarsen]

@@pedrocacela1885 Well if you like Grant Green and George Benson then you will probably also like Charlie Parker (because they both play a TON of Parker licks, so their approach was anything but random). You should do what fits you, I don't mind, I just can't give you any advice on it.

[@letsgofishing5238]

another great video, clicked as soon as I got the notification.

[@JensLarsen]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@KennyKoller]

"...studying mathematics and computer science" I knew it!

[@travelingman9763]

Scales..not one scale mattered to GB and Wes! Lol

[@typedeaf]

I blame Ted Green and his Jazz book that on page one says, "First learn Maj, min, dom, 7m, 7Maj, 6th, sus2, sus4, +9, in all inversion in all places on the fredboard" That made me give up learning jazz. Felt more like learning math.

[@linqua1728]

If you do not learn how to play vowels, consonants, and words on the guitar it becomes boring? Music theory is important but I think you will find blues and jazz players are coining melodies that improvise slightly off the scales so that you hear the instrument talk to you in a way that resonates with the vocalist. Remember, feed your head? And follow the white rabbit? The guitar teacher who can teach me those things is the guy or gal I want to listen to.

[@danielphaley6607]

Nonsense music and art is a gift that comes naturally... you can't learn ... 😁✌️✝️

[@jrlopez4341]

What if you’re blind and you want to learn what you’re talking about I am blind playing for a long time

[@JensLarsen]

None of this really requires reading or is limited to people who can see? So I don't really understand why you ask?

[@youknowme...1840]

This process is for modern hobbies. Not what real jazz musicians invented music. Most people don't know.

[@SamJeffersonMusic]

Who else is not the least bit surprised Jens' degree is in Maths and Computer Science? 😅💙

[@ChrisBrowntrio]

The author of the video makes an assumption. How does he know that George Benson and Wes Montgomery played any scales at all. In George Benson's book he states he never used or learned any scales. Second he states that Bebop uses "bebop scales" which is not proven by the music itself. IF you watch Barney Kessel, George Benson, or Pat Martino on KZbin , they talk about using chord forms to solo. Third assumption is that blues uses the pentatonic scale , which also is not proven by studying players who play this style. You could check out kid Anderson talk about chord forms for blues soloing.

[@JensLarsen]

Chris, I think you are making quite a few assumptions about what I am saying as well. To begin with: I am not saying that they never spend any time practicing scales, I am saying it is not what they spent all their time doing. There is a difference. I am Not saying that bebop is based on Bebop scales. And finally, am also not saying that you have to learn the pentatonic scale if you want to play blues, just that it is a better choice than the chromatic scale. That is 3 out of 3. Were you trying to guess what was in the video from the table of contents? I have a hard time believing you actually watched it.

[@ChrisBrowntrio]

@@JensLarsen I did watch it. the scales thing - I think your missing my point. They actually never practiced scales at all.

[@JensLarsen]

@@ChrisBrowntrio I am not saying that they did, which is why I am wondering if you actually watched the video, because it is either that or you are missing the point I make in the video.

[@ChrisBrowntrio]

@@JensLarsen "I can promise you that Wes and George Benson did not only practice scales-spent more time playing music" . When you said that I thought you are implying that some of the time they did in fact practice scales. How do you know that they did that at all? I am very interested in knowing exactly what these guys actually practiced. From what is known is that they did not practice scales at all. That they were self taught and learned from recordings by ear.

[@JensLarsen]

@@ChrisBrowntrio I think you are missing my point. Saying that they not only practiced scales is, in that context, just saying that if you don't practice making music then you are not going to get anywhere. I am not pretending to know what they practiced, but I am at the same time convinced that they did not spend all their time practicing scales. Maybe they didn't practice scales at all, that isn't really relevant to the point I am making is it? I am just trying to get people to play music and not just scales.

[@thijs199]

aww ye?

[@adamsunderland0823]

Not the stock footage and cringe editing. Constructive criticism. Keep it raw.

[@JensLarsen]

Just go back and watch my old videos instead 🙂

[@TheSpiralnotebook]

Know what gets in the way of learning? Distracting little joke images.

[@JensLarsen]

You don't have to watch the videos if you don't like them.

[@BuckJoFiden]

Great advice Jens , thanks man

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!