5 Reasons You Fail To Learn Jazz Standards And Simple Ways To Fix Them

[@JensLarsen]

👉How did you learn the first Jazz standard? Share any tips or horror stories! ✅Jazz Beginner - 5 Myths That Waste Your Time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4ndZoWNapqloKc ✅5 Jazz Guitar Tips That Will Save You Years Of Practice: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnfOhZqYir2rg6c

[@paulafranceschi]

Jens, could you please point me at some videos of yours to get the jazz shapes memorized? I've had to look up "Sus4" "Half-diminished" and the one with the little circle, EVERY time over decades! (Despite sincerely working at it every day, I seldom can instantly identify which note is under my fingers, much less where it is in the chord or melody. It's like as house of cards! I love jazz, love to sing it, love to play and sing the songs whose shapes I've memorized (Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, Nearness of you, Ipanema, etc.), and I love to write it, even if it's mostly ii V I. Help!! You're a wonderful teacher!

[@JensLarsen]

@@paulafranceschi Thank you! I think there is a case to be made for thinking in shorter progressions and also work from that when you play the chords. Maybe this is useful as well: jenslarsen.nl/how-to-learn-to-play-jazz-chords-study-guide/

[@darrenschiminski7060]

My professor told me nobody has ever been criticized for playing too much melody. Recently I've experimented with learning the melody, play the melody with a metronome for one chorus, on the second chorus embellish the melody, on the third chorus a little more embellishment, etc.

[@JensLarsen]

Good point!

[@guitarmusic524]

Agreed. Just ask any Lawrence Welk fan!

[@steveknows62]

Check out ''All of Me'' by Teddy Wilson and Lester Young. A perfect example of your method.

[@guitarmusic524]

@@steveknows62 Good call! That's a GREAT take on the song, All of Me!

[@steveknows62]

@@guitarmusic524 Two masters at the top of their game. How could it miss?

[@herculesrockefeller8969]

If you haven't seen Rick Beato's interview with Tommy Emmanuel yet, you have to watch it. Tommy stresses being able to play the melody simply and plainly before you even begin to embark on embellishments. The interview is a class in itself on how to learn to play a song and develop it.

[@tripp8833]

yes I just saw that too

[@russell_szabados]

Yes, that was a great interview and a really astute point about melody.

[@lonegroover]

Blue Bossa was a big morale booster for me, it's still a kick to play through the changes in that. Days of Wine and Roses, not so much

[@piotrbalmusic]

I am guilty of it too... I did even worse... hahaha... I started with Donna Lee in very slow tempo. While I was able to bring the song into fast tempo (in a long long time), I had no idea how to solo over it. I lost sooo much time. Now, I am starting to learn improvisation with one chord only, then another, then a few chords. In other words, there is no need for me to rush into Donna Lee before I learn simple things.

[@captainkoo]

My first tune was Girl From Ipanema. I chose this because I like the song, thus it was easier to stay motivated. Plus there was the Astrud Gilberto version to play along with.

[@rsavage42]

I always get some thing from each of your videos. “5 reasons you fail to learn jazz” is one of my favorites. Just to get permission to learn melodies is a relief. I work on learning progressions all the time. Going from one cord to another on, say, a C scale, connecting each of the cords, etc. but just to build up Melodie’s for awhile is just terrific for me. Thanks, Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! Go for it 🙂

[@live2groove]

Something I found to be very helpful when learning melodies. *Most Jazz standards are originally songs with lyrics. Listen to versions of the songs being sung instead of being played by instruments. When I was learning Polka Dots and Moonbeams, reading the notes just wasn't clicking. I just couldn't hear the melody in my head by reading notes of the sheet music. So I listened to all different versions by Wes, Parker, Miles Davis, but finally I came across an old version of it being sung by, believe it or not, Anthony Perkins (aka Norman Bates, Phycho) Once I heard the phrasing with actual words, the melody made much more sense. So, now that's a sort of routine for me. Listen to the standards being sung. Just a thought.

[@JensLarsen]

Indeed! I would suggest looking for versions by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole or Ella Fitzgerald for a clear version of the melody

[@live2groove]

@@JensLarsen Frank and Ella are my go to's Nat King Cole is a great suggestion though

[@1965JB]

I just heard Steven Sondheim praise Anthony Perkins’ musical talent and knowledge of the way songs work, so you might have stumbled into a goldmine there!

[@live2groove]

@@1965JB Yeah, apparently, he had fairly extensive music career. When I was a kid, our family dentist was the spitting image of him. It was a tad unsettling as you might imagine :)

[@ralph_s]

I'm currently learning autumn leaves starting with the melody. It is a challenge, because I always learned songs from books or tabs. Also listening to Frank Sinatra is great for learning the melody because usually most Jazz players add too many embellishments.

[@JensLarsen]

You want to go with Sinatra, Ella or Nat Kings Cole for clear interpretation of the actual melody 👍🙂

[@Giorgi.Japiashvili]

@@JensLarsen Thanks a lot for naming specific artists, it would be super helpful to do that for other common jazz standards as well, since there are numerous different versions by various artists

[@JensLarsen]

@@Giorgi.Japiashvili Those 3 are for any song, not just Autumn Leaves. I am not even sure they recorded that 🙂

[@feratgoogle]

@@JensLarsen honestly I find it really hard to play the melody like Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald, how simple they might make it sound. Timing and making the notes sing is a challenge.

[@innocentoctave]

This is really good practical advice for a beginner, regardless of genre. Improvisers in particular can be too caught up in the feeling that the melody is something you get out of the way in the head in order to get to the improvisation.

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Without wanting to downplay the content, the editing and humour in these videos is getting better and better….

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks :)

[@ericjtomsky]

Wow me and my guitar teacher are working through cycling different inversions through blue bossa right now! I definitely hear what you mean-- don't bite off more then you can chew so you can fully digest what it is you're playing slowly

[@JensLarsen]

That's awesome!

[@williambennett6866]

Exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my study of standards and advise I will definitely use. Great lesson again Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂 Go for it 🙂

[@jarrilaurila]

I had the same experience with too advanced songs too early (Days of wine and roses, Have you met miss Jones). Other mistake was focus more on chords than melody.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, usually going straight to chord melody is not a good idea and a very common mistake actually 👍🙂

[@frankvaleron]

I tend to feel that with Wayne Shorter too :) I love his music, but I haven't a notion why the chords are sequenced as they are. Standard analytical approaches don't stand up. The great thing is though, when you listen to how easily he flows over them, you wouldn't guess they are "difficult" tunes

[@loganmacka7571]

Great video as always Jens! I’d love to see a video on the topic you mentioned around 4:45 about how different chords have the same functions. I’m studying jazz at university right now and your videos have steadily helped push me along in this lifelong endeavor of music. All the best to you!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Logan! I made a video on functional harmony that covers this already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn3bamVsnK5kh68

[@TheStobb50]

I love the sound of your guitar and fingers

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@sergicabedo]

Dude, your videos are brilliant. I follow you for years, never dissapointed. Thanks for everything!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@AdamLevyGuitarTips]

"The melody is the song." Amen, Jens!

[@throckmortensnivel2850]

Another thing one can do is to learn to sing the song. Playing the simplest chord accompaniment while singing the melody is great training for your ear. You don't need a great voice, but you should learn to hit the notes. As I used to say to my students, music is like baseball. If you can't hit the pitches, you're not in the game. I was having trouble with "All The Things You Are", which has a few modulations, but listening to Ella Fitzgerald sing it, then doing the same myself really helped. And, of course, another great video, Mr. Larsen! You are my "go to" teacher on You Tube.

[@benkatof5852]

Very nice Jens! - took me back to a past life with a Kid A flashback. I admit ive been going at things wrong - learning standards chords first by ear is not working well.

[@jdnepari]

Excellent high level view that provides lots of actionable suggestions you can tailor to your learning process. I've used Autumn Leaves as a good jazz tune with a simple progression that allows me to move relatively easily between chords, melody, and improv. But your ideas have now given me a whole new perspective on what I can be doing with this tune.

[@jamescopeland5358]

Jens, spot on lesson, I need to stop procrastinating and buy some sheet music. My first jazz tune was Autumn leaves. It was easy to learn but I got hung up in 1 position. I need to start it over and move it around for understanding. Thx

[@arewestilldoingphrasing6490]

These are great tips. As an intermediate I find a particular section (or sometimes the whole song) and figure out which pentatonic minor sounds best. Then knowing which pentatonic work i use the relative major for that minor pentatonic. After I try to use music theory to figure out the diatonic chords in that maj key sig that sound close. I cant hear a #11 but I can hear if its dim or min or maj7. Then find the cadence of the song if its II V I or whatever. And play what scales can sound like they fit in each chord. and if i know a lick that one of guitar heroes plays then I either find a song they did in the same key or transpose from a different key song some of the licks while im noodling. I make the lick my home base and try whatever scale to either start or resolve to my lick. But this could be why im.still an imtermediate

[@feratgoogle]

Thnx Jens, for this good advice.

[@claudiotacconi7763]

Another GREAT video, thanks a lot Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@JazzRockswithAdam]

Those are some really hard things to get across to someone in a video. But man, I don’t think it can’t get much better than that. Nice job! I struggle any getting my point across visually on top of talking and demonstrating. I’m getting better though!

[@JazzRockswithAdam]

Those are some really hard things t get across to someone in a video. But man, I don’t think it can’t get much better than that. Nice job! I struggle any getting my point across visually on top of talking and demonstrating. I’m getting better though!

[@paulafranceschi]

Excellent advice! I'm going to go back to my fake book and start picking out the melodies. My brain's quirk is that I can accurately sing or whistle thousands of songs but can't remember a ten-digit phone number (or a scale.)

[@jaymagen]

GREAT VIDEO! - Thank you

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@insidejazzguitar8112]

Such good advice

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Adam!

[@christianmani1730]

Great advice on melody Jens. But one question: why was Zuckerburg’s image pasted over the Cm7 in S B Starlight, lol?

[@JensLarsen]

The metaverse is coming to Jazz as well 🙂

[@christianmani1730]

@@JensLarsen Haha, God help us.

[@pieceoffake7443]

Wow, what a great video!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂 Glad you think so

[@mwicks1968]

How about recognising popular forms like Blues and Rhythm Changes?

[@JensLarsen]

They have melodies as well, but after some time you just recognize the form.

[@insidejazzguitar8112]

Great advice!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pickinstone]

Man, don't post this in JGF... Glad that one of the most popular jazz guitarists teaching on KZbin STILL talks about the importance of MELODY. I'd buy you a cold one if you were my neighbor ;)

[@steennordberg-nielsen3012]

Tak for dine gode videoer. Jeg spiller kontrabas i flere amatørjazz sammenhænge. Jeg har virkelig svært ved at lære akkorderne i en sang udenad. Jeg er vant til at få udleveret leadsheet og/eller noder med kapelmesterens ønske til basslines, og jeg er rimelig ok til at læse chords/noder fra bladet. Har du en metode, jeg kunne bruge til at lære jazzstandards udenad? Mvh Steen

[@JensLarsen]

Tusind tak Steen! Det er faktisk det min nye video handler om, så måske skulle du prøve at se på den og se om det hjælper? Ellers må du jo spørge igen :)

[@steennordberg-nielsen3012]

Vil du anbefale, at jeg lærer at spille melodien (efter leadsheetet) på bassen, ligesom du anbefaler det på guitaren? Det er kun jazz, jeg har svært ved at lære udenad. Da jeg spillede elbas i et danseorkester kunne jeg alle 80 numre udenad og i mit irish folk band spiller jeg mindst 100 numre udenad. Harmonierne er selvfølgelig ikke så komplicerede, men det er mange numre. Jeg har allerede set din seneste video med stor interesse. Mvh Steen

[@JensLarsen]

@@steennordberg-nielsen3012 ja, du skal helt sikkert lære melodien. Det giver bonus senere

[@Canadiensdemtl69]

Will you make an other course like the jaz road map

[@JensLarsen]

I will make more courses. It is in the works 🙂

[@ricklaino6385]

" Sound " advice as usual...! Thanks Jens...!

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@russell_szabados]

So, Mark Zuckerberg is a Cm7 and Thom Yorke knows how to smile. You learn something new every day! But seriously, the first tune I learned was Straight No Chaser. I grew up playing classical and took a year of jazz piano when I was 23, that was assigned at my first lesson.

[@Jerry_Fried]

To summarize: Learn the melody. Learn the harmony. Learn the chords. Learn the arpeggios. Learn the scales.

[@JensLarsen]

Not really. You should probably watch it if you want to summarize it 🙂

[@andrewjaman4697]

I can't bring the tune and the improv together. It gets overwhelming, that's my problem.

[@maikijazz]

Looking back, which are the first 10 standards you think you should have learnt first?

[@JensLarsen]

Probably these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KTc6WKgLBpnc0

[@jonathanveenker6981]

That abrupt key change to C minor Zuckerberg always throws me for a loop every time I play Stella

[@JensLarsen]

Yes! A tricky change for sure

[@BL55]

@1:20 Did you accidentally open a portal to the Metaverse?

[@JensLarsen]

That might indeed be it 🙂

[@MusicandCoding]

Hvad fan laver Mark Z der???

[@stephenhoward2245]

Still got the blues Gary Moore live is just a suggestion ..

[@lushpatiogardencreationsre4414]

M*uckerburger? You are hilarious, and have taught me much through the years, ty

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂 Glad you like the jokes as well

[@lushpatiogardencreationsre4414]

​@@JensLarsen I love the melody, you directed me to understand that memorizing it is an efficient way to start mastering the piece

[@mikeking453]

I think if you try to play something too hard at first you may just end up giving up and quit altogether whereas if you learn something easy and you enjoy it you'll stick with it

[@JensLarsen]

Indeed 🙂

[@idahoduckhunter]

Why do I suddenly want to learn Stella by Starlight after you told me not to learn that first?

[@normalizedaudio2481]

I want to play my own songs.

[@jgravy82]

You know, I think the first standard I ever learned was "Girl from Ipanema"...probably not the best starting piece either...

[@JensLarsen]

Nope, not the one I would do first either 😁

[@DavidRamos-nz4bh]

You are the second person today preaching to learn the melody, the other was Tommy Emmanuel! That settles it for me!

[@guitarmusic524]

Wait! I t'ought I taw a Zuckerberg at 1:20 or 1:22! I did! I did taw a Zuckerberg! Lol

[@JensLarsen]

😁

[@apartment306]

Why is it, at 1:21 of this video, Mark Zuckerberg's' picture is flashed?

[@mikeking453]

Maybe play a ACDC song

[@southendbusker7534]

Im literally going to take your "bad" example, not the easier stuff, I'm just ....built that way.

[@savagetofu1]

Yup yup. I'm guilty of this. In my defense, I really like the chords. Alright... I'll focus some attention to melody.

[@thijs199]

App !? Awww yeah???

[@MarkAnderson-iv1zt]

I know how Homer feels.

[@JensLarsen]

We all do 😁

[@mwicks1968]

Stella by Zuckerberg!?! Noooooooo!

[@JensLarsen]

😂🙂

[@mwicks1968]

@@JensLarsen it’s a horrific thought! 😉

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

Why him? I don't understand...

[@richsackett3423]

I'll disagree. Picking hard songs early that you like well enough to make backing tracks for is a plus all the way. 1. Disabuses one of the "that's a hard song" idea, which can be stultifying starting out. Tempo makes "Giant Steps" ("Cherokee", etc.) rough, not its very logical, consistent progression. 2. The ear training you get deciphering complicated songs is superior to only working on simple ones. It's the area by-ear rock musicians dominate school-trained jazzers. 3. Playing music you want to play is the whole point. Shoulds and shouldn'ts shouldn't get in the way. 4. Novices aren't novices long. They either get with it or move on. Granted, if you are in the novice-education business, that landscape looks different to you. 5. A man's reach should always exceed his grasp. If this was easy, everyone would be doing it.

[@mikeking453]

Well said

[@douglasthompson8927]

i disagree..it`s not a contest to see who can play the most notes or most complicated music the fastest

[@richsackett3423]

@@douglasthompson8927 Who said it was? That must be a dang loud conversation in your head to think I said anything like that.

[@douglasthompson8927]

@@richsackett3423 it sounds like you`re in a hurry..sorry I don`t get that

[@richsackett3423]

@@douglasthompson8927 Again: not even slightly. You are very poor at understanding what people are actually saying. Maybe refrain from commenting until you get the hang of it.

[@shavedanape]

no kidding

[@林加一-i8w]

来了来了

[@Bigchurchmusic]

:)

[@insidejazzguitar8112]

Great advice!