Better Jazz Improvisation - Correcting Reactive Improv

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Jazz pianist, teacher, and author Jeremy Siskind shows how to fix one of the most common student improvisation issues, "reactive improvisation," with most phrases starting after the chord changes, on the "and of one" or beat two. He demonstrates how to practice starting phrases with pickups and think about leading into the downbeat instead of reacting to the new chord.

[@don4476]

"That's ok for now." That's a very powerful idea. Thanks.

[@Jzh733]

The best tutorials I’ve ever seen.

[@JeremySiskind]

You’re so kind! Thank you!!!!

[@ts8538]

I had to smile: that's just what I tend to do. Thank you!

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome - hope this helps!!!

[@nancyreese80]

Priceless, Jeremy!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks, Nancy! You have so many fans on this channel...

[@CharlesAustin]

Yeah this is so great, a shift from that universal bad habit of starting on the + of 1 (or on one) which is so engraved. So this “after 3” discipline is not so easy but satisfying to do.. Thanks for enlarging our scope Jeremy !!

[@francescomanfredi]

Leading us with leading notes in a dream solo is a dream lesson come true!

[@JeremySiskind]

Wow, you’re a poet! Thanks, Francesco!

[@spoonito]

HOLY MOLY this is the most productive 17 minutes I've ever spent -- you've blown my mind!

[@don4476]

You play really nice lines. I'll steal them and analyze why they sound so good. 😊

[@ef10s]

I love your videos! This one is very timely for me as I have been struggling to create improv lines in my practice. Your insight is so helpful for us "would be" improvisors who are yearning to know what an experienced professional thinks and does. And the way you organize and present your ideas makes it possible for us to understand and put them into action. Great job! I appreciate so much what you are doing to share your knowledge with us.

[@bertramblik8826]

I love your teaching and communication style! Fellow pianist and music teacher here from Denmark.

[@fedmar77]

My mind is blown. Great lesson Jeremy thank you.

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome! Thanks for the positive feedback!

[@themfu]

Awesome useful clear tutorial. Thank you!

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! I'm so glad it's useful! Happy practicing, MFU!

[@larry4589]

Excellent!

[@JeremySiskind]

Many thanks, Lawrence!

[@BMarPiano]

Awesome advice - can’t wait to go practice this!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks, Brenda! I hope to see you soon!

[@jazzman1945ify]

Thank you for a wonderful topic, which is not usually considered ! I really liked the idea of scribbling improvisation on notes with a preliminary definition of all target points that can serve as an internal counterpoint. I think that Bird, with his phenomenal memory, used this principle immediately in improvisation.

[@JeremySiskind]

Nice, I'm glad you liked it. Yes - you can form "compound melodies" by thinking "outside-in" rather than left-to-right.

[@CliffieVanR]

Fantastic lesson - thank you!

[@JeremySiskind]

Very welcome, Cliffy! :)

[@strat1227]

Great content man, thanks!

[@JeremySiskind]

Thank you! Gotta keep that content coming. :)

[@CatioChic3catsJazz]

You have the best ways of describing things Thank you

[@JeremySiskind]

Thank you so much, 3 cats! I hope you're 3 jazz cats!

[@ericharding92]

Great lesson !

[@JeremySiskind]

I’m glad you like it, Eric!

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Maestro 🌹🌹🌹

[@JeremySiskind]

My pleasure, BB!

[@georgemandom69]

Your videos are great. I will use these ideas in my guitar playing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with everyone.

[@JeremySiskind]

Nice! I’m glad you like it, George! Maybe someday you’ll see the light and choose to play piano instead of guitar. 😂

[@georgemandom69]

@@JeremySiskind 🤣🤣🤣

[@brothercaleb]

Excellent 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@JeremySiskind]

Thank you, thank you, Brother C!

[@CharlesAustin]

Very helpful ..starting with pick- ups: Awesome.

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! So glad you like it!

[@martynramsden]

Hi Jeremy, this really helps a lot! I need to stop being a boring student- top post thank you 😁🎹👍🤘

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome! Thanks, Martyn!

[@vickivolper367]

Great idea! By starting your phrase on the "and of 3" or on beat "4", you are forced to carry your improv idea OVER the barline and connect to the next chord.

[@JeremySiskind]

You got it! Thanks for watching, Vicki!

[@richardsprince6980]

Very astute analysis and instruction, almost a classical approach to your methodology for teaching the bebop idiom. I’ve been watching a number of other videos of yours on closely related topics, like the arpeggio patterns, crossing over, crossing under, targeting notes, thirds on downbeats, chromaticism, etc. Your material is terrific, and I love working on it, but one thing that occurs to me is “how do you do this and not sound like everybody else?” Certainly, there’s a lot of possibilities, but are there really so many Possibilities that you don’t sound like everyone else?

[@MrEmperorBlack]

I don't even play piano but this advice is so great!

[@JeremySiskind]

Cool! Yeah, it could definitely work for any instrument, right?

[@kristerman]

Great lesson, had a question regarding your advice about enclosures though. I am pretty sure there are numerous occasions where the target note doesn't land on the 1 beat for old school bebop players , that kind of displacement creates a nice rythmic feel

[@JeremySiskind]

You’re absolutely right! They’re not always on beat 1. i give this advice because I find that students nearly always start enclosures on beat 1, which is not ideal, but enclosures *could* ultimately lead into any of the beats of the measure. I think they are most common on the strong beats (1 and 3)

[@shantikosasih]

This is gold!!! I'll try it, btw what's app that you were using to notate just now? Thanks😊

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks! I use Forscore for my iPad.

[@shantikosasih]

@@JeremySiskind thank you so much Jeremy!

[@martynramsden]

Yes gold Shanti! Awesome Jeremy 👌

[@feimstro]

whats your setup for these videos ? thanks

[@JeremySiskind]

I use OBS with a webcam and my iPad.

[@christophmunch4796]

I phrase it this way in my teaching: "Never think of bar lines or of chord symbols as little boxes which you paint in!"

[@JeremySiskind]

Love that. Yes, the baronies are not in the music. They're just on the sheet! 😉

[@counterflow5719]

Is "the and of 1 and 2 " a down beat? I thought that the "and's " were the up beats.

[@JeremySiskind]

Yes, I would call “ands” an upbeat or offbeat. Sorry if I said something confusing!

[@counterflow5719]

@@JeremySiskind great lesson either way. Would love a live 1 on 1 lesson. Do you do that?

[@counterflow5719]

Would love a detail on what you are doing with your left hand in this video. Does such a video exist?

[@JeremySiskind]

@@counterflow5719 hey Gary - I’ll have to look back at the video to remember what I did with my left hand! That wasn’t my focus. 😂 I do lessons - there’s a link to sign up for a time in the video description. Let me know if it doesn’t work or if you have trouble.