Music Advice from Gary Bartz

[@RatPfink66]

"If you started...off a written page, you started backwards." A provocative thought. I wonder how many will remember it.

[@fredjacksonjr.4422]

Great Opening Statement Brilliant!

[@benwinstanleymusic]

Great message, really made me smile. Thanks Gary!

[@rmoraespinto]

So true about locked ears, improvisation. What a wise and gentle man!

[@ahyaok100]

Its interesting because a lot of teachers say that melody should come first and then the chords should support it when it comes to writing but its a lot easier for me to come up with melodies over a progression. Most times you end up changing the progression to fit the melody as it goes along. But to me playing over changes is more fun than coming up with melodies from nothing. I admire people who can do that but both approaches are important.

[@ashjones5432]

I am 30, and I found out about you from a 19th year old. Love you Mr Bartz

[@iiicuuubreathingfullyoohoohooh]

Thank you for clarifying all of this, Mister Gary Bartz. Will do. 👂 📡 🪐 🛰️

[@cerimccoy]

That's pretty much what I've encountered too. I learned to play by ear then filled in the rest I know (so far), by study. Still learning every day from listening over an over to every type of music imaginable. Best quote on the current lack of listening due to the reliance on the page! Genius.

[@chefpaul7518]

This makes so much sense. Just like a language is mastered usually before the person can write it, music is the same way.

[@KSmall109CAB]

Thanks for the posting, Essentially Ellington. Thanks for the insights, Gary Bartz. I've enjoyed your music since your "Another Earth" and the Ntu Troop days.

[@Project41Band]

Thank you Gary. I've never met you but I am learning a great deal from your words, and agree with you on nearly all your points! When I was done listening to the last video, I thought to myself, "That's pro!", and I needed to get on here and thank you for your kind words and advice. I hope so much I get to jam with you. I live in San Luis Obispo, California. I jam Wednesday's and Fridays down near the piers in Avila and Pismo Beach from 2-4:30pm. If you are ever in town and feel like blowing your horn near the beach, show up. I will be there blowing a tenor and doing my best to entertain the kind people there, and much love to the art form. Thank you as I need to thank a horn master such as yourself. Great respect to you sir!! Chuck Peerson

[@coolaxe-dw4840]

Always one of my top 2 favorite saxophone players. He's a great musician too 🎷👌 🎺.

[@jeremiahmiles6698]

i first heard mr. bartz performing with phyllis hyman at the saginaw civic center. they played her version of betcha by golly wow and have been a fan every since. everything he plays are things that he worked on and planned to play. what a concept! how refreshing! I agree!

[@TheFunkyKingston]

That's so damn true! The majority of students in the "musical business" has it's ears locked up...! Therefore there's a lack of "subconscious practice" that appears on everytime someboday grabs his instrument and play. What's music after all ? As it's been said by the great Bird of saxophone, mr Charlie Parker, music is melody, harmony and rhythm...what musicianship is something way too absurd but sometimes so concrete. Interpretation, articulation, phrasing, skills, mood, the personality of the player in other terms...listening to music with your ear opened it's something like practicing withouth your instrument but with your brain...this made me overcome many difficulties, and make my "effortless" try to my studies! Of course hard practice is something fundamental...without this nothing can be done. But that's not sufficient by itself! Cheers!!

[@QuinnGuitar]

This is the real word, thank you, Gary, It means a lot.

[@colinberry707]

I agree, I took all my grades 1-8 and then a classical degree on piano/trumpet followed by a jazz course. On the jazz course my friends would say 'why you reading you don't need to read you can read, you should be playing from memory and transposing the songs into all the keys. My ears are now open

[@norakat]

This is the era of 'Locked Ears' ! 😂

[@nyceyes]

That's so true. I'm not a musician but I remember a time when many kinds of new sounds emerged regularly. No longer, sadly. 😭

[@ebaylistentomusic]

Locked ears is maybe the best description of this issue I've yet heard. Thank you Gary and I'll see you again at Newport this summer.

[@kawasakisxi1]

Thanks 4 the music Mr Bartz

[@ets160]

I’m fortunate to have started through curiosity and slamming keys before I knew what I was doing

[@OGStazzy]

Same I taught my self guiatr out the mudddddddd man no cap. Just got to a place where now I care about theory because I feel I already got to know my guiatr or a symbiotic level and let me tell you its been interesting. Im learning how to read and and the stuff I learned already made it that much easier to learn. Check out my first jazz transcription on my channel.

[@bernieguitar5856]

hi Gary..it's Steve Bernstein from the Closet and Twins. after all this time I finally got a smartphone!! I hope Bob and Geoff are doing well! After a long end run I started playing guitar 15 years ago and now for the last 4 years I work 4 nights a week at a nice restaurant in Florida !!No back tracking no singing ..just me and Mood Indigo! and a few other songs..I love you Gary

[@grasshopperkaplan6273]

yup, i was just telling my friend, "use your ears" above all else, thanks G use your ears to access your soul and the universoul

[@sonickking819]

His album, Music Is My Sanctuary, was very much a key album of my youth. Great to hear from him speak on a philosophy of music more 'schools' of music need to embrace. Ase, Ase, Ase

[@michaelgargano1860]

Love Mr. Bartz!

[@hoodoosmusik]

I love this guy!

[@alansenzaki4609]

thank you gary. been a fan or yours since i saw you in the early seventies in vancouver (with that great group : hubert eaves, stafford james, and the funky howard king) thank you for all the wonderful music. (saw you with miles too)

[@pipityri]

This is priceless. The Sun Ra story gave me goosebumps.

[@pwnayr]

pipityri I haven't watched the video yet but your comment has me AMPED!

[@clarkewi]

Absolute genius.

[@marcellashabazz2542]

Gary I Miss You My Awesome Brother. Meeting You At The San Francisco Pub. Playing Awesomely. .. Talking To You.In the Awesome Degree Of Your Sax And Music. You Are Magic In Music and Jazz .Oh My God Bless You. Hook Me up Again My Friend. You Are Improvisation Creation. Because You Are Gifted In What God Put Into You. Respect and Love. Marcella Shabazz.💖🏆💖🎶🏆🎷💖💖🎸💖🎶💖

[@aaronfrank9649]

Great advice

[@mr.tonyshiphopschool266]

Thank you Mr Bartz!!! Celestial Blues!!!

[@clarkewi]

A master teacher.

[@PonchMuniz]

Thank you for these illuminated words of wisdom.

[@OGStazzy]

2:59 this is becoming a thing for me as of lately. Been transcribing Benny Goodman solos on you guitar which is tricky because of the way the instrument create a different vibe but there’s time where everything I remembered just ran away and I have to close my eyes and just trust my heart aka my ears

[@racylaserjet]

We are composers, composing over a template, known as the changes. Thank you for reminding us of that.

[@francoisotis3560]

He`s so right about it. There is no improvisation because it`s already there. You can hear it when you listen above what is played. Then you just need to play what you hear. Simple.

[@LocsTheChef]

I must now go find these Sun Ra joints!

[@jameshuggins1187]

thank you you opened my mind

[@Pedraga]

Amazing..

[@RonCarterBassist]

👏🏾👏🏾

[@thetrickisirarelyrespond5945]

In line with the theme of this video, which Gary Bartz song has him going through a list of his luminaries/contemporaries in spoken word form? Heard it years ago and can't find it here.

[@rahahungel]

Great!

Maravilloso.

[@cwise7]

Wow......words or wisdom

[@andrewtoebbe3885]

1 out of 33k ain't bad..great video!

[@JoergB]

How do you call it? It's music! -> I like that! :D

[@jonnyrokr]

anyone have a link to the videos hes walking about with sun ra the end

[@mario.international]

This is Killing

[@Joseph-ns1ik]

Truth

[@unclebrizz1053]

Not only are ears locked, but the soul is DEAD in the large majority of this new generation! Those who tune into the soul know exactly what to play. Their soul whispers it to them right before it comes time to play it! Praise The LORD!

[@frankiemidnight4218]

99/100ths of a percent < 1 percent

[@ziruini5071]

Frankie Midnight professor of jazz not math lol

[@norakat]

Maybe not just locked ears but locked hearts. People not playing with heart nowadays

[@XU23]

Is this Sonny Rollins?

[@eddy9347]

0:43

[@adityatyagi4009]

Bartz's approach to hearing is similar to how yogis are able to access spiritual truths.

[@beeftheheat]

check that 677/1 like/dislike ratio

[@lefujyou]

warm hearted cat, the world needs it!