Understanding Pentatonics for Better Blues Soloing (and it's fun?!)

[@TheHBaer]

Perfect timing, Jeremy!! I’m just working on pentatonics and here you are!!! Love your channel and just recently bought your book. TgNk you got all you share!!!

[@JeremySiskind]

Awesome! I'm happy to hear that - enjoy and let me know if there's ever a subject you want me to cover.

[@alphaomega6062]

Instructive and insightful. Thank you.

[@MrFedemoral]

Jeremy, your videos are Oasis in the desert!

[@JeremySiskind]

Aw, thank you!

[@donschneider7953]

Well done. Thank you.

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks much, Don!

[@yonishimonov9759]

I bought both your books last week...great job man. Greeting from Israel

[@JeremySiskind]

Thanks so much, Yoni! Much appreciated!

[@stuartheadey5240]

Thanks Jeremy. Another really useful video.

[@JeremySiskind]

Great! Take care of yourself, Stuart!

[@theoooms7277]

great , thanks!

[@JeremySiskind]

Your so welcome, Theo! Take good care!

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Jeremy. Great, informative lesson. I like your alternate terminology for the Major Blues scale:"bright" or "sweet". I like calling the Minor Blues scale the Blues scale or the "Roots" Blues scale. I've never used the term "Minor" Blues scale---seems like that term could lead to a bit of momentary confusion. Thanks for your continued good work for the community. 🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@JeremySiskind]

We are on the same page! I don't like this "major blues"/"minor blues" business. It's not very true to the spirit and usage of the scales. I generally just call the "minor blues" scale THE "blues scale" too, because we use it on both minor and major blues. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that I agree with you! :)

[@brendaboykin3281]

@@JeremySiskind yeah, Bruh🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@PianoWeekends.-.68]

Hello Jeremy! My dear teacher. Thanks for sharing your thought process. This is precisely what I needed to see! Now I can apply the process to other kinds of scales on my own! (Do you agree?) Thank you!!! By the way, I love your hand drawings, so please don’t change that! It’s not unprofessional at all! It’s charming, in my opinion. Today while I’m here, I would like to share (instead of posting on Amazon) my review of your first book of Jazz Fundamentals, which I just received a couple of days ago along with the book 2, and Jazz Piano Solo book. I hope this helps anyone who’s considering buying Jeremy’s books. My rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄(trees instead of stars. You get 10 out of 5!) I went through the first 2 units of Jazz Piano Fundamentals book 1 last night, took me several hours to do everything instructed. (Listening assignments, I still have to do a bit more.) I am shocked ❤ to see how well it is organized with such helpful details, accompanied by unit videos! This is worth 100 times more than the price of the book. I must tell everyone here that this is the first time ever I was able to follow a tune (Miles Davis’s Freddie Freeloader, in this case). I was able to play the chord progression along with the recording and also play the melody. I even accompanied the solos of other instruments, and even do a little bit of soloing myself! This all happened in less than 30 minutes after carefully reading the instructions on the book! As a side information, I have purchased some web-based jazz piano course memberships during the past few months. They helped with obtaining basic theoretical knowledge (not necessarily theory. I mean they show you what “swing feel” is, give you some etudes to practice, but I was left alone to figure out the next step, how to actually GET it. Or, they give you a list of tunes to listen to, and tells you to play along with the recordings, but don’t tell you how. As a rookie jazz musician, it’s pretty hard to find the down beats when listening to an unfamiliar jazz tune, (because off-beats are accented) where chord changes are subtle and very hard to follow as well. And what about the extra time taken by transitions between intros or solos?? I feel that Jeremy’s book is written in a way that’ll help with this problem. It’s honest, thoughtful and utterly practical. A couple of key points: 1. The listening assignments come with very detailed information and instructions on what to do on your part. Jeremy doesn’t just end with saying, “listen 20 times”, but tells you what you need to know to be able to play along with the recording! 2. Emphasis on rhythm: This is very valuable to me coming from classical music environment. Saying(or playing) “doo-Va” rhythms correctly is a big challenge(I keep accentuating the down beats!!), especially when trying to play the comping suggested on the left hand along with the right hand “doo-Va” rhythm. It’s going to take a while but I love the fact that now I have a good chance of getting it right. 3. The unit videos are priceless. If you’re too busy to read the instructions on the book, you may be able to still get by with the videos. Almost. Probably. Overall, I am like a happy dog! Can’t wait to go through all of the three books! (My background: I’ve been playing classical piano for decades and it’s been only a few months since I started learning to play jazz piano. )

[@PianoWeekends.-.68]

Forgot to mention the answer keys you can find along with the unit videos for written practice assignments. (I must’ve missed this information somewhere in the book because I accidentally found it after I watched some unit videos. ) This is critical. When I did the “scat syllables and articulation writing practice”, I realized that it pays to write them down on the paper rather than just convincing myself that reading it is enough, I got it, I don’t need writing practice. Oh I was so wrong about that!

[@JeremySiskind]

Wow, this is so lovely. I'm so appreciative and happy that I'm helping!

[@JeremySiskind]

By the way, if you feel compelled, reviews on Amazon are the most helpful thing to inform people about the books. Not too many people will see this comment here. 😉

[@PianoWeekends.-.68]

@@JeremySiskind okay I will copy and paste my review there!

[@JeremySiskind]

@@PianoWeekends.-.68 that’s so kind, thank you!

[@ivannagy8911]

Great! As I see you don’t have a chosen fingering especially to the quint leaps. (The other one is of course easy) what do you think isn’t it wiser practicing these kind of patterns with the same fingering? Or is it better to leave it “free”?

[@JeremySiskind]

It's a good (and tricky!) question. I usually try not to spend too much time obsessing over fingering, so long as there is variety and efficiency in the fingering. Don't forget to cross over the thumb sometimes, particularly when going to a black key.