Why Most Beginners Struggle with Jazz Improvisation (Fix It Now!)

[@joenremmer]

I can strongly recommend spending quality rehearsal time with the Jazz Poem AWAY from your instrument. Tap the 2 and 4 beat (or snap them with your fingers) as you SING the Jazz Poem with delibarate articulation (could be over a drum beat back track, suitable tempo). Repeat 1 bar at a time, until you relly get it under your hood, until your mind sort of understands the swing machinery of that particular rhythm in relation to the 2 and 4 beat. It will engrave in your brain and become a strong rhythmic template on top of which you will later PLAY cool pitches on your instrument. To me, it has proven as useless as trying to drive a train without first laying the rails, thinking 'I can just pick up swing as I continue to play jazz standards'. And laying my rhythmic trails should be done first, without my train (i.e. my instrument). So thank you again, Mr Agid, for sharing and instructing.

[@GregoryAgid]

Joe! I appreciate this amazing insight. I especially love the analogy of laying the train tracks; you are spot on. When I teach this in the classroom, I spend time repeating each syllable until the class internalizes the rhythm, then add another. You can shed music away from the instrument, developing your time and ear are great things to shed away from the instrument. Love to hear how all of these things are connecting for you. Thanks for the support. Catch you on the next video.

[@Terathopus]

Gregory, you're the man! Your tutorials are brilliant. Thanks.

[@GregoryAgid]

Great to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@lyndafoster9437]

And I just LOVE playing along with you. FANTASTIC !

[@GregoryAgid]

I love this!

[@lyndafoster9437]

Getting better playing it with you. Really teaches you to LISTEN!

[@GregoryAgid]

Get it!

[@ZelieVS]

Omg Genius teaching ✨

[@GregoryAgid]

I appreciate this so much!

[@Clarijazz-o1x]

Thanks Gregory not much great content for the beginner. So glad I found your channel.

[@GregoryAgid]

Great to meet you, thank you for watching!

[@lyndafoster9437]

I sat Next to David Sanchez on the plane once. Fabulous sax player. Super nice guy.

[@SecondLineArtsCollective]

This is a great lesson for our students!

[@adrianpaulwynne]

Fantastic video, thanks for sharing

[@GregoryAgid]

@@adrianpaulwynne ❤️❤️🙌🙌

[@robinhood463]

Gregory best man 🎉🎉

[@GregoryAgid]

Thank you!

[@SuperDuperTuberTube]

I'm always inspired by your videos. This one was great. I was pleased to see you as a featured artist for Legere!

[@GregoryAgid]

@@SuperDuperTuberTube Legere has been a huge supporter over the years! Thanks you for watching.

[@pickinstone]

Harmony and scales are the raw materials. Rhythm is the organization, synthesis, and creation that turns raw materials into music. Without a concept of time and rhythm, there is no music--for any genre of music. Jazz time is three dimensional, jazz time is deep and built upon layers of poly rhythm and poly meter--just as Mike Longo used to say. We need more videos like yours to challenge the paradigm of jazz pedagogy. Makes sense that you understand rhythm, given that you're in New Orleans ;)

[@GregoryAgid]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing your insight. Everything needs to synthesize to create music. Everything goes back to the human voice and the drum. I think we may have forgotten about the importance of the drum. It exists in everything we do!

[@pickinstone]

@@GregoryAgid Exactly, we HAVE forgotten about the drum--especially within the pedagogy of music. Thus, we must seek out the best live music in our area to find the language of the drum performed on the bandstand. Rhythm is synthesis and creation--scales are just raw materials--rhythm is the binding agent that makes everything we play sound musical. The issue is that too many teachers treat rhythm as an afterthought or only worthy of the most advanced students. Too many people downplay rhythm and the concept of time. As Barry Harris used to say, "rhythm RULES the world."

[@pablomorenodearcosmora3003]

I take note

[@GregoryAgid]

@@pablomorenodearcosmora3003 💯💯💯💯💯

[@RonMcBride-ip4fr]

Great video, Greg .....gets your head out of the books and applies it. Now, I wonder where I could find a backing track similar to yours. Suggestions?

[@GregoryAgid]

Hey! I am using an app called iReal. You can download it on your laptop or phone. It’s a wonderful app with changes to thousands of songs.

[@stpetenickstpetenick9428]

Great work, this is very useful. I got a couple of the Abersold books a long time ago, couldn't make much sense connecting it to the music. This video connects the dots. I am a bluegrass fiddler; this will add a lot of spice to my (evolving) improve. Most of what you say applies to bluegrass as well.

[@GregoryAgid]

Thank you for the huge compliment. I am happy to help connect the dots. I am lucky to have had people invest in me. Time to pass it on. Bluegrass is AMAZING.

[@joenremmer]

I’m guilty and accept the verdict! 🤨 I’ve spent the last two-three years learning every scale and chord, really getting my fingers accustomed to those patterns on the clarinet, but I’ve completely neglected good time and rhythm. I have always used a metronome though, but not being completely intentional about where I place each single note on the rhythmic frame. As of now, that is changing, thank you Gregory. I’m driving my wife nuts singing and playing the Jazz Poem relentlessly. And with everything I practice now, I deliberately consider for each and every pitch WHERE to place it and HOW to accentuate it. Another great take away: You don’t need a million fast notes to sound cool. A few harmonic ones in tight rhythm sound fantastic!

[@GregoryAgid]

Hey! Thanks so much for writing. Great to hear about your journey and progress. Ha, my girlfriend is also walking around the house singing it. 😂😂 when you can play all the scales and patterns with good time, that will be cookin’! Thanks for watching.

[@lyndafoster9437]

That was fabulous. Where can I find the blues back up. 🎼🎵🎵😎

[@GregoryAgid]

I was using the IRealPro App. You can also use this video! Thanks for watching Lynda! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXbVc42ug66nptE

[@lyndafoster9437]

@@GregoryAgid I just love your videos. I learn so much from you !!!

[@PhotoFalcinelli]

Great 👍 👍👍👍

[@GregoryAgid]

😁

[@lucaiovineclarinettist9172]

Do you play the sax too?

[@GregoryAgid]

Yes!

[@Clarinetroad]

1:20 Or… Driving for Lyft?😅

[@GregoryAgid]

babysitting, tree cutting, selling kidneys... LOL

[@guitaring1]

The point of the video starts at 5:28

[@GregoryAgid]

🙌

[@xavimolinamusic]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼

[@GregoryAgid]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@vincescuderi]

👍👍👍👍

[@GregoryAgid]

🤗

[@lyndafoster9437]

Not sure you want to answer. My C minor pentatonic in my book has no Bb and no F. And has a D. Is this a blues C minor pen. I did Google and it shows the scale you have 🤔

[@GregoryAgid]

There are many different pentatonic scales. It is any scale with 5 notes. The Major and Minor pentatonic scales are the most common variations.

[@lyndafoster9437]

@@GregoryAgid thank you

[@tepuyica6022]

This is kinda random. I began playing clarinet when I was a kid, I played for like 7 years in an orchestra amd it was pain, I felt so insuficient every time haha. I'm 20 now, and im in an improv ensemble, and Im beggining to trully fall in love with music again, I kinda suck, but I fell hopefull haha