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3 Common Mistakes in Jazz Improvisation

3 Common Mistakes in Jazz Improvisation In this post, we’re going to talk about 3 common mistakes in Jazz improvisation. These are some of the pitfalls that improvisers often fall into when they’re learning how to solo. By understanding these mistakes and how to avoid them, you’ll be able to improve your jazz improvisation skills….

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How to Use Jazz Improvisation to Improve Communication Skills In Teenagers

How to Use Jazz Improvisation to Improve Communication Skills In Teenagers As a high school student or even a band director, you might be looking for ways to improve your improvisation and communication skills for yourself or your students. You might think that jazz improvisation isn’t the right place to start, but it’s one of…

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A Modern Jazz Trumpet Practice Routine & Play Along

A Modern Jazz Practice Routine & Play – Along You need to work on technique, but are bored with the same routine? One of the benefits I have found while working on my undergraduate degree was being able to play a Bill Adam styled trumpet routine with another trumpet player. This allowed us to rest…

Why Your Improvisation Never Works Out the Way You Plan
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Why Your Improvisation Never Works Out the Way You Plan

You’ve been there at some point. We all have. Whether you plan something really far in advance (maybe in your younger/development stages) or on the bandstand in the heat of the moment; we’ve all been there. So why does your improvisation never (or at least many times) work out the way you plan? Because the…

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How To Practice Licks That Don’t Sound Like Licks: Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we examined three strategies to spice up your practice sessions: 1) octave displacement, 2) rhythmic variation, and 3) sidestepping. I’d like to suggest two more ideas: 1) playing your licks backwards and 2) utilizing inversions. We’ll use the lick from Part 1 and the previous variations discussed for both…

How to Practice Licks That Don’t Sound Like Licks
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How to Practice Licks That Don’t Sound Like Licks

It is my honor to introduce all of you to our guest contributor for our latest post, Mr. Justin Scoville. Justin and I first met at the University of Denver in 2004. Justin, in addition to being a fine jazz trumpeter, has recently started his own blog at The Jazz Daddy (which I highly recommend…

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