Can’t emphasise enough how transformative Shan’s approach is. Focusing on what skills you need to play this music. I was one of the lost souls with enough books and book knowledge to sink a ship, but no idea how to get it “in my hands” so it opens up for me as I play. Join for a month and I bet you won’t leave.
Preach brother. This is such important advice. Most people just don't understand how to practice, or the difference between practice and playing. I think many teachers just assume that people understand all this then can't understand why students don't show any progress. I feel for everyone who spends years practicing wrong and then still can't improvise at the end of it all. Spread the good word. Much respect to you Shan - best jazz channel on TH-cam imo.
Listen very carefully to this video. I am a music professional of 25 years with nearly 25000 hours of teaching guitar and contemporary music (including jazz) under my belt. I have never previously encountered a jazz educator that demonstrates such skill, knowledge and evidence of deep analysis of how best to approach teaching the subject whilst also being able to communicate that in such an effective, logical and concise manner. And all delivered with such a welcoming, caring and reassuring demeanour. If you genuinely want to improve your jazz playing, I cannot recommend the jazz skills website highly enough. If that's not for you for whatever reason, at least take the advice provided here to heart: you won't find better advice anywhere else. Shan, I'm delighted that you've posted this video. I hope this gets the reach that it and you deserve. We haven't met yet but you may recognise my name as somebody who has recently signed up to jazz skills. Really looking forward to connecting with you when you're not sat on a beach.
When I read texts like this one, I get my hopes for the world renewed. Not just a musician but a musician and a teacher praising the skills of another. I will pray for both of you, my friends!
Some (not necessarily robots) strive for perfection 😊 I think that you almost perfectly described my problems and difficulties in learning to play jazz. I cannot free myself from routines and schematic approach to anything I do. Even my wife says that I am like a computer (with a bit of artificial intelligence programmed in). Nevertheless, my current approach (as it was when learning a language) is to learn grammar, the rules of the language, sentence structure and vocabulary. Next, will be “memorize, practice and understand transcriptions” 0:01 (learning to speak the language artificially). I may never achieve fluency. Another issue (you also mentioned) for me is that I never wanted to work with others - I am only interested in playing solo (alone). Thank you for helping me to understand (again) that I will never play jazz (improvise). Michael
What is helping me is thinking on the rhythmic part of the language, many concepts are hard to get until you put them into their place on the measure, and then they start to sounds like they should. A good way to achieve this is by thinking of the keys as different parts of a percussion set, so you're banging them as you would play bongos, but with different fingers taking different tasks. The same way thinking of winds can help to phrase melodies and solos.
Thanks Shan for your guidance. Maybe you already have heard of partimento, which is a tool oriented to get familiar with classical music schemes and compose or improvise in that style. The teachers involved in this method revival (check Michael Koch, Tobias Cramm) also insist on getting fluent with music as language, as you do. What amazes me is their ability to control the movements of three or four voices at the same time, so much that it is possible to improvise a fugue when you master this technique 😮 Sorry for the long comment, I'm learning both systems and hope to find synergies between them.
I know quite a few songs (not jazz) but if play one note wrong I have go stop and go back a few measures and restart. I know I need HELP - I'll be joining up very soon. I love your teaching style!
Jazz is a language. Notes are like words, sounds in sequence that make sense to you and others. Scales, Modes, Chords are the boundaries that allow us focused on the general area. The key of Bb for example, or Fm. Chord Progressions are like a more focused subject area. It is how words can be assembled into phrases and sentences. Skill is developed to be able to put the words together in a sensible way so the listener can make sense of your message. Just my feeling and opinion.
How can I learn jazz language I have learned sofa every theory I need to use but I failed to produce jazz language And I would like to add that jazz style on gospel style
i've been studying jazz piano for a year and a half (i have a classical background plus i'm a former pro drummer with a degree in music), and i've developed a fluency in rootless chords (A and B form, major and minor) which provides a level of sophistication of sound when playing tunes from the real book. however, i recognize that jazz piano is a language that i need to fundamentally understand better, and Shan's approach is tempting for me to try. my main concern is that quite a bit of what i hear in Shan's videos sounds very "lounge-y" to me, and lacks the tensions that make playing jazz piano satisfying to me. i wonder if anyone can allay my concerns about going down a path that leads to sounding like a lounge piano player.
Can’t emphasise enough how transformative Shan’s approach is. Focusing on what skills you need to play this music. I was one of the lost souls with enough books and book knowledge to sink a ship, but no idea how to get it “in my hands” so it opens up for me as I play. Join for a month and I bet you won’t leave.
Listen to this gentleman up there☝He changed everything for me!
Seconded
Preach brother. This is such important advice. Most people just don't understand how to practice, or the difference between practice and playing. I think many teachers just assume that people understand all this then can't understand why students don't show any progress. I feel for everyone who spends years practicing wrong and then still can't improvise at the end of it all. Spread the good word. Much respect to you Shan - best jazz channel on TH-cam imo.
Listen very carefully to this video. I am a music professional of 25 years with nearly 25000 hours of teaching guitar and contemporary music (including jazz) under my belt. I have never previously encountered a jazz educator that demonstrates such skill, knowledge and evidence of deep analysis of how best to approach teaching the subject whilst also being able to communicate that in such an effective, logical and concise manner. And all delivered with such a welcoming, caring and reassuring demeanour. If you genuinely want to improve your jazz playing, I cannot recommend the jazz skills website highly enough. If that's not for you for whatever reason, at least take the advice provided here to heart: you won't find better advice anywhere else.
Shan, I'm delighted that you've posted this video. I hope this gets the reach that it and you deserve. We haven't met yet but you may recognise my name as somebody who has recently signed up to jazz skills. Really looking forward to connecting with you when you're not sat on a beach.
When I read texts like this one, I get my hopes for the world renewed. Not just a musician but a musician and a teacher praising the skills of another.
I will pray for both of you, my friends!
Some (not necessarily robots) strive for perfection 😊 I think that you almost perfectly described my problems and difficulties in learning to play jazz. I cannot free myself from routines and schematic approach to anything I do. Even my wife says that I am like a computer (with a bit of artificial intelligence programmed in).
Nevertheless, my current approach (as it was when learning a language) is to learn grammar, the rules of the language, sentence structure and vocabulary. Next, will be “memorize, practice and understand transcriptions” 0:01 (learning to speak the language artificially). I may never achieve fluency.
Another issue (you also mentioned) for me is that I never wanted to work with others - I am only interested in playing solo (alone).
Thank you for helping me to understand (again) that I will never play jazz (improvise).
Michael
Well explained, thank you sir❤
What is helping me is thinking on the rhythmic part of the language, many concepts are hard to get until you put them into their place on the measure, and then they start to sounds like they should.
A good way to achieve this is by thinking of the keys as different parts of a percussion set, so you're banging them as you would play bongos, but with different fingers taking different tasks.
The same way thinking of winds can help to phrase melodies and solos.
Thanks Shan for your guidance. Maybe you already have heard of partimento, which is a tool oriented to get familiar with classical music schemes and compose or improvise in that style.
The teachers involved in this method revival (check Michael Koch, Tobias Cramm) also insist on getting fluent with music as language, as you do.
What amazes me is their ability to control the movements of three or four voices at the same time, so much that it is possible to improvise a fugue when you master this technique 😮
Sorry for the long comment, I'm learning both systems and hope to find synergies between them.
I know quite a few songs (not jazz) but if play one note wrong I have go stop and go back a few measures and restart. I know I need HELP - I'll be joining up very soon. I love your teaching style!
Excellent rant, thank you for this 😻
Being a guitar player, would your classes apply?
Jazz is a language.
Notes are like words, sounds in sequence that make sense to you and others.
Scales, Modes, Chords are the boundaries that allow us focused on the general area. The key of Bb for example, or Fm.
Chord Progressions are like a more focused subject area. It is how words can be assembled into phrases and sentences.
Skill is developed to be able to put the words together in a sensible way so the listener can make sense of your message.
Just my feeling and opinion.
How can I learn jazz language
I have learned sofa every theory I need to use but I failed to produce jazz language
And I would like to add that jazz style on gospel style
In other words, you have a long road ahead.
You’re “Da Man” Shan
Hi Swain, there is no image for me. I can hear you but the screen is black.
Try closing and opening again, sometimes happens to me too
i've been studying jazz piano for a year and a half (i have a classical background plus i'm a former pro drummer with a degree in music), and i've developed a fluency in rootless chords (A and B form, major and minor) which provides a level of sophistication of sound when playing tunes from the real book. however, i recognize that jazz piano is a language that i need to fundamentally understand better, and Shan's approach is tempting for me to try. my main concern is that quite a bit of what i hear in Shan's videos sounds very "lounge-y" to me, and lacks the tensions that make playing jazz piano satisfying to me. i wonder if anyone can allay my concerns about going down a path that leads to sounding like a lounge piano player.
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All The Things You Shouldn't