The LJS Podcast is the podcast where you get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories and advice for becoming a better jazz musician! Hosting the show is the jazz musician behind learnjazzstandards.com, author, and entrepreneur Brent Vaartstra, who’s one goal is to answer any question about playing jazz music you may have. Jazz can be a challenging music to learn and play, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. Each episode features a specific musical challenge that jazz students may come across, where it is discussed and answered. Special jazz guests frequent the show, sharing their expertise on an array of different musical subject matter. Listeners are invited to call in with their jazz questions to the podcast hotline, where it could get answered on a future LJS Podcast episode. Join thousands of other listeners getting free jazz education every week!
https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/podcast
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 10 days 3 hours 13 minutes
Quick Win: Why Your Jazz Improv Isn’t Improving…
If you're feeling stuck in your jazz playing today, it's likely because of one of the reasons I'm about to share with you.
So, I'm gonna be your jazz doctor today, diagnose your issue, and tell you how to fix it.
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. 10 Reasons Why Your Jazz Improv Isn't Improving
3. Reason #1: This results in licks that don't sound organic
4. Reason #2: Learn more of these
5...
How to Play Wrong Notes and Still Sound Good In Your Solos
Welcome to episode 341 where today I talk about one of the most important skills you should focus on when it comes to jazz improvisation. If you master this, you could literally play any note (in the key or out) and make it sound great. Learn what it is and how you can start mastering this skill.
So I was at the Village Vanguard the other day, here in New York City...
Quick Win: 10 Jazz Blues Songs You Need to Know
So what are some jazz blues heads that you absolutely need to know for jazz jam sessions and gigs? Well, today I'm gonna share with you 10 that you absolutely should know.
In this episode:
1. Simple melody with some kind of cool bebop-y elements in it.
2. Super easy blues head that uses only 5 notes!
3. A very common jam session jazz-blues
4. A minor blues head
5. A unique concert Eb blues
6. An entry-level bebop head
7...
Quick Win: The Most Important Scales for Jazz Standards
So what are the most important scales that will help you improvise over jazz standards?
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. The 5 Qualities of 7th Chords Song Sample: Stella By Starlight
3. The Minor 7th (b5) Modes
4. The Dominant 7th Altered Scale Ideas
5. The Minor 7th Mode
6. The Dominant 7th
7. Mixolydian Mode
8. The Other Scale Choices
9...
Quick Win: Instantly Improve Your Jazz Solos (3 Strategies)
If your jazz solos feel like they're missing that secret sauce that pro-level jazz musicians have, then you could be missing out on one of these strategies.
In this episode:
1. Intro
2. Example/Demo
3. 1st Strategy
4. 2nd Strategy
5. 3rd Strategy
6. Video recommendation
Important Links:
LJS Inner Circle Membership
Free Guide to learn standards by ear...
The Last Time I Will Play My Guitar
Welcome to episode 348 where I play a jazz ballad solo guitar set to commemorate the last time I play my guitar. I play through my 6 favorite jazz ballads and briefly discuss what makes them great jazz standards and a few harmonic and melodic lessons from each.
So, I've got a shocking announcement: On this episode today, this is going to be the last time that I play my guitar, the very last time. Okay, okay, okay, maybe not the very last time...
Quick Win: The Most IMPORTANT Music Theory for Jazz Standards
What are the most important music theory concepts that you need to know to make learning and improvising over jazz standards much easier?
In this episode:
Intro Concept
#1: Secondary Dominants Concept
#2: The Backdoor Dominant Concept
#3: Relative Keys Concept
#4: Parallel Keys Concept
#5: Sidestep 2-5 Concept
#6: Hybrid 2-5 Concept
#7: Deceptive CadencesConcept
#8: Passing Diminished Chords
Important Links:
LJS...
21 Things For You to Practice
Welcome to episode 350 where today I discuss 21 different options for jazz practice. So if you are wondering what you should practice today, this week, or this month, this episode should give you a handful of good ideas to work with.
Hey listen, so if you're sittin' there this week going, "I actually don't know what to practice to improve my jazz playing this week"...
From the Vault: How to Beat the Brain Game for Musical Freedom (feat. Matt Vaartstra)
We're doing a from-the-vault episode today. We're going back in time where I had my very own brother on the show to talk about performance and how to beat the brain game that goes on when we're playing music and trying to get better.
Looking forward to bringing this one back and bringing it back to life.
In this episode:
1. The power of mindset over musical performance.
2. How to train a positive mindset with a Self-Talk Script.
3...
The One Musical Skill I Would Master (feat. Brett Pontecorvo)
Today on the podcast I have a member of my team, Brett Pontecorvo, to the show with me to discuss 2 questions.
And those questions are:
- What is one musical skill you are/were lacking that caused you some trouble in your career?
and
- If you could start over, what would be the one musical skill you would master?
A lot of gold within these hills.
In this episode:
1...