Topic: playing jazz

[smeden12]

Hi, all tips on how to learn/begin to play jazz... in an easy way
Hope you all are well in this coronatime...

[Toril S]

Start with a melody you know well. Then improvise while playing it, add some extra notes. Listen to how that sounds. Listen to jazz music that you like, hear how the chords and the melody line blend into each other. Jazz is not easy, but a fun challange. And there are so many different types of jazz music!

[mikf]

Not sure by what you mean by ‘in an easy way’, or even your current  competence level. Jazz is not for beginners and as Toril says, jazz is not one single playing style.
There is one fundamental you need before you can really even start - you need to be a very good ear player. If you develop that, or already are there, then you should already fairly naturally be trying some simple improv.  Then you listen to other players and copy some of what they do, and build your knowledge of jazz harmony and extended and altered chords There are also courses available on the internet.
And in all honesty, this forum is not the place. Players with real jazz skill occasionally pop up here, but are a rarity.
Mike

[Lesh]

Try searching on You Tube for Ainee Nolte, you’ll find some excellent Jazz Tutorials and I believe she has a website as well although I have not check it out.

Les

[emasters]

Listen to a lot of jazz -- all different styles.  You have to "hear it" in your head, before you can play it with your fingers.  This is particularly true with improvisation, which is at the heart of jazz.  If you can't hear what you intent to play, then what you play is by definition, an accident.  If you hear things you like listening to jazz, take the time to transcribe the line -- that is, play what you are hearing in the recording, on the instrument.  Experiment with the line.  Pay attention to phrasing, making each line you transcribe sound musical when you play it.  Over time, this will help build your jazz vocabulary.  No shortcuts - it takes time, lot's of time.  Find some helpful YouTube videos with tips and ideas.  And MasterClass has a few Jazz greats sharing their thoughts on improvisation and playing.  You definitely want to get a copy of "The Real Book" (Amazon sells it).  Get the "Key of C" version.  Find a recording of a Jazz song you like in the Real Book, and learn it by memory.  Practice playing the melody with your right hand and bass notes with your left.  Then practice playing the melody with your right hand, then the chords with your left (chord voicings in Jazz take time to learn and explore).  Then practice improvising over the chord progression - small motifs and phrases to start, then expand on those ideas.  After you get a few songs down from the real book. find a (COVID safe) bass player or guitar player to work with on the songs.  Best to find folks at the same level, so you can learn to play and listen as a group.  And did I mention listen to a lot of Jazz.  It takes time, patience and effort - read the book "Mastery" by George Leonard, substituting Jazz for martial arts (it's the same learning process your brain goes through).  Perhaps there's an accomplished Jazz improvisation teacher in your area?

Just a few ideas from someone who has worked on playing Jazz for 45 years and still learning and playing every day.  Enjoy the journey....

[mikf]

This thread has died, but if anyone is interested here are some links that are a great starting point for anyone who is interested in dabbling in jazz playing.
https://youtu.be/dskYxcUXogE
This first video is an excercise and one of the best I have seen for beginners in jazz, because it simultaneously gets you competent in playing the major 7th chords which are basic to most jazz, and a starter for improv. The excercise may seem quite easy at slow speed  in C, but really hard when you move to faster speeds and keys like Db or Gb.
https://youtu.be/2X-WsnWCAaA
This second video concentrates on one song, but pulls you into the world of tension tones and altered/extended chords which are such a cornerstone of jazz keyboard playing. The song has a basic chord structure which even in its simplest form is still quite complicated. But he shows how jazz players would then alter almost every chord and get that jazz sound and use it to spark their improv. Although it concentrates on only one song, the same principles apply to all jazz playing.
https://youtu.be/UHNvHv4_3dM
This video takes the very same song and shows how a real jazz player developes his performance. You can see many of the basics from the previous videos applied in real playing. No matter how heavy this might seem, I can assure that it’s worth sticking to the end part where he actually performs the song. It demonstrates amazing technique, musical talent and in depth knowledge that underpins all these guys. I warn you in advance that if you are thinking of dabbling in jazz, this video might both astonish and intimidate you.
The scary thing is that this guyis not a jazz legend or superstar, just one of the tens of thousands of amazing keyboard players that exist around the world. Puts how most of us play into perspective.
How do people become good jazz piano players - first become a really good piano player, then start working on jazz, and practice like crazy.
Mike

PS should point out that all of these videos are preceded by annoying ads, but after 5 seconds you can click 'skip ads' and the videos start. 

[Toril S]

Thanks a lot Mike!!😀