I really enjoyed this series of 7 videos even though much of it is over my head. I thought some of the jazz players here especially might enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8JJncSUdUU

Very interesting but after 5 minutes my head was spinning .....
way too much for me to take in and think about
when I am playing and singing....
but thanx for sharing.

You're welcome. I think this guy is fantastic and I have watched several other videos including 2 concerts. A genius plain and simple and still teaching at age 89.

My take on learning how to play Jazz. Stop trying to play the right notes --- but when you do hit a wrong note quick get back to the right one.

My suggestion;
listen to the musician you love best. Listen, listen and listen. The jazz lines will come from your heart and not your head. As a guitar player I took many lesson on this subject, but I listened to Johnny Smith constantly. Years later I was playing his jazz and his style without thinking.

Too many good players that study jazz begin to sound like scale and scale mode players – their jazz lines all sound alike.

I’m getting real old, I love to preach, John C.

My thought is that if you DO hit a wrong note, do it again as soon as possible, so they think you did it on purpose!

My thought is, hit ALL wrong notes...and they'll think you're just doing a Monk interpretation .

chas

BTW, the most respected jazz musicians and musicologists all think Monk was a genius. He did, in fact, write 'round midnight, arguably one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

Maybe I'm a jazz x-spurt because I hit lots of wrong notes. I can't tell an F# from a Gb though.

Miles with a sense of humor? Who'd a "thunk" it!


GREAT!

Sounds like me without trying.

R.

Hi Tracy:

Like Donny, I watched about five minutes and decided I know just enough to be dangerous... LOL! Thanks for sharing. Jazz in most of it's styles and formats is always enjoyable. We don't get much out here in West Mayberry but there is always hope.

Have a great Christmas, ----Dave

You're welcome Dave. As I mentioned, most of what he says is certainly over my head but I'm always trying to learn and I really like theory. I have watched probably 10-15 of his videos now and it is amazing what he knows. He still runs workshops at age 89. One interesting thing is he apparently thinks that John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock are not "real" jazz or at least that they have "sold out" in some form. Reminds me in a way about the debate over traditional country music and the current crop. So Harris is somewhat controversial.

Tracy,

This is good stuff but a little over my head too I'm with Donny and Dave. I only regret there wasn't You Tube during those years when I was learning piano. Thanks for posting.

You're welcome Stephen. Yes, imagine if we had youtube "back in the day' where we would be now.

Same spot. Remember, those more talented than us would have Youtube too .

chas

Good point!

I hear you, chas, ... But same spot perhaps relative to those more talented, but perhaps not relative to ourselves ... a couple of my grandkids have learned a fair amount of guitar chords from youtube, without the 'hassle' or expense of going to a music studio for lessons ... Not that I subscribe to this method, having been taught and subsequently been a teacher in a music studio ...

Let's face it - people who WANT to learn, find a way ...