Welcome to episode 91 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking with Afro percussion maker and musicologist Joe Agu all about African music and the origins of jazz. Jazz is African American music, but it didn't just start in New Orleans. It's roots go way back into African music and culture. It's important to understand where this music comes from. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Stand...
Dec 04, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Welcome to episode 90 of the LJS Podcast where today we are answering a question from a listener who wants to know how to analyze solo transcriptions to get the most out of them. This episode discusses what you should look for, and how you can break the solo down to identify the most important parts. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Nov 27, 2017•24 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Welcome to episode 89 of the LJS Podcast where today we have special guest drummer and composer Dorota Piotrowska on the show to talk about time feel and rhythm. These are some of the most important aspects to focus on to improve your jazz playing, and Dorota has some killer tips to share. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Nov 20, 2017•43 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Welcome to episode 88 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking all about a great 4 step process for learning jazz solos by ear. This is a practice that has a ton of benefits for your jazz musicianship and every aspiring jazz player should be doing this. Learn the LIST method and how it can help. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Nov 13, 2017•29 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Welcome to episode 87 of the LJS Podcast where today we are joined by special guest jazz trumpeter Chris Davis to talk all about his development into the jazz musician he is today. Chris talks about the stuff he practiced during his formidable years and some excellent lessons we can learn from his story. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Nov 06, 2017•42 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Welcome to episode 86 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about the modes of the melodic minor scale and how you can use them to improvise over 7 different chords. The melodic minor scale can be a great tool to conceptualize some of these sounds. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Oct 30, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Welcome to episode 85 of the LJS Podcast where today we have special guest Steve Nixon from freejazzlessons.com on the show to talk all about how to practice smart and improve quickly. When it comes to becoming a better jazz musician it's all about practicing, and Steve knows more than a thing or two about this. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first...
Oct 23, 2017•38 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Welcome to episode 84 of the LJS Podcast where today we are answering a question from a caller who asked which jazz standards are important to be listening to and learning. Brent breaks down a list of 40 standards into important categories that you can work from. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Oct 16, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Welcome to episode 83 of the LJS Podcast where today we are answering a question from a caller who asked how to improve speed and accuracy in his jazz solos. Brent goes over a great exercise that you can start working on today to develop your time and rhythm feel, as well as technique. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Oct 09, 2017•30 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Welcome to episode 82 of the LJS Podcast where today we have a special guest Christopher Sutton, the founder of Musical-U, to talk to us about how to set game-changing goals for our musicianship. Christopher shares with us his MAGIC process for setting up result-oriented goals, and then going out and actually accomplishing them. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 5...
Oct 02, 2017•42 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Welcome to episode 81 of the LJS Podcast where today we are concluding Ear Training Month with a very important topic: how to translate what you hear to your instrument. We've been talking about the fundamentals of ear training, and this is the last step to connect the dots. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Sep 25, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Welcome to episode 80 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about hearing chord progressions by ear. We are in the middle of Ear Training Month where we are delving deep into training our ears to hear on a deeper level. Chord progressions are an important next step. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Sep 18, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Welcome to episode 79 of the LJS Podcast where today we are delving deeper into Ear Training Month which we are doing for the month of September. This lesson is all about hearing chords and how to do it. This is a deeper level of ear training that will have a huge impact on your playing. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Sep 11, 2017•32 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Welcome to episode 78 of the LJS Podcast where today we are starting a new series in September called Ear Training Month. Ear training is extremely important for all musicians to work on. Our first lesson is on intervals and how to master them. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Sep 04, 2017•30 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Welcome to episode 77 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about an important chord progression, the Major 1-6-2-5. This is a chord progression that shows up all of the time in jazz repertoire and you will want to learn how to navigate it. You'll learn a helpful exercise and a few licks. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Aug 28, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Welcome to episode 76 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about the huge benefits of playing with musicians who are better than you. If you want to improve and improve quickly, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to play with musicians with more experience and ability than you. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Aug 21, 2017•25 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Welcome to episode 75 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about how to internalize jazz language. At the end of the day, we don't want to just learn new musical information. We want to keep it forever and we want it to make a lasting impact on our playing. Today's show breaks down 4 important processes for internalization. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: G...
Aug 14, 2017•17 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Welcome to episode 74 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about how to improvise over suspended chords. Specifically, we are covering the Dominant 7 Sus 4 chord, which shows up a lot in jazz music. These chords can sometimes stump an improviser when they come up and this lesson digs into some different ways to approach them. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle:...
Aug 07, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Welcome to episode 73 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about the major 2-5-1 chord progression and 4 strategies for how to improvise over it. The 2-5-1 (ii-V-I) is one of the most common chord progressions in jazz and other styles of music. You will see it come up all of the time in jazz standards so it's important you have a good handle on it. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz ...
Jul 31, 2017•29 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Welcome to episode 72 of the LJS Podcast where today our special guest, performance psychologist Noa Kageyama, talks to us about how to beat performance anxiety and quiet the inner critic in our heads. Noa is the face behind the website bulletproofmusician.com and teaches at the Julliard School in New York City. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first...
Jul 24, 2017•38 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Welcome to episode 71 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about why the "vibing" culture in jazz has to go. Vibing is best defined as a mean-spirited attitude towards another musician and the way they play the music. It's a toxic environment that sometimes exists at jam sessions, gigs, and in jazz communities. It's time for it to go. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inne...
Jul 17, 2017•20 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Welcome to episode 70 of the LJS Podcast where today we have a very special guest on the show, Brazilian saxophonist, and composer, Livio Almeida. In today's episode, Livio gives us a great lesson on Bossa Nova, important artists, songs, and rhythms that we need to know. If you are new or want to know more about Bossa Nova and Brazilian music, this episode is for you! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz ...
Jul 10, 2017•32 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Welcome to episode 69 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about 4 awesome jazz tools for jazz musicians. These are tools and resources that we personally use that help us in our jazz studies and practice sessions. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Jul 03, 2017•20 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Welcome to episode 68 of the LJS Podcast where today we are asking talking about how to compose a jazz solo from scratch. Podcast host Brent Vaartstra composes a jazz solo live on the show and walks you through his process of building a jazz solo he would love to improvise. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
Jun 26, 2017•26 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Welcome to episode 67 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about pentatonic scales and how you can use them to improvise over any kind of chord. Pentatonic scales are familiar to many but are often not utilized to their full potential. Let's learn how to take major and minor pentatonics to the next level. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your fir...
Jun 19, 2017•21 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Welcome to episode 66 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about 5 of the most important jazz musicians that you need to listen to. There are many important jazz musicians to talk about, but these five had an innovative impact on jazz and how it has evolved. If you want to be an educated jazz musician you need to check these musicians out. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards...
Jun 12, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Welcome to episode 65 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about how to create killer jazz solos by thinking like a composer. Joining us to talk about this today is the Downbeat award winner and three-time recipient of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award, Jeff Schneider. Learn how to think like a composer and start building jazz solos that really stick out. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way L...
Jun 05, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Welcome to episode 64 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about 5 tips for never losing your place in a jazz standard. Getting lost while playing jazz standards is a frustration many listeners and readers have expressed to us and we are here to help. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
May 29, 2017•24 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Welcome to episode 63 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about how to become an expert sight-reader. Sight reading is a skill that is important for all musicians to work on, and special guest Brett Pontecorvo unloads his expertise on this topic. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
May 22, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Welcome to episode 62 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking about 4 steps for playing what you hear in your jazz improvisation. This is a question that we get a lot. "How do I play what I am hearing in my head?" There is no easy answer, but these 4 steps will get you headed in the right direction. Listen in! Important Links: LJS Inner Circle Membership Free Guide to learn standards by ear: Learn Jazz Standards the Smart Way Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle: Get 50% off your first month!...
May 15, 2017•25 min•Season 1Ep. 62
