In today's Fast Track Friday episode, Brent unveils the Bad Jazz Solo method, an innovative approach designed to revolutionize your practice routine. The Bad Jazz Solo, represented by the acronym B-A-D, is a strategic tool for self-improvement. Brent walks you through the process, emphasizing the importance of bravery in leaving your ego at the door, taking risks, and embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth. By going into the process, you'll gain invaluable insights into your playing, dis...
Feb 23, 2024•12 min
In this episode, Brent celebrates his birthday by making a simple request. A question from Rob about how to learn improvisation without extensive music theory knowledge is discussed. Brent offers a comprehensive approach to improvisation, beginning with a simple yet effective tool. He underscores the importance of experimentation and gradual improvement, encouraging embracing the process of improvisation. Moreover, he introduces the concept of learning jazz language by dissecting small licks and...
Feb 22, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 39
This podcast episode discusses about the common struggle of feeling stuck in your musical journey and offers actionable advice to reignite your progress. Join Brent as he addresses a question from Inner Circle member Eric about overcoming the feeling of stagnation in your jazz playing. You'll gain valuable insights about recognizing and overcoming obstacles that may be hindering your improvement. Discover the importance of taking breaks, analyzing your practice routine, and identifying areas for...
Feb 21, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 38
Dive into the rhythm and speed of jazz with Brent on this latest podcast! In this episode, Brent tackles a question from Peter Bowen about developing an impeccable time feel and playing faster without losing your groove. With Brent's expert guidance, you'll uncover the secrets to mastering both the technical and rhythmic aspects of playing at lightning speeds. Discover how to cultivate a solid time feel by practicing with subdivisions and varying tempos, and learn practical exercises to elevate ...
Feb 20, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In this podcast episode, Brent is back to tackle another round of jazz music questions. Bernard from Germany asks a crucial question: how can he make his solos sound more like bebop without diving deep into learning all the different bebop scales? Brent dives into the essence of bebop, highlighting its significance as the foundational dialect of jazz. While acknowledging the relevance of bebop scales, he suggests alternative approaches to infusing bebop style into your solos, emphasizing the imp...
Feb 19, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Throughout the week, Brent has been uncovering the secrets of a game-changing concept: mastering jazz without touching your instrument. And now, on this Fast Track Friday episode, he's ready to share his ultimate strategy! Get ready for a sonic adventure as Brent reveals how to dissect jazz recordings like a seasoned pro. Discover the hidden intricacies of your favorite jazz standards by marking their forms and uncovering the rhythmic and harmonic tapestry that lies within. But that's just the b...
Feb 16, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 35
In this podcast episode, Brent dives into the realm of jazz guitar albums, offering listeners a curated selection of classics and modern masterpieces. From the pioneering work of Django Reinhardt to the innovative compositions of Kurt Rosenwinkel. Brent provides a diverse range of albums that capture the essence of jazz guitar. He also explores the unique collaboration between Sonny Rollins and guitarist Jim Hall, highlighting its significance in showcasing the guitar's comping capabilities. Thi...
Feb 15, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 34
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards podcast, Brent tackles a common concern voiced by inner circle member Keith about preparing for gigs or recording sessions when away from one's instrument. Offering practical advice and insights, he discusses the importance of staying connected with music even when not physically practicing. Brent emphasizes the importance of staying connected with music through active listening as a form of practice, offering practical tips to internalize melodies, ba...
Feb 14, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 33
In this episode of the podcast, Brent delves into the intriguing world of altered dominant seventh chords. From understanding their basic structure to exploring their role in jazz harmony and improvisation, he provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help master this essential aspect of jazz music. This episode promises to demystify altered dominant seventh chords and elevate your understanding of jazz theory and improvisation. In addition to unraveling the mysteries of altered dominan...
Feb 13, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Join Brent on another engaging episode of the podcast, where he dives into the captivating world of reharmonization. From basic concepts like tritone substitution to more advanced techniques like re-composition, Brent provides a crash course in reharmonization strategies that will take your jazz playing to the next level. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, this episode promises valuable insights and practical tips to help you feel more confident improvising and have more fu...
Feb 12, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Brent is wrapping up the week on the podcast with a Fast Track Friday episode, reflecting on the fascinating discussions from the week. Topics ranged from bebop scales to the role of music theory in the journey of jazz greats. However, he identifies a potential pitfall: the "patternistic" and linear approach often associated with theory and scales. In response, Brent introduces a powerful exercise aimed at enhancing your melodic prowess. The focus shifts to allowing your ear and intuition to gui...
Feb 09, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this Learn Jazz Standards podcast episode, Brent addresses a question from Tim Sly about whether jazz greats from the early days thought about music theory. He emphasizes how early jazz evolved spontaneously and wasn't necessarily written down. Discover how jazz evolved without heavy reliance on theory, and why embracing both theory and ear training is crucial for a well-rounded musical journey. Brent shares insights into the balance between learning by ear and understanding theory, creating ...
Feb 08, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 29
In this episode, Brent answers a question from Kevin, an Inner Circle member. This time, the spotlight is on a dilemma many players face: how much should you practice, and when does the time come to ease up? Brent shares insights into the effectiveness of consistent, strategic, and enjoyable practice, emphasizing quality over quantity. Is it about practicing for hours on end, or can efficient and focused sessions get you where you want to be? Discover the keys to mastering the art of practicing ...
Feb 07, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 28
In this podcast episode, Brent answers a question from Ed from St. Louis on how to construct killer solos when the breaks are short and snappy. Whether facing a 12-bar blues or navigating complex jazz standards, Brent discusses his principles that hold the key to unlocking improvisational prowess. Listen as he provides examples and encourages experimentation. Learn about his perspective on the practical application of bebop scales in improvisation. Important Links: Free Guide to learning standar...
Feb 06, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In this podcast episode, Brent breaks down the application of bebop scales in major, dominant, and minor chords, revealing the magic of chromatic passing tones. He emphasizes viewing the bebop scale as a tool to grasp chromaticism in jazz language rather than as rigid improvisational rules. Discover the art of improvisation and learn how bebop scales can elevate your jazz playing. Uncover practical insights and gain a fresh perspective on utilizing scales in your musical expression. The goal is ...
Feb 05, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In this Fast Track Friday episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent discusses strategies for developing one's own sound in jazz improvisation. He emphasizes the importance of taking influence from a wide variety of jazz musicians, exploring other instruments, and diversifying musical influences outside of jazz. Brent suggests that learning solos from musicians who don't play the same instrument can provide fresh perspectives and ideas. Additionally, he encourages the practice of composi...
Feb 02, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 25
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent addresses Gary Cavallar's question on shifting focus from playing notes to creating more organic saxophone solos. Brent explores ways to enhance creativity and improvisation. He suggests analyzing habits and incorporating new tools to break repetitive patterns. Learning more jazz language, including licks and solos from musicians, is crucial for expanding musical ideas. Brent emphasizes the importance of composition, either composing ful...
Feb 01, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 24
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent addresses the age-old question of proper etiquette when two chording instruments, such as guitar and piano, play together in a jam session. He emphasizes the importance of serving the music and avoiding a chaotic clash of chords. Brent suggests various scenarios, such as taking turns comping or having one instrument play a more subtle role. Personal preference may lead to being the primary or secondary comper, but the key is always servi...
Jan 31, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 23
In this podcast episode, Brent addresses a question from Roxanna, a classically trained pianist struggling with jazz rhythm and phrasing. Brent explains the essence of the swing feel in jazz, emphasizing the triplet-based rhythm. He advises starting with simple exercises, such as playing major scales with a swing feel. The discussion extends to jazz phrasing, highlighting the importance of learning by ear from great jazz musicians. Brent encourages musicians, especially those from classical back...
Jan 30, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 22
In this podcast episode, Brent addresses Jacqueline's question about chromatic passing tones and accents. He emphasizes the importance of understanding swing feel and how it influences accenting in jazz. Brent introduces two types of chromatic note and provides insights into accenting these notes, highlighting that accents often depend on individual musical intuition and can vary based on the context, the musician's style, and specific nuances in phrasing. Brent encourages experimentation and le...
Jan 29, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent discusses three mindset shifts to improve at jazz faster. The first mindset shift is the "growth mindset," inspired by Carol Dweck's book "Mindset," emphasizing the view that failures are opportunities to grow and learn, rather than fixed definitions of ability. The second mindset shift is recognizing that "perfection is the enemy of progress." Brent encourages listeners not to obsess over perfection, but rather to embrace mistakes as pa...
Jan 26, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent answers a question from inner circle member Kevin Pritchett about recognizing and using secondary dominants in jazz standards. Brent explains the concept of secondary dominants and he illustrates the idea using a one, six, two, five chord progression in the key of C, emphasizing the importance of turning the six chord into a dominant seventh chord to tonicize the following two-chord. He highlights examples of secondary dominants in jazz ...
Jan 25, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this podcast episode, Brent addresses a question from a listener named Lewis. Lewis is interested in transitioning smoothly between unrelated keys in jazz improvisation, specifically dealing with non-diatonic chord progressions. Brent emphasizes the importance of thinking about voice leading, even when faced with unrelated chords. He uses examples from jazz standards like "Beatrice" and "Well You Needn't" to illustrate the concept. Brent suggests focusing on resolving notes melodically and en...
Jan 24, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent addresses a question from Jim about learning jazz on non-traditional instruments, specifically the bluegrass-style five-string banjo. Brent emphasizes that, regardless of the instrument, all musicians need to focus on common aspects of jazz, such as learning songs, playing melodies, understanding chords, and improvisation. He highlights that the core principles of playing jazz apply universally, regardless of the instrument played. Brent...
Jan 23, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In this podcast episode, Brent addresses a question from David Garcia about his biggest challenge in jazz. Brent candidly discusses the significant obstacle he faced throughout his jazz journey—the fear of sounding bad. He emphasizes how this fear, rooted in concerns about ego and judgment, can impede progress, hinder creativity, and diminish the joy of playing music. Brent shares his personal experience of gradually overcoming this challenge by adopting a growth mindset, embracing mistakes, and...
Jan 22, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent addresses a strategy to improve improvisation. He discusses the common issue of playing short and choppy phrases in solos and suggests an exercise called the "subdivisions exercise" to overcome this habit. The exercise involves playing continuous quarter notes, eighth notes, and triplets against a metronome or backing track to develop longer flowing eighth note lines. Brent encourages musicians to exaggerate this process to make playing ...
Jan 19, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent addresses a question from Paul Elwood about connecting scales/arpeggios and improvisation. Brent emphasizes that scales and arpeggios are foundational tools but suggests a shift in mindset from thinking about chord tones or scales to improvising more instinctively. He introduces a framework involving learning, recomposing, composing, and improvising to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and creative expression. Brent encourages...
Jan 18, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent answers a question from Marlene about ghost notes in jazz soloing. He describes ghost notes as less intentional and more of a stylistic and phrasing element in jazz improvisation. Using the example of Charlie Parker's "Scrapple from the Apple," Brent illustrates how ghost notes are integrated into jazz melodies. He emphasizes that ghost notes are best learned organically through playing and phrasing jazz in a certain style, rather than p...
Jan 17, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode of the Learn Jazz Standards Podcast, Brent explores the question of who the greatest jazz guitarist is. Acknowledging the subjectivity of such a determination, Brent highlights influential figures like Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, and many other jazz guitar legends. Emphasizing the importance of studying various players regardless of one's instrument, Brent encourages listeners to delve into the unique sounds and styles of these guitarists to enhance their...
Jan 16, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode, Brent from Learn Jazz Standards addresses a question from Elmer Pickett about hand position on the guitar neck to enhance ease of play and minimize the risk of injury. Brent emphasizes the importance of technique in playing jazz well but acknowledges exceptions. He shares a personal experience with bassist John Patitucci providing guidance on hand position. Brent explores the idea that the best technique is the one that allows you to play your best, citing examples of famous mus...
Jan 15, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 11
