Jazz is beautiful, but it is often misunderstood. Jazz beginners especially are at a loss. They know they want to enjoy jazz, but do not know where to start. Even the most popular jazz female recording artists today were once beginners. Do not be distressed through. Here are a few pointers;
Standards
Jazz is like a new language, and every time one learns a new chord or tune, it becomes like a new word that can then be used later in a conversation. Still, even with the new words, if you do not know how to construct a full sentence, you will still be incoherent. The same applies to jazz. Tunes start with chords, and once you learn a tune, which is the equivalent of a sentence in this analogy, you can then communicate. The first step should be spending some time actually learning some jazz tunes. Look at the chord and melody changes in various tracks for this. There are several relatively simple jazz tunes one can start with.
Jazz tradition
Tradition a huge part of the allure of jazz is down to its rich tradition. The approaches to learning jazz are therefore different from those of other musical genres. In classical music, for instance, all the notes are written out. In jazz, the notes are written out but a lot of the music needs to be learned through listening. Jazz is spontaneous and offers the musicians a lot of freedom. It is important to figure out what you love about different tracks, over and above the written notes. One jazz principle most people always keep in mind is that when playing, it is not simply the notes that matter, but the rhythm and articulation, or how they are played.
Vocabulary
Just like in language learning, one start from the simple words and progresses onto the much more complex ones. With the basics having been mastered, the next step should be the understanding of the craft and work of the experts. Start by acquiring some jazz vocabulary. A good way to start is by studying the licks of some of the master jazz musicians.
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