Should I Think When I Improvise?

Learn Jazz Standards Podcast

Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur

Music Commentary, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Saxophone, Jazz Theory, Jazz Bass, Jazz Piano, Education, Music, Jazz Guitar, Jazz Solo, Jazz Standards, Jazz Trumpet, How To

4.8 • 536 Ratings

🗓️ 4 January 2024

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Brent answers a question from an inner circle member of the Learn Jazz Standards community, on whether musicians should think while improvising or just play what they feel. Brent explains that the best improvisers utilize both conscious thinking to guide their playing and subconscious reactions to melodies and emotions. He advises practicing 'playing free' without goals to enter a relaxed mental state, as well as deeply studying theory, chords, and licks in the practice r...

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by the Learned Jazz Standards Inner Circle.
0:03.8	If your goal is to level up your jazz playing this year and feel confident improvising over
0:08.5	jazz standards, the inner circle has everything you need and more.
0:13.0	With monthly jazz standards studies, a library of powerful courses, and a vibrant community
0:17.3	of like-minded musicians, you're guaranteed to improve your playing every
0:21.7	single month.
0:23.1	Podcast listeners can get 50% off their first month when you go to LJSinnerCircle.com.
0:29.5	That's LJSinnerCircle.com or find the link in the show notes.
0:34.8	Now, on to today's episode.
0:52.8	Music the show notes. Now, on to today's episode. All right, my friends, what's up? Brent here from Learn Jazz Standards. Welcome to another
0:56.9	episode of the podcast where I'm answering your questions five days a week to help you shorten
1:03.1	the learning curve, to help you learn how to play jazz, become a great jazz improviser, feel
1:08.1	confident, and have more fun than ever playing music. Today's question
1:13.3	comes from one of our Learned Jazz Standards inner circle members, Mark, and he asks a really
1:19.6	great question, and he wrote this, Brent, when I improvise, should I just be playing and not thinking? When I improvise, should I just be playing and not thinking?
1:30.0	When I improvise, should I just be playing and not thinking?
1:34.7	Well, Mark, that's a really good question.
1:37.3	And that's a question that a lot of players ask when thinking about improvising.
1:43.4	Because on one hand, it seems almost impossible
1:46.8	not to think when you're improvising. Like, what chord are we at in the song? You know, what
1:53.6	scales should I be playing over this chord? What's that lick that I've been practicing in the
1:58.7	practice room that I really want to play?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.