100 Ideas to Improve Your Jazz

100 Ideas to improve your Jazz 1. Tran Transc scrib ribee your your fir first st sol solo o 2. Learn Learn one one tune tune straig straight ht from from the the recor record d 3. Practic Practicee at least least 30 minute minutess daily daily 4. Lear Learn n a tune tune in all all key keyss 5. Read a biography of a famous jazz musician 6. Learn basic piano voicings 7. Wr Writ itee your your fir first st tun tunee 8. Lear Learn n a ii ii V lin linee in all all keys keys 9. Learn Learn a simple simple blue bluess head head in in all all keys keys 10. Visualize every night before you go to bed\z 11. 11. Master  Master all all your intervals 12. Learn to to play in 3 13. Play well well over over “Cherokee “Cherokee““ 14. Learn Learn to stay focused while you practice 15. Transcribe a solo of someone who doesn’t doesn’t play your instrument 16. Commit Commit to 15 minutes of daily ear training 17. Practice Practice at least an hour daily daily 18. Find a new favorite musician on your instrument 19. Do something something athletic athletic everyday 20. 20. Read Read Thinking in Jazz by Paul Berliner  21. Replace the stupid videos you watch on youtube with classic jazz recordings recordings 22. Learn a chorus of a transcribed solo in all keys 23. Seek out new new music everyda everyday y 24. Learn a bebop bebop head head like “Confirmation “Confirmation”” in all keys 25. Play duo duo with a drumme drummer  r  26. Listen to to classical classical music 27. Work out simple melodies melodies like ‘Happy Birthday” Birthday” on your horn horn by ear  28. Master the key of F# major  29. Learn how to hear hear and sing bass lines lines 30. Transcribe a solo solo over Rhythm Changes Changes 31. Work on your your articulation articulation 32. Visualize a tune you’re working on every night before you go to bed 33. Write a tune tune over a blues blues 34. Learn your your first ballad ballad 35. Delve into into the music music of Monk  of Monk  36. Play with people people below your your level 37. Understand Understand the progressio progression n in “ Giant Steps“ Steps“ 38. Learn Learn how how to play to play over half-diminished chords 39. Hear and sing sing the third of of a major chord 40. Practice Practice with a metronome metronome on beats 2 and 4 41. Sing a blues solo solo instead instead of playing it 42. Learn basic basic guitar voicings voicings 43. Transcribe Transcribe a solo over over a Blues 44. Work on on your your tone 45. Listen to and study a twelve tone composition composition

46. Know what the #11 sounds like on a major chord 47. Learn “All The Things You Are” to the point where you’d feel comfortable recording it 48. Learn how to draw and see how that changes your outlook on jazz improv 49. Listen to the latest pop hits 50. Practice the Bach Cello Suites 51. Learn a iii Vi ii V turnaround line in all keys 52. Be regimented with your time 53. Play with just a bass player  54. Learn to hear the rhythm section in your head, even when they’re not playing 55. Pick something to sightread and work on it 56. Learn to play in 5 57. Transcribe a Charlie Parker solo 58. Find a new favorite musician not on your instrument 59. Learn another language and see how that changes your outlook on jazz improv 60. Master the Key of Db major  61. Listen deeply to Brahms’s symphonies 62. Throw your real book in the trash 63. Take chances musically and non-musically 64. Get your first gig 65. Reharmonize a standard 66. Share a musical concept with a fellow musician 67. Do something not musical everyday 68. Inspire a child to start playing an instrument 69. Understand how to use melodic minor  70. Re-listen to classic recordings you haven’t listened to in a while 71. Learn basic jazz drumming 72. Practice at least 2 hours daily 73. Go see live jazz 74. Look up your favorite musician on youtube 75. Do something artistic that’s not music 76. Use the latest pop hits for ear training exercises 77. Visualize a chord progression you’re working on every night before you go to  bed 78. Learn to find flow through music 79. Take a lesson with your favorite living musician 80. Delve into the music of Wayne Shorter  81. Record a practice session and kindly critique it 82. Get a drum practice pad and practice drum rudiments 83. Play with non-jazz musicians 84. Learn how to use Finale or Sibelius 85. Be flexible with your time 86. Inspire a child to listen to jazz 87. Learn an entire transcribed solo in all keys 88. Play with people above your level 89. Be able to identify all of Beethoven’s symphonies 90. Go see your favorite jazz musician perform 91. Learn to play in 7 92. Visualize a scale you’re working on every night before you go to bed 93. Watch Glenn Gould videos on youtube

94. Practice 4 hours a day 95. Listen to the Beatles 96. Go to a yoga class 97. Watch Herbie Hancock’s “Possibilities” video (free on Netflix Instant-play) 98. Listen to Bill Evans on “Piano Jazz” 99. Practice what you suck at 100. Ask Jazzadvice a question you’ve always been curious about