LJS 153: 28 Jazz Skills to Practice (by Category)




Welcome to episode 153 of the LJS Podcast where today we are covering 28 different jazz skills that you can start practicing today. No more excuses of not knowing what to practice! I break them down by category and list a lot of resources we have on Learn Jazz Standards to help you accomplish them.
Listen to episode 153







If you've ever told yourself that you would practice you just don't know what, that excuse ends today. There are so many things you can be practicing to improve as a jazz musician, and my goal is to help you identify those things.
Today's episode is a list of 28 jazz skills you can be working on. I break them down into 4 categories that are helpful for improving jazz skills and musicianship in general.
I am fully aware that this is an overwhelming list. I suggest picking one or two things that stick out to you and focusing on them, rather than trying to tackle too many of them.
I also have links to many important resources that we have on Learn Jazz Standards that will help you accomplish and understand some of these tasks.
Here's the list of 28 along with important links for further training:
28 Jazz Skills:
Category: Technique
1. Scales
2. Patterns

* Episode 151: Applying Patterns to Scales for Jazz Improv Flexibility

3. Arpeggios

* Video: Cool Chord Tone Exercise Using Voice Leading

4. Instrument-specific technical exercises
Category: Jazz Language
5. Work on enclosures

* Episode 150: Using Enclosures tp Create Bebop Lines Over a Jazz Blues

6. Pentatonic scale application

* 8 Ways to Use Pentatonic Scales Over 7th Chords

7. Learn a jazz lick by ear
8. Take a jazz lick through all 12 keys

* Episode 117: How to Practice Licks in all 12 Keys

9. Practice a jazz etude

* 15 Essential Jazz Etudes

10. Compose your own jazz lick
11. Compose your own jazz solo

* Episode 68: How to Compose a Jazz Solo From Scratch

12. Learn a jazz solo by ear

* Video: LIST Process for Learning Jazz Standards by Ear

13. Practice specific chord progressions
14. Practice improvising over one chord
15. Compose your own contrafact

* Episode 107: Composing Contrafacts to Develop Melodic Ideas

16. Practice guide tones

* Episode 53: How to Improve Your Jazz Solos by Using Guide Tones

17. Listen to jazz

* Episode 145: How to Listen to a Jazz Recording and Le...

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The LJS Podcast is the podcast where you get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories and advice for becoming a better jazz musician! Hosting the show is the jazz musician behind learnjazzstandards.com, author, and entrepreneur Brent Vaartstra, who’s one goal is to answer any question about playing jazz music you may have. Jazz can be a challenging music to learn and play, but it doesn’t have to be so hard. Each episode features a specific musical challenge that jazz students may come across, where it is discussed and answered. Special jazz guests frequent the show, sharing their expertise on an array of different musical subject matter. Listeners are invited to call in with their jazz questions to the podcast hotline, where it could get answered on a future LJS Podcast episode. Join thousands of other listeners getting free jazz education every week!