Inside the Amazing Mind of a Jazz Musician

ByDaniel Weiss

[Music]
A student of mine today asked, “What do you think about when you’re improvising? What is going through your mind?”

Stay Creative
So, I thought that was a good question. It’s a question I’ve been asking people I admire. If you look at my channel, you’ll see a few videos about how to improvise and be melodic, with approaches like motif development and using guide tones.

How to Improvise
When it’s time to improvise, you’re not really thinking about these concepts. You’ve practiced arpeggios, scales, and embellishments to the point where they’re automatic. Instead, you should be thinking about how your sound blends with the situation. For example, if the pianist plays a C7#9 voicing, how do you react? Or if you’re playing solo guitar, consider how you can develop what you’ve just played.

Just as when I’m talking now, I’m not thinking about the letters of each word; I’m using the language I’ve developed over the years. Music is similar. It’s a language that requires maintaining scales, arpeggios, chords, and technique.

The Most Important Thing
It’s important to balance being in the moment with reflecting on what you’ve practiced. You should maintain core elements like arpeggios, triads, voice leading, and scales. For example, when practicing arpeggios and voice leading, use them in actual musical situations, such as rhythm changes or jazz fusion tunes.

Reflect
A good practice routine includes reflecting on your playing. Record yourself and analyze what you’re doing. This helps improve your music creation by integrating core techniques into actual musical forms.

Confidence
With maintenance and reflection, you’ll start to visualize your ideal musical self. Over time, you’ll play with confidence, not overthinking but expressing your sound honestly because you’re prepared.

Outro
So, this is a bit of a rant. I never did a video like this before, but since a student asked, I thought it was an interesting topic to share. I upload videos once or twice a week, so please subscribe, hit the notification bell, and comment. Engaging with you in the comments has been a blast.

Check out my website, weissguitar.com, and explore Galactic Modern Guitar and 51 Galactic Jazz Licks. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video. Bye!

[Music]

What goes through the mind of a Jazz Musician

Improvising can be one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of our craft. But what exactly goes through our minds when we’re in the midst of a solo?

For me, it’s not so much about thinking through scales and arpeggios in the moment. Instead, it’s about allowing all of the hard work and practice to become second nature, and being in the moment with the music. This means paying attention to how our sound blends with the situation, whether that be with a band or solo, and reacting to what we hear.

But how do we get to this point of musical mastery? It takes consistent practice and dedication to honing our skills, as well as seeking guidance from mentors and teachers. And it’s important to work on mental preparation techniques, such as visualization and goal setting, to stay focused and calm under pressure.

Tips for Improvising

So, what can we do in our practice sessions to create the mind of a Jazz musician and become more efficient and effective at improvising ?

Here are some key tips:

  • Practice the core elements of music, such as scales, arpeggios, and voice leading, but also use them in actual musical situations, like playing over chord progressions or with a band.
  • Reflect on your playing and analyze what could be improved, whether through recording yourself or seeking feedback from a mentor or teacher.
  • Use visualization and goal setting to stay motivated and focused, and practice staying in the moment while improvising.

By following these tips and consistently working on our craft, we can become true masters of jazz improvisation and unlock the full potential of our musical abilities.

A Personal Story from Daniel Weiss

As a jazz musician, I have always been fascinated by the creativity and freedom that comes with improvising. However, it wasn’t until I started actively incorporating the lessons I learned from pro athletes into my musical journey that I began to see significant improvements in my skills. One of the key things that helped me was consistent practice. Just like an athlete needs to train regularly to stay in top form, I made a commitment to putting the time and effort into my music. The constant pursuit of higher levels of musicality and creativity created this ‘Mind of a Jazz Musician’ in me and carries me today in everything I do.

For more inspiration, lessons, usefull tips and much more subscribe to my youtube channel.

Love to hear your thoughts and answer any question you may have. Please leave me a note in the comment section below.

Lets do this,

Daniel

Daniel Weiss