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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Learning Jazz Makes You A Better Rock/all Around Player?
Posted by: leonard478 May 30 2012, 07:04 PM
Hey guys! so im thinking of fully committing to jazz , going to school for it next year etc, hoping that it will make me a better rock player/all styles. then hopefully going over to a contemporary music school:), what are your opinions?
Posted by: Nihilist1 May 30 2012, 07:20 PM
I agree. The only thing is, after you learn Jazz, I am pretty certain you will understand pretty much everything there is to know about contemporary music. If you can play Jazz well, then you are a force to be reckoned with. You can transfer everything you learn to every style as well.
All in all, so long as you teach yourself contemporary music(this will become severely easy after studying Jazz at a music school) you should be able to play whatever you want. I think you should just commit to Jazz most of the time, and study some Classical as well. May I ask what school you are going to?
Posted by: leonard478 May 30 2012, 07:27 PM
All in all, so long as you teach yourself contemporary music(this will become severely easy after studying Jazz at a music school) you should be able to play whatever you want. I think you should just commit to Jazz most of the time, and study some Classical as well. May I ask what school you are going to?
thanks for your advice! and im up here in canada so im either going to capilano university's jazz program, or selkirk college contemporary music program (in nelson BC) which is actually great because they have a special understanding with berklee in which you do your first 2 years at selkirk and then you can transfer over to berklee, the money i save is ridiculous!
Posted by: PosterBoy May 30 2012, 07:36 PM
I think understanding Jazz harmony and being able to apply it will make you a good all round musician. Though commiting fully to Jazz will make you a better Jazz guitarist not rock guitarist.
Posted by: Nihilist1 May 30 2012, 07:39 PM
I almost went there myself
I lived in Ontario for a short while. Good choice.Here is a paraphrase of some wise words from Emily Remler.
"The time I spent at Berklee taught me everything I needed to know about theory, scales, and chords, but it didn't teach me how to play. It wasn't until I moved to New Orleans and started sitting in that everything started coming together."
Posted by: leonard478 May 30 2012, 07:41 PM
I lived in Ontario for a short while. Good choice.Here is a paraphrase of some wise words from Emily Remler.
"The time I spent at Berklee taught me everything I needed to know about theory, scales, and chords, but it didn't teach me how to play. It wasn't until I moved to New Orleans and started sitting in that everything started coming together."
thanks for that:)
yeah technique wise i really need some work, ive been consistently playing 4 hours a day for a few months, gotta keep it up though i really want to get my speed and overall technique well before i head to school. excited as hell!
Posted by: Nihilist1 May 30 2012, 07:56 PM
yeah technique wise i really need some work, ive been consistently playing 4 hours a day for a few months, gotta keep it up though i really want to get my speed and overall technique well before i head to school. excited as hell!
Play as often as you can. Once you have to work, you will never have that chance again.
If only I had been able to quite videogames a bit earlier.
Posted by: leonard478 May 30 2012, 07:59 PM
If only I had been able to quite videogames a bit earlier.
Thats why i plan at least 5 years of school for music: )
so i wont have to work, i can just work my ass off on the guitar for that time. as of right now 4 hours is the maximum i can possibly do with part time work and other obligations
Posted by: Nihilist1 May 30 2012, 08:10 PM
so i wont have to work, i can just work my ass off on the guitar for that time. as of right now 4 hours is the maximum i can possibly do with part time work and other obligations
Good decision!
Posted by: Alex Feather May 30 2012, 08:20 PM
Yes it does! When you are learning to play jazz you are learning to understand music better! The biggest problem I have seen that a lot of great Jazz players being carried away and can't play simple anymore so it is a very thin line between understanding and over using!
Posted by: Mudbone May 30 2012, 10:37 PM
I think it all depends if you're really into jazz or not. If your heart is not into it, you probably won't get as much out of that time as you would if it was something you were really passionate about.
Also, like Alex said, you could come out of it playing much more complex material, which is fine, if thats what you want to do. But the beauty of Rock music is its relative simplicity.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 31 2012, 09:36 AM
Mudbone and Alex have a great point on this matter
As I see it, Jazz will improve you as a player and a musician, but it's very easy to fall in the pit and becoming 'Mr. Sophisticated' Use jazz to understand music and be able to work your way through the musical experiences in your life, but don't overuse it
I look at learning jazzy stuff, as of a way to bring a certain flavor to my playing
Cosmin
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 1 2012, 08:52 AM
Yeah I think we've all got the same idea on it really.. it will definitely be a great thing to do It's easier if you really like jazz, so then you can really immerse yourself in it and learn so much.
Never lose site of this, though... you become good at what you do, not what you don't !
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 1 2012, 08:26 PM
True words of wisdom from Ben
I enjoy jazz to an extent, after that point it's not that I don't like it anymore but I feel I need that raw energy that only rock will deliver
Posted by: Nihilist1 Jun 1 2012, 08:37 PM
I enjoy jazz to an extent, after that point it's not that I don't like it anymore but I feel I need that raw energy that only rock will deliver
It sounds like you haven't explored Bebop
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 1 2012, 09:13 PM
Not at all but I do not dislike it
Posted by: Nihilist1 Jun 1 2012, 09:45 PM
I was just messing around. I agree completely. Bebop can't evoke the same emotions as modern rock or metal. We do have to thank the creators for beginning that movement. Because now we have other forms of music that are awesome.
Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 2 2012, 01:48 AM
I think the best idea is to learn how the music works! This way you will be able to play in any kind of style!
Will use myself as an example If I will ever get a gig and will have to play let's say country guitar! I can do it because I understand the system and what to play in this style! I will "fake" it because it's not my main style but average listener won't be able to tell the difference! Same thing works with every style and as soon as you understand the concept you can "fake" it
Posted by: The Uncreator Jun 2 2012, 03:13 AM
Jazz is insanely brilliant, yet frustratingly dry to me. After awhile the dynamics of it are just displeasing to me, hardest thing in the world to play.
Sure, playing those epic Dragonforce, Origin, or Tech-Death solos is hard, but the phrasing in Jazz is just unreal.
Posted by: Todd Simpson Jun 2 2012, 05:05 AM
Everyone has some Great points here. Learning Jazz is a hard thing to do but well worth it as it will give you theory chops, playing chops, crazy chord chops, lead chops, etc. All of this can be applied to any style really with some distortion/fx/etc. and a bit of tweaking. A KILLER player named CHRIS POLAND who was an early player in Megadeth is a big Jazz guy that also plays metal. He plays more Jazz stuff now in a band called OHM. Just one example, but yeah, go to school and learn Jazz!
Todd
Posted by: derper Jun 2 2012, 06:15 AM
Basically, "Jazz" can be viewed as two things....
1.) A style of music that you either find appealing, or boring and awful
2.) Advanced theory and chord changes
So, I think the real answer here is (most everyone has hit on this already, but I figured I would summarize)....
If you want to learn jazz, learn it. Most of the advanced theory can be learned outside of jazz, if you REALLY don't dig jazz, but want to expand as a player or to learn more theory. But, as we all know, the more you can learn...the better! And sometimes, opening up to a new style that isn't your "thing" may teach you tricks that apply to other styles as well. Be true to yourself....some people are purists, and spend the majority of time honing skills on one style, mainly. Others, try to stay versatile. Depends on your interests, needs, and wants. Be true, keep learning, and have fun!
Posted by: Mudbone Jun 2 2012, 08:20 AM
Sure, playing those epic Dragonforce, Origin, or Tech-Death solos is hard, but the phrasing in Jazz is just unreal.
I know what you mean. Most jazz bores me to tears. It just seems like its musical complexity for the sake of complexity.
What Alex said makes perfect sense. If you just learn MUSIC, you'll be able to play anything. The way I see it, classical music is the cornerstone of all western music. By studying it, you learn the fundamentals of harmony, melody, and rhythm.
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 2 2012, 09:20 AM
Will use myself as an example
If I will ever get a gig and will have to play let's say country guitar! I can do it because I understand the system and what to play in this style! I will "fake" it because it's not my main style but average listener won't be able to tell the difference! Same thing works with every style and as soon as you understand the concept you can "fake" itYeah, there's an old phrase that somebody once told me in regards to Jazz 'Fake it until you make it'. Which is basically, do what you can and you will gradually begin to understand the stuff as you do it.
Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 2 2012, 08:39 PM
If it's not your main style it will always sound fake for someone who spent a lifetime playing it!
I have a cool story about faking jazz
I was never to deep into standard Jazz I know how to play it but it's not my main style!
So a few years back a body of mine invited me to visit a movie shooting that he was playing bass in! I went cause was curious to see how he industry works! There was a scene where the band is playing jazz at the party, so right before the shot guitar player who was supposed to do the part injured himself (I have no idea how) And I had to fill in! I had no idea how to play jazz on the spot and there was no charts in front of me so I had to write out the standards and just go for it!
That's how I ended up in the movie and got IMDB credit!
Also ended up doing the whole sound track and still getting royalties checks every month! So learn how to fake as many styles as you can, because you just never know!
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 3 2012, 04:03 PM
I have a cool story about faking jazz
I was never to deep into standard Jazz I know how to play it but it's not my main style!
So a few years back a body of mine invited me to visit a movie shooting that he was playing bass in! I went cause was curious to see how he industry works! There was a scene where the band is playing jazz at the party, so right before the shot guitar player who was supposed to do the part injured himself (I have no idea how) And I had to fill in! I had no idea how to play jazz on the spot and there was no charts in front of me so I had to write out the standards and just go for it!
That's how I ended up in the movie and got IMDB credit!
Also ended up doing the whole sound track and still getting royalties checks every month! So learn how to fake as many styles as you can, because you just never know! Wow, talk about an opportunity ! What movie was it ?
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 3 2012, 08:11 PM
Indeed! 
When opportunity comes knocking, don't slam the door in its face
Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 4 2012, 06:04 AM
It called Live Fast Die Young it didn't make it too big but I have rented it at Blockbuster and it's also on Netflix
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 4 2012, 08:46 AM
When opportunity comes knocking, don't slam the door in its face Yeah.. as it says in Zen Guitar 'When the spotlight shines your way, don't be shy.. step into it !'
Posted by: Nihilist1 Jun 4 2012, 08:56 AM
That is one of the best books I have ever read. It is nice to know I am not the only one! I loved it so much I gave it away to another aspiring guitarist!
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 4 2012, 09:07 AM
Cool, you know it ! When I first joined GMC I did a whole post about it
Posted by: Dinaga Jun 4 2012, 11:05 AM
I have a cool story about faking jazz
I was never to deep into standard Jazz I know how to play it but it's not my main style!
So a few years back a body of mine invited me to visit a movie shooting that he was playing bass in! I went cause was curious to see how he industry works! There was a scene where the band is playing jazz at the party, so right before the shot guitar player who was supposed to do the part injured himself (I have no idea how) And I had to fill in! I had no idea how to play jazz on the spot and there was no charts in front of me so I had to write out the standards and just go for it!
That's how I ended up in the movie and got IMDB credit!
Also ended up doing the whole sound track and still getting royalties checks every month! So learn how to fake as many styles as you can, because you just never know! That's a great story Alex!
Lucky you!
Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 4 2012, 09:52 PM
Lucky you! I think opportunities are coming all the time just have to keep your eyes and mind open!
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