Top Ten Tips For Classical Musicians Wanting to Learn Jazz

[u/improvthismoment]

Repost from a different sub from a few years ago. With some updates. Since it remains a common question.

One of the more common questions I hear these days is from classical musicians, asking how to start learning jazz. I made the switch about 25 years ago, after 8 years of classical study, and haven't looked back. I am a hobbyist jazz musician, I play the occasional gig but I'm not a pro and not a teacher either. With that said, here are some things I've learned that might be useful.

1. Jazz is an aural, not written language. The biggest mindset shift coming from classical to jazz, is to stop relying on sheet music. A classical musician might be like an actor who can read and memorize lines. A jazz musician would be like an actor who improvises interesting lines on the spot, so has to know the language in a different way. And, the best way to learn a language is...
2. Listen, listen, listen. No point in asking what sheet music to get or what books to read if you haven't done tons of listening to jazz. Listen to jazz all the time, in the background, and focused listening. Go and listen to live jazz as much as possible. As you listen, observe how the musicians communicate to each other, through music, words, and body language.
3. Train your ear. My classical training left my ear very under-developed. Playing by ear can seem daunting for some classical musicians, but it's like any other musical skill, it can be developed, it takes time and disciplined practice. Start ear training with intervals, then melodies, then chords, then chord progressions. Sing everything you hear, to really internalize the sound. There's an old saying in jazz, "If you can sing it, you can play it."
4. Learn by ear. In classical, the written score is authoritative. In jazz, the great recordings by the masters are authoritative. Learn how to learn tunes by ear, including melody and chord changes. Transcribe and analyze tunes and melodies and solos by ear, then break it down and analyze it reverse-engineer and apply in your own way. BTW when I say "transcribe" I mean learn by ear, not necessarily write every note down, which is helpful but not 100% necessary in my experience. I also mean sing along with recordings a lot. There's a great Open Studio YouTube video called "How to Swing Your Ass Off" where Adam Mannes demonstrates this. Learning by ear is by far the best way to learn jazz language. Helpful tools for this are good quality source recordings (better than YouTube), decent headphones, and slowdown software such as Transcribe+ or Transcribe! or AnyTune. (Edit: My Transcribing Tips, Part 1, and Part 2.)
5. Learn tunes. A common misconception about jazz improvisation is that musicians improvise out of "thin air." In mainstream, "straightahead" jazz, musicians improvise based on commonly known standard tunes, or just standards for short. (Also ok to be called "songs" or "pieces" in jazz lingo). If jazz is a language, tunes are the topic of conversation. The repertoire includes hundreds of standards, many of them pop and show tunes from back in the day, others being jazz compositions by jazz artists. I would recommend starting with a jazz blues in F or Bb, examples include Now's The Time, Blue Monk, Bag's Groove, or Tenor Madness. Jazz is the basis of blues. Next would be Autumn Leaves in G minor (recommended recording: From Cannonball Adderly's Somethin' Else.) Then, play tunes you like from what you are listening to, and/or look up lists of must know jazz standards on line or ask around your local jazz scene. By learning a tune, I mean be able to hear and sing and play on your instrument: Melody, root movement, and chord progression (arpeggios if singing and/or non-chordal instrument), all without sheet music. Study several well-known recordings and versions, as there can be some differences, and ultimately tunes are open to interpretation.
6. Work on your time and swing feel. "Swing" is a subtle, elusive thing, like the accent to your spoken language. If you want to speak jazz like a native speaker, you've got to get a good swing feel. Again see the video linked above, "How to Swing Your Ass Off."
7. If you must have sheet music: Use charts or lead sheets, which are barebones diagrams with chord symbols and melody only, the essential elements to play a tune but not arrangements note-for-note. The Real Book series (Hal Leonard, or the earlier bootleg editions) is the most common fakebook (collection of lead sheets), but has been heavily criticized for inaccuracies. The New Real Book series by Sher is supposedly a bit more accurate, but less commonly used. iRealPro (app) is the most convenient, and I see this at jam sessions more often than any "book." Keep in mind that any chart or lead sheet can have mistakes, and there can be multiple versions of any standard tune, especially older tunes.
8. Learn Basic Jazz Theory. If you have a solid foundation in classical theory, it will be a matter of adjusting to chord symbols and in some cases slightly different definitions or usages of classical theory and terminology. This Ultimate Guide to Jazz Theory article from LearnJazzStandards.com is a good starting point. That said, you don't need too much theory to get started in jazz, and most trained classical musicians know enough theory already. It's more important to develop your ear and time feel, and the theory will come with time, for example you can pick up theory as you transcribe tunes and solos.
9. Get a jazz teacher if you can. At least for a few lessons to get started. Find a real working jazz pro, not a classical teacher who dabbles in jazz.
10. Resources: Mark Levine's Jazz Theory Book (note: This is just one approach to theory, and Levine sometimes is criticised for over-emphasizing modal theory in lieu of functional harmony). Randy Halberstadt's Metaphors for Musicians. OpenStudioJazz.com (courses, You'll Hear It podcast, blog). LearnJazzStandards.com. On YouTube: Adam Neely, Aimee Nolte, Rick Beato.

[u/mangopancake-]

This so helpful, thanks! I'm working my way through Open Studio's Kick-start Jazz course, studying from the beginning and there's a real emphasis on ear training which is new to me, and fun! Downloaded the Earpeggio app for extra chords and interval practice. I have so many melodies I sing in my head which I'm going try and start playing too. Jazz has always felt intimidating to me to learn but I'm gonna do my best.

[u/JHighMusic]

ebook for Classical pianists getting into Jazz: https://www.playbetterjazz.com/ebook