Learning Jazz Guitar: Why the Right Teacher Grows Your Repertoire, Not Your Scale Drills
The best way to learn jazz guitar is to find a teacher who keeps adding tunes to your repertoire, not one who drills modes and scales. Like a soccer coach who only makes you run laps, a scale-only teacher never lets you touch the ball.
You’ll Sound Like Yourself Anyway: Why Copying the Masters Won’t Erase Your Voice
Copying Wes, Benson, and Bernstein note for note won't turn you into a clone. The way you choose, phrase, and resolve those ideas is unavoidably yours — your own voice emerges through imitation, not despite it.
Why Drilling Scales in 12 Keys Won’t Make You a Jazz Player — Build Repertoire Instead
Drilling voicings and scales in all twelve keys only gathers ingredients — it never cooks the meal. Real jazz growth comes from learning whole tunes until you can jam them. A weekend reflection.
Jazz Guitar Mindset: ‘Now We Really Play Jazz’ — Why Exhaustion Is When the Real Music Starts
There's an old jam-session saying: 'Now we really play jazz.' It refers to the moment a musician is too tired to fake it — and that is when the honest playing starts.
Why Some Master Musicians Refuse to Listen Back: A Weekend Reflection on Honest Ears
A pianist friend once told me listening to his own recording felt like tasting his own vomit. Peter Bernstein and Ron Carter refuse to listen to playback at all. What does it mean — and what does it tell us about how to practice?
Jazz Guitar Practice Tips: Why Drilling One Tune Will Stop Your Growth
Most serious jazz guitar students hit the same invisible wall: they have one or two tunes they can play deeply, and everything else feels shallow. The reason is not lack of practice. It is the wrong shape of practice — and a borrowed metaphor from a Japanese comic book might be the clearest way to explain why.
Jazz Guitar Mindset: Why Playing the Same Tunes Deeper Beats Learning More Tunes
There's a question I encounter regularly, from students and from people watching live streams: "Don't you play the same tunes every time?" Sometimes, yes.
Jazz Guitar Mindset: Why Playing for Family Is Scarier Than the Stage
Stage fright doesn't disappear when you play for family — it intensifies. A jazz guitarist reflects on performing at his grandmother's hundredth birthday, the psychology of playing for people who know your history, and what it means to go all-in on music.
The Soccer Coach Parable: Why Songs, Not Drills, Build Real Jazz Players
Here’s a thought experiment. Imagine you sign up for soccer lessons.