John Coltrane – CRAIG BUHLER JAZZ: Recent Episodes
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Click on “continue reading” below to see the text of this video. The time comes when you start grappling with a daunting challenge: how to develop your own style. What is it that you want to say, and how can you most effectively express your ideas, your personality, your passion? As a young player, when … Continue reading Discovering Your Personal Jazz Improvisational Style →
Have you ever ridden on a roller coaster blindfolded? That’s how it feels to improvise without understanding internal modulation. It’s like driving through a thick London fog. Progress is halting, movements are uncertain and tense. By contrast, the player who understands how to navigate key changes improvises smoothly and confidently. This month, we learn to recognize … Continue reading Mastering Modulation →
Some saxophone & clarinet students have difficulty with jazz articulation, because they have not learned to tongue properly. They begin each note with a constriction in the throat, which sounds as if the student were humming into the mouthpiece. The beginning of the note is fuzzy and indistinct.Proper articulation of accented notes should begin with the tongue … Continue reading Jazz Articulation, Accents, and Proper Tonguing →
Even many accomplished musicians never learn the fine art of playing by ear. A strong ear is a “must” for those of us musicians with visual disabilities. I owe my ear to a uniquely inspired teacher. The story begins in 1963. In this early photo of “The Downbeats,” with our matching red blazers, I’m the towhead on … Continue reading HOW I LEARNED TO PLAY BY EAR →
Do your solos brim with vitality, gliding across a colorful landscape, as you explore ever deeper into the ocean of sound? Or do you flounder among waves of notes, swimming through a maze of chord changes? Thematic development will transform your playing, as you weave your exciting, personal story. The following clips illustrate three powerful tools to stimulate … Continue reading Thematic Development Galvanizes Your Solos →
A recent biography of jazz tenor sax giant John Coltrane verified that he had indeed studied the wonderful Bach Cello Suites. The suites, though quite challenging, are a joy to play, and they provide numerous opportunities to build your tone, technique, and conception. As it turns out, they also contain some amazing phrases which can … Continue reading A Jazz Lick From Bach? Yes Indeed! →
This lick is in the John Coltrane solo to “I Love You.” Coltrane used this lick throughout his career. Many of his disciples also picked up on the lick. i work on it in 8 keys (the range shown for the first lick is 8va). For variety, try playing it in retrograde (backwards) as shown in the … Continue reading COLTRANE’S FAVORITE LICK →