Matt McVeighDec 29, 20212 minJust Play!There is a devious irony with regard to all creative endeavors. The action of engaging in creative activities is what develops our...
Matt McVeighApr 14, 20212 minRhythmic TranscriptionWhat are the jazz notes? Seriously, what are the notes that distinguish jazz from other styles of music? What notes are different in...
Matt McVeighApr 8, 20212 minNote Detective - Crossword Puzzle TranscriptionHumans seem to be hard-wired to move from left to right, top to bottom. It seems like a basic literacy concept so formally in-grained...
Matt McVeighApr 2, 20212 minTranscription PrescriptionLast fall, we featured a series of blog posts on transcribing. This was an important series and it laid out many of the basics of the...
Matt McVeighMar 29, 20212 minOut of the Box Strategies for Learning Tunes Pt 3: Write a ContrafactA contrafact is simply a new melody on an existing chord progression. There are tons of contrafacts and certainly this idea is not...
Matt McVeighMar 5, 20212 minOut of the Box Strategies for Learning Tunes - Pt 2: Transcribe the MelodyIf you have a Real Book, check out the melody to There Will Never Be Another You. I will save you some time. You will see the melody to...
Matt McVeighMar 1, 20212 minOut the box strategies for Learning Tunes Pt 1: Make a PlaylistLearning tunes is where technique meets creativity. This is where the melody and the harmony This is where we get to put it altogether...
Matt McVeighJan 22, 20212 minMemorizing TunesHere is a quick 3-step strategy to memorizing any jazz standard: repetition, repetition, repetition. I mean....yes, and no. It is true...
Matt McVeighJan 18, 20211 minWhere do I Start?So this may sound a little cliche' but the best tunes to learn are the ones that you are most excited about. I used to spend a lot of...
Matt McVeighJan 13, 20212 minLearning TunesA musicians repertoire is like the chef's recipe's. This is largely what gives us our identity as a musician. We can amass serious...
Matt McVeighJan 11, 20213 minNew Year - So where are we going...Have you gotten the ads from the "get in shape" crowd? I have, and it always feels strange to me. It isn't that I don't think I need it,...
Matt McVeighJan 11, 20212 minInfluence Pt IV: LanguageIt doesn't happen often. But when it does I know it. Despite my intentions my fathers words come out of my mouth. These aren't bad...
Matt McVeighDec 17, 20203 minInfluences Pt III: Intensity of CraftJohn Coltrane is the gold standard of pursuit. Coltrane's story focuses a lot on the last decade of his life. His pursuit of music was...
Matt McVeighDec 8, 20202 minInfluences Pt 2: Finding VoiceI have had the benefit of falling in love with a lot of jazz musicians. Some are similar, but generally I fall in love with each one for...
Matt McVeighDec 1, 20203 minAn EZ Play Christmas Book, A Soap Opera Theme Song and the formation of Musical Influence.I have been thinking a lot about influences. How they change, and how they don't. How we can be initially inspired in a flash and then...
Matt McVeighNov 30, 20202 minGroup Transcription - Pound Cake Phrase 3There is a lot of focus among improvisers on the third phrase of the blues, and rightly so. This is the phrase that pulls the first two...
Matt McVeighNov 25, 20202 minA Jazz ThanksgivingThere is always jazz for every Occassion. Below is some selected music for the thanksgiving holiday. Vince Guaraldi - Thanksgiving Theme...
Matt McVeighNov 23, 20201 minGroup Transcription - Pound Cake Phrase 2Last week's blog post focused on the first phrase of Lester Young's solo on Pound Cake. This post is going move into the second phrase...
Matt McVeighNov 19, 20202 minTranscribable SolosTranscribing solos (or parts of solos) is the single most important thing you can do to develop your skill as a jazz musician. But I am...
Matt McVeighNov 16, 20202 minGroup Transcription - Pound Cake Phrase 1The next several blog posts will work through a chorus of a Lester Young Solo. I am going to break this solo down phrase by phrase and...