Your ability to learn to play a new instrument depends on various factors. First of all, talent can be very important, along with previous experience and skills with some other instruments. For example, if you already have some skills and basics in playing piano, it will be much easier for you to learn to play a model suitable for jazz music.
On, the other hand, if you decided to start with jazz piano as your first instrument, keep in mind that it can be challenging and demanding. In that case, hiring professional assistance can be crucial. If you need professional advice on learning jazz piano, check out the Piano Groove website.
Moreover, there are different ways of learning jazz piano. You can find a good online course, hire a professional, or simply rely on video tutorials and materials you can find online. The key is to create a good approach and work on constant improvements, which must include a lot of practice. Here are some mistakes that you should avoid.
Don’t Focus Only on Theory
There will be a lot of materials to study when you are learning about jazz music and the chords of popular songs. It is a unique genre of music, and it could be complicated for beginners to follow the rhythm. However, keep in mind that the theory is only the first part of the process, and if you stay on books for too long, it might need an even longer time for you to start playing your first compositions.
In that matter, the best solution is to combine the practice with the theory and learn in chapters. For example, you can start with simple compositions and lines, learn more about their structure, and then play them. You will get to more complex lessons over time, but it is essential to repeat previous ones, as well, and play the piano along with learning from books.
The practicing part can be difficult if you are not having assistance or you are not listening to these samples. As we already mentioned, the rhythm of this genre is quite unique, but it can also lead to the more complicated reading of notes and following them properly.
Don’t Rush
If you decide to skip some lessons by thinking that you understand them and that there is no reason to spend more time while learning these parts, it might lead to mistakes. For example, you might not be able to notice when to create a break between notes, change the tempo, or apply some other changes during your play.
The biggest problem is that it might lead people to feel more frustrated when they are too sure about their skills even though they are still on a beginner’s level. Moreover, keep in mind that certain struggles are always possible.
Maybe you will have a bad day, or you will simply forget some lesson. There are no reasons to stress about this. The best way is to be focused and pay attention to details. Frequent practice and repeating the same lines will help you to properly get over some lessons.
Not Spending Enough Time Practicing
We already mentioned how important it is to focus more on your performances and to repeat even the easiest lines on piano. This genre promotes uniqueness and has a completely different rhythm when compared to many other genres. That is especially the case when it comes to breaks and changes of tempo.
You will notice the improvements over time when you find yourself capable of improvising and adding various notes while making the sound suitable to the genre. Also, don’t forget about the tutorials and samples that you can find online. Even listening to some chords more often can help you to understand the compositions and sequences. It might be more difficult to notice the patterns, but it will come with the time as well.
Not Learning Enough About the Style
Jazz music is about freedom, love, and happiness. It is perfect for people who want to improvise more often and experiment with different compositions, tones, and more. On the other side, there is something even more important than flexibility, which is the tradition of this genre.
You should not always try to copy some popular people, but it is a much better solution to first learn to play in the same way as they were performing some songs. That is the best way to gain more experience and skills that will allow you to add a special note to your lines.
Not Learning Whole Songs
The best way to understand the lines and patterns is when you learn a song from the intro to the end of it. However, a common mistake people are making is that many of them will focus only on short parts. In most cases, it is chorus since it is most attractive.
Intros and outros might seem complicated and boring, but it is essential to learn them as well since that will help you to learn how to structure your play as well.
Not Focusing on Other Instruments
Playing off the keys is the biggest mistake a musician can make. It can be the case with any instrument. Therefore, playing only raw compositions without any other instruments in the background is also a mistake since you won’t be able to follow the drums and vocals in the right way. Adding background sounds is not difficult since there are different programs and video materials that can serve the purpose.
Last Words
Becoming a jazz musician is not an easy task. The key is to love this genre. However, learning more about the patterns and the structure of lines in songs is the only way to improve your skills. It will require some time and a lot of practice.
The time depends on your talent and previous knowledge. If you don’t have any skills and experience, learning online without proper assistance can be very difficult, which is the main reason to consider choosing a good online course or hire a professional assistance in public.
