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EDDIE LANDSBERG
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Tips for Jazz Guitarists

Before you pay money for Jazz lessons, you first need to learn how to play your instrument in general. If not you will be paying top money to a top level pro to learn how to do things that anyone could have taught you. Likewise, if the person is a top level player but not a good teacher he or she might even think it beneath him or her to teach you certain basic things. In this case, you have a teacher trying to teach a confused and bewildered student how to play Coltrane when the student can't even control his or her pick, and the teacher blaming the student's poor progress on lack of practise and/or ability !!! Sadly, this is very common.

So in a nutshell, before you even think of studying with a Jazz teacher here is what you need to learn...

STEP 1

  • how to tune your guitar (in an accurate and efficient manner.)
  • how to set up and care for your guitar
  • how to hold your guitar and control the pick
  • how to play very basic scales (for example major and chromatic) with nice fingering and pick control
  • how to play basic patterns and melodies with proper pick control and basic fingering.
  • how to play basic chords.
  • some basics on reading tabs, sheet music and very basic music theory.
This can be taught to you by almost any type of guitar player (classical, rock, pop, blues, etc.) and you should consider it bare essentials. If you can't do this like its second nature, you're probably wasting your time studying with a Jazz teacher.

STEP 2

After this some of the next step can be done with a Jazz teacher in the early stages, but actually comes before learning Jazz. In the case of students at this level, I sometimes suggest that they check in with me for lessons, but continue to study with a regular guitar teacher. Ideally, the guitar teacher can liason back and forth with me so we can coordinate our lesson plans ! ! ! In some cases, if the student has a lot of friends who also play guitar and is good at figuring things out on his or her own, I am able to teach them myself.

At Level 2...

  • You must be able to read the frets (without thinking !)
  • You should be able to site read melodies from simple tunes. Simple Jazz Melodies are good for starters. (Learn to play the melodies by site reading them, not by studying tab arrangements.)
  • You should be able to do chord arpeggiations (major, minor, major 7th, minor 7th, dimished, augmented, half dimented) straight up and down the fret board.
  • You should learn basic II V I progressions.
  • Your articulation skills should be developing !
Once you've passed this stage you are ready for the next stage of the game. This is the point that you are actually begining to study Jazz.

Step 3

At this level focus is on...

  • More emphasis on site reading simple Jazz melodies from fake books.
  • Learning how to play (comp through) the 12 bar blues form.
  • Learning how to comp through II V type standards without using tabs.
  • Start working on melodies and solo ideas.
  • You should be moving towards the point that you can start to learn from lead sheets and recordings, but this does not mean you are there yet !
You should also be listening to Jazz Guitar and classic Jazz recordings on an intensive basis and studying up on the history and players of your instrument.

At this point it is worth studying with a Jazz Improv Specialist. A Jazz improv specialist does not necessarily play the same instrument as you do, but can guide you on how to accompany, ad lib and meet the demands of playing in a wide variety of ensemble situations on your instrument. If, however, you find it difficult to apply the lesson material to your instrument you should stop the lessons temporarily and return to studying with a regular guitar teacher. In other words, focus first and foremost, however, on learning to play your instrument, then worry about improv.... much of what you want to know will come naturally once you have mastered the basics of your instrument.

p.s. Please note : Some guitarists never actually need to study with a guitar teacher or Jazz improv teacher. The purpose of a teacher is to help you when you need guidance, coaching or are stuck. In other words, if you are having problems that keep popping up, won't go away and aren't sure where to turn, you should pay for lessons. But if you are capable of learning by playing out, listening to recordings and watching and talking to other players, you can do that too. Usually a combinations of lessons and self learning to varying degrees works with most players. The key point is that if you are going to take a lesson with someone, it means that they owe you 1) answers to your questions. 2) their undivided attention ! 3) they should offer you a lot of motivation, encouragement and make you feel as if they have a genuine belief in your abilities. If you don't feel yourself getting this stuff, jet !

Click here for an article about how to play guitar in a Jazz organ combo.

    Your comments and questions are always welcome...

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​Eddie Landsberg, MA, Ed.M, B.Mus

An internationally respected music theorist and performer, Eddie was born and raised in Philadelphia and began classical piano training at the age of 5,  starting Jazz Studies at Philadelphia's famous Settlement Music School in his teens.  Switching to Hammond Organ in his mid 20's, he received his first organ lesson from the legendary Shirley Scott then studied Jazz composition and performance with Blue Note Recording artist Big John Patton.  He also received guidance from Austin Mitchell (a favorite accompanist of Ella Fitzgerald) and began performing alongside Byard Lancaster and other "old school" Philly and East Coast Jazz and R&B legends.  After recording several CDs which received national air play ( NPR, WBGO and hundreds of radio stations across in the U.S), Eddie became one of the original factory demonstrators for the original Nord Electro, touring Europe to promote their product.  Shortly after, he moved to Japan where he spent almost 20 years teaching, leading bandstands and running his own venue which was featured on NHK and in magazines throughout the country.  While there, he also did vocal and performance coaching for Victor Records, and was involved in promotions for Yamaha Motorcycles and the Mori Building (celebrating the opening of the famous Roppongi Hills Complex.)
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Eddie currently resides in Astoria, Queens and is creator of the "7 Secrets of Jazz and Soul" Jazz improv series.  


Education: BA in Music, Thomas Edison State University MA Liberal Studies (focus onEthnomusicology and Critical Jazz Studies), Rutgers University (Capstone with Honors) Ed.M, Rutgers University, specializing in Adult Education
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Recordings | Publications | Interviews 


エディ・ランズバーグ、MA、Ed.M、B.Mus
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エディ・ランズバーグは、国際的に尊敬される音楽理論家兼演奏家で、豊かで多様な音楽的背景を持っています。フィラデルフィアで生まれ育ち、彼はわずか5歳のときから音楽の道を歩み始め、クラシックピアノのトレーニングをスタートしました。ティーンエイジャーの頃、フィラデルフィアの名門セトルメント音楽学校でジャズスタディに没頭しました。そして20代半ばでハモンドオルガンに転身し、伝説的なシャーリー・スコットから初めての指導を受けました。その後、ブルーノート・レコーディング・アーティストであるビッグ・ジョン・パットンの指導のもと、ジャズの作曲と演奏の技術を磨きました。  エディの音楽的旅路は、エラ・フィッツジェラルドのお気に入りの伴奏者であるオースティン・ミッチェルなど、著名なアーティストからの貴重なアドバイスで彩られました。彼は「オールドスクール」のフィラデルフィアや東海岸のジャズとR&Bのレジェンド、バイヤード・ランカスターなどと共演し、音楽シーンに不朽の足跡を刻みました。 エディの創造的な旅は、全米で放送されるなど、高い評価を受けたCDの制作につながりました。彼はまた、革新的な楽器であるノードエレクトロのオリジナルファクトリーデモンストレーターの一人として、ヨーロッパツアーを行い、製品の宣伝に貢献しました。 その後、エディは日本への大きな転機を迎え、ほぼ20年にわたり教育者、バンドリーダー、独自の名門会場の経営者として活動しました。彼の仕事は、NHKでの出演や国内の多くの雑誌での取り上げられ、広く認知されました。この期間中、彼はビクターレコードのためにボーカルとパフォーマンスの指導を行い、ヤマハモーターサイクルと森ビルディング(有名な六本木ヒルズコンプレックスのオープニングを祝う)のプロモーションにも貢献しました。
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現在、エディ・ランズバーグはクイーンズのアストリアを拠点にし、「ジャズとソウルの7つの秘密」ジャズ即興シリーズのビジョナリーです。
学歴:
  • 音楽学士号(B.Mus)、トーマス・エジソン州立大学
  • 芸術修士号(MA)リベラルスタディ、ラトガーズ大学(エスノミュージコロジーとクリティカルジャズスタディに焦点、優等でキャップストーン)
  • 教育修士号(Ed.M)、ラトガーズ大学(大人の教育を専門とし、特別研究で優等)
エディの録音、出版物、インタビューを通じて、彼の驚異的な音楽の旅に深く没頭してください。

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