LJS 113: How Play-Alongs Could Be Hurting Your Jazz Playing

Welcome to episode 113 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking all about jazz play-alongs and how they could be hurting your jazz playing. Backing tracks can be great tools, but if used in the wrong way they could instill some bad habits. Learn when and how to use them, and when to leave them be. Listen in!
Listen to episode 113







When Learn Jazz Standards first started it wasn't quite the same as it is now. Back then it was mostly just a resource for learning jazz standards, hence the name. We didn't have the jazz lessons, tutorials, the podcast, and the overall focus we have now.
Part of the resources we offered (and still do) were backing tracks for jazz standards. Our thought was they would aid our subscribers, especially those who don't have as much access to playing with other musicians.
What we didn't expect is that they would be such a hit. Our YouTube channel really blew up and became quite popular, mainly because of the play-alongs.
That's why this week's episode is especially important. It is my responsibility to make sure you know when play-alongs are good to use and when they could be detrimental.
In the right hands, they are a great tool to supplement your practice. In the wrong hands, they are a crutch used to learn and play jazz repertoire.
Here's some of what I talk about in this episode:
1. Three reasons practicing with play-alongs can be detrimental.
2. Three situations you should not use play-alongs in your practice.
3. Three situations you should or could use play-alongs in your practice.
Play-alongs should not be discarded altogether. They can, in fact, be great tools. Just heed some of this advice and you'll be on the right track!
Important Links
The Jazz Standards Playbook
Band-in-a-Box







Read the Transcript
Brent: Hey, hey, what's up everybody, my name's Brent, I am the jazz musician behind the website LearnJazzStandards.com, which is a blog and a podcast all geared toward helping you become a better jazz musician. I want to thank you so much for being here, welcome, if it's your first time ever listening, or if you're a regular listener, I really do appreciate it, I'm so excited to serve you today. And, oh, man, guys, I've got a serious head cold going on today, so I apologize for my voice, I'm not sure if it's coming through on the mic. I had to cancel my gig last night because, well I didn't cancel, I found a sub because I was just, oh, I'm not feeling well. It's gonna get so much worse if I go out, so that sucked.
I'm having a sucky week, but you know what, things could always be worse. So, I'm thankful for everything and hopefully I'll feel better soon, but the show must go on, right? The show's gotta keep going on, so I'm here to deliver this podcast episode to you, for what I think is a great important topic for today's episode, 113. Which is all about how play-alongs, backing tracks, could be damaging or hurting your jazz playing.
Now, I know that if you're listening to this podcast and you're familiar with LearnJazzStandards.com, what we do, you know that we have a YouTube channel that has hundreds of jazz play-alongs and backing tracks on them. And you're probably thinking right now, well, Brett, what are you talking about? Don't you have a lot of jazz standard play-alongs out there, and all this stuff. Why are you telling me that maybe I shouldn't be doing it?
I know that sounds kind of weird, but I think it's even more important because that platform accidentally, by the way, blew up, that I do hone in on what the purpose of using jazz play-alongs for practicing are, when they should be used,