LJS 88: Using the LIST Method to Learn Jazz Solos by Ear

Welcome to episode 88 of the LJS Podcast where today we are talking all about a great 4 step process for learning jazz solos by ear. This is a practice that has a ton of benefits for your jazz musicianship and every aspiring jazz player should be doing this. Learn the LIST method and how it can help. Listen in!
Listen to episode 88







In last week's episode with trumpeter Chris Davis, Chris mentioned an important practice that he did in his more formidable years: transcribing solos. Now, when he said transcribing, he didn't necessarily mean writing it down (although you can). This term is sometimes used among jazz musicians as a way to just say "learn a jazz solo by ear."
Learning jazz solos by ear is a powerful practice that has a multitude of benefits such as:

* Helps you learn jazz language.
* Helps you get inside the style and mind of whatever jazz artists you are copying.
* Can help you learn how to improvise over a particular jazz standard or song form.

These are some great results you can get by doing this, but ultimately the goal is to discover and internalize.
So in today's episode I talk about my LIST process for learning jazz solos by ear which is:
Listen
Internalize
Sing
Transfer
The LIST method is a great process for not only executing the learning element but actually getting results for all of your time and effort. Learning entire solos can be taxing and a lot of work, but if you do it right, the effort will be far worth the benefits.
To demonstrate, I use the first two A sections of a Dexter Gordon solo over a rhythm changes tune called "Apple Jump." I also go in depth on each step of the LIST method and how to execute them properly.
Lastly, I give you a special challenge to start learning your own jazz solo by ear. Are you up for it?







Read the Transcript
That's right. What's up everybody? My name is Brent. I am the jazz musician behind the website, learnjazzstandards.com, which is a blog and a podcast, all geared towards helping you become a better jazz musician. Welcome to another episode of the LJS Podcast, episode 88, and I'm glad that you're here, whether you're a regular listener or whether it's your first time ever listening. I just appreciate you being here.Now, you know, last week we had a special guest on the show. It was Chris Davis, trumpeter Chris Davis, and he gave us a great episode. He gave us a lot of great lessons about the development of his musicianship. One of the things that he talked about in that episode, in his development, one important thing that he did for his jazz playing was learning jazz solos by ear.
Now, I love to talk about this, because, honestly, this is one of my favorite practices to do. When I was really putting a lot of hours in the practice room, in the more formative days of my development, I was learning a lot of jazz solos, and so I certainly believe in this practice. It's funny because Chris, last week, he was talking about this. He used the term transcribing, and I think it's funny because a lot of the jazz musicians I know, they refer to this practice of learning jazz solos by ear as transcribing, but they rarely mean actually writing it down.
While writing down a solo can be a great practice, in and of itself, this is really not what I'm talking about today. I'm talking about just learning solos by ear. By the way, if you've ever heard anybody say, "Oh, yeah, transcribe solos," they probably ... It's weird that "transcribe" is the word is ... you write it down, right? But oftentimes, that's not what jazz musicians are doing.