Doctorate in Jazz in 15 Minutes

Disclaimer: This is not a 1:1 replacement for the EXPERIENCE of studying music for 9 years. But I truly believe it is a distillation of about 95% of the relevant theory that I learned. There's also an emphasis on harmony over rhythm because it requires more explanation. That doesn't mean it's more important. Jazz is a language of rhythms, harmonies, and melodies that has to be spoken over and over again to become fluent. It's an aural tradition and there's no substitute for learning from the performances of jazz masters like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and more. There is no substitution for years of practice, transcribing solos, developing rhythmic independence, learning tunes, and most importantly, playing with other musicians. All the jazz greats learned on the bandstand, not a classroom. Some resources for topics I didn't cover: Coltrane changes/substitutions: https://youtu.be/LRSDgID_c7s?si=cHsr_RjKYWiG1A9i Upper structure triads: https://youtu.be/9bo_VEtEpWE?si=OC87uthN-yNzfzKH Bebop vocabulary: https://youtu.be/jC8tn6Wggxs?si=Z_Ajs3mQ7-D-oN5O Clave: https://youtu.be/Ye7d5mPNfYY?si=PDQ1ljRweH0aetQX Jazz history: www.pbs.org/kenburns/jazz/

It helps when I reduce the playback speed to 15 years.

The real challenge after learning all this is how to turn this information into meaningful exercises so one can embody the stuff and be fluent with it in a creative and emotional manner. My personal problem sometimes is that I can't detach from the "intellectual" size of understanding stuff while sometimes it's more helpful just to "feel what it is" without trying to understand too mathematically.

Never been happier to be a drummer. Just kidding, I’m studying theory for that very reason! Kill me

I hold a PhD in physics and play jazz (Guitar). I was delighted to see the harmonic series as your starting point, Eric. This stems from the solution to the the wave equation for a guitar string that is pinned at two end points (nut and bridge). Similar results are obtained for a closed tube horn when excited by the player's breath/lips. Many music schools have eliminated the fundamental course "The Physics of Music" to make way for new topics in modern jazz. That is a big mistake because the physics of sound production is at the heart of harmony ( e.g. Pythagoras and his single string guitar = musical "Big Bang") . I am sometimes called upon to give a ZOOM lecture on this topic - the first Giant Step to understanding musical instruments. It is not that hard when explained intuitively and it gives the solid foundation for further learning in music, including jazz chords and improvisation. Thank You!

Yo I can't express how helpful the fretboard above is. Literally played guitar for 20 years but always struggled to translate music theory from piano to a fretboard

15 minutes to learn, 15 years to fully internalize on your instrument.

This video should be required viewing for any music student in every music school. I've been a musician for decades but have recently taken my mostly self-taught music knowledge a step up, through online lessons. Years of absorbing music theory have been ironed-out in this amazing 15 minute video. (with all the rewinding, much longer than 15 minutes for me). Thank you so much.

Wow. I never thought jazz could be even more complicated. This is like the orange juice ocncedntrate of jazz tutorials. Yeah, it's 15 minutes, but I'm going to have to review it over about 15 months. But, I have to confess that this is the best explanation of jazz and music theory I've seen. It's profoundly concise and super clear. my absorption rate is just really slow (because I'm dense). Thanks for this resource. I guarantee it will advance my musical knowledge and ability enormously. My instrument is guitar, BTW.

I did a bout of schooling but only some jazz. I knew a lot of this but even after years of additional YouTube I hadn't heard of parent scales. It's already taken a bunch of pausing and parsing and it's going to take even more time to revisit and digest. Thanks for a great resource!

You: I can cover it in 15 minutes Me: (6 years later) I've almost got it. Still a great video.

10:20 "you can make a pentatonic scale out of any set fo 5 notes" Hmmmm I like this one: c,c#,d,d#,e

Jazz is so complicated, that’s why I love it

This is fantastic. Never seen someone explain so much so succinctly.

I've been learning music for 20 years and knew everything until 9 minutes in

Good stuff! I want my music school tuition back. 😁

Very amazing video, Eric! Love your depth of knowledge in multiple areas. Cheers!

Wow, this is amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this channel earlier! Thank you!

This is awesome man. As a totally self taught musician, this is a great resource, as well as a reminder of how much knowledge I've acquired over the years. I don't think there was anything presented here that I wasn't already pretty familiar with. Just reinforces the idea that I need to continue taking that info and drilling it deeper and deeper into my subconscious

Thank you many times over. The quick overview reveals insight that slowly gained details fail to reveal, may even hide. Certainly true in this description. Excellent. Should be the intro for all beginning jazz students as well as a reminder from time to time along the way as big picture reminds end game goals.