How to use this community 1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF Copy this format and comment below: - your name - where you're from - your musical background - what you're trying to achieve in your playing 2. START LEARNING If you are new to jazz, take my "5 Days To Improv" challenge. Its a free course that helps you make your first steps into jazz improv. Learning the ropes and delving into how a jazz musician thinks, practises and plays. If you really want to progress, you can get hold of the larger paid courses in there too "Jazz Violin Fundamentals", "10 Tunes You Must Know", "46 Lines", "Mastering Chromatics" 3. KEEP A PRACTISE DIARY Head over to the pinned Practise Diaries thread and drop your first check-in. It could be something from a 1-1, something from Practice Club, or just whatever you're working on that day. It's the easiest way to keep showing up in here, and every like you get on a check-in is a point towards levelling up and unlocking more of the material. BONUS There's a poll below this post. Let me know what you're most interested in improving in your playing, it helps me shape the material in here

Bumped into this song yesterday. Havent studied any transcipts yet, just fooling around...if sbd had some nice solo in writing, i would be grateful 🤟🙏

I've never had a piano lesson in my life. A jazz teacher once told me to get some simple chord voicings down so I could comp through changes. That's pretty much the extent of my skills. I can clumsily play through tunes whilst staring intently at my hands. I've got my grandfather's old piano in my living room and I've been trying to teach myself a bit more. I decided to start with ragtime, and I'm trying to learn Maple Leaf Rag. It's not easy. I'm stuck on the first 4 bars. I found a YouTube video that's helped, and every time I walk past the piano I give it a go. Here are a few things I've taken away from it so far. My instinct is always to play it too fast for my ability. I always try it fast first, but I only really make progress when I take it down a notch. The little leaps feel great, much more fun than the small leaps I make on the violin. It feels new and exciting. It's also shown me what I'm naturally good at and what I'm not. I think I've got a good sense of rhythm and coordination, but I don't have much of an eye for detail and accuracy. I'm happy to make mistakes, and I tend to leave them in unless I force myself to slow down and run through things again. The main thing it's taught me though applies to all of you a little. Having a difficult set piece to work on is really important when you're learning music. My goal is to be able to play jazz to some degree, but until now I've never had the drive to practise like I do right now. Practising chord voicings got boring quickly, but this really difficult tune has given me something to lock in with. So whilst it's important to keep practising the nuts and bolts, try to find a long term project to go alongside it, like a difficult transcription or even some solo classical music. It gives you something to "hold" in your hands. Jazz practice can feel very abstract and it's hard to measure progress, but having a piece on the go is a good reason to pick up your instrument.

I want a carbon fibre bow just as a back up so I don't want to spend a fortune . Does anyone have any experience/ suggestions ?

This is your spot to log what you're working on, whenever you practise. No pressure to post daily, just whenever you've had a session and want to note it down or share it. It could be something you've been working on, in your own time or with lessons with me. Anyone in here can post! Comment below with: 📅 Date: 🎻 What I worked on: ⏱️ Time practised: 🎉 One win: 🤔 One thing I'm stuck on: Doesn't need to be polished. A quick video or voice note works just as well if you'd rather show than write. I'll be dropping my own practise notes in here too, not just replying to yours. And if you've got a spare minute, leave a comment on someone else's check-in as well. Even just a "nice work" will help us all feel motivated to keep on keeping on! Drop your first check-in below 👇