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Making jazz improvisation easier, more satisfying, and more musical

Find the tools and guidance here at Music Savvy to more easily play jazz better than you ever thought possible.

What do you want to be really good at?

Choose the free resource for the playing challenge you'd most like to improve.
Choose the free resource for the playing challenge you'd most like to improve.

Playing more melodically

Know how to improvise more melodic lines that you hear inside instead of just memorized patterns and licks.
Let me send you some free reading and videos to help you improvise more melodically
GET IT NOW

Developing a better ear

Connect your musical ear to your instrument so that what you hear, you can play. This will make you a much better improvsor!
Let me send you some free resources to improve your ear for jazz.
GET IT NOW

Knowing more jazz theory

Learn the basic music theory so that you'll be smarter about what to play over chords.
Let me send you some free reading and videos to show you some basic jazz theory
GET IT NOW

About Music Savvy

I am a Grammy-nominated trombonist, author, multimedia artist, entrepreneur, and Dad to two fascinating sons.

I am hopelessly curious and love to share what I’ve learned in order to help musicians. My passion is to guide musicians in how to think better about improvisation and the ability to connect their creative musical voice to their instrument, no matter which instrument they play.

The secret I share in my books, videos, courses, and talks is that the music is already inside you. Amplify it through your instrument by getting out of its way. If your improvising or musicianship is not all you wish it were, it’s likely because you’ve been convinced that the music originates in your instrument or can somehow be manufactured through your analytical reasoning.

The music inside you will flow from your instrument once you confidently connect your instrument to your musical mind. THAT’S where your music originates and THAT’s your state of flow. I’ve helped many musicians get much closer to that and I’d like to help you.

What players say...

Your materials have changed the whole trajectory of my musical approach to practicing.​

Jakub W.

You give me actionable protocols that have measurable outcomes and are always a bit outside my comfort zone. Too many of the alternatives feel like empty get rich quick schemes like '5 licks that will make you sound like Michael Brecker'!!

Ray B.

The things you help me hear in my playing give me a much needed fresh perspective I get nowhere else.

Armed with that new perspective and the fascinating tools you provide, I can tell you without a doubt I am a much better and more confident player because of you.

Barry K.

Check out Pocket-Jazz

The online jazz course for short attention spans! Three-minute lessons highlighted by lots of listening examples and short videos from jazz masters including Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, RonCarter, Randy Brecker, and nearly 50 others. Now on sale for only $47. Learn more…

"How did you teach more about improvisation and scale work in 3-minutes than my professor did in an entire semester"?
@istpaige
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"I find myself eager to practice after listening to your videos. Thanks for your work here."
@henry_co4
TikTok
"Studied music for three years and only scratched the surface of your video... Thank you!"
@Get._.luce
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"This is the best exercise I've ever heard for melodic improvisation."
@mattgregmusic
TikTok
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From the Savvy Series...

Mouse over a book to learn more.

Strengthen your ear for jazz with powerful and unique exercises. Hear music in ways you've never experienced.
Learn More
Develop a better sense of time and rhythm with these fun exercises. Sections on Metronomic, Phrase, and Groove rhythm.
Learn More
Build your jazz trombone chops with this one-of-a-kind instruction specific for the instrument.
Learn More
The missing manual for alto trombone. For all levels starting with learning the positions to developing good intonation to improvisation
Learn More
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Tools for helping musicians at all levels learn about jazz and play to their full capability.

Web design and marketing by:
Michael Lake @JazzDigitalMarketing.com

Music Savvy

Topics

Free? What is the catch?

Yes Groovz Playground is free. You just need to sign in or register using your name and email here.

I am offering you Groovz Playground for two reasons: 1. to get more people using it who are hopefully giving me feedback, and 2. to be able to reach out to you and others with articles and other tools to help you improve your improvisation.

No one else has access to your information. I promise.

How will Groovz Playground improve my improvisation?

Developing your ear is the quickest and best way to improve your jazz skills. Groovz Playground is focused on your ear by giving you harmonically simple loops within a variety of interesting tracks so that instead of concentrating on the progression of changing chords and the form, you can simply listen to the repeating harmony and your playing.

How will I know what to play over the loops?

Each track (loop) displays four notated sections: 1. the 1, 2, 3, or 4 chords of the loop, 2. the associated scale for each chord, 3. the single notes that sound good over the entire loop, and 4. a written out melodic phrase or two that sound good over the loop in order to get you started.

Why is Groovz Playgroun called a course?

It is called a course because it fits nicely within the Music Savvy  course format for each track (loop). 

There are quizzes for most of the loops but they are not graded or evaluated in any way. Each quiz is simply the same loop, tempo, and style but in a different key and without any of the notated chords, scales, etc. in order to help you evaluate how well your ear finds the new harmony.

This is just a fake book example for the type of website I can build for you. Just trying to use a little humor here!