The Fastest Way To Learn Jazz Vocabulary

Try the practice loops from this video → https://bobreynoldsmusic.com/learn-be...

If you’ve ever struggled to make sense of jazz vocabulary, phrasing, and voice-leading, this video might change the way you think about the process of learning and practicing it.

I’m revisiting the very first jazz solo I ever transcribed: Sonny Stitt on “Moten Swing” (with Oscar Peterson, 1959). Instead of collecting licks, we’re looking at how to internalize ideas so they actually show up in your playing.

We'll cover:
-How to physically absorb phrasing,
-How to unpack a line so it can exist in multiple contexts, and
-How a simple piece of voice-leading can reshape the harmony underneath it.

This is less about learning someone else’s notes and more about absorbing the information in a way that becomes part of your musical identity.

We're working through this solo in my studio this month and you can join in here:
https://bobreynoldsmusic.com/learn-be...

00:00 – One solo that shaped the way I approach transcription

01:34 – STAGE 1
04:15 – The thing to focus on before touching your instrument
05:21 – Why you don't want to read transcriptions
08:49 – Hearing a familiar contour show up in a new context

09:33 – STAGE 2
10:33 – A tool and workflow that streamline the process
14:25 – A quick way to hear fast lines accurately at full tempo

22:19 – STAGE 3 - Don't miss this part!
25:55 – A descending thread that ties the harmony together



🎵 Sheet Music & PlayAlongs – Practice with Bob’s original songs
https://bobreynoldsmusic.com/playalong

🏕 The Summer Camp – 1-week in-person intensive (Inside:Outside Retreat)
https://insideoutsideretreat.com

📘 The Practice Book – 3 octaves · 12 keys · 60-minute routine
https://saxophonepowerhour.com

🎤 On Tour – See dates & tickets
https://bobreynoldsmusic.com/#tour

About Bob Reynolds
Bob Reynolds is a jazz saxophonist and 3x Grammy Award-winning member of Snarky Puppy. He’s toured and recorded with John Mayer, Larry Carlton, and many others, and released 12 solo albums—4 of which hit Billboard’s Jazz Top 10.
As a pioneering educator, Bob has coached thousands of musicians worldwide through his Virtual Teaching Studio: https://bobreynoldsmusic.com/studio.
Bob is a D’Addario Woodwinds and Selmer artist and lives in Los Angeles, CA, with his wife and kids.

📸 Instagram:   / bob_reynolds  

#saxophone #jazz #practice #improvisation