Articles by Ryan Janus

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  Computer skills for musicians

  July 14, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  Ten years ago, when I'd go to conferences, people would say that a website is a "good thing to have." Now, people at those same conference say that a website is an absolute necessity. I would extend this...

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  Learning to transpose, a.k.a. "Picking music out of the air"

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  One great way to become more flexible on your instrument which is often overlooked is to learn melodies in all twelve keys.  While this may seem like a daunting task for some, I assure you that it is not...

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  A method for learning tunes

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  Learning tunes is a must for all jazz musicians.  Even if you don’t intend to play very many “casual” gigs where many standard tunes may be called out, the skills you gain from learning many different...

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  Getting and keeping gigs

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  In today's economy, it's good to know where to find work for full-time or part-time musicians. Just as important, it's good to know how to keep these gigs once you have them. Where are they? ...

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  Equipment considerations for woodwinds

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  The selection of proper equipment can be an especially daunting task. Players looking for high-quality instruments will make a material investment third only to their cars and houses in terms of expense...

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  Playing in tune

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  One of the most common reasons for a musician to be fired from a playing job is his or her lack of ability to play in tune. Most of us know how important intonation is, yet with all the other things we...

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  Listening tricks for developing your ears

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  Whether you are a professional musician, an amateur hobbyist or listener/aficionado, your listening experience can be made more enjoyable by sensitizing your ears to the music you are hearing. Listening...

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  Learning to "speak" jazz like a native

  July 13, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  As I stated in a previous article, three things most good jazz teachers recommend are learning tunes, practicing scales and copying solos.  To be sure, most jazz teachers will disagree on exactly how to...

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  How to improvise: where do I start?

  June 24, 2009 by Ryan Janus

  One of the reasons I love to teach music is because I feel in some small way like I’m teaching people to be more creative. At almost no time is this more true than when I’m teaching students to improvise...