Classic and Jazz Teacher

[vongoldschmitz]

Hi!

I play for a half year now.
I am 26 years old and spend most of my day practicing new pieces, theory, etc.

A half year ago i started with 2 teachers at the same time. One for Classic and one for Jazz. I mixed it because a) i never knew much about classical music and thought this would be a nice chance to get into it. and b) if i get good enough in like 5 years or something i might wanna study music. And i saw that even for a Jazz Major you have to be able to play both, Classic and Jazz.

Now, after a half year i have mixed feelings about having 2 teachers.
I realy enjoy the Jazz teaching and this is also where i wanna go in the long run.
So i was thinking about dropping the classic teacher. I think i would improve better if i can focus on one. Sometimes get the feeling it's getting too much and things are getting mixed up.
I will talk to my Jazz teacher next week and ask what he thinks about dropping the classical one.

What you think would be a good way for a beginner?
Should i keep the 2 and stay with Classic and Jazz? Or is it ok to focus on one for now?

Thanksy!

[Petter]

Keep both, question what they say that you feel is contradicting. Since you probably will pursuit the jazz playing you can learn alot about posture, technique and practice methods from your classical teacher that will benifit your jazz playing. (considered they´re both decent teacher). Maybe you won´t put as much work as into learning pieces as your classical teacher requires but I´ve always felt that there´s been some kind of lack of communication beetwen "afro"/classical where the jazz teachers seldomly focus on the actual act of playing. This is just what I´ve experienced myself, it´s not necesserily generally applicable.
 As a jazz pianist it´s easy to get inspired by musicians like Monk, Evans, and Jarret and they all have dreadful postures. When it comes to Evans and Jarret there´s no way in hell they practiced in the postures they apply when they preform. For me this was misleading for awhile as I assumed it was "required" for "inspiration" or "being expressive".
Hope this helps a bit.

[vongoldschmitz]

Thanks Petter!

Yes that was my thought too, to bring both genres together and learn from connecting them.
But i might be too new to the hole thing to manage 2-3 pieces over the week from each of them parallel.
If the Jazz teacher can cover the main classical things too, and from what i saw i think he can, i might go that way for some times and see how it works.

[dan101]

You pose questions that only you can truly answer, given that we don't really know all that much about you.

Having said that, if you feel that you already have a good foundation from the classical training that you've done up to now, then you're probably safe taking lessons from the jazz teacher exclusively.

Good luck.

[thierry13]

If you're to drop one, drop the jazz.

[dora96]

Hi vongoldschmitz,

I have the same situation like you. I have been learning and playing classical music for 26 years. However, I like to learn different type of music, not just classical only. I play lots of gospel music, church music at my own church. Because I came from the classical background. For contemporary music, modern music are killer for me. I can't get the right rhythm, or mood for these sort of music. I have been thinking to learn some Jazz. I just wonder what your teacher is teaching you. Do you learn from books? or How do you start from the beginning? I like to learn the jazz runs, and Jazz scales etc.. but I can never find anything in material that I can learn from. Could you recommend some? Recently I bought several books by Bill Irwin. Do you think his books are useful? I know I have to listen lots of jazz music , but honestly without any written music to start with, it is hard. 

You can learn learn classical music straight from the book, Jazz is required lots of music theories and how to mix up  the harmonic chords which I am very weak and try to do some fill in between the melodies which I am not sure I am doing the right thing. I am very curious that people learning both type music, I find that very exciting if I can make up my own style   

[thierry13]

You can learn learn classical music straight from the book, Jazz is required lots of music theories and how to mix up  the harmonic chords which I am very weak and try to do some fill in between the melodies which I am not sure I am doing the right thing.

I'd say the very opposite. It doesn't matter if you learn jazz from books, but it matters if you learn classical from books. Your playing will most likely be inferior and lack many subtelties only a musician (therefore, not a jazz teacher) can teach you!

[josefine]

There is teachers who has a degree in classical piano and then got into jazz. Maybe if you can find a teacher like that, who are able to tech you both, your problem will be solved?

Best,

josefine

[vongoldschmitz]

I'd say the very opposite. It doesn't matter if you learn jazz from books, but it matters if you learn classical from books. Your playing will most likely be inferior and lack many subtelties only a musician (therefore, not a jazz teacher) can teach you!

Jazz is to classical what Mcdonald's is to great restaurants. It's trash and will allways be even if lots of people like it.

Hehe... what's with you and your sig? So people who play Jazz are no musicians?
Didnt you know?
Classical is to Jazz what a coverband is to a great composer. It's old trash and allways will be, even if a lot of people like it.
I can't take you serious if you keep beeing such a genre rasist.

Thank's for your comments everyone!
I decided to stay with my jazz teacher. He also told me to visit the music thoery class at my musicschool, which i do now. And i think this could work out very good.

I think if you make a degree for Piano Pedagogy here in germany you have cover the classical field too. And it seems you can get a "good teaching" even if you work on jazz material. It isn't all the way diffrent.
From what i see, both Classical and Jazz teaching cover the same basics that one needs to understand and play music.

[thierry13]

Classical is to Jazz what a coverband is to a great composer. It's old trash and allways will be, even if a lot of people like it.

Well, you definitely inversed the two genres here. Great composer would be attached to classical while coverband would be attached to coverband, that's what things are. So if you would rephrase correctly your affirmation, it would be along the lines of : Jazz is to classical what a coverband is to a great composer. It's trash and allways will be, even if a lot of people like it. It's just a fact that a coverband enters the genre jazz and that a great composer enters the genre classical ... I think you just totally destroyed yourself with this one dude haha.

[vongoldschmitz]

You realy didn't get the point, i think i used the wrong terms.
Basicly i wanted to point out that i think your sig doenst seem very open minded.
I love both, Classic and Jazz. So i allways wonder about people who talk bad about another genre instead of understanding why this genre exists and what it's function is.

Maybe you should focus more on what you love (classic) instead on what you dont love (Jazz). Then maybe you wont need to "haha" when you think a "dood" is "destroyed" on an internet post.

  <3

[vongoldschmitz]

I just wonder what your teacher is teaching you. Do you learn from books? or How do you start from the beginning?

Hi Dora!

We use Material from diffrent sources, not only one book.
I dont know that many yet but we use a series from Christopher Norton which is called "micro jazz" and also "mini jazz". Amazon has most of it.
Another one is Manfred Schmitz, a german composer who also has a series called mini jazz along with other jazz for beginners books.

Those two worked very well for me and i was very new to the piano at that time (a few month ago).
Luckily the rythm wasnt a problem for me so far because of my musical background.
We started playing those songs "normal". Meaning every 1/4 and 1/8 etc like its noted/written and after i could play it we started to play it "swinged".

So basicly right now playing swing style is another part in the learning process for me:
- Scanning and understanding the piece and its structure, listening to recording
- Splitting in usefull parts
- learning/playing/memorizing Hands saperated, up to high speed
- Hands together playing and finishing memorizing
- playing swing style