I’ll give myself as an example below… I’m in a certain place with my playing. I gig regularly and can get by in many “jazz” situations, but I still struggle with certain keys, being able to follow new comped tunes on the fly and I have holes in my repertoire. My main goal over the next 6 months is to have 20 more standards solidified in my repertoire, in all 12 keys. I think this goal will help me iron out some of the issues I want to address. Tell me 3 issues you have and Il give you a goal. Il do this for the first 5 people who comment. Book a call with me below to see how I can help you achieve your goals. https://scheduler.zoom.us/matt-holborn/jazz-violin-chat

Hi everyone! I am considering to buy a small microphone for the violin. Any recommendations? Pros/cons? Thank you in advance!

So, I want to know something you have learned in the last month that has made a huge impact on your playing. Or something that feels like a huge turning point for you! I learned recently that having my knuckles slightly raised in third position will help my intonation. It’s really made me think about my left hand placement and my thumb too. Damn, lots of work but even this little nugget has really made a difference I think! How about you?

It was my birthday party in the jazz club in Japan and I was explicitly told several days before I must play for the guests because this is a rule. OK. I practiced at home with the backing track, recording myself, listening, improving and so on, and was more or less satisfied. And guess what? In the middle of the playing I forgot the tema. Completely! Of course I didn’t have the scores sheet. And honestly, I was a bit drunk. But still... My question is: what people usually do in such situations? When you are in the middle of the tune and you do not know what to do next? Any immediate actions?

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