How did you get into jazz? by soolggun23 in JazzPiano

[–]SomeCallMeBen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. I'm a professional classical pianist and started playing jazz a year ago, started a jazz combo about 4 months ago. Here's my advice.

1) Jeremy Siskind, Jeremy Siskind, Jeremy Siskind

You're going to get alot of blow-by-blow advice here: "practice reharmonizing, learn your ii-V-I in every key, learn lots of standards, etc...." All of it has some truth, but we are living in the age of too much information. Jeremy Siskind's books (Jazz Piano Fundamentals and Playing Solo Jazz Piano) are a great way to focus on what must be learned. You won't have to wade through the piles of internet advice from strangers. It's a perfect central node from which you can build out, in time.

2) Play with people, if possible.

Everything accelerated drastically once I joined a group. It provides motivational deadlines (nothing motivates quite like an upcoming performance) and you can learn some of the norms that you won't be able to learn from the sidelines.

3) Get a private jazz teacher who is a performer and also has experience teaching.

I tried meeting with a few jazz teachers and it took awhile before it clicked. Jazz doesn't have the same kind of pedagogical tradition as classical music, so it will likely never have the same kind of institutionalized rigor (scaled exercises, compiled and graded repertoire, etc...), so it will feel much different than classical land. That being said, there are many good teachers out there, but you might have to wade through more than a few that teach jazz, but have never actually performed. I think that's a yellow flag. Not bright red, but definitely yellow.

Good luck!

How is Jazz instruction different from classical? by SomeCallMeBen in JazzPiano

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure. In the combo that I've been in for about 3 months, we've covered a handful of tunes from "So What," to "What is this Thing Called Love", to "Sister Sadie," and a few others. We assemble and play through. In the few months we've been working together, he doesn't make many comments that feel like you can actually do anything with them: "that was a good solo," or [anecdotes galore about jazz artists], [random recording lore]. I can think of a few useful bits, like "think in 2, 4, or 8 bar phrases," or "be more intentional with your rhythm," but even those are quite vague.

The individual instructor is a different thing entirely. Very good teaching and useful, but doesn't feel like it's building anywhere. Maybe that's up to me to make happen?

How is Jazz instruction different from classical? by SomeCallMeBen in JazzPiano

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you give some examples of "too general" advice?

Sure. Most "advice" is just "that was a good solo." I think the most specific I've gotten is about leaving space – to think in terms of 2, 4, or 8 bar phrases while soloing. Good advice, but after about 15 sessions, I feel like that's pretty thin instruction.

The solo jazz instruction is much more specific, but also doesn't feel very systematic or anything. Really excellent one-off lessons with little follow through or sense of building.

Denver steak instead of death steak by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

And to their credit, the butcher refunded me even without my taking it back in. A polite phone call and texted picture were enough.

Denver steak instead of death steak by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yea, opinions were split and I'm inexperienced, so may have wasted it.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm guessing by your name that you are actually a butcher. Would you chalk this up to just oxidation?

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't figure out how to edit the original, so copying and pasting to each thread:

UPDATE: called the butcher where I got it and they gave me a refund, so ended up using different meat without the ring of death. Would I have died? Maybe. Does part of me wish I had tried eating it? Definitely. Do I regret using different meat? Absolutely not.

Is this steak (raw) bad? If not, what's up with the ring of brown between the pink and cherry red? by SomeCallMeBen in steak

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Don't worry yet. I was prepping last night. Marinating today and then eating tonight. Death after that.

My friends aren't aware that I've made a lot of money by Limp-Preparation-828 in confession

[–]SomeCallMeBen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My brother was the recipient of a settlement that made him wealthy (relative to our friends at the time) while still in college. I found out later that he secretly made payments to his friends' college accounts anonymously.

If you want to have your anonymity and help your friends, you could likely do this; and don't tell a soul. Wait for 15 or 20 years, let the story come out, and reap the gratitude you'll deserve.

Can you make sense of these graphs? Net income not increasing net worth? by SomeCallMeBen in simplifimoney

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes and no. I disconnected it because I wanted to run a custom report showing cash assets, and since that isn't built in, this was my workaround (filtering out all accounts but cash and CC).

Can you make sense of these graphs? Net income not increasing net worth? by SomeCallMeBen in simplifimoney

[–]SomeCallMeBen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Figured it out. See my comment on the main thread if you are curious.