Are you interested in furthering your musical talents? Maybe you want to take up an instrument because you read about how playing music makes you smarter! Maybe you’ve already got your head around the basics of one or more musical instruments and now wish to practice in a particular musical style.
If the musical style you’re looking to take up is Dixieland jazz, you probably know that the Razzmajazz Dixieland Band has been on the scene for over two decades! With the number of gigs, jams and live events we have successfully covered, we can safely say we know a thing or two about playing jazz!
If you’re someone who wants to play Dixieland jazz, here’s what you’re going to need!
Soul
The thing about jazz music is, among other things, in order to really play jazz music, you need soul.
What is soul? This is a question asked by musicians the world over.
Is it what you develop over years of playing?
Is it emotional intelligence?
Is it the result of having overcome some life struggles and having lost others?
Whatever it is, one thing’s for certain – soul is an emotional intensity of sorts that you’ve either got or you’re still in search of! Either way; if you want to play really good Dixieland jazz, you’re going to need a little soul!
Exposure
If you want to be a writer, one of the things you are told to do is to read more. If you want to play Dixieland jazz music it makes sense that one of the things you would have to do is listen to more Dixieland jazz!
Exposure gives you and understanding of how the musical style works, what is already out there and what you’re working with artistically. The more you hear the more raw material you will have to create!
Patience & Patience
Getting your hands and head around a new musical form can sometimes be tricky. This depends on a number of things including the genre you’re making the switch or evolving from. Playing Dixieland jazz is not something that you can learn or master overnight.
It takes patience to keep with whatever it is you’re learning despite how hard it may be or how the same might not come to you naturally. If you want to learn to play Dixieland jazz, keep at it! Don’t get impatient and give up! Practice as much as you can. The more you do, the better you will get. The same holds as true for music as it does for driving or learning math!
Communication Skills and Teamwork
Dixieland jazz is all about teamwork and collaboration. No matter how skilled or talented you may be at your instrument of choice, if you can’t get behind a team and if you’re not great when it comes to communication, playing Dixieland jazz might become tricky business.
One of the defining characteristics of Dixieland jazz music is collective improvisation. This would be practically impossible if you were not good at communicating and working with your band mates as a member of the team.
Inspiration
Finally, inspiration is something that helps turn a good piece of music into a phenomenal one. If you’re looking for inspiration, it helps to connect with Dixieland jazz musicians who have been in the business for a while!
Find out about different musicians philosophies, their sources of inspiration and what helped them grow and evolve as musicians. The right inspiration in a sense is like creative fuel. It’ll give you the push you need to really hone those skills!
Winding Down
If you’ve got the five things above lined up and in order, you should be a step closer to understanding and playing your own Dixieland music! Just remember, you will get better over time, with practice and consistency.
In the meanwhile, if you’re located in Dallas – Texas or anywhere else in the US and were hoping to have some live Dixieland music at a wedding, party or corporate event, you can leave things to us! Feel free to hire our band to perform live for you or to get in touch if you have any other questions about Dixieland jazz!