There are hundreds of web sites, YouTube channels, Facebook groups, apps, etc. out there. A lot of them are really good, and offer tons of useful info for jazz players at all levels. Here are some that I use and recommend A LOT. I update this list often, so check back when you’re on the MDM web site. And, if you have a suggestion, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy!
Web sites
- Jazz at Lincoln Center has so much to offer! Check out Jazz at Lincoln Center here.
- Jazz Academy at Lincoln Center has great videos for younger students. Check out the Jazz Academy here.
- Jazz On The Tube has a fantastic collection of jazz videos, plus a lot of other great info. Check out Jazz On The Tube here.
- Jazz Standards is the place to check out…jazz standards (the 300 most recorded standards are fully documented!) Good stuff on jazz theory, history, biographies, and more. Highly recommended. Check out jazz standards.com here.
- Jazzbooks.com is the online Jamey Aebersold store. Books, play-alongs, videos…it’s probably here. Check out Jazzbooks.com here.
- Sher Music Publishing has SOOO many titles, all excellent. Check out Sher here.
- Mike Kamuf is a fantastic composer and educator. He has a lot of free resources on his web site, and it is definitely worth checking out. Check out Mike Kamuf’s web site here.
Apps
These are available for smartphones and tablets, so you can have them with you wherever you go. Many have laptop/desktop versions as well. They are all very affordable, and in my opinion well worth the few dollars they cost.
- iGigBook is a great app that lets you upload, search, sort, and order PDFs of sheets music and fake books. I use this app a lot. Check out iGigBook here.
- iReal Pro generates play-along tracks, but it’s got a lot of tricks under the hood. It comes with 1200+ tunes, but it’s easy to add more or create your own. You can adjust the tempo, style, and key, and there’s a mixer so you can adjust instrument levels. Runs on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. I use this a lot here on the MDM site. PRO TIP: learn how to edit the existing songs so you can add hipper changes! Check out iReal Pro here.
- The Feel Book is an excellent playalong setup. Hip players, great tunes, excellent feel. Check out The Feel Book here.
- Drum Genius offers tons of grooves, played with passion and style. Of course, you can adjust tempo. WAY more fun then practicing with a metronome! Check out Drum Genius here.
For Finale Users
I’ve been a Finale user since day one (literally.) I was at an Audio Engineering Society convention in Los Angeles in the late 1980, and they were demoing the software. It looked really cool (especially the Explode Music utility–that SOLD me!) Busted out the Visa on the spot. I know there are other products out there, but I feel like I have so much blood, sweat, and tears invested in Finale that I’m going to stay loyal… and yes, I will be converting to Dorico at some point.
- Conquering Finale is an outstanding resters of videos created by Jason Loffredo. It’s incredibly helpful, super well-organized, and has saved me too many times to count. Check out Conquering Finale here.
- Finale Power Users Group is a Facebook group that has saved me more times than I can count. I’ve asked an esoteric question at 2:00 a.m. and received a quick response (from someone in Europe, probably.) Not the place for entry level questions, though…see below. Check out the Finale Users Group here.
- Finale 101 is another FB group for less experienced basic questions. I’ve learned a lot here, too! Check out Finale 101 here.