How can I listen when improvising and jamming?

If you are going to jam with others or even with a recording or accompaniment, it is very important for you to listen!

Think About

• What kind of listening is helpful for jamming and improvising?
• How can I focus my listening to hear the different things happening in the music?

Get Started

1. Watch and interact with the following video on developing your listening skills. Make sure to try out the suggestions!

2. Head over to Incredibox.com and mess around to get a feel for how it works. 

3. Try out some of the following activities suggested in the video to help you develop your listening skills:

1. Add all of only one kind of part (all beats, all effects, etc.) and leave 2 spots open.
   1. Go through and “solo” each part (click the headphone icon), then click again to hear the whole mix but isolate the one part you just heard alone.
   2. How clearly can you hear it?
      1. bonus: Try singing/humming/beatboxing/etc. to imitate the part you’re listening to. More tips on this later
2. Add 2 more voices, whatever you want, so you now have all 7 parts going.
3. Gradually replace voices with only one kind of part (all beats, all effects, etc.), different from the part you used in #1.
4. Repeat the whole process with each kind of part.

4. Try Jamming: Without worrying what you sound like, try singing, humming, beatboxing, etc. a new part along with whatever you set up in Incredibox

Share What you Learned

If you are using the LRNG platform:

• You do not need to submit anything for this XP
• You should be able to listen to individual parts in a mix and jam along with it

If you are not using the LRNG platform:

• Continue below and share with your teacher or organization:

Sharing What You Learned

• Share an audio or video recording of you singing/humming/beatboxing along with a part from Incredibox and then jamming by performing a new part that you make up on the spot

Go Further!

(optional) Try practicing your listening skill with some other types of music

OR

Move On

Return to the XP What skills will help me improvise and jam?