The Soloing Bootcamp is here

FEATURING AN IMPROVISATION COURSE THAT MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE

Instead of overwhelming you with:

🤔 SCALES YOU DON'T KNOW

😐 CHORDS YOU CAN'T REMEMBER

😕 LICKS THAT FEEL FORCED

And
a
laundry
list
of
other
"soloing secrets"
that
take
so
long
to
apply

YOU END UP FRUSTRATED IN THE PRACTICE ROOM

OR WORSE

FUMBLING YOUR WAY THROUGH A LOUSY SOLO IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE

(Sure, your friends and family might clap a little or say "nice job" after the show, but you know they're either just being polite or haven't a clue what a good jazz solo actually sounds like.)

Dear Aspiring Improviser:

Before I tell you about this new (and better) system for learning how to solo, there's something I need to get off my chest...

I'M SORRY.

Just like every other jazz teacher out there, I'm guilty of cramming complex scales, chords, patterns, substitutions, and vocabulary down my students' throats.

I expected them to learn, memorize, and apply a textbook's worth of music theory right off the bat.

Question: Why does every course, school, and jazz guru fall into the same trap?

Answer: Because they forget what it's like to be a beginner or even an intermediate improviser.

The technical term for this cognitive bias is "the curse of knowledge."

It's like handing six balls to a guy who doesn't know how to juggle, pushing him into a circus ring, and yelling:

"YOU GOT THIS!"

...as he chokes in front of the audience and completely drops the ball(s).

Listen, I'm all for pushing people out of their comfort zones, but throwing someone who can't swim in the deep end of a pool is called

MURDER

Have I got your attention?

Good.

By the way, in case we haven't met...

Hi! My name is Jeff Schneider.

And here's what I've realized over the past twenty years of teaching soloing and improvisation to thousands of students all over the world:

Improvising doesn't actually need to feel like you're juggling six balls while riding a unicycle.

Even if you're new to improvising...

IT IS POSSIBLE TO PLAY SOLOS THAT SOUND GREAT... WITHOUT FEELING LIKE YOUR BRAIN IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE.

The problem is there aren't any user-friendly methods out there for learning how to improvise that help you sound better...right away.

Instead, you have to practice for months or even years before noticing any difference in your playing. Meanwhile, you're frustrated, overwhelmed, and feeling bad about how much your solos suck.

TRUST ME, I'VE BEEN THERE.

When I was starting out, I spent years practicing 8+ hours a day with little noticeable improvement – at least to my standards.

Truthfully, I almost quit multiple times, but my teachers talked me out of it.

I'm not here to talk you out of quitting.

(Please don't.)

But I am here to show you a way to improvise better solos right away, no matter what your skill level and no matter how much time you have to dedicate towards practicing.

If that sounds too good to be true, it's because every other course, book, or YouTube tutorial you've consumed has left you feeling confused, discouraged, and in a state of information overload.

Well, that's all about to change.

Announcing:

A NEW (AND BETTER) SYSTEM FOR LEARNING HOW TO SOLO

The Soloing System is a new approach to improvising that "meets you where you are" so that you can still sound good even if you don't have all the music theory dialed in.

"But Jeff," you say, "I'm not a complete newb. I've got a little music theory and some licks under my belt. Is this new system really going to help me?"

Yes.

As I said, The Soloing System meets you where you are whether you've been at this for three days, three months, or three years.

In fact, it's the same system I've been applying in my own playing for the past 20+ years, especially in situations where I'm improvising on difficult tunes that I don't know well.

PICTURE THIS:

Someone calls a random tune, and it's your turn to solo.

You've played this tune before, but now that you're "up at bat," you can't remember the key, the chords, or anything else for that matter.

But there's no turning back. The spotlight is on you, so you start noodling. You play a whole bunch of random notes and licks and hope for the best.

Oh, great. Now you're lost.

IS THIS THE BRIDGE?

WHERE'S BEAT ONE?

AHHHH!!!!

ALRIGHT, LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN

Someone calls a random tune, and it's your turn to solo.

You've played this tune before, but now that you're "up at bat," you can't for the life of you remember the key, the chords, or anything else for that matter.

Wait, actually you do remember something. But it has nothing to do with this specific tune.

No, you remember what you learned from The Soloing System:

MODELS

ENGINE

GESTURES

DETAILS

Suddenly, you've got a plan.

You feel your confidence coming back. You play a great solo even though the music theory is a little foggy.

And you don't get lost.

You don't lose the beat.

And you don't feel like quitting music at the end of the night.

Again, this isn't too good to be true. I've heard too many instant transformations in my students' playing to think otherwise.

Maybe you're skeptical because you've tried other courses or lessons in the past, and they didn't work.

I don't know who you studied with or in what classes you enrolled, but I bet you were handed six balls to juggle with and told, "You got this!"

HERE'S WHY THE SOLOING SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT

You're not going to learn anything about harmony until well into the second half of this course. Chords and scales are great, but they're not fundamental to a good solo.

I'm sorry to say you've been fooled into thinking that if you just memorize a few more modes, licks, or chord progressions, you'll sound amazing.

It's simply not the case.

In this course, you're going to first learn how to improvise a solid solo without any regard for pitches.

YES, IT CAN BE DONE.

(NO, IT'S NOT THAT HARD.)

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's back up for a minute. Here's an overview of The Soloing System:

In Part 1, you're going to learn the real answers to these deceptively simple questions:

1. What makes a good solo?
2. What is improvisation really?
3. Why do you go blank during your solos?

The answers to these questions are significant. Without them, the system does not work.

Check out this excerpt from Part 1 in which I reveal:

THE REAL REASON WHY SO MANY BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE IMPROVISERS END UP PLAYING MEDIOCRE SOLOS

In Part 2, you'll learn the four core steps of the System:

1. The Models (melody reconstruction)
2. The Engine (rhythmic continuity)
3. The Gestures (shape design)
4. The Details (vertical application)

Check out this excerpt from Part 2 in which I reveal:

THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPROVISATION TECHNIQUE NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

If you apply the lessons within each step, you'll hear your solos improve instantly, and it'll be so easy, you'll feel like you're cheating.

Why is it so easy?

C'mon, you should know this by now:

THE SOLOING SYSTEM MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE

You see, in this course, I cover something I call The Spectrum of Confidence.

That's confidence in your experience, confidence in the tune, confidence in the tempo at which you're playing, etc.

And depending on where you land on that spectrum, you'll know how to apply the appropriate:

Models

Engine

Gestures

and Details

Long story short, you're in control of "how many balls" you want to juggle...

When you're feeling more confident, you pick up another ball.

Feeling a little unsure of yourself? Put one or two down.

I ALMOST FORGOT!

Even though much of The Soloing System does not revolve around scales, there is a section towards the end that puts them to use.

As I mentioned above, scales aren't everything – but that doesn't mean they're not anything.

And the truth is, learning, memorizing, and internalizing scales for improvisation can be challenging. So, in order to make your practice time as efficient and effective as possible, I'm including a very special bonus:

BONUS #1

SCALE MASTERY

TOTAL VALUE: $97

HOW TO LEARN, MEMORIZE, AND INTERNALIZE SCALES FOR JAZZ IMPROVISATION

In this 90-minute video training, I'll give you my step-by-step method for learning, memorizing, and internalizing the 12-major scales. I focus on the major scales because they're the foundation for all other scales (and chords!). Once you understand the process, you can apply it to any other scale you choose.

Scale Mastery is a fantastic bonus to which you'll gain immediate access once you enroll in The Soloing System.

But I've got an even bigger treat for you...

BONUS #2

MAKING THE CHANGES

TOTAL VALUE: $297

How to Improvise Solos That Flow Through the Chord Changes

Honestly, I can't believe I'm doing this.

Giving away this course for free is probably a terrible business decision (everyone else pays $297 or more).

But Making the Changes is such a good sequel to The Soloing System that I couldn't resist including it as a bonus.

So, here's the deal...

In this six-week bonus course, you'll learn the method I use to improvise over and through any chord progression.

You see, most people improvise chord-by-chord.

But you're gonna learn how to improvise chord-to-chord. That means your solos will have a connected flow instead of sounding clunky and awkward.

In Making the Changes, I teach a method called CMC, which stands for Crane, Massage, Connectors - weird names for a serious approach to learning how to make you an outstanding improviser.

Here's just a taste of what you'll discover within...

• How to eliminate self-doubt when it’s your turn to solo. (Imagine being excited to put yourself out there and actually feeling proud when you’re done playing.)
• The 3 magic notes that can turn boring lines into sophisticated phrases. (You’re not going to find them in any scale syllabus.)
• How to keep your place in the form. (Even if you’re the one who always gets lost when it’s time to solo.)
• What to do if you know a lot of licks but your solos still sound like random phrases thrown together. (Developing a musical vocabulary is actually a good thing. But you’ll soon discover how to never run out of fresh ideas without ever having to learn another lick.)
• How to improvise pro-level solos by playing vertically AND horizontally. (You need to be able to do both or else your playing will always sound amateurish.)
• How to play fluid, non-stop eighth note lines. (Even if you’ve been fumbling around just trying to hit the "right" notes.)
• You need to learn 100 scales and modes to be able to improvise, right? Wrong! (Discover the three scales with which you can solo over the most important chord types that make up 99% of all chord progressions.)
• If the first thing you do before taking a solo is think about the chords and scales, you’ve got the order wrong. (This simple reframe is by far the fastest way to level-up your playing.)
• The 1 note to focus on that will make your phrases align perfectly with the chords in any song. (And discover how to outline a chord progression so that even if the rest of the band dropped out, a listener could still feel and hear the harmony passing by.)
• Say goodbye to rambling solos that end up sounding like musical run-on sentences. (Instead, learn musical grammar and punctuation to add concrete definition to your phrases.)
• The truth about chords and scales. (The stuff you see everyone else doing is failing, but this new method is easier and actually makes you sound good!)

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But what if you want to hear and study how the material in Making the Changes translates to actual solos?

Read on...

Bonus #3

Solos on Standards

TOTAL VALUE: $37

Solos on Standards gives you the "case studies" you need to fully internalize the lessons in Making the Changes.

In this collection of etudes, you'll get 25 written solos on popular chord progressions, including:

• All of Me
• All the Things You Are
• Autumn Leaves
• Billie's Bounce
• Blackbird
• Blue Bossa
• Cherokee
• Confirmation
• Days of Wine and Roses
• Giant Steps
• Just the Two of Us
• Misty
• New York State of Mind
• On Green Dolphin Street
• St. Thomas
• Someday My Prince Will Come
• The Chicken
• Rhythm Changes
• Solar
• So What
• Stablemates
• Stella by Starlight
• Take the A Train

Play along using the recordings and then practice on your own with the included backing tracks.

Oh, and by the way...there are even more bonuses:

Bonus #4

Improvising with the Blues Scale

(without sounding like an amateur)

TOTAL VALUE: $297

HOW TO PLAY RIDICULOUSLY SOULFUL SOLOS

(WITH JUST ONE SCALE)

I must be going mad.

Giving away another $297 course??

Honestly, I just want this investment in developing your improvising skills to be as much of a no-brainer as possible.

Why?

Because I know the systems that I teach are going to transform your soloing, and I can't wait to help make a difference in your playing.

So, without further adieu, let me tell you about Improvising with the Blues Scale (without sounding like an amateur).

Maybe you've heard of the blues scale before. Maybe you even know how to play it on your instrument.

But the real question is:

"ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HOW YOU SOUND?"

I ask because, unfortunately, most musicians sound completely amateurish while improvising with the blues scale.

If that's you, don't worry.

The truth is, when I first started improvising with the blues scale, I sounded, well...green.

It took me many, many years to figure out the secret sauce for making the blues scale sound slick and soulful instead of corny and clumsy.

And now my goal is to save you a whole bunch of time, energy, and frustration by revealing the quickest and easiest way to ignite your solos with this one simple but often misused and misunderstood scale.

In the course, you'll also discover:

• Why so many improvisers sound amateurish while improvising with the blues scale, and how to avoid the common pitfalls which lead to that “newbie” sound
• A simple way to make the blues scale sound even bluesier with a trick called “embedding”
• The music theory secrets behind what makes the blues scale sound bluesy. Once you understand the blues scale blueprint, you’ll be able to easily add soul to any line in any context.
• How pro-level musicians improvise with the blues scale differently than beginners (and the step-by-step system you can use to get rid of that amateurish quality in your playing and start sounding like a pro)
• How the hidden benefits of getting good at improvising with the blues scale will level-up even your non-bluesy solos
• Why focusing on one short scale can improve your solos far more than a bunch of different scales, modes, and arpeggios, which can clog your brain and paralyze your playing
• How to easily learn and memorize the blues scale in any key by referring to an even easier scale you already know
• Most improvisers reach for the mixolydian scale when soloing over dominant 7 chords. Sure, the theory may “add up,” but in this course you’ll learn how and why the blues scale is far superior to all others when it comes to playing lines that have that soulful edge you’ve been after.
• How to integrate the blues scale into solos over obscure chord changes like Giant Steps (Hint: you need to analyze the “harmonic rhythm” first.)
• How to phrase with the blues scale to bring every lick you play to life and make even the simplest of lines sound great
• The blues scale only works on a 12-bar blues, right? Wrong! You’ll learn how to make all the notes in the blues scale sound SICK over any chord.

Yes, that’s a tremendous amount of tools, strategies, and techniques for saturating your solos with ridiculous amounts of bluesy soul, but it gets better because you’re also getting…

BONUS #5

THE ULTIMATE BLUES SCALE LICK PACK

TOTAL VALUE: $33

In order to learn a language you need to learn vocabulary. Just knowing the notes to a scale is like memorizing the alphabet without understanding how to arrange the letters into words that others can understand.

The Ultimate Blues Scale Lick Pack is your new go-to dictionary for blues scale lines that are drenched in soul.

The 75 licks included in the pack range from must-know classic blues scale phrases to more modern and obscure blues scale lines that will give your solos a fresh and contemporary flavor.

The sheet music is transposed into all 12 keys, bass and treble clef, with the note names written in the note heads for non-readers. Plus, you’ll be able to hear how each lick sounds by referencing the included live audio recordings!

But the bonuses don't end there...

BONUS #6

The Blues Scale: Action & Analysis

TOTAL VALUE: $97

The Blues Scale: Action & Analysis consists of six blues scale etudes on popular chord progressions like “Sunny,” “Pick Up the Pieces,” “All the Things You Are,” and “In a Sentimental Mood.”

These written solos will show you how to use the blues scale in a real solo as opposed to the individual licks you get in The Ultimate Blues Scale Lick Pack.

You’ll also get recordings of each solo and backing tracks so you can play along and hear how the etudes sound over the chord changes.

As always, the sheet music is transposed for C, Bb, Eb, and bass clef instruments.

So that’s the “Action” part of this bonus material.

But the “Analysis” component is even cooler…

I’ve included over an hour of explainer videos for each etude in which I break down the music theory, compositional approach, and phrasing for each line.

The Blues Scale: Action & Analysis is an amazing course in and of itself, but I’m including it for free as a bonus because the lessons are so complementary to Improvising with the Blues Scale (without sounding like an amateur).

Here’s just a fraction of what you’ll learn:

• When and how to mix the major and minor blues scales for maximum soul
• How to resolve tension in your solos to create satisfying lines that sound polished and professional
• Why developing your ideas is so important for improvising a cohesive solo (PLUS how to repeat yourself creatively so you don’t sound boring and plain)
• The secrets of “musical punctuation” – how to turn wimpy strings of notes into pro-level lines
• How to use pivot notes and melodic voice leading in your solos to smoothly transition through awkward key changes
• The “Dissonance on Dominants” model that makes it easy to know when you should use the major or minor blues scale
• A weird way to play triplets that creates a rhythmic illusion guaranteed to instantly modernize your solos
• How to use a select few non-diatonic notes to create a bluesy “edge” in any line
• How to increase energy and intensity in your solos without needing to play really fast
• The hidden shapes within the blues scale that will breathe new life into your blues scale lines
• 3 bluesy ways to use grace notes to sneak some soul into any solo
• A sight reading trick that makes reading sheet music so much easier
• The “octave trick” that transforms short, stuttering note dribbles into long, flowing lines that sound great and are easy to play
• How to phrase syncopated lines so they sound natural and hip
• How to “rhyme” your lines to make anything you play sound like it “belongs” … even if you played a whole bunch of mistakes
• The tempo trap that 99% of improvisers fall into and how to avoid it
• Why “machine gun” phrasing will make you sound like a robot and how to humanize your blues lines so they sound natural and slick
• Unconventional yet simple rhythms that will eliminate boring solos for good
• How to analyze patterns in “skips & steps” to 10x your blues scale vocabulary
• The “Q&A” composing trick that will make your improvised solos sound refined instead of random

But wait, you guessed it, there's more...

BONUS #7

Perfect Practice

TOTAL VALUE: $77

The Musician’s Guide To Practicing Smarter, Learning Faster, And Playing Better

In this bonus video course, I’ll share with you my top tips, strategies, and techniques for getting motivated, staying focused, and making your practice time as efficient and effective as possible.

Listen, if you don’t like wasting time, you’re not alone. I can’t stand it either.

And that’s why I’ve spent years developing the practice strategies and mindsets I’ll be giving you in this bonus course:

• What to practice first to get better FAST. (The thing that everyone seems to forget even though it’s common sense.)
• Why waiting for inspiration to strike is never a good idea. (Discover the "pro" mindset that will reframe the way you feel about practicing.)
• How to practice even if you’re extremely busy with work, family, and other real-world concerns. (Because you need to practice 8 hours a day to make any real improvement, right? Wrong! Learn the perfect amount of time to spend practicing each day – it’s less than you think.)
• How to stay motivated and consistent. (Especially when sitting down to practice is the last thing you want to do.)
• Say goodbye to negative self-talk in the practice room. (Even if you’re a self-critical perfectionist like me.)
• What to do if you’re putting in the time but not getting any better. (If this is you, it’s crucial that you address this issue immediately.)
• Why listening back to recordings of yourself is invaluable. (Even if it feels like absolute torture.)
• How to practice when you’re traveling and away from your instrument. (Don’t miss out on valuable training time while in the car or on a plane.)

BONUS #8

Licks for Days

TOTAL VALUE: $33

Spoiler alert: Learning licks is not the secret to becoming a great improviser, just like memorizing a bunch of fancy words won’t make you a great writer or speaker. But building a strong vocabulary is an important part of becoming fluent in any language – including music.

Licks for Days is the perfect companion for Making the Changes because you’ll have learned the skills necessary to understand and internalize music on a deep level.

Read and play along with recordings of me through over 100 licks perfect for jazz, blues, R&B, and pop solos. The lines are conveniently transposed for you in all 12 keys and cover the most common chord types, including:

• Major 7 Chords
• Minor 7 Chords
• Dominant 7 Chords
• Half-Diminished 7 Chords
• Fully Diminished 7 Chords

BONUS #9

One Month of Access to The Shed

TOTAL VALUE: $47

Here's the truth...

The best way to get better at soloing is to ask questions, get answers, and receive personal feedback on your playing. The Shed is a monthly membership that offers all that and more.

When you enroll in The Soloing Bootcamp, you'll also get one month of free access to The Shed – an exclusive online community of passionate musicians who are serious about getting better at improvising.

And as a member of The Shed, you get to attend our live group coaching calls over Zoom, which happen twice a month! On the calls, you can ask me questions directly, request feedback on your playing, and connect with other members in the group.

And if you can't make the live calls, no worries – everything gets recorded, and you're more than welcome to submit questions in advance.

Okay, time for the last bonus (I promise)...

BONUS #10

27+ Hours of Recorded Group Coaching Calls

TOTAL VALUE: $197

Not only do you get one month of free access to live group coaching calls in The Shed, you'll also gain access to 27+ hours of recorded Q&A calls exclusive to members of Making the Changes and Improvising with the Blues Scale.

There's so much inspiration and information on these calls – you can "drop in" on any of them and discover something new.

Alright, let's recap...

HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU GET WHEN YOU ENROLL IN THE SOLOING SYSTEM TODAY:

• THE SOLOING SYSTEM $397

• SCALE MASTERY $97

• Making the Changes $297

• Solos on Standards $37

• Improvising with the Blues Scale $297

• The Ultimate Blues Scale Lick Pack $33

• The Blues Scale: Action & Analysis $97

• Perfect Practice $77

• Licks for Days $33

• One-Month Access to The Shed $47

• 27+ Hours of Recorded Group Coaching Calls $197

TOTAL VALUE: $1609

GET EVERYTHING FOR JUST $297!

It's a ridiculous deal, and enrollment closes soon.

But if you sign up now, you can have it all and start transforming your solos today.

No more waiting around, wishing you were better at improvising.

Follow me down the rabbit hole, and I'll show you how it's done in a way that makes sense, gets instant results, and makes you proud of the way you sound.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

"COMING UP WITH STUFF ON THE SPOT HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY HARD"

SAXOPHONIST DAVID BRADY RECOMMENDS THE SOLOING SYSTEM TO A FELLOW STUDENT ON A GROUP COACHING CALL:

David: Would it be appropriate to give a plug for one of your courses here?

Jeff: If you want to do it...

David: I figured you wouldn't.

I'm working through The Soloing System right now, and it really helps. It breaks it down super simple. You start with just rhythms and working on phrasing and then start adding in some notes.

And it's been helping me a lot to figure out, on the spot, what to do – rather than working everything out ahead of time. That's where I am at least in my playing is...yeah, I can memorize a solo, but coming up with stuff on the spot has been really, really hard, and The Soloing System kind of breaks it down into step-by-step.

It's helping me to be more spontaneous and musical. Really, really simple.

Jeff: Thank you, David. Good thing I recorded this call.

What Other Students Are Saying About the Course:

Alright, time to make your move...

ARE YOU READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYING AND START IMPROVISING THE KINDS OF SOLOS YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY?

Let's do this.

Thanks for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope you enjoy The Soloing Bootcamp!

Happy shedding,

Jeff Schneider