Do You Need To Have Your Own Style?

What are the advantages of having your own style and do you need it to play better music? Or is it maybe not something you should spend time on at all? How to learn jazz guitar and think about developing a personal style.

This is going to be a little philosophical and it is a video that is coming out of a long conversation with a student, and also from similar discussions through the years.

Content:
0:00 Intro
0:56 What is having a style?
1:17 The Styles of Scofield, Wes and Frisell
2:18 Why do You need to have a style?
3:01 What You Control
3:28 What You Don't Control
4:29 Your Taste is a Musical Filter
5:16 Why I didn't like Oscar Peterson
5:49 When is Your style getting in the way
6:28 What A Student should never say!
7:02 History, but don't only look back
7:50 Do You Need To Have Your Own Style?
8:44 Don't close the door on other styles
9:21 Give yourself room to grow!
9:47 Like the video? Check out my Patreon Page

✅DOWNLOAD A FREE E-BOOK with 15 II Valt I licks!
Sign up for my newsletter:

Edited by Luciano Poli

My Gear:

[rickymolina]

Totally agree that it's important to have an open mind and ears when it comes to development. I think style also has a lot to do with the kind of instruments that you play (and can afford). I used to only play a Martin D-18, a Les Paul, a Strat and a classical guitar. Each has its limitations. When I got more into jazz, I bought an archtop, (and then another, and another...) Today I find that each guitar that I have and play sort of drives me in a particular direction. This could be psychological and/or it could be the instrument itself - the sound I get from each is noticeably different - the playability and comfort of my fingers on the fretboard, the action - all these factors make me want to play in a certain style (whether it be chordal, solo, chord melody, strumming, etc.). Thank you.

[b_olson]

This in a nutshell is why the "best guitarist ever" conversation threads are so ridiculous. Well done, maestro.

[jazzsingerlady]

So applicable to all instruments! Thank you for this.

[vishyoutubevideos]

Love these motivational style videos, Jens. Keep em coming.

[sixstringswl]

Swear I was just thinking about this today!!! Impeccable timing!!!

[RCSmiths]

Really truthful advice here my man. I feel like this is a depends on the player kinda of situation. You can learn to have your feel and style, but at the same time you can learn and pay tribute to styles that one may credit to their roots. Great work man!

[Gusrikh]

Very interesting and certainly well presented..

[hubertvancalenbergh]

I think style evolves just as much from musical limitation as it does from unusual prowess.

[shadowulf]

Great topic
I'm going through a transion in style after dealing with a roadblock in my playing.
I was having a hard time working in different chords and voicings. I finally switched to a differnt tuning, and worked on learning it for about 2 months.
It forced me out of a comfort zone, built an appreciation for using diffent voicings, got my hands "out of the box" and opened me up to a couple styles that I thought were just not in my range.


I'm not necessarily a "jazz player", but a lot of what you teach crosses over for many styles.
Thanks and I'm looking foreward to the next video.

[nickburmanmusic]

Great great video, Jens. This is the kind of thing I'm looking for. It's so interesting to know what other players think about and how they think of their own playing. Knowing the Scofield couldn't play alternate picking makes me feel a lot better! I have spent a LOT of time, on and off over the years, trying to play faster, and it's just not working. Also, I found that anytime I would think that I needed to play faster, I would find some methods, go through the exercises and realise that I just didn't like the sound of the music I was trying to play!! There comes a point in your life when you have to focus (none of us are getting any younger), be honest, and practise what you need, what you enjoy, and what is beneficial. You can't play everything, just play like YOU.


Thanks again, Jens. Please make more motivational/thinking videos.

[petealba]

Beautiful lesson. In America we often say "You are what you eat". Musicians also develop an identity through what they learn and what they don't learn (sometimes by choice, sometimes sometimes not). Santana clearly loves Mixolydian and Dorian but you don't hear him play phrygian much. Iron Maiden - different story, the guitar players often use phrygian and those sounds define their styles.

[paulpmanhowland]

I really enjoyed this video Jens, I don't have much to add as I think it was very thorough and along the same as my thinking on the topic. I agree that one can use weaknesses in ones own playing as elements of a personal style, for example piano players with smaller hands who find interesting material that doesn't require great stretches across the keyboard. I do think that some things that might be thought of as being in the "out of control" category can be addressed in ones practice regimen if one has a strong desire to play things that require specific techniques (in many cases, as you point out later in the video, certain things that are stylistic hallmarks of a particular genre of music need to be addressed if one is to be a legitimate player in that genre, there are a few notable exceptions like Snooks Eaglin, a guitar player who is primarily associated with Blues and Rhythm and Blues who almost never bends notes). I especially liked the section of the video on "Don't close the door on other styles" along with my interest in Jazz Guitar, I'm also very interested in playing Reggae, R&B and to a lesser extent Country. I think your comments on "What you control" does a great job explaining with how ones interests and pursuits stylistically, organically contribute to the development of an individual style. Well, that was a pretty long winded comment from myself after stating that I didn't have much to add, but I love this sort of conversation and thinking.

[michaelfitzurka]

as always applicable to any instrument at all levels of accomplishment. ty

[FrancisLeclercGuitariste]

Very interesting and helpful for any musician. Thank you!

[JensLarsen]

What is the role of style in learning guitar and Jazz? Really curious about your input on this one! :)
Content:
0:00 Intro (bit of a ballad of mine)
0:56 What is having a style?
1:17 The Styles of Scofield, Wes and Frisell
2:18 Why do You need to have a style?
3:01 What You Control
3:28 What You Don't Control
4:29 Your Taste is a Musical Filter
5:16 Why I didn't like Oscar Peterson
5:49 When is Your style getting in the way
6:28 What A Student should never say!
7:02 History, but don't only look back
7:50 Do You Need To Have Your Own Style?
8:44 Don't close the door on other styles
9:21 Give yourself room to grow!
9:47 Like the video? Check out my Patreon Page

[tomcripps]

Excellent topic Jens. I've always loved Wes Montgomery but had a hard time understanding most of what he was playing until recently. I think that's part of the process of forging my own path. Sometimes we have to learn other styles before we can actually understand our favorites. And it has helped me with music that's not jazz as well. I know players who can copy a song note for note which is impressive but whenever I try to copy I come with something a little different. Our ears can play tricks with us in that sense.

[randommuiscchannel]

Very interesting topic. I think style evolves from technical and perhaps even physical ability and natural tastes. For example, I never felt comfortable playing with a pick so double picking speed riffs or sweep picking is not something I gravitate to but still appreciate those who have integrated that into their playing and style. So listening to Wes Montgomery and others who don’t play with a pick is important to me. But other favorites include Joe Pass, Pat Metheny and George Benson for other reasons.

[khonrimklong]

Thank you for Jazz lesson from you. I am guitarist from Thailand.

[ЯнТитаренко-мз]

Hi Jens! Thanks for content that you're doing and publishing, it's very helpful for me and other guitarists who are starting learning jazz and professional guitarists. For me your channel is incredibly important, because in Ukraine we have problems with jazz teachers and schools (we don't have normal jazz schools) so your videos are very helpful. I know that you have couple of videos about learning scales, but for me this topic is still quiet not understandable. For example: I've learned C major in all 7 positions. Now I want to move to F major, but what is the point of playing same patterns but just in another place on fretboard? Maybe I just don't understand something, so I hope that you'll answer. One more time, thank you very much for everything, you've done for jazz guitar community. Greetings from Ukraine🇺🇦 .

[ChuloDavidcito]

Jens, great exhortation on keeping the mind open! I do hear some examples of these "blocks": "They play too many notes, I want feel, not technique".... "All modern music is crap"... "all old music is crap".... "Player X is the only one worth listening to".... "I don't really listen to people, I just listen to myself" - that last one was a guitar teacher I had for a short while. :)