Recommended Products For Musicians
We only recommend products that we personally use. They’re things we use a lot. Things that have helped us significantly and continue to help us improve.
Zoom H2 Recorder
The Zoom H2 recorder is awesome. We use it to record practice sessions, lessons, rehearsals, and pretty much any concert we go to. It can discreetly fit in your jacket pocket and has exceptional recording capacity. Batteries with devices like these go fast, so pick up some rechargeable batteries to go with it.
Transcribe Software
This is the best transcribing software we’ve found. We use it daily. It does everything you’d want. Easily loops section, slows them down while retaining pitch, changes selections to any key. The great Michael Brecker, one of the best musicians to ever live, endorsed Transcribe, saying “I use Transcribe! to assist with the process of transcribing. It is a great piece of software and I would recommend it to every musician.”
Wittner metronome
A metronome like this Wittner metronome is essential. Whether you get this one or another, you gotta have one. This one’s nice because it doesn’t use batteries. Simply wind it up and you’re good to go. It’s also very durable and will last for a long time.
Timer
A timer is essential to practicing efficiently. Simple and effective.
Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine
Mark Levine’s Jazz Piano Book is great, especially for non-pianists. He holds your hand the whole way, building you up from two-note voicings.
Bob Mintzer piano book
Bob Mintzer’s book Play Jazz Piano is not easy. The etudes and concepts are quite difficult for the non-pianist, however, if you put the time in, you will learn a lot from this book.
Keyboard
I’ve had the M-Audio Axiom for a few years now and it has served my purposes well.
AKG microphone
Having an inexpensive yet versatile microphone like the AKG Perception 220 has allowed me to attain fairly high recording capabilities without breaking the bank. Of course any recording engineer will tell you it’s crap…but what isn’t when you’re comparing to several thousand dollar microphones? It’s a good deal for the money.
Logic Studio
Investing in Logic Studio is a great move. You’ll be blown away by this extremely powerful program and friendly user interface.
Training the Ear books 1 & 2 by Armen Donelian
Training the Ear volume 1 and Training the Ear volume 2 by Armen Donelian are wonderful ear training books for self-study. He provides an entire plan to develop a great ear specifically for the improvising musician.
Reharmonization Techniques by Randy Felts
This book on Reharmonization Techniques by Randy Felts does a great job at conveying why progressions progress the way they do. He gives you a solid review of the basics, filling in any gaps you may have, and then illustrates many reliable techniques to reharmonize tunes.
