The Gardening Effect of Jazz Guitar: Are You a Seeder or a Gardener?

Hey, fellow jazz guitar nerds! Ever feel like you're practicing, putting in the hours, but your playing still feels...meh? Like you've got a whole garden of half-grown plants, but instead of a beautiful bloom, it's just a chaotic mess?

Some days, your jazz playing feels fresh and vibrant—you hit the changes, your comping flows, and the solos? Chef's kiss. Other days, it's like you're tossing seeds into the wind, hoping something sticks. Welcome to what I call The Gardening Effect of jazz guitar.

This little analogy explains the difference between players who make real progress and those who stay stuck spinning their wheels. And trust me, understanding this can change your whole practice game. Let's break it down.

The Two Types of Jazz Guitarists

There are two kinds of jazz guitarists: Seeders and Gardeners. And spoiler alert—you don’t want to be either. Here’s why:

The Seeder Mindset

If you're a seeder, you obsess over new things. New scales, new arpeggios, new licks. You're constantly planting musical seeds but never actually tending to them.

Picture this: You learn a cool ii-V-I lick on Monday, a hip tritone sub on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, you're already down a YouTube rabbit hole learning some wild diminished stuff. But when it comes time to jam with a buddy, you freeze up. "What do you want to play?" "I dunno, what do you want to play?" Sound familiar?

Seeders constantly chase new material but never stick around long enough to let anything grow. You water a seed once, plant five more, and when nothing blooms, you think, "Maybe I need a new amp?" (Nope, sorry—it's not the amp.)

The Gardener Mindset

Gardeners, on the other hand, focus on growing and maintaining what they've already planted. Instead of chasing every new thing, they prune, water, and nurture their existing skills.

When a gardener sits down to practice, it's about refinement. They take a simple ii-V-I and explore it deeply. What happens if you change the voicing? What if you play it rubato? What if you add a chromatic enclosure?

It’s not about learning 50 new things—it’s about playing one thing 50 different ways.

And guess what? This approach leads to smoother solos, more confident comping, and actual, noticeable progress.

So... Are You a Seeder or a Gardener?

If you're feeling stuck, take a breath and ask yourself:

• Am I constantly chasing new material without ever mastering anything?

• Do I jump from one concept to another, hoping something magically clicks?

• Can I play through a jazz standard from start to finish comfortably?

If you're nodding along, it might be time to shift from seeding to gardening.

How to Start Tending Your Musical Garden

Here are a few practical steps to become a musical gardener:

1. Pick a Few Seeds and Stick with Them

   • Instead of learning 10 new licks this week, choose one and play it in every key, every position, and over different tempos.

2. Deep Dive into Tunes

   • Don’t just skim standards. Pick one and learn it inside out. Play the melody, comp the changes, improvise, and explore substitutions.

3. Revisit and Refine

   • Go back to old material and make it better. If you learned a solo last year, revisit it and find new ways to phrase it.

4. Trust the Process

   • Mastery isn’t about collecting more information—it’s about deepening your understanding of the basics.

Final Thoughts

Michael Brecker once showed a simple pattern and was asked, "How long should I practice this?" His answer? "That's for this year, man."

So, my friend, it’s time to stop seeding and start gardening. Pick a few things and go deep. Your playing will thank you.

And hey, if you want a structured way to water your musical garden, check out the Jazz Guitar Accelerator System—your all-in-one guide to leveling up your jazz guitar skills.

Now go water those musical plants, and I'll see you in the shed!