Stop. Wait. Then Play.

👉 Free PDF: https://subscribepage.io/leave-space Includes all five levels of the exercise so you can return to the game in your own practice sessions, as well as a link to the free Guided Play-Along video so you can try this for yourself. ⸻ 🎥 Guided Play-Along: The free Guided Play-Along video is for mailing list subscribers only - sign up here to get the free PDF and a link to the play-along video: https://subscribepage.io/leave-space ⸻ Most jazz players worry about what notes to play. Which scale. Which chord tones. Which licks. But often the real problem isn’t choosing notes — it’s playing too much. In this video I’ll show you a simple practice game that trains you to use space deliberately, so your ideas feel intentional, your solos develop shape, and the notes you do play really land. The idea is inspired by the way great players like Miles Davis use silence as part of the music — letting the rhythm section carry the momentum while they wait for the right moment to speak. You’ll learn a structured practice game that gradually trains you to become comfortable leaving space in your improvisation. Over time it helps you: • stop filling every bar automatically • develop clearer phrasing • play ideas that actually mean something ⸻ The goal isn’t to copy anyone else’s phrasing. It’s to become comfortable with silence, so that when you do play, your ideas sound intentional and connected. If you try this game in your own practice, let me know how it goes in the comments. ⸻ Subscribe for weekly videos with improvisation tips and practical games designed to turn musical concepts into instincts you can rely on when you’re actually playing. ⸻ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxd7Pi3j5K8 ⸻ Buy Mike a coffee ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/thesoundkitchen