To make the most of your time at SJW, start preparing now! Regular practice will help you feel more confident and ready to dive into the music. We recommend playing your instrument or singing daily, beginning four to six weeks before camp. Here are three key areas to focus on before you arrive:

1. Scales
Start by reviewing your major scales. If you’re a beginner, focus on 1–4 major scales to build confidence. If you’re more advanced, aim to cover all 12 major scales. Once you’ve mastered those, challenge yourself to learn both the harmonic minor and melodic minor scales—they’ll give you more tools for improvisation.

2. Arpeggios & Chords
Next, review arpeggios built from your scales. Begin with major 7th arpeggios (1, 3, 5, 7 of each major scale). Once those feel comfortable, add dominant 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished 7th, and fully diminished 7th arpeggios. These are the building blocks of jazz harmony and will help you navigate tunes more easily.

3. Jazz Repertoire
Finally, spend time reviewing or learning jazz tunes. Start with the 15 classic camp tunes available in our web player—they’re perfect for getting your ears and fingers ready. If you already know those, create your own list of 5–15 tunes you’d like to learn or revisit. Building a personal repertoire is at the heart of becoming a jazz musician.

By investing time in preparation, you’ll arrive at SJW ready to play, learn, and connect with fellow musicians. See you at camp!