Start with Sound
Turn musical ideas into creative instincts.
The gap between understanding and playing
Most improvisers aren’t short of information.
They know scales.
They know chords.
They know theory.
But when it’s time to improvise, those ideas don’t always come out naturally.
Phrases feel forced.
The music doesn’t flow.
Practice doesn’t seem to transfer into real playing.
The missing piece usually isn’t more information.
It’s learning to hear, internalise and use musical ideas so that they become instincts you can actually rely on when you play.
From ideas to instincts
Three simple steps
Hear it
Start with the sound itself.
Learn to recognise musical ideas clearly by ear before worrying about scales, theory or labels.
Listen first, analyse later.
→
Use it
Musical ideas need to be experienced, not just understood.
Simple exercises and guided practice help bridge the gap between understanding an idea and actually making music with it.
→
Own it
Explore, adapt and develop ideas creatively.
Make ideas your own, so they become part of the way you naturally hear, create and improvise.
About Me
I’m Mike Chillingworth, jazz saxophonist, composer and educator.
I perform internationally, have released two albums as a bandleader, and have spent more than twenty years helping musicians develop as improvisers.
Again and again I’ve seen the same challenge: many improvisers understand scales, chords and theory, but still struggle to turn that understanding into music.
The Sound Kitchen exists to help bridge that gap, giving musicians practical ways to turn musical ideas into instincts they can trust when they play.
Start Here
If you’re new to The Sound Kitchen, these videos are a great place to start.
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![A man wearing glasses and headphones standing in front of a microphone with the text 'That's it?' on a black background.]()
2-5-1s Are Just Two Sounds
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![A man with glasses and a beard holding a microphone in front of a music sheet with annotations, and large text saying '45 CHORDS!?']()
Jazz Standards Are WAY Simpler Than You Think
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![A man wearing glasses and headphones is holding a saxophone and sitting in front of a microphone, with sheet music titled 'My Shining Hour' beside him. The background is dark blue with large text that says 'THAT'S ALL?'.]()
Practicing Jazz Standards Is WAY Simpler Than You Think
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![Mike Chillingworth playing the saxophone. Text reads 'Monk Knew This']()
One Shape. Every Chord. No Thinking
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![Mike Chillingworth playing the saxophone. The background features large text that says 'JUST DO THIS' and a triplet pattern with the lyrics 'Doo-dle a Doo-dle a Doo-dle a...']()
How To Actually Play In The Pocket
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![Mike Chillingworth standing against a blackboard with the text 'Scale + Chord = Music?']()
You Don't Need More Scales
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![Mike Chillingworth looking into the camera holding a saxophone, with text overlay that reads 'DEXTER KNEW THIS'.]()
Two Notes. Every Chord. Total Control.
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![Mike Chillingworth holding a saxophone looking into the camera, with a text overlay that reads 'NO DIRECTION?'.]()
Why Modal Jazz Solos Lack Direction (And How To Fix It)
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![Mike Chillingwo pointing his finger upward, with a microphone in front of him. On the right side, there is a large text that says "STOP RESETTING" and a graphic of a reset button with the words "RESET DON'T PRESS" on it.]()
Stop Resetting Your Jazz Lines When The Chords Change
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![Mike Chillingworth holding a saxophone looking into the camera, with a text overlay that reads 'FEEL THE FORM'.]()
Stop Getting Lost in Jazz Solos (Without Counting)
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![Mike Chillingworth playing the saxophone looking into the camera, with a text overlay that reads 'STOP COLLECTING LICKS' on a blue background.]()
One Lick Is All You Need
