Oz Noy

Oz Noy weaves a seemingly endless stream of colors into a fabric of jazz, rock, and blues that is uniquely his own.

That Oz’s musical vocabulary is so diverse and unpredictable is no surprise. Across these two compact conversations, Oz demonstrates in hands-on fashion how he develops both his technique and his vocabulary. And it’s far from the kind of rigidly exercise-driven approach we might consider conventional. Instead, it’s a process of controlled chaos and experimentation that throws harmony, fretboard shapes, and picking techniques into a blender to see what comes out.

Oz will tell you he doesn’t think much about his phenomenal technique. Then he’ll spend five minutes demonstrating subtleties of forearm position, hand anchoring, tracking, and muting that has taken us years of interviews to uncover. So clearly, there is awareness. Oz’s gift is how he employs and directs that awareness from a distance, so that it has room to find the music naturally.

The ability to develop complex physical skills by feel is not just a mark of elite musicians like Oz. It’s a power that transcends music and extends to the core of human learning. This thoroughly fun pair of conversations is a great window into how that process can work in the hands of a master.

Interview 1

Oz Noy Interview 1

Oz's intuitive picking mechanics and fretboard navigation strategies

 

Excerpts

 

Interview 1 Clips

 

Interview 2

Oz Noy Interview 2

Harmony, chords, and seeing the fretboard horizontally

 

Excerpts

 

Interview 2 Clips