Recently in Practice Material Category

Bebop scale, using chromatics between the 3rd and root, and starting on a non chord tone, using the "enclosure" method to get to the 3rd by the second beat.

  

Here's a little demo video, made on ustream.tv:

From a free lesson by Bill Rinehart on:

 http://www.jazzpianoonline.com/improvisationtheconcept.html:

Wow. I mean, wow. I was blessed to hang out with Kenny Werner for over an hour today. First of all, I have to echo the sentiment of the woman behind the desk at Yoshi's, in San Francisco, where we had our lesson. She told me what a sweet man Kenny is, and that a very few of Yoshi's artists ever take the time to give lessons. As I said, I must echo that sentiment. Kenny's willingness and enthusiasm to share what he's learned shone through for the entire hour plus.

First we played together on "In Your Own Sweet Way". That alone made the trip worth making, for me.

I told him that I'd been using his "Effortless Mastery" stuff (steps 1 - 4) for a few years, and although I've been inconsistent, the methods have never failed to change my playing positively. He suggested that I treat practice like brushing my teeth. I don't brush my teeth thinking "I'm going to have the best tooth brushing ever," each time. I just regularly do it. Even if I have a relatively spectacular tooth brushing in the morning, I still brush in the evening. I don't think, "OK, if I brush my teeth for six more months, I'll never have to brush again."

I asked him for a tune composing process. He shared a cool method.

1. Pick four notes (at random).
2. Randomly assign a chord flavor to each note (he's somewhat partial to aeolian, and maj7th#5 types of flavors).
3. Using good voice leading principals, work through the progression.
4. Let the good voice leading suggest melodies, and practice the progression.
5. Throughout these steps, edit, edit, edit!

We chose the notes first (taking turns). We chose B,A,Eb, and Bb. Then, we did the same for chord qualities, and chose 7+9, Maj7+5, aeolian, sus7. So, we had: B7+9, AMaj7+5, Eb-(aeolian), Bbsus7. He demonstrated some beautiful voicings and voice leadings (have to listen to the audio). Then, to extend it some, we listed the notes again, and gave them different chords.

B-(dorian), A7+11, Ebsus7, Bb-6 (later edited to BbMaj7#5)

Played each chord for 4 mm and we had a 32 bar tune. Then he changed it some more, playing the first 4 chords for 4mm, and the second 4 chords twice 2mm each, transposing the B-(dorian) down a minor third, and the Ebsus7 down to Dsus7 on the second time.

Kenny shared that "Time Remembered" by Bill Evans was a seminal tune that crossed the modal stuff (late 50s... exemplified my Miles Davis' "So What"), to the more free/unpredictable harmonic movement (60s, exemplified by Bill Evans' "Very Early"). It moves largely in the cycle of fourths, but uses chord qualities other that dominant (lots of minors), which really changes the flavor! I want to study that tune some more.

I asked Kenny how he remembers those tunes that don't move in predictable ways and patterns. He pointed to "Step 4" in his process. Learn to mastery (using his techniques of finding that focused relaxed space) small manageable chunks of tunes, until the entire tune just "plays itself", without any concerted effort from the musician.

I knew that. ;-)

He related daily practice, in the above stated manner, to brushing one's teeth. It doesn't really matter if, this morning, I have the very best brushing session that I've ever had... tonight I will brush again. In addition, my muscles pretty much know what to do while I'm brushing my teeth. I don't really need to think too much. It's close to effortless. Now, my goal is to be able to play "Time Remembered", and "Very Early", and "Giant Steps" with the same effortlessness.

Anyway, there's much more, and hopefully I'll write more, but I'm going to publish this now.

Here's a cool document showing and organizing scales:

Download pdf file

Here's an excersie using the modes of the Melodic Minor to practice ii V7s in minor.

View image

For the benefit of all musicians. Feel free to print and use the Staff Papers and Tablatures on this site.

This site will always remain a free service!

The Printable Staff Paper Page

This is a collection of over 500 Real Book tunes in "Band in a Box" format.
This focuses mostly on Jazz but there is some Pop stuff as well. The versions
of these songs were NOT... done by our friends at P.G. Music

RealBook - Phillips Music

Check this out for some fake book resources: Index of /~arnost/musik/fakebook

In this session, we talked about upcoming Jazz Performances in the Valley, and last night's performance by Bud Shank at Two Rivers park in Glenwood Springs. We then reviewed the cycle exercises and played through them in several different ways. We studied how the cycle would sound using 7th chord harmonies and ii-V progressions. We spent time looking at the 7-b7-6-1 cycle and how the melody of that pattern defines the 7th (of the dominant chord) to the 3rd (of the tonic chord) voice leading, and just how important the 7th to 3rd movement is.

We made some summer goals, which include:

• Play all the cycle exercises we've been working on, and the bebop scales at 118 beats/min.
• Buy 4 jazz CD's from the Historical Recordings list, and wear them out!
• Learn at least 2 tunes in every key:
• Beginning group
• Summertime
• Blue Bossa
• Advanced Group
• Stella By Starlight
• Just Friends

Next time, those interested will rehearse with the Denver group for the Jazz Aspen festival performance.