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For this month's "chords and harmony" topic I've written up an article focusing on tensions and several ways to use them effectively when comping. Some of the areas discussed include:

• using tensions to indicate major or minor tonal center
• available tensions for maj7, min7, min7(b5), dom7, and dim7 chords
• adding tensions to a blues progression

Hope you find it helpful.

Although this is xylo lesson, if you're a begining vibe improviser definitely check this lesson out.

[Ed will be posting here shortly!!]

Here's my review of the many things we discussed with the blues.

John Swana is a phenomenal musician! He played trumpet but had to stop because of lip problems. But he's an amazing musician none the less, and now he plays the EVI. This is a great lesson!

I recently began teaching privately via Skype and Face Time. I've been asked in the past about teaching via Skype but have been reluctant since I'm not too tech savvy. But, I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it has been. I recently had a lesson with Ben Redman from Scotland. Ben has been working on playing a chord melody on "Moonlight in Vermont". We talked about various chord options when playing the chords along with the melody. I suggested some voicings using specific tensions as well as some reharmonization possibilities.

I just found this on Youtube. Had no Idea it was recorded. This was a gig I did in Israel about 3 or 4 years ago. It was a tribute to a wonderful Israeli jazz composer, Stu Hacohen, who had died several years ago. Check out Theodosil Spassov on Kaval, a bulgarian flute he's made famous. It was basically a jam with a short rehearsal to check out a couple of heads. It's totally raw but everybody had a great time playing together.

So with all the styles of blues there's one more I can think of. That's a blues with a bridge. Many times these are sort of AABA blues'. For instance it would be 2 choruses of a blues and then a bridge and then one more chorus of the blues. Listen to this exampleof the tune 'Unit 7'. Can you follow it.

Here is a version of Charlie Parker's 'Confirmation'. So it's a bird blues with a bridge. AABA. See what happens, 2 forms are combined to make a new form.

I found yet another lesson on getting to the four chord. I'll post as a refresher!

Udel students. Here's your first assignment. Choose one of the lessons under check this out and do the assignment.

If you do the lesson 'getting to the four chord' give a few examples of getting there.
If you do the blues scale lesson make sure you do a couple choruses and make sure we can here each change.

Any questions post them here, and we will reply. (VW community feel free to help out)