all-levels

Clip just released on the Vic Firth YouTube channel.

In a lesson this morning, the focus was on solo vibe playing for the song "When You Wish Upon A Star". After the lesson, my student suggested that I record a quick version which illustrated some of the things addressed in the lesson. Here's a quick version that I just recorded on the phone playing one chorus of the melody only.

Here's a simple rootless voicing etude. Listen to it. Do you hear the short and longs? Work them out with the pedal.

This lesson is for my student Chien Chien, but you guys can practice it as well!

I just wanted to give her a chorus of chords over the jazz tune Tricotism and then a chorus of a simple solo, outlining the chords. Making a solo in a simple way.

I hear so many students playing all this 'stuff' over a tune and then I ask them to play something very simple and they can't. Chien Chien can. She's an amazing musician with ears we all wish we had. Most of our lesson I just play the chords, I don't have to tell her what chords they are.

I gave myself the ultimate challenge this winter break. I said even if for no reason I was going to make a solo cd in my basement. I did and it was difficult, challenging and fun. And difficult and challenging!

I worked really hard, doing a few versions of each tune. It really helped me a lot. Only 1 edit on the whole cd when I screwed up the out head. Awful to come that far and then screw something up!!! :-)

An experienced vibe player plays a lot less roots than an inexperienced one. We know that roots for us do not move the harmony, the upper partials do. I've talked extensively about this on vibes workshop.

Also with a bass player there's no need to play the bass notes right? So work on your rootless voicings.

One thing I've talked about is the following. Play these chords:

Fmaj7
E triad / F
Emin7

That's what the chords look like without the roots. That's a ii V I in the key of C. Play it you'll see.

A little homage to Gary: some practice time today in one of the Berklee practice rooms running through one of the first tunes I learned from Gary. Forever grateful for Gary's instruction and support through the years. He had his birthday yesterday and he's feeling great and playing great!