Performed on Double Seconds with shell chord accompaniment on piano (added recorded audio track).
I finally finished my new book and have settled on a title. The Shapes and Patterns of Music Prologue
The book is approximately 50 pages of nonstop exercise patterns. Great for reading and improvising. I hope you enjoy the workout! The printed complete book will be available very soon.
What came first, the chicken or the egg? or ... what came first, the melody or the scale? In a scientific world, the scale was certainly here first. It was always here. Partials derived from the harmonic series and placed in a row is not a creation of man but an existing entity just waiting to be discovered. Humanity's discovery of scales and modes evolved as artists made new melodies and found order that spoke a language of expressiveness. As a result of their exploring, learning and constructing melodies, patterns and similarities were revealed.
This video might be a little similar to Tony's "marking the tune" video, in that it is another way to outline the changes, and make the "pretty notes" flow together. Anyway, it was inspired by a banjo player: Danny Barnes who I first heard of from this sight a long time ago when Tony posted a link from his blog.
How to play the chromatic scale with out getting your arms crossed.
"Time and Space" is an exercise that rhythmically slices intervalic space into whole and half-step movements ascending and descending between the lower note to the higher note. By first defining the predominant interval in half-notes and then rhythmically slicing it up into various divisions of quarter notes, triplets, and simple odd tuplets (5:2 and 7:2) we can strengthen our inner feel of time using the space between the two outer notes as a reference.
What is your recipe for success?
Merry Christmas and Good Vibes from McMurdo Station, Antarctica:
Yesterday (Christmas Eve in Antarctica), I had the great honor of participating in one of the coolest events I’ve ever done. I performed my arrangement of The First Noel, which I call “Noel Antarctica” for various U.S. Field Research Camps around Antarctica including the South Pole, Shackleton Outpost and Wais (West Antarctic Ice Shelf).
If you're old enough, you probably remember back in the 80's when there was a popular advertising campaign for Windy's that coined the phrase "Where's the beef?" I've found that the current state of affairs in music has a relationship to that commercial - Where's the motif? Where's the melody?" "Where's the beef?
I've known many good people who discount the relevance of art because it has not been explained to them in a way that they understand. Art is a quest for greatness in all forms. It sets the bar for humanity. It's the best and highest level of accomplishment that humans can achieve or fathom. An artful effort supplies the world with a path toward achievement. An Artful accomplishment offers the world hope of that achievement. Art is not mere entertainment. It is purposeful beyond all other physical things.