Hey Vibeworkshop
Since last spring I have been thinking a lot about the melodic contour in improvisation. Today I wanted to share some thoughts and systems on how to understand the ways phrases can be built using Cell Shapes (ideas that are created using small contour segments, c-segs for short).
This semester I have been working with my teacher on playing ballads in the solo style and wanted to share a system/ exercise that I've been using to begin developing orchestration ideas when playing the melody. The following exercise is based on a concept I modified from John Mehegan’s “Jazz Improvisation 4: Contemporary Piano Styles” called “Root – Chord Patterns”.
My pick is Gary Burton - Alone at Last
What's yours? Only one and you can of course talk about why.
For me the solo playing on this CD is unmatched to this day. I heard it when I was young and it blew me away.
Your turn.
HEY GUYS, I think it's great to include you all in some way. So I'll post questions and hopefully you guys will answer. I'll provide links to this stuff for the attendees when it gets close to the workshop.
What is a specific exercise someone can do to work on improvising. Be specific and short. You can link to something here that helped you of course.
Any Ideas?
I envision this site as a platform for discussion, i.e. an exchange of opinions, sharing ideas verbal and musical and being open for giving and receiving suggestions and constructive criticism. After submitting my version of "You don't know what love is" I asked for comments about what I changed harmonically. I was really looking forward to some interesting feedback. I wanted, as I mentioned to Tarik, to go beyond personal taste, "I like this", I don't like this", etc. (Although sometimes I could handle a bit more of "I don't like this", in a constructive way, of course).
So I'm giving the Mallet Improv workshop this year at PASIC. And so I thought!!!
I would like to get you guys to chip in. Open source the talk!
So give me some tips you found valuable for learning improv. Some commentary? Advice? What should young mallet players work on? Think about? etc.
I will also refer to this post in the notes and make this available for everyone at PASIC
Here is the chart for my version of "You Don't Know What Love Is," in case anyone is interested in having a look...
it was written mostly on piano. (the recording is "Connections, Volume Two: The Anthony Smith Quartet")
-Anthony
Hello all – I'm sure this topic is not very interesting for those who know that the musician makes the music, (for the most part) but I'm in a position to buy a second vibraphone...(I got approved for 0% – but don't want to go into hugh debt so the budget is tight) do not want to go past 4500 bucks – keeping that in mind.
Knowing that an instrument is a personal choice and most have limited budgets. I will be using this instrument for practice, (most of my practicing is on the second floor with a very tight stairway) special concerts and doing some personal recordings..
I had a talk with Stefon Harris a while ago. I don't think I've talked about it here yet.
The argument is this: The piano is part of the percussion family but percussionists don't learn piano. The piano is in a performing way, NOT part of the percussion family at all. It requires a lot of dedicated and unrelated skill and has moved out of the percussion family. Not how it's made of course, or the mechanisms that make the sound but in a performance way.
I played with a trio yesterday and we played Autumn in New York, which is a tune I've always liked but don't play much. Afterward, the bassist and I were discussing some different changes, so I thought I would check out the MJQ from the Django album when I got home. I liked their arrangement so much I did a rough transcription.