Lesson

If you're going to try out the online class this weekend here's a way to prepare.

Learn the melody and the chords. Don't worry about a chord melody or anything like that if you don't want to.

Be able to play through the tune EVEN if you read the music. The point is to get from the beginning to the end whether you memorize or read.

Play the the tune a little each day so it's working it's way in your mind.

Print out a lead sheet to the tune, so you can look along with us as we play through the tune.

i found a cool and fun thing to do which is a good lesson i think. on this video at about 4 minutes chick plays some blues licks which gary instantly repeats together with the audience singing. the blues is in Bb flat and he uses mostly the Bb blues scale on his licks. can you play all the phrases like gary on the fly just by hearing the once you heard them?

i tried and it was not easy and i failed on most of them when i tried the first time. to me it prooves i still can´t play what i can sing. singing like the audience is no problem for every of us i think :)

Marie, this is for you. It's easier to read this then to read what's in the real book.

Remember if this is overwhelming try to just go one bar at a time. And remember..... No pressure!

Simple ear training! Download this zip file, unzip it, add it itunes or burn it to a CD. Set it to random and then follow the notes. Pause them in the beginning. Figure each note out with as few tries as possible. DON'T GO FISHING! That's what I call it when someone just starts hitting random notes to figure out the pitch they just heard. Take your time.

If you play a wrong note, sing the wrong note and then sing the note on the cd. Check out the difference and then play the right note. Make sense?

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This is a LONG but great lesson.

Who can play this etude? I'll buy Giovani's cd for the first person to post their version.