Lesson

Here's a lesson on breaking up chords, and leaving notes out.

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.

So we're about to start studying chords and harmony. In my usual fashion I have no idea what we're going to do. I figure it's like this: There are a lot of vibe players here and we can collectively use all our minds together and really grow. It's really not just up to me, it's up to us. All in all we're making a huge collection of information about the vibraphone. We are all working and learning about this instrument and passing the information on!

I posted this over at www.trumpetworkshop.com.

I think it's great for us to hear as well. John is a master of the line. He had a big influence on how I work at the vibes. I think you first have to be able to make lines that weave through the changes. Once you can do that, playing with four mallets becomes very easy!

So check it out!

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!

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!