Lesson

I think we've all fallen in love with Joe's tune, 'Sword of Whispers'. I hope you guys all have Joe's CD 'Sticks and Strings'. It's a beautiful CD. Guitar and Vibes were made for each other, and if you didn't know that, this CD will show you. The playing is phenomenal.

I asked Joe if I could write up an arrangement on his tune 'Sword of Whispers' and post it here for subscribers. Joe graciously agreed. So here it is.

I'm also working up a solo version. This tune is so fun to play!

Ok, all this talk about sticking, I thought I'd post something I think and get everyone's response.

I think to really play lines and play them spontaneously you need to totally have your alternate sticking down. That's the most important sticking there is. For me all this double stroke stuff is cool, but the ultimate fluid line comes out of mastering alternate sticking.

Just my opinion and the way I teach. Give me your takes on this.

I think if you master alternate sticking and alternate sticking on C maj, that then you can start switching things up.

Drop 2 voicings are 'all the rage'. They're being talking about alot these. Check out Dana's lessons on Drop 2 voicings. They're really great and thorough.

Here are a few ideas demonstrated for practicing Drop 2 Lessons 1 & 2. This is not just for 4 mallet guys.

Hope this helps.

p.s. I forgot to talk about using these scale patterns to go through 4 mallet permutations (1234, 4321, 1243 etc)

Here is lesson two where I demonstrate harmonizing minor and dominant bebop scales. Make sure to run these through all keys with a metronome. Notice how the major and relative minor scales are identical (you only have to learn one that you think of 2 ways ;) Also notice that on the dominant scale you play a diminished chord on the natural sixth step (instead of flat sixth on others) which is a departure from the progression of I7-V7dim-I7-V7dim etc (I falter for a second with this on the video). Please also practice the arpeggios on the chord tones and non-chord tones as well.

Here is my first lesson on applying the drop 2 voicing concept to the vibes. The ultimate goal is to be able to harmonize any melody with a 4 note voicing the way a horn section in a big band might or even to execute solo passages in this style.

Please go ahead and purchase Mark Levine's "The Drop 2 book" here:
http://www.shermusic.com

Here's the Cherokee etude. It's sooo hard, I'm burnt out on it! I give up.

I wanted to play a bass line over a head. You can't do it over a solo really, but over a head I thought it was possible. I think it's a technique that can be interspersed in a tune or solo. I don't think anyone should strive to play a baseline through a whole tune.

Wow!

Here's my final version of CHE RO KEE

The etude is here:
http://www.vibesworkshop.com/story/cherokee-etude-aka-suicide-etude/ton…

At the end of my last lesson with Tony, he gave me two Bill Evans CD's to check out. One of them is Bill Evans' "Alone". Tony said that he learned to play solo vibes from this record.

As soon as a got home I checked it out. First of all, I'm a big fan of Bill Evans. (is hard not to be, right?)so I knew that whatever I was going to listen it was going to be beautiful, emotional and magical.