Lesson

I'm a week behind because I was out of town last week and didn't figure it was worthwhile to post a video of me playing on the towel. (see pic attached).

I put together a few different lessons here and then in the end, tried a little "play along" to bring some of the concepts together. It's a work in progress. haha. Meaning, this is all a little rough (understatement?) but that's what practicing is all about, right? :)

The lesson(s): A few of Behn's blues lessons. (Thanks Behn!) 3rds and 7ths, dominant lines, etc...I explain it all in the video.

Can You Do This?

Balafon to Vibraphone: a unique path to new ideas

I wanted to share some thoughts about my balafon lessons and how they might connect to your primary instrument: vibes, marimba, piano, etc.

I've been recently working on a solo version of Bobby Hutcherson't "Little B's Poem". It's a 16 bar tune with no bridge. The form is simple but getting the feeling of the tune plus feeling good about the time and the groove have taken me quite a long time. Although I've been "dabbling" in the tune for years I feel I'm finally kind of getting it down. It's a killer. Questions like, "What should I play in the left hand?" "Should I play every change?" "Sould I comp during the solo or just play lines?" Lots of things to consider.