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A Little Therapy for You Guys

Anyone that comes from a dysfunctional family (all of us??) and has had therapy, knows this. For the next few weeks, don't make any major decisions, put them off. If you could hold off until spring that's great. Whatever you do for the next several weeks... chill.

This is not the time to quit playing the vibes, or leave your wife (or husband) to pursue life as a starving vibe player!

This is Christmas time, and it's pulling a bunch of us down.

What have you learned this year?

In my other life (firefighting), my Lt. or Captain often asks at the end of the shift. "Did anyone learn anything today" then we'll go down the roster and answer, stating what each of us learned that shift and how we could do it better next time.

I thought it would be interesting to post what we have learned this year by visiting www.vibesworkshop.com

Techniques for Mastering Solo Playing Lesson Plan

This is a series of ideas, ways and techniques for you to consider when playing solo.

This is really open to other faculty and other pro players on the site. I'd love to get something from some of these other amazing players and put together a comprehensive series on solo playing!!!

Under ALL LESSONS are some examples of people playing solo. (If I've missed anything please let me know).

Then there are lessons specific to each players level.

What instruments does this pertain to?

Lesson Category

Access

Hitting the Nodes - On Purpose

Everyone says to avoid hitting the bars at the nodes. Well, I wanted to see what it would sound like in a musical context. Enclosed is my experiment. The idea was to play over Am on the nodes in one phrase, then answer over other changes with a more hollow tone on the middle of the bars. Playing at the nodes is neat because you can hit it hard and hear the attack of the mallet but the notes sound like they are in the distance or as if a low-pass filter is applied to the sound. Does anyone else use this technique?

I Have a Bluesy Idea

I'm just not sure how to implement it!

I thought about get 2 choruses at a specific tempo from as many players as i can and then make a blues train.

Man, if we had 40 or 50 players each playing 2 choruses of the blues, with their info on the screen and video or a photo.

that could be a great way to get to know everybody here.

what do you vibists think.