intermediate

The lesson demonstrates some comping patterns and ideas to get you started on playing in a ChaCha groove. All the patterns are over a ii-V7 vamp (Amin7-D7). You could use these patterns over songs like Oye Como Va and Soul Sauce.

Here's a lesson on the tune Conception by George Shearing.

There's a chord melody etude, and a chord study. I also have a chord analysis. That is the chord melody with the bass notes. You should try and go through the tune and put the chords in yourself before you look at the other etudes. You will learn a lot doing it this way.

Above is a link to the video where I talk about the tune and four mallet playing.

This is a great lesson to check out. It's interesting to see how much David knows about the instrument.

Here is my attempt at playing my transcription's of ed saindon Blues in F.
I have made a full transcription of it, but still can't play it till the end...
practice, practice...I hope to put a better version soon !

Here is a quick and dirty lesson on "Bubblehouse" by Medeski Martin and Wood from the album "Shack-Man". Stefan had requested more beginner stuff so this is what came to mind. It was a jammy-jam type of song that was popular when I was a tween in college. It was one of the first songs I heard and said "I can play that" and just walked over to the vibes and started banging it out. I busted it it out a few times when stuck jamming with rocker guitarists/bassists who don't know any songs. "Ok just play G minor.... :)"

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 a 2 part lesson on rhythm changes. The lesson plan contains the break down.