Vibraphone

Here is a blues article I wrote many years ago. It's a different approach than what I learned at Berklee which I believe caused me to overthink the blues. I taught it quite successfully to many students so if you're starting out or struggling to express in the blues form and style, give this method a go. Once this basic idea of the blues is in your ears and hands, it's much easier to add more sophisticated things on top of it.

Don't always look for reasons and explanations as to why to do something.

But I can take most of the tunes I know and play 3rds and 7ths only. Can you?

I used to really check out anything a great player could do and then I would do it. I didn't give a flying %$%$ why or what or harmonically this or that. I just saw they were doing it and I wasn't and couldn't. I figured if I was great then I could do it. That was my why to do it. Get it?

I downloaded a lead sheet last night and started learning this.

This morning I've been trying to learn/practice it in different tempos; I'll upload two of those tempos here. While it was fairly quick to learn, the challenge for me is the swing, the feel. And really locking in the time. So I'll keep working on it!

This first video is of the slightly faster tempo. I'll load the slower one next...

Obviously, work to do. Onward!

Thanks Tristan, for the tips. I played around with them today. I play the head and then twice through the tune with quarters.

My goals for this practice:

*Simplify the accompaniment.
*Easy on the pedal.
*Stick to ONLY quarter notes on the solo section.

I slowed this down a bit more because I wanted to try and make some changes without feeling like the time was going by faster than my brain was working.

Hi All,
Check out the new edition of Good Vibes at my website, www.gloriajazz.com. It airs Sunday July 7 at 8p eastern, www.wwfm.org and locally in Trenton and Toms River areas on the radio at 89.1 HD2. The re-air is Wednesday, July 10 at 4p eastern.
Either way, radio or online, come and listen.
Meanwhile, enjoy the fireworks.
gloria

1. dig up some lessons from the past.

2. You sign up here and tell me what 4 lessons you will do. A Friedman etude counts, btw. So you post here that you're in and then you post the 4 lessons you will do, posting each lesson each week (not earlier or all in 1 shot). You can't miss a week :-). (I'm pretty tough huh?)

3. They need to be somewhat challenging for you. Don't phone it in as us veteran jazz musicians say. I need to know you worked on the lessons and they helped you. The goal being you become a better mallet player :-).

Getting acquainted with this beautiful vibraphone (Dave's vibraphone which we think is from around '67) and playing a song that I composed in honor of Dave. This is instrument is a gem and will be well looked after for sure. It's a gift and an honor to be able to play this instrument. I was thinking of Dave when writing and playing this piece. Gustavo and I had many great times with Dave when he would come into Boston to teach at Berklee. Many great lunches and many stories and laughs. He is sorely missed but his legacy as a great musician and educator will not be forgotten.