Vibraphone

Learn to play over suspended chords

This is to anyone who might be interested:
After considerable experimentation I've concluded that one way of playing vibes while seated is to use a hydraulic barstool and raise it to a point where the keyboard is slightly below the pelvic area. The swivel pedal, with a little practice, can be manipulated with the heel of either foot, after slanting the pedal slightly upward as opposed to its normal down position, with a wooden block or bed riser right next to the pedal and the toe rests on the block or riser with the heel slanted toward the center of the swivel pedal.

Check out Joe's solo here. It is smokin'!

It was great to read what your gang wrote about what I said about not being able to teach Jazz. What I got back was not really what I was looking for. I only heard all the cliches. Listen to a lot of jazz-use your ears-know theory and chords - anybody can improvise which happens to be true . It may not be the most melodic improvisation but it is improvising. Even what you said

Guys,

Surely some of you already saw this incredible video... Again in the frame of our current reflection about duets... Man those two HAD to meet!

I'm speechless...

- M

PS: that cut before the end is inhuman!

(Did I post this already?)

(Did I post this already? I don't think so.)

Playing beautiful 3 and 4 mallet chordal rolls is a goal all vibes and marimba players should work toward. Yes, vibes players mostly use the pedal to sustain notes, but sometimes using a roll is better. Here is a simple, easy to learn method you can use to play really nice rolls for 3 and 4 part chords. The trick is to have each mallet strike the bar at a different time, creating smooth legato sound.

Hi all,

After our long discussion about duets, I came across this very recent performance between Joe Locke and saxophonist Dick Oatts...

Man the vocabulary, energy, intensity are very dense and powerful!! They both must have gotten used up after that!! I enjoyed the reactions of the audience, and that great conversation after Joe's solo... and the end... yes the end and the joy on their faces! :o)

- M

P.S.: can someone help me and name this tune?