Most Popular Lessons

Here's an etude on the tune I Could Write A Book. Chord melody and solo. 

I wrote in the chords for the first time through the tune. You write the rest in and look at the alterations of the chords! 

Check out the audio to see what it's supposed to sound like. I'd love to see you post your version!

The vibe sample is from the company Orange Tree. And if you know who Ed Smith is, it's his vibes and mallets. Sound great! 

Due Assignments

• Post yourself playing the melody and then chords to Blue Bossa - Unacompanied - Memorized - in time - demonstrate in class you have memorized the melody and chords
• Play the first 4 bars of Donna Lee - MEMORIZED
• Post Friedman #3 and 4 - Post either 3 or 4
• Talk about the Arrival of Victor Feldman
  • Which tune is the fastest tempo on the album
  • Scott Lafaro played with another great piano player. Who?
  • What was tragic about Scott Lafaro?
  • Which tracks does Victor play on piano?

Check out the attached PDF!

Here it a simple solo on Cherokee. I like making simple solos and trying to get the essential notes, guide tones, color tones, etc. Your job is to transcribe it. Then try to play it faster and faster. 

This will take a little explaining. 

First we had a zoom meeting with microphone designer Ron Oswanski. He used to work for Amt microphones and is now out on his own and has made a beautiful vibe microphone so I had him come and talk about it.

That's the easy part to explain the hard part is what happens next. If you don't know what Google Notebook LM is you need to check it out it's mind blowing. 

Hello all,

Here's another lesson on dampening, and specifically how it can be used to achieve a certain stride-like feel on vibes. I use this technique when playing solo and with a trio and love its possibilities for different articulations and textures. Watch my lessons on staccato and partial dampening first if you haven't already seen them.

Here's a second part to the other lesson titled "A Way To Practice Soloing and Comping Together".  
I took a couple other examples about how to practice this. Ultimately, you just do it and try to make music. I know for some of you it won't sound great in the beginning. I always think that if you keep doing it and doing it, eventually you play something good and recognize it and learn from it. Know what I mean???? 

I played really simple. It should be fairly easy to transcribe.