Most Popular Lessons

Great stuff here! 

🚨 Play a Great Blues in 3 Months – Week 2

Last week we built the foundation of our blues comping using guide tones and the Charleston rhythm. The goal was simple: clear harmony and solid time.

This week we’ll start adding a little more movement to the voicings.

Instead of keeping the upper voice mostly static, we’ll move the top note of the chord to create two different sounds for the same harmony. Even a small change in the top note can dramatically change how the voicing feels.

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! 

Check out the attached PDF!

Check out the attached PDF!

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. 

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. 

I talk a bit about studying chords and voicings. We all have to do it, how are you going to do it?