Most Popular Lessons

barryk found this video. Here's an example of the traditional grip and a great rendition of a Piazzolla piece 'Nightclub'.

I thought about one thing about Piazzolla and his success. First of all the music is beautiful. I also thought that maybe for classical musicians it was a rare opportunity to play around with 'jazz' harmony. I can't think of better word, but you guys get the idea. The Tango and the Bossa Nova and Samba all use jazz harmonies and I know classical players like to play arrangements of them.

What do you guys think?

The concept of lazy voicings can help you find NEW voicings. When you play lazy voicings you move voicings to the next chords closest notes. This can even help you get away from the root which is a voicing suprisingly you can usually omit, ESPECIALLY with a bass player.

Check out how important dynamics are in separating the melody line from the accompaniment. It's especially noticeable in the first 8 measures of the tune.

Trying to sort some stuff out, but I have some things in mind over the xmas break. I'm finished teaching at school (Univ of the Arts) and have a month off.

I'd like to get on line a lot over the month and hang out with subscribers. Maybe Piper and Saindon and Joe will join me for some? That's in the works. Just have to get my schedule together.

I've asked Patty Franceschy to do some lessons during these meet ups with the stevens grip.
I even asked Harvey Price who just wrote a book of Milt transcriptions to do some mini Milt lessons!

This is a great lesson by Behn Gillece on some approaches to solo playing as well as voicings.

Here are the major scales and some ideas on how you could practice these scales.

Several years ago 1980's, I did a lot of transcribing. I found a great way was to start in the beginning of the Jazz Era and work your way up. We had a great library in Pasadena, CA and I checked out a bunch of early jazz from around early 1900s starting with "Cylinder Jazz" (before vinyl recording were done on wire and cylinder) and started transcribing melodies that were descendants of slaves' field chants.