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The Art of the Line - Tom Harrell

So, we're starting a trumpet site, just like this site featuring Joe Magnarelli and Matt Gallagher. That means I'm hanging out with trumpet players these days. That's cool when you hang out with trumpet or sax players, because you're talking to musicians who ONLY play lines. In other words they have to use lines to make harmony. We can hit a C chord and then play a G and the world knows what's happening! Trumpet players have to hit the G and then fill in. This is a real learning opportunity hanging with trumpet players.

Comping Short Etudes

Here's a pdf and accompanying audio with some short 'etudes' on comping.

I have a ton of stuff stored up over the years from teaching online. These are some short examples of comping I made for somebody somewhere!

I have audio with and without the vibes. So you can work them up and play them alone.

Get the essence of them, and see if you can play them with no accompaniment but still here the band! In order to practice comping you need to be able to do that. Hear the music inside of you.

Part 2 of the Etude 'Vince Guaraldi' Etude with Chords

(This is a piece I wrote and have named it after the great composer Vince Guaraldi. The lead sheet is here, as well as an etude where you can work on different aspects of solo playing.)

Here's part 2 of this lesson. Go to the lesson listed above for more info.

Try not to look at this pdf until you've done part one of this lesson. That was to take the lead sheet and try and figure out the chords to the tune.

When you're ready look here and if you got it.

In part 3 of this etude, I'll talk about the etude and play the tune for you.

General Intermediate Vibes Course

Here are the courses for our General Intermediate Vibes Course.

It's assumed that students have experience on the vibraphone, can play scales, know chords and are not beginners with harmony and technique.

*note to professors. This is designed to be an online course. If your department's students are all subscribers of the site, you may be entitled to online workshops or even in person workshops depending on the number of students registered.