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Chords & Harmony - Open & Closed Voicings - A methodical approach by Ralph Wyld

I've been thinking lots about the open/closed thing that Tony brought up again recently, and so I've come up with an exercise which I've been doing everyday this week. It's quite big... I can just about get through all the keys in a hour now, and it still makes my head hurt following it through and remembering which chord I'm on! But I really feel it's improving my knowledge of scales (just major so far, but there's no reason why it won't work through other scales/progressions etc.), and the chords within scales.

A Lesson in Moving Your Equipment

Getting around with the vibes can be a difficult thing. But I have it down. I have great soft cases and a rock and roller (see under check this out).

I can go up stairs, down the street. I can add my PA on the cart. I'm really flexible. You know getting your mobility together with this instrument is a real must. If you can't get around easily, it will deter you from getting to jam sessions, doing rehearsals and other great playing situations. The number one priority if you're learning this instrument is to get out and play with other people.

Transcribing Changes

Hey Guys,

I thought I'd start a little discussion/lesson on how to transcribe changes to tunes. As a drummer(or a drumming vibist..haha) I have been(and still am) always struggling with learning and transcribing changes and I thought I'd start out here with some tips on how to break it down. As Tony's shrink would say: if you have a big problem, brake it down into smaller problems and the big problem will go away.