Bebop Calisthenics Module 2

[joel jakubowicz]

Richie,

I’m confused about these lines. For example the first line follows the same “melody” with pattern 1 (which starts on the 3rd degree of the arpeggio) and pattern 4 (which start on the 7th degrees of the arpeggio) but I hear a different melody with pattern 5 which starts on the 5th degree (the upper degree available in that pattern).
My idea is to start all lines in all 3 patterns on the 3rd or 7th degree (1st melody), then start on the 1st or 5th degree (2nd melody).
Is this a good idea ?

Joel

[Richie]

The Bebop Calisthenics aren’t supposed to sound the same and you aren’t supposed to view them as actual “lines”. The reason they sound different is because they start on the highest available chord tone for each fingering which is often going to vary from one pattern to the next. Your goal is to be able to play the entire arpeggio from the highest to lowest note (and vice versa) and learn to identify the location of each target note. To paraphrase, this is an exercise intended to develop awareness of target note locations in different pattern contexts, and how to properly precede the target with a given approach using the correct fingering.

If you try starting all of them on the same chord tone, you will defeat the purpose of the original exercise. It is true that you will maybe learn a “line” and train your ear and fingers to start on specific intervals. You can, if you wish, make this into another area of practice, but I recommend also doing the original exercise and training your ears to hear the the different target notes within a variety of contexts.

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