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Hi Everyone!
I just posted an ear training survey. This one is to inquire about the Rhythm Templates which are the 2nd most neglected aspect of this course. Unlike my present hesitation to upload more ear training videos, I want to stress the importance of doing the written assignments..original etudes!
My weekly students initially don’t have the option of saying “I don’t want to do this”. Those that persevere as a result of my advice, after a couple of months of me correcting their assignments, adopt a totally new attitude and gain a deeper understanding of how to make the right approach and target note selection when constructing a line. Unfortunately, most of the platinum members who are taking a monthly lesson with me, absolutely shy away from doing this portion of the course. So I can only imagine the case with the majority who don’t have any “one on one” lessons with me…
Jazz is a form of real time composition and learning how to program your thoughts on paper before spontaneously improvising will save you lots of time in the long run. Keep in mind that even the best technique in the world won’t make up for the musical coherence and sense of direction in your improvised lines! Most listeners will take a player who can play fewer notes in the right place, at the right moment, over a player with chops of doom who sounds like he’s playing a bunch of notes at lightning speed but not making a musical statement.
I welcome your thoughts, concerns and opinions on this matter!
I see the Rhythm Templates as blueprints for creating and developing my own vocabulary. I don’t intend to shy away from writing original etudes.
I agree. I have written my own études the past, and I’m really looking forward to taking advantage of that component of this course. I am still working on the bebop calisthenics at the beginning of module two, so I haven’t gotten that far yet but please don’t remove them!
Richie, this is a general comment that spans both the ET and the Rhythm Templates (and beyond). I think I am probably pretty typical among your students in having a day job and therefore limited practice time. To me, taking this course is like drinking from a firehose. The material is so voluminous and detailed (17 versions of this to practice, 12 of that, etc, etc.) that I can barely get past the first few exercises of Module 2, let alone find time to dig into ET or RT. And since Module 3 will now open for me in a few days (which I will have to ignore completely), I will lose any hope of pacing myself through this course in any reasonable time-frame. At which point, it seems to hardly matter when I get around to the ET and RT pieces.
Don’t get me wrong: I think you are a great teacher; I really do. But another part of being a great teacher, in my opinion, is to structure and pace a program so that students can have tangible, gratifying successes all along the way, in measurable steps. This course feels like the teacher is running so far ahead of me, so fast, saying “Hey, just do your best to keep up”. Well, we’re all adults and I can live with that approach but I know I’d learn more and better with a pace that can actually be accomplished in a reasonable timeframe by part-timers like myself.
Please don’t hate me; I’m just an amateur tryin’ to get better. 😉
Hi James,
I understand your situation. Unfortunately I can’t please everybody. The more advanced players also complain to me that it is too slow for them and that they already know most of the stuff in the 1st few modules. As a result they request that I open up all of the modules for them so they can go through them at their faster pace.
This is a college level course equivalent to 2 semesters, something I explain in the introductory videos. It actually combines several separate courses offered at some music schools into 1 program. Yes, it does require time which is something lots of people don’t have these days…and it’s not a “one size fits all” program, as everybody is at a different level.
I do appreciate your feedback though! The only solution would be to break down the course into smaller chunks and make it a longer duration. That is no longer an option for me, as everything is already structured and programmed. However what I might be able to do, is add a few more months to the overall duration of the course so that players like yourself will have more time to catch up. I will have to look into this.
I will take all of this into consideration with the other courses I am preparing such as the VOL 2 of the BGIS and a chord/harmony course.
For now all I can say is the same thing I have stated in several occasions throughout the beginning modules:
1) Do the best you can…everybody’s time constraints and proficiency levels are different.
2) Watch all the videos and try to understand all the concepts at least in theory. Be sure to download all the materials and have it organized in order. This way, if you find you are several modules behind when the course ends, you will at least know what to do and be able to keep working on your own to complete it, no matter how long this may take…
I tell my personal students that they should have a minimum of 1 hour, at least 5 times a week to practice. Some of them complete the work I give them for the month with no problem while others at a lower level, even though they claim to put in the same amount of time, take 2 months…some almost 3! Now there are those who can only practice a half hour or 45 minutes 2 times a week. Truthfully, their progress is minimal and they end up getting bored when not seeing any significant change in their playing (at least from a jazz perspective) and they just end up quitting. I bring this up because the study of jazz on any instrument is not easy and requires time and consistency. Twice a week won’t cut it. This is something we have to be aware of before we decide that we want to play jazz. Many part time players just don’t have the time because they are way too busy with time consuming jobs and other activities. This is a reality and I of all people understand it! Unfortunately I also have to be honest and say to them…if you can only squeeze in a couple of half hour or even 45 minute practice sessions every week, you should reevaluate whether this is a good time in your life to take up the study of jazz guitar. That said, I will see what I can do about extending the duration of the course after all the 9 modules have opened up, for a period of more than the current 3 months. I also welcome any feedback any other other members might have regarding this!
I’m trying to practice 3 to 4 hours a day, but this material forms only one aspect of my overall progress and practice time. Mostly, I’m trying to learn tunes and build a repertoire . Right now, I’m up to 2 1/2 hours a day. This course is not excessive for me because I see it with one limited goal in mind. I guess I see this course very simply, as a very valuable and elegant way to play changes by specifically targeting chord tones via the concept of single note lines. . It’s as simple and as meaningful as that. For that, I am grateful . It keeps me focused .
When I am more comfortable with the material and more able to get around the fingerboard without thinking, I will try to incorporate harmonizing the lines by stuff I already know and have worked on – double stops, octaves, intervals ( especially tenths and 6ths), Guide tones, closed and spread triads. Conventional drop two and drop three Grips.
My overall goal is to play the guitar pianistically, in this course will help me develop the top voice, i.e. the Melody.
This is a big weakness in my playing, and this course has really helped improve it already. Concomitant to this overall goal of targeting chord tones in a melodic way, the reason one is able to play more freely and expressively is that this course Can help link to the fretboard horizontally and vertically. I think that is a critical technical issue that helps with the music making in a substantial way.
As for rhythm, I will eventually get to the rhythm templates, but my overall focus is to think of the situation simply: mostly, we play eighth notes, quarter notes, triplets, and doubletime . The art of it is to seamlessly integrate these four rhythmic concepts and syncopate them, using silence and Rests. Which Debussy always said forms the music anyway (” Music is the silence between the notes”) 🙂
That’s a tall order, even if it is seemingly simple at first sight: how to integrate quarter notes, 8th notes, triplets and double time.
Anyway, sorry for the length of this post, I just want to report on how I view and use the course. Positively of course .
Yes Jazz is hard, for most people anyway…I try and practice at least 2 hours a day during the week and more on the weekend if i can…..There are so many areas to cover and like others I also need to work on comping and just playing tunes….But it’s all about consistency..you must practice everyday even if it’s only for 20 minutes.
kenHey Richie,
Extending the duration sounds like a perfect way to maintain the integrity of the course, while accommodating a diverse student-base. Thx very much for checking in, and thank you for creating this course.
All the best,
Sharon
Thank you Sharon and everyone else for your input! I will formally send out an email sometime this month announcing the new expanded duration of the course. I will also be including a new section here in the forum for members to post their rhythm templates and possibly videos playing them. I already have a few videos of students to get it started. Hopefully people won’t be shy to post them and the critique received (which should always be constructive), I believe can be very beneficial.
I’m guilty on this. I did them all in the first few modules and then skipped until Module 6. I try to apply the elements by incorporating them over tunes I play and just noodling to find the fingerings that work for me and note choices that sound right for my style. Rhythm doesn’t get the conscious attention like the note choices do. But I grind out all calisthenics, etudes and candy bar examples, etc. and so I know I am absorbing the rhythms of the templates at least somewhat.
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