Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi Andrew,
Many students ask these questions, so I am going to elaborate on the answer here for everyone’s sake.
As far as doing the exercises for 2 weeks before moving on, these are just guidelines. I wrote the books before doing the online course and as you know, there is no limit as to how much time you spend on each chapter when working with a book before moving on. When I did the online video portions for each chapter, I assigned each chapter to a module. I had to assign a period of time to each module before opening up a new one, in order to keep students focused on specific material in a certain order. However, it is a 15 month course and throughout I stress the fact that it is rare for anyone to get through the material in the 30 days allotted to each module. That’s why you have an additional 6 months to catch up after all the 9 modules (9 months) have been introduced…and remember, after that you have the pdf books to keep working for as long as needed. So don’t worry! The bottom line: everybody’s progress is different depending on their level of skill and proficiency on the instrument.
I recommend getting semi-comfortable with one approach, before attempting a new one. The approaches are presented in such order that each new approach is bound to reinforce the previous one. I do recommend being able to play the corresponding calisthenics at a slow to moderate tempo without messing up before learning the etude that follows. That is because the etudes serve as a model of how those approaches can be utilized in the context of a given harmonic progression. The aim is that you gain new insight from their inclusion in the etudes, especially as you play them over different rhythmic structures. First playing them in 8th notes in the context of an entire arpeggio, as in the calisthenics, is what’s really laying down the foundation for its use anywhere! Again, the etude is a model of the finished product. That said, I can’t stress enough, the practice of writing out the corresponding “rhythm templates” which many students neglect. Before you can spontaneously incorporate these into a solo in real time, it is very helpful to practice properly organizing your thoughts on paper. If you find you make mistakes when writing them out under no pressure, it means you don’t fully understand how to use them and need to go back and make corrections.
Finally, yes, when you are improvising, at least in the “programming” stage, you should be aware of your target notes and the type of approaches you are performing at all times. As a matter of fact, this is one of the main goals of why mastering the bebop calisthenics with the different fingerings is so important! That’s also why it incorporates different approaches to different target chord tones in the various exercises. It is drilling you so you become aware of the location of each chord tone that can be targeted with any given approach. When this is fully programmed and becomes second nature, you should be able to visualize this on the fretboard and hopefully pre-hear exactly what you are about to play. That is the ultimate goal and only then are you fully in control of what you play!
Hope this somewhat answers your question. If anyone needs further clarification on this subject, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to try and shed more light on the subject.
Hi Matt,
It sounds really good! Most players, myself included, try to stay away from enclosures that have a non diatonic note above the chord tone when playing at slow tempos. Like you said…the rhythm and phrasing is very important. Great rhythm and phrasing can make even the most dissonant note sound intentional!
Hi Matt,
Those 2 examples you give are not used that much. Usually enclosures that have the upper approach of the enclosure situated a half step above a chord tone can be very dissonant, unless diatonic. The reason they don’t work well at medium to slow tempos is because of the “modal ambiguity” effect they create. That is the case with the 2 examples you give, at least in the context of the mixolydian and dorian scales…. half steps above the root and b7! That said, they can work at very fast tempos because they resolve quicker.
Hi Jonathan,
The PDF is under downloads for Module 2 in the Lesson book PDF on page 28. The intervallic script is above the regular notation. Is this what you are asking about?
Andrew, The important thing is to be able to play the etudes reading the interval script. Tab is only a way to check if you are fingering the stuff correctly…other than that it is not conducive to progress in terms of internalizing the scale degrees to improvise. I would recommend doing the bebop calisthenics using neighboring tones until you can play them between 95 and 100 bpm, before moving on. These are the foundation for everything that is coming. That said, the calisthenics are probably even more beneficial than the etudes for the long run. Hang in there…it will get easier!
Hi Jedong,
I recommend the 2nd way which is what I advice when first introducing the interval script in the Lesson book. I later stress the reasons for this in the intro to the bebop calisthenics in Module 2.
In a nutshell, we don’t have time to think in terms of actual notes during improvisation. The chords change too fast and differ for each given scale 12 times because there are 12 keys. If we can identify just the root of each new scale and see the relative intervals accordingly (eg. 3, 5, b7, etc.), we can see the same “pattern” of intervals in all 12 keys, versus a different one for the same scale in each key!
This is very important because when we improvise we need to visualize and hear everything in terms of numerical intervals in relation to the root of the moment.That said,this doesn’t mean we don’t need to know the actual names of the notes. However, learning the notes on the fretboard should be for a different purpose. For example, when we decide we are going to play in Bb over a progression consisting of I, IV and V, we need to know where are roots lie for these degrees. In other words, depending on the fingering pattern employed we have to first be able to view the Bb (I),Eb(IV) and F(V) on the proper strings in order to see the remaining intervals as a numerical pattern.
Hi Matt,
I think it’s good. I can hear the approaches you’ve been working on (especially the use of chromatic neighboring tones) and good voice leading at the point of chord change! Robert added some good constructive criticism. Wish more members would post some of their solos…
Keep up the good work and I look forward to hearing more!
you have to subdivide in 8th notes (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and)… If the first 8th note which always starts on a downbeat is a rest,as in this case, that means that whatever starts where the 2nd 8th note should be (or the “and of 1), is starting on the upbeat. Maybe the fact that it is a value larger than an 8th note on the upbeat, is confusing you…
It’s all there!
Video #20 has the one PDF link to rhythm cell exercises 1-4, plus 2 mp3s.
Video’s #21, 22 & 23 all have 2 mp3 links below each one…The mp3s for syncopated rhythms 2 are available separately in the rhythm lab section of general downloads for all the book related files. Only non-book special bonus files are usually placed under their corresponding videos.
That’s because there isn’t one. That is exclusive to the online course. You are supposed to download the PDFs below the initial video for all the exercises.
I use Finale like you mentioned with a layer of text on top of the notes to denote the intervallic script. Unfortunately, there is no program that would do this for you automatically if that’s what you’re wondering. For fancy arrows I have to export the graphic file to another program. It is not something I would recommend unless you are publishing books.
If you want to use finale, I would go as far as placing the intervallic script with a layer of text and then printing it out and adding the arrows manually with pencil or ink. However, if you don’t already use Finale or Sebelius…yes there is quite a learning curve. For the sake of writing and learning your own etudes, you’ll save yourself lots of time and headaches by just doing it manually. That said, if you are a computer geek like me and have the spare time, learning Finale has the advantage that you will be able to instantly hear back what you write and in addition, you will be able to export it as a midi file and open it up in Band in a Box. There you can add the rhythm section to it and practice it at different tempos and keys, with the switch of a button. Again, learning how to do this does not come easy and I would weigh the pros and cons to see if it’s worth it.
By the way, have you had a chance to write and play any of your own etudes? If so, feel free to send me some and I’ll give you some feedback. Most students will take a picture of the etude with there phone and send it to me. If you do, just don’t compress the photo so I can zoom in and read the writing…
You are definitely supposed to play them, but make sure they are correct. You don’t want to practice and reinforce something that is wrong.
On the other hand when you play these and they are correct, you become better aware of what you are doing and why. You also are able to pick up on melodic concepts that you like and want to start applying elsewhere. You, as well, develop a sense of aesthetics and will by the same token spot passages that you don’t like as much. This is where you have to re-examine that measure or measures and see if you can rewrite them with a more pleasing melodic solution. The imposed restrictions are meant to force you to think and find different avenues of getting from point a to point b , so that your mind will start to develop these skills subconsciously for when it comes time to improvise in real time. That said, for this to occur you must work out several of these exercises ,and by all means play them so you can hear what you are doing. When I say play them,once you know they are correct, BE SURE TO PRACTICE THEM UNTIL YOU CAN PLAY THEM AT A MODERATE STEADY TEMPO WITHOUT HESITATION. Otherwise they will not be effective in helping you acquire the skills they are meant to do.
Feel free to send me copies of your finished templates and I’ll check them real quick and point out any errors or make suggestions. Remember, this service is included in the Platinum level.
You can either scan your hand written template or take a photo with your cellphone and email it to me. Just don’t compress it or shrink it so that when I receive it, I can zoom in and read your writing.I would say in addition to Kenny Burrell and Grant Green, also anything where Wes Montgomery and Barney Kessel play the blues. No specific album titles come to mind. Just do a search for their names in conjunction with “blues”. However, don’t just listen to blues, but bebop in general (especially Charlie Parker, Dizzy, early Miles.
The only reason the blues form is being used here is because it is very economical (eg. 12 bars) and we can start out introducing one chord type at a time. This simplifies matters and allows us to focus more on the various “approach note” concepts and specific rhythms. These 2 latter concepts are what we should be listening for and really getting down, in preparation to eventually apply them to any chord type over larger structures…
That is definitely a good idea. However, don’t forget to also incorporate the rhythms introduced in the rhythm templates, especially the ones with syncopation so that your lines will swing. You don’t want your solos to sound like an exercise…
Guitarists (because they mainly come from the Rock tradition), spend too much time noodling around on the instrument trying to find good improv ideas. Next day they pick up the guitar and don’t remember a thing and start the process over. I was once guilty of this process until I learned the importance of notating my ideas and programing them into my playing repeatedly and consistently. It has been proven to yield better and faster results and give you control of how you shape your future solos!
