Lessons with Lauren Term 2 2021

Thursday 24 Lesson Update.

Feed back fro Lauren

Hey Geoff,

Here are some notes from our lesson today:

C Jam Blues:

Start at 80BPM (Goal is 100BPM), separate practice

LEFT HAND: your chosen voicings in semibreves (count 1 2 3 4 in time with the metronome, or don't if this is too much!)

RIGHT HAND: melody, swinging quavers but still very in time with the metronome

Here's the link to a dropbox with the recordings :)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dqsufutuuauk527/AADF1K0hP5YCUFuFy2P9v_Wqa?dl=0

All The Things:

- 60BPM F# half dim7, slow practise to get that progression under your fingers :)

(add in the previous 4 bars with metronome when you're comfortable to test if you can get to the F# half dim7 comfortably)

See you next term!

Lauren

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Thursday 17 July

Post Lesson Update

  • Discussed half dim chords, 
    • Also called  m7 b5
  • Lauren wrote out extended L/H  voicing for C Jam Blues
    • Practice these for next week
    • See chart in ForScore.
  • Discussed approach to learning Streets of Forbes
    • Learn melody
    • Learn  block chords
    • Put together
    • Adopt a suitable appreciated left hand, or walking base line
    • Put together
    • Add more notes to melody.

==============================================================

Thursday 10 July 2021

Post Lesson update.

  • Ran thru All the Things You Are, 
  • For next week:
    • exploring how and where to use half diminished voicing on chords
      • Halfdim chords help movement to the next chord.
      • See last 2 bars Part D
      • See first two bars Part C
    • Look at Part A bar 6 and determine what voicing.
    • Look fo other opportunities for where can substitute.
  • Adopt Lauren’s method for writing out the chords on a chart.
    • Note how this reduces the paper space.
  • C Jam Blues
    • Slow down to get the timing right and to get it to swing more.
    • Try this to get the timing
    • Practice per Lauren’s notes below
      • “ have a look at this C jam blues written out with the riff you played in our lesson - the second page has just the chords, practise this too and if you can think of any other inversions or voicings (e.g. rootless) write them down and we can discuss making the chords sound more jazzy next week :)”
        • See C Jam Blues in ForScore.


  • Research on rootless voicing

===================================================================

Wed July 9 2021

Lesson preparation. Practice during the week:

  • All the Things You Are.
    • Scale practice over the chords of the song.
      • Ab maj scale
      • C maj scale
      • Ebmaj scale
      • G maj scale
    • Learned remainder of whole chords as per Lauren’s chart.

  • Learned single note melody for The Streets of Forbes
  • Practiced C Jam Blues over blues rhythm.




=================================================================

 3 July 2021. Lessons Update

  • Primarily worked on All the Things you Are 
    • Focus of this lesson was playing scales to the key centres in the song.
    • Key word for today “Tricky”
    • Right hand. Start Ab maj scale at first Ab above middle C. 
    • Left Hand. Change chord every bar as per the song.
    • At C8 return down the scale.
    • Scale order will be Ab maj, C maj, Eb maj, G This covers the first half of the song.
  • Here is a useful document on key centres and scale practice found post lesson.
  • http://danhaerle.com/Allthethings.html

  • Lauren shared her Dropbox lessons link. See here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lanyza96tjk03tk/AABCabIzHIOJlFVVjUoxExj5a?dl=0
  • Played a bit of C Jam Blues plus c Blues scale.



==================================================================

1 July 2021

Currently working on:

  • All the Things You Are
    • Left hand shell chords 3rds and 7ths
    • Left hand four note inverted chords
    • Left hand root position chords
    • Learning Scales appropriate  chord changes
      • Ab maj
      • Eb maj
      • G maj
      • E maj
    • Single note melody line only at this stage. Think about harmonising.
  • Honeysuckle Rose 
  • C Jam Blues
    • Struggling a bit with all the chord changes in All the Things, so Lauren introduced some blues.
    • Started this piece at lesson last week.
    • Using Musicnotes score to play along with.
    • Have achieved left hand intro over blues base line.
    • Need to explore whats next.
    • Excellent resource. Michael Furstner. This is a complete course. 
  • Summertime.
    • Working on polishing both versions.
    • Need to explore.how to embellish  basic Pianote version.
  • Gnossinnes
    •  Continuing to polish this piece
  • Gymnopedie
    • Need to return and finish last 12 bars


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