My Music Journey

 2023 Term 1 Week 10 A good last lesson for the Term. Here's what we discussed today: Potential Face-To-Face Lessons in holiday break: --> Bit excited to do a face to face lesson next week. 2 5 1 including maj 9's ! --> Try this in the key of C maj and G maj this week - use the Dbmaj one in Blue Bossa as an alternative and closely listen to the difference the chord changes make. Ear Training: --> This week more challenging as I couldn’t identify the specific song. So had to work it out one note at a time. - listen to it many many times to get it in your ears and under your fingers!  Albatross : --> spent a good deal of time working on pedalling so the chords won’t sound muddy - technique is to lift the foot as the fingers go down, think fingers down foot up. It’s a stabbing motion - happy with the result. Focus now on getting it faster over time but take my time building this up —> in the left hand accent the 1.  Corcovado:  --> Getting th...

Here's what we discussed today: 2 5 1 including maj 9's ! --> Try this in the key of C maj and G maj this week - use those scale degrees to help you translate the voicings - use the Dbmaj one in Blue Bossa Ear Training: --> dropbox folder  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0jijk0n5ueam15ra4jbn8/h?dl=0&rlkey=a5m6un5q91xsdmrnetasw2537 - try number 2 ! This one is very challenging Albatross : --> pedalling -follow attached chart with mark up of some pedalling - allowing the pedal to cary the sound of the chords without sounding muddy --> Practise the LH separately with metronome at 60 BPM. - low notes on strong beats of the bar 1 2 3 4 - accenting the low notes may also help with a strong rhythm - thinking about the triplet feeling (12 3 12 3 - long short long short) Corcovado:  --> First chord - change to Am6 (this is more commonly played than D7) --> use the LH comping rhythm with Ireal and try to make it all the way through the piece ♩♩𝄾 ♩. Honeysuckle Rose...

  2023 Term 1 Week 8 Here's what we discussed today: Ear Training: --> I'll do another one this week Honeysuckle Rose: Weeks objective was to --> learn the B section if you want - ear training? At this lesson I played thru entire Honeysuckle Rose melody, learned by ear from a version of Muscore. I cheated a little, looking at the chart to learn the B section.  We discussed using 6th chords and how they are used a lot in Trad Jazz. The chart I am using has lots of chords, we determined to limit the number of chords played to one per bar in most instances until I get more comfortable with playing them all. Think about timing in terms of counting, this song lends itself to playing swing because of where the strong notes are placed. Eg Bars 1 to 3, play as; 1  &  2  &  3 .  4 S  w  S  w  S .    S= Strong w = weak. Play rootless chords for Gm9 FABbD                   ...

  Here's what we discussed today: Ear Training: --> I'll do another one this week Honeysuckle Rose: --> learn the B section if you want - ear training? Softly As In A Morning Sunrise: --> new tune! Have a play through this, this week Blue Bossa:  --> Ireal Pro - backing track! Keep working on this --> you've got the melody pretty confident with the LH chords - now start counting especially the rests in between the melodic phrases --> Bossa comping rhythm :  1 2  3  +  4 + - try to work on the  RH    1 2  3  +  with a metronome at 90 BPM Corcovado: next time --> First chord - change to Am6 (this is more commonly played than D7) --> keep working on reading that lead sheet to familiarise yourself with the melody - say the chord names out loud to clock the movement of the chords as the melody passes --> play the LH chords separately with Ireal - keep listening to the song on Spotify/YouTube to get the mel...

Here's what we discussed today: Ear Training: --> first thing next lesson! Lauren will send a sound file for me to listen to and nominate the notes and chords by ear. Blue Bossa:  --> Ireal Pro - backing track! - listening along with the track playing --> have a look at the Blue Bossa Comping with voicings - attached --> keep playing along with my track and try hands separately - LH think about just counting 4/4 in each bar while listening - semibreves BEFORE the comping rhythm - RH following along with my melody --> Bossa comping rhythm :  1 2  3  +  4 + Corcovado: --> First chord - change to Am6 (this is more commonly played than D7) --> keep working on reading that lead sheet to familiarise yourself with the melody - say the chord names out loud to clock the movement of the chords as the melody passes --> play the LH chords separately with Ireal - keep listening to the song on Spotify/YouTube to get the melody in your head 2 5 1 includ...

 My budget solution to learning drum rhythms.

Here's what we discussed today: Blue Bossa:  - sounding great! Keep speeding it up!  - listen to the recording that I sent - try to play along with me! 1.  Turnaround at the end: LH: ii V I - Dhalfdim G7 Cm7 RH: off beat chords "1 and" 2. LH 1-bar comping rhythm  --> two crotchets and a dotted crotchet  " 1 2  3  and  4 and" --> do this all the way through the lead sheet with NO RH (with a backing track when you're confident) 3.  Working on reading the lead sheet while you play the melody with either my backing track or the Ireal track --> this is to strengthen ear training and muscle memory! Corcovado: --> great work! Chords are sounding really nice :) --> learn the chords really well and add the comping rhythm and Ireal backing track when ready 80BPM --> might be a good place to start Ear Training: - next week! --> we'll keep doing Chet! 2 5 1 including maj 9's ! --> don't forget to do this! LH practice!