Friday, March 20, 2009

Autumn Leaves on the first day of spring!

Enjoy this by clicking HERE, it rules! Look around while you're in there. Remember, 3rds and 7ths, 3rds and 7ths, back and forth. Look at the whole notes in the melody then figure out where those notes are in the scale for each chord and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Hey! Try this little exercise... pick a note and try and stay on that note for as long as you can as the chord changes move along. Jam out on it. Play it a few times to find a good note that works. Discover the relationship of that note to each chord. Make it your note. You own that note. You raised it. You pulled it out of obscurity. You and that note can hang out on the weekends. You and that note have a special bond. You and that note are going to prom together. Then solo, but always go back to your note, because you have history, you and your note.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Graph it!



If "Duran Duran" had a board meeting, this is what you might find on the easel. Click HERE for some wonderful graphs illustrating your favorite songs. There are too many good ones to pick a favorite, but having lived through the eighties, I do lean towards the "Billie Jean" pie chart.

The importance of music

Karl Paulnack is a pianist and director of the music division at Boston Conservatory. Click HERE to get his beautifully worded explanation as to why music is so important. It's an interesting read.. there is a little history, a little anecdotal stuff, and some touching moments that bring the whole point home. Special thanks to Mr. Goetz, master bassist and teacher extraordiare for passing this one along to us in Jazztown Heights.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The "Tristano" school

A lot of players are heavily influenced by Lennie Tristano, most notably alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who was a pupil in his "New School for Music". He is often considered part of the West Coast "Cool Jazz" movement, but his technique is certainly coming from a different place than Miles Davis or Chet Baker. His lines are are long and windy roads that take your ears on a complex harmonic journey. Not really the laid back West Coast thing that we're used to, right? Check him out.