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Do you transcribe on paper, or in your head as you go through the keys? For me I wrote out the chords and the solo pattern in each key since I read music fairly well. Should I be trying to do them without writing them down?

It's fine to write out everything. What you're doing sounds awesome if you have the time.
Sorry about how I inaccurately used the word transcribe. I meant tranposing the Solo Pattern in each key. I don't do Exercise 1.
I learn the Hanons, the chord voicings and the Blues tune quickly but take a while with the jazz tune. With my spare time I do Hanons with my left hand. From now on, I will use my spare time to do what you do with the Solo Pattern.

When I play the Hanons, I don't write out anything. But again, it's fine to write if your learning method is visual.
Is your background classical ?

Yes, it's classical (damn). I don't need to write out the Hanons either, and I do them equally left and right hand, around 150 bpm. The swinging is coming along well, I think. And the tunes are going pretty well. I'm just going to spend a couple of more days and really try to nail Exercise 1 in all the keys, then some good time on the last Exercise (I just got Transcribe! set up on my Mac) before moving on to Lesson 2. Thanks for all the input!

Well it sounds like you're having lots of fun which is the main thing. It's such an enjoyable course isn't it ?
After the first lesson, I also found my swing was coming along well, thanks to the combination of Hanons and continuous relistening to the way Dave played the tunes on the CD.
Hanons in both hands at 150bpm is amazing. Congrats.

About Hanons, the purpose is to find a challenge tempo, whatever it is, and everynow and then, raise it a click. So for example, if you're playing @152bpm and starting to feel comfortable, bump it to 160bpm.

When you get to about 160, make the metronome click on 2 & 4.

Depending on the exercise, I play them between 160 and 220.

This is something I do every morning for 10 minutes or so.

BPF, I think it's fine to write down the transposition for the solo pattern, but that will take you too much time. Ideally, you can sing the pattern, then switch it in another key without writing it down. Remember, you want to sing just about everything you play.

Yes, that is how I've been doing the Hanons by bumping the speed up as I get faster. It will be interesting to try them on 2 & 4. The solo pattern transposition will be hard for me without writing it down, but I realize that the best way for me to learn is the way you are saying. Unfortunately singing and not using written music are my big weaknesses! Thanks for the tips.

I would imagine singing lines and transposing to be difficult for somebody with a classical background, but then again, reading and technique are usually weaknesses for those not classically trained.

Singing the hanons, singing the JOI tunes, and singing along with solos will really help you in that regards. When you sing the tunes, you can do like Jeff, record the left hand alone, and sing the tune along in the car (or wherever). Or of course at the piano.
When you sing, you don't have to sing well, but you should make an effort to sing the right pitches (versus mumbling). Another thing to take slowly. Switching octaves is normal when your voice can't reach.

Hello Knots
Re the Hanons, did you make the metronome click on 2 and 4 so as to concentrate on the backbeat ?
After what tempo did you stop swinging and start playing straight ?

>> Re the Hanons, did you make the metronome click on 2 and 4 so as to concentrate on the backbeat ?
after 180 or so, it becomes hard to follow the metronome. Playing with the metronome on 2 & 4 is much more relaxed.

>> After what tempo did you stop swinging and start playing straight ?
I'm not so sure the 2 are opposite. I'm not into ratio and such, but I think as the tempo goes up, I play more straight. I would hope to keep swinging, though.

Wow, you must have hot chops Knotty to play the Hanons at 220bpm ! Do you still sing at this speed ?!
I’m on 108bpm for Lesson 5. I started at 92bpm for Lesson 1.

>> play the Hanons at 220bpm ! Do you still sing at this speed ?!
probably more like humming. I stay on one key until I get to 160bpm for almost all exercises. Then I swtich to the next key, until I'm at 160, and so on. Then I play them in a row, and I bump up the speed a little.

I stay on each hanon for 2 weeks, so I have time to do that.

Ok Knotty, I've made a note in my book to switch my metronome to 2 and 4 when I reach 160 bpm for the Hanons. So are you still accenting the same beats as before (the only difference is that you put the metronome to 80 )?

yes, but I don't accentuate beats, I just count in 4s.

Thanks for clarifying Knotty. I think I will over-accentuate beats for now, until the counting in 4s gets ingrained into my muscle memory.

>> Thanks for clarifying Knotty. I think I will over-accentuate beats for now, until the counting in 4s gets ingrained into my muscle memory.
I think that's exactly what you don't want to do. You're going to end up putting the accent every other 8th note and that won't sound good.
Keep it simple with the Hanons for now. I think it's ok if you play all straight. When you start improvising is when you'll worry about counting in 4s.

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Knotty
I want to start thinking the way you do.
How about when I practise my scales I will slow down my metronome to 2 and 4.

yes, I think that will help you. It's difficult if the metronome is very slow, but I think it's good for you.

Also, note that you're getting second hand advice here. My point is that I've never been told to emphasize this beat or that beat, or play any note on any particular beat either.
Therefore, I think these things just work themselves out by using other rules.

Knotty, I've tended to over-analyse. Thanks.

Apples,

I finally remembered to ask. In 3/4, you counts in blocks of 3s, therefore accenting the 1st beat of every measure.

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Hi Knotty
Thanks very much for getting back to me. Is it like accenting every six notes when the measure is in eighth notes ?
How is My Favorite Things going for you and is your band Knotty by Nature still meeting up ?
I will post my third composition soon. Every time I look at it I change it, not necessarily for the better....I've gone through three long pencils !