You must be very happy that you decided to go again this year.

Did Keith do a mixture of uptempo and ballads ? Or would you describe his songs as a totally different genre ?

wow. there's nothing like live music.

Ok, change of pace.
About a year ago, I decided to learn how to read. One year and 10 minutes a day later, here's a piece I recorded a couple of days ago.

http://www.box.com/s/9ne0zg6xz3xxn5fs439t

It's not sight read, and far from perfect, but let's just say that, without the music, I wouldn't know what to play (apart from the first chord or 2). So it's definitely read.

So that was from sheet music, written out?

Congrats Knotty. You've been very disciplined keeping this up for 366 days.
Were you reading from a fake book or was it your own arrangement ?
I think it's great how you could also read the LH.

neither, it's a written out arrangement. Kind of plain, but ok.

That's a good skill to have. I always find sightreading difficult at piano because there's so much going on.

Well, I'm in the middle of Bb so here is some improv Bb-Gmin.

http://www.box.com/s/qvgt3dyiegszmmdixm2j

I kept the recorder going longer this time. There's one bit in the middle I go atonal - I think my hand just went into the wrong key. I have tried the slice of pizza but it just grinds me to a halt. once I was going fine saying 'slice of pizza' but had stopped playing completely. Listening to my recording, I am fighting that metronome like no-one's business.

I'm not playing Like some, Juan any better than I did two weeks ago, so I won't bother recording that one again.

I am getting quite addicted to the 3-5-7-9 arps thing. I could do that all day long. The family gets tired of it. They don't seem to realise, I get one key done, then I start all over with the next key. Silly them.

Hey 10,

That sounds pretty good to me. For some reason, I thought you were already on the next progression. But this sounds good. All those things you say will just get better with time. That's why there's no rush on moving the metronome up. As long as you keep that tempo for a good while, you'll start clicking with it better and better. But really, it was quite good already.

I'd say do all the keys we talked about and then move on to the next progression. There are only 2 or 3 more and then move on to tunes!

You're right, knotty, I am on the next progression (so now Bb, Bb7, Eb, Ebm, Bb), however, I find I also need to go back and do the 2-5-1's as I really don't know what chords I'm playing half the time. I can wing a scale over anything, but it sounds like a scale. Anyway I promised myself I would record improv every week. Sorry, this might be a slow process. I feel the need to get the chords into me, more than I feel the need to get into tunes. There's no rush, and when I get the progressions done well, I find them quite satisfying in themselves.

Whatever pace works for you!

Would you believe it, I have a student wants to learn jazz/blues. Suddenly the responsibility is terrifying.

you can do it Laura!Get a lesson plan in place and go for it:)

DF

My lesson plans are all the same: Keep the mum happy.

I had to laugh. I gave him the 30 second swing explanation. He said, so it's like a scotch snap only the other way round. The reason I laughed is its exactly what I said when someone first explained it to me. Only no one online had a clue what I was talking about.

Incase anyone's wondering, a scotch snap is like swing only the other way round.

Perhaps finding something else besides "Slice of pizza" would be good for the scottish audience.

How old is the kid? I wonder what he means by Jazz.

slice of haggis

Ha ha! That's hilarious.
I always wondered why people in different countries seem to swing different. It's all in the food.

strathspeys

Cathy

Hi Cathy!

I'll try slice of haggis myself and see it is works better than pizza.

The student is senior in high school. School music exam in March. So far he has failed all performance exams, so I am drafted in to help a week before next attempt. I have no idea why he is being put forward for this exam. He is playing (or supposed to play) from the grade 3 book: two classical, 1 jazz number. Yet he can't even put his hands on the keyboard properly. Really, I thought I was a terrible teacher, I have no idea what was going on in school.

He likes everything he is playing, especially the jazz, and has the ABRSM jazz grade 1 book at home. I've used this before and I adore it!

His mother said she wants him to have lessons with me long-term (after this he has 2 more years at school) but I suspect she may have said that purely so I will take him on and help for this exam. We shall see. I always imagine students are about to quit.

All of this brings up that I may have students that want to do the ABRSM jazz exams, and it's in everyone's benefit if I can teach toward them. There is a course in Leeds in March, but it's over 4 Sundays and it would mean about a year of my life spent in the car. I would do it if the travel weren't horrendous.

Maybe I should do the exams myself? Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a local teacher.

Jazz exams huh? :-)
Does that involve improv at all?
I wonder how the judges judge.
Would Monk pass?

There isn't something similar in the US?

http://www.abrsm.org/en/exams/jazz/

The pieces are written out with a head and chorus for improv. There is also an 'unseen' element. It only goes up to grade 5. I did some of the grade 2 stuff way back when also working on Autumn leaves.

I don't know if the examiners are the same as for the regular (classical) exams, or if they bring in jazz specialists. As for how they judge, I don't know.

For all repeats the candidate is expected to play the second time different from the first - different voicing, different octave, different dynamic, etc. The music is written out, but it's OK to play something different. I suppose that's going to give some kind of flavour of the spirit of the exam.

Monk would pass provided he chose something from the A list, something from the B list and something from the C list. So that's probably a 'no'.

How's everyone?

Still at it here. Custard, I'm noticing the tunes in book 2 are much harder, they are taking me about twice as long to learn as those in book one. Are you still working toward finishing them in spring?

I've been enjoying singing with Fats.
symphonette:
http://www.box.com/s/kqhiaymstr7v0e13aqhu

Eb to Ab to Abmin progression - I'd just like to check this is OK before practising it for real:
http://www.box.com/s/yv7x7ph7710vumisqebz

thanks for all comments.

So, knotty, you planning your summer?

10,

Symphonette sounds amazing. You really nailed it.

The progression sounds good too, but I have the kids screaming over here, I need to listen closer to what you're doing.

>>So, knotty, you planning your summer?
Who else is gonna do for me?

Also doing some sight reading still. I have discovered I can read for about as long as I can hold my breath

don't worry, I think it's fine. Thanks for the compliments on symphonette. Fats is fun.



OK, fair point.



You still play some clarinet?

Your reading sounded good, btw.

Hey 10
You sang those 16ths towards the end so accurately, wow !



So how did you know I've been asking myself the same question ?
I definitely agree with you that the tunes in book 2 are twice as hard. It's taking me 2 to 3 weeks per tune, so I'm gonna revise my target end date from end April to end May.

I've only just started Lesson 46 for tunes.

Knotty
Do you know why Lesson 46 Blue Pennies has no LH chords ? Is this like what Mehldau does ? Does Mehldau do this to emphasise the lyricism of his RH melody ?
1st line implies C min 6, 2nd line implies F min 6.

Dave
Everytime I look at your Lennie's Pennies from heaven on you-tube, I keep on laughing at how you and Dick look so chilled out while you're burnin.

Hey Knots
For Beautiful Love, did you stick to D harmonic minor or did you sometimes use D melodic minor for the sequences ?

And Knots, I also forgot to say that personally I prefer the idea of the golf holiday. It will probably be your last opportunity to play 18 holes or even 9 holes.

Cus, I use mostly harmonic minor here.

About lesson 46, better ask Dave!

>>And Knots, I also forgot to say that personally I prefer the idea of the golf holiday. It will probably be your last opportunity to play 18 holes or even 9 holes.
I'm thinking of doing both actually

hope it all happens for you Knots !

Hey Dave
How are you doin' in NYC, has it snowed yet ?

I've just started Lesson 46. May I please ask what your thinking was with Blue Pennies having no LH chords ? Is this like what Mehldau does ? Does Mehldau do this to emphasise the lyricism of his RH melody ?