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thanks knots. The walking bass was so easy to write. I overdid things on hanons a few days ago and had to rest my rh. So I thought I'd try. Really easy, good effect.

I think I really need to balance out the skills in my hands. I don't like the idea of one hand specialising in something and the other being at a loss. So yes I think I'll just go for the walking bass while keeping to simple chords.

slice of pizza. got it.

hope the gig goes well. have you been to the jazz/yoga place? you can tell us all about it.

have not been to the jazz yoga place. I think i'm still going to 52nd street.

The walking bass line is cool. Write a few more on a few tunes, then you can start improvising on 2-5s.
Improvising with both hands at the same time gets wild!!

so this is a lesson in person rather than skype?

i'll write out more bass lines before trying anything spontaneous.

can't see myself improvising both hands at the same time. never say never. but not this side of Christmas.

Hey 10
You were very brave to try walking bass lines despite Knotty's warning that they were addictive. And what an appropriate minor tune to do this on. I also liked your title.

it was minor? hey, you're right it's minor!

i must get my theory thinking cap on.

it was just the next tune waiting for a composition after all of me.

glad you like the title.

it was very easy to write. not so easy to play and I'm not assuming it will be easy to improvise. but, very easy to write. it really is just joining the dots.

So here's the quick update on the gig last night...

Showed up, new place, in the lobby. Very tall and large room. No problem, I got enough watt to power a stadium. Everything good, power on... no keyboard. Just wouldn't come on.

After wasting 15 minutes trying everything, I had a quick roundtrip home, picked up another keyboard and played the 2nd and 3rd sets.

And now, of course, the keyboard works again...

Isn't that fun?

Sounds like a loose contact. I didn't realise you took a DP with you. In the pics you're always draped over a grand. Tastefully, of course.

hey! what pics?

yeah, I always have to carry about 150Lbs of stuff. Rarely is there a playable piano on site.

I'm on the DP forum here, and I'm leaning towards poor voltage coming from the wall. Time to invest into a decent voltage regulator for the future.

Try this link:
http://www.dcjazzpiano.com/

You're probably right about the voltage.

Do watch your back and hands when you're carrying stuff.

Hey Knots
I would have been so stressed out. Luckily the venue was kinda close to your home and that you had a spare keyboard.
I can see that you need to increase the size of your van for all your back-up stuff
So was your quartet reduced to a trio in the 1st set ?

Hi Knots
A big thank you for your patience in checking my last 16 progressions.
I'm excited about going onto tunes and I feel very well equipped to tackle them.
I'm loving Take the A Train, it's a privilege to work with a Billy Strayhorn composition.

If you have time over the next week, would you mind letting me know if you're happy with my choice of LH chords ? I've kept them simpler than usual as this is my 1st tune.

http://www.box.net/shared/fl36f5ky5rfkoxbc24h0

http://www.box.net/shared/61tpna245fofhimf58hg

looks good, sounds good.
Even these, keep the metronome on. I had trouble hearing the beat at first. But it's good.

Thanks Knotty !
Yeah it's going to be a challenge for me to keep the beat with 32 bars.

It won't. Use the metronome. Your time is already quite good and it will only get better and better. I'm sure DF gave you all the steps to master the changes. You'll be fine.
Congrats again on your graduation Cus!

Here, a couple of tracks from last Friday:
Blue Bossa: http://www.box.net/shared/syg8y7rijd58oxsxskoh
Tenor Madness: http://www.box.net/shared/ppgexa1q9emcp8b9qhqd
Record-Ma: http://www.box.net/shared/i7empa2gjnj6qfchhvpm
Yardbird: http://www.box.net/shared/f1trez5h7nbrtydq37as

Sorry about the bass, it clipped a bit.
I can hear that I am still anticipating the beat and I need to chill. I already know that's what DF will say :-)
But damn, it's hard to control.

yeay! custard's graduated! We should have a party!

I thought blue bossa sounded sublime knotty. Haven't heard the others yet.

thanks 10, very nice of you to say.

Hey Knots
Thanks for sharing your fun recordings. I loved them all.
I can never keep up with the changes you make to your band. So you now have a new sax player and a new bass player for Mon night ?

My favourite was Blue Bossa.
I really liked your grace notes and your very melodic solo, you used your arps and scales so nicely and creatively.
When you traded 4s, you listened to the horn very well and your improv was a response to his.
I also liked your swing feeling.

My next favourite was Tenor Madness.
I'm pleased your band likes Sonny Rollins. I loved the blues in your solo. It seemed like you did abandon your trademark behind-the-beat style in this uptempo one. But when you played Solar uptempo, I don't recall you rushing.

Hi Knots and 10
Thanks for your kind congratulations. I couldn't have reached this stage without Dave's unique JOI methodology and Knots' support and guidance. And it's extra fun knowing people around the world are swingin' to JOI too.

Hi again !
I haven't posted my Hanons for a month now. Here is Lesson 23 in Eb maj at my challenge tempo 144 bpm. I haven't done Hanons this fast before. Do you think I sound tense ?

http://www.box.net/shared/r698henjr2t8tc1k2pkr

Thanks for listening.

Cheers
cus

10 -- I greatly appreciate your comments, your insight and encouragement.

Knotty -- thanks for last evening's soundtrack. You swing. You really swing. And I think I may have heard a few Tristano -style mantras.

Cus -- I think your Hanon sounds quite spry and lively -- I don't hear tension. And congratulations on your graduation!

As for me, I'm working to get into the swing of things, and to get an ear for this. I'm continually amazed at how much all of your hear, and how you're able to express in words, symbols, and music, the totality of what you hear.

So here's my latest contribution: The timing is off in a spot or two, my voice went flat, but I'm here with some Blue Prints

hi custard,

now i hope someone will correct me here if I'm wrong, but I think you may be asking too much if you want to relax for a hanon at a challenge tempo. after all, it is supposed to be a challenge! that was a challenging speed, no question, and the exercise really twists the fingers. first I thought you weren't keeping time to the metronome, then I realised you were but making tiny adjustments of speed for it. it may help you to spend some time counting to the beat, feeling the beat before you play, as the beginning was the bit where you were most off (I think you came in a little late, but then corrected), and the beginning is the bit that, logically thinking, ought to be easiest.

I hope you find this helpful, and if not, please ignore me!

Reflecting back on my own experience with these hanons, I think pushing yourself physically is one of the harder things to manage alone without a teacher in the room. And i'm not sure it's reasonable to expect linear progress in terms of bpm in a noticeable time-frame, especially as the exercises themselves get harder. I think it makes sense to have a sustain and a challenge tempo, but that challenge tempo, after a certain point, may only increase with years, not weeks, of work.