IOTM February 2014 IOTM- Pruple Bozza

[BigMartin]

Two exercises:
1- Take one long note from the first chord and try to move the smallest step available to a not belonging to the next chord when the chord changes. Boring, bat it gives you a feel for changes. Start with concert C , then G
2- Take a high note and move down every bar, always landing on chord notes (to the 9th).
Then the other way.

1, 3 and 7 define almost all chords. Try to be familiar with them

Thanks again. Tried some of this last night. Seems to be helping. Still struggling with the key change, though.

After a while, forget everything and just play.

But I think this only works if you have something in there to forget.

 

[BigMartin]

Sarcasm coming:

You should aim to 32 notes per bar, so people will think
you are good because you are fast. 🙂

I'm not trying to break any speed limit, I promise. But unless you're Miles Davis, one or two notes per bar (which is all I can honestly cope with at this stage) sounds so boring. But I suppose I need to accept theat boring is the best I can hope for right now.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I have a routine for a new piece that you may find useful. To get to know a new piece I break it right down. First check all the chords. We need to know them by sight. Root position one octave, and then two octaves, and then inversions across the full range of the instrument. I'll practice these, just to get the fingers used to where they are. When I'm happy that these bones of the piece are under my fingers, the first run through is a simple on the beat, four notes to the bar, starting with the root of each chord. As I become familiar with the chord progression, notes common to adjoining bars become apparent and these can be used to slip from one chord to another by changing the inversion.

Once this is at a reasonable level, it's time to turn on the backing track. Time to play. All the pieces are like lego in a box and the track is the picture or instructions of how it's put together.

My brain won't work in roman numerals and modes and abbacab. I'm more comfortable pulling things apart and putting them back together.

 

[aldevis]

My brain won't work in roman numerals and modes and abbacab. I'm more comfortable pulling things apart and putting them back together.

Colin, you seem to have a harmonic awareness uncommon among sax players. Your method is very close to what I do, but in some cases a shortcut can be useful. Do not forget Bigmartin is a physics teacher; they think differently and remember things 🙂

Abbacab? A taxi with a radio playing "Mamma Mia" 24/7?

 

[aldevis]

Still struggling with the key change, though.

Don't play. Listen to the backing track and try to understand when it comes. The clue is the G on the Cm7 becoming Gb on the Ebm7 (concert)

 

[Jamesmac]

Don't play. Listen to the backing track and try to understand when it comes. The clue is the G on the G7 becoming Gb on the Ebm7 (concert)

I can't seem to make sense of this, ?
Perhaps I have the wrong chords.
I always have Cm7 preceding the Ebm7

 

[aldevis]

I can't seem to make sense of this, ?
Perhaps I have the wrong chords.
I always have Cm7 preceding the Ebm7

You are dead right.
I fixed my post. Thanks for spotting my embarrassing mistake.

 

[Jamesmac]

Thanks aldevis.
PS. Can you explain something else, I can't seem to understand. 🙂
Why is this causing some problems. ie it may be a change of key, but the harmony is there in black and white. Or am I missing something. Thanks.

 

[Jamesmac]

PS. I am curious, talking from my point of view as a Classical player and as a non improviser. Thanks🙂

 

[BigMartin]

Thanks aldevis.
PS. Can you explain something else, I can't seem to understand. 🙂
Why is this causing some problems. ie it may be a change of key, but the harmony is there in black and white. Or am I missing something. Thanks.

The problem (for me, can't speak for anyone else) is keeping my place in real time and being aware of the next chord when I'm playing on the current one. The key change makes it even harder because I have to be ready switch my head from D minor (on tenor) to Eb major. What happens is I get there and I have to start thinking, and that's fatal., The bridge is half over before I've re-orientated myself. When you write it down like this, it doesn't sound like much but in practice I've been struggling with it a long time, years even. (Someone please tell me I'm not the only one). As usual the answer seems to be slow practice and playing fewer notes to simplify matters, but it's very frustrating.

 

[aldevis]

What happens is I get there and I have to start thinking, and that's fatal., The bridge is half over before I've re-orientated myself.

I do really thank you for your clarification.
One of the reason I am happy to do this is that I am learning a lot for my future teaching.
Different people think differently. I never had proper piano training and I always had to guess harmony. Other people play guitar and have a more advanced harmonic perception.
Classical training is also different.

BM, try to forget everything and think in terms of ABCB. They are just tonal "spots". Ideally you should have a longer BT; start it from half way and try to understand where you are.

James: do not share this with anyone else. (concert) C blue scale can be adjusted for the whole form, hence some confusion.

 

[Colin the Bear]

The problem (for me, can't speak for anyone else) is keeping my place in real time and being aware of the next chord when I'm playing on the current one. The key change makes it even harder because I have to be ready switch my head from D minor (on tenor) to Eb major. What happens is I get there and I have to start thinking, and that's fatal., The bridge is half over before I've re-orientated myself. When you write it down like this, it doesn't sound like much but in practice I've been struggling with it a long time, years even. (Someone please tell me I'm not the only one). As usual the answer seems to be slow practice and playing fewer notes to simplify matters, but it's very frustrating.

It can be difficult to get past a problem. The more you struggle the harder it becomes. If something isn't working a different approach is needed.

Perhaps thinking of it as four seperate pieces may help. Prepare four, four bar phrases and join them up. Maybe try a phrase with a long note at the end for the place you're having trouble. You can do your mental prep holding a note before you get there and then launch into the change. After doing this a few times, the bit you're having trouble with is the bit you know and are comfortable with and the easier bits can be worked on. Don't try to be too clever at first. Get something simple that works and embelish it later. Use theory to work out what you're going to play. When playing just think of the next note or phrase. It's hard to think and play.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Colin, you seem to have a harmonic awareness uncommon among sax players. Your method is very close to what I do, but in some cases a shortcut can be useful. Do not forget Bigmartin is a physics teacher; they think differently and remember things 🙂

Abbacab? A taxi with a radio playing "Mamma Mia" 24/7?

Something seems to have clicked recently. I struggled for a long time to understand why harmony and chord progessions work. I'm beginning to get it. These exercises and your explanations are a great help. I may have to go the long way round for some time before I can use the shortcut.

http://youtu.be/3BriIprFg-Y

Disclaimer:- I own one Genesis album. A vinyl LP from my distant past.

 

[Jamesmac]

I

James: do not share this with anyone else. (concert) C blue scale can be adjusted for the whole form, hence some confusion.

Be sure our secret is in safe hands😉
But exactly why I couldn't understand where the problem was with this piece, as their were so many common notes.🙂 A very clever impro sketch for impro learners like myself.

 

[Ivan]

Disclaimer:- I own one Genesis album. A vinyl LP from my distant past.

I had one of those once

 

[Nick Wyver]

I don't have a terribly methodical approach to something like this. I guess the results might be better if I did. For this particular tune what probably went through my head as I played it was (chords for Bb and ignoring the intro):
2 bars no flats/sharps (but probably avoid playing a B of any sort), 2 bars 1 flat,
2 bars 1 flat, 2 bars no flats,
4 bars 3 flats,
2 bars 1 flat, 2 bars no flats.
I would also be aware of the actual chord tones. I can manage doing that on the fly at that pace. After that it's about about trying to play something that sounds sensible to me - which usually means pretty tonal if not exactly diatonic. I'm a simple chap really. More complicated chords (#11s and stuff) I'd have to stop and think about. Using altered scales doesn't come naturally - I can't hear them (IYSWIM). I can play 'em but they never sound right to me. In the sort of music I usually play there's not much call for them so consequently I don't get used to using them.

 

[aldevis]

2 bars 1 flat, 2 bars no flats,

You miss that lovely C#, a very sensible note. I agree it works, though.

Using altered scales doesn't come naturally - I can't hear them (IYSWIM). I can play 'em but they never sound right to me.

Don't make me start on altered (superlocryan) scales. They are a product of theory book writers.

The octatonic (double diminished) and the exatonic on the other hand....

 

[Nick Wyver]

You miss that lovely C#, a very sensible note. I agree it works, though.

Yup. That's probably what goes through my head at first. I may well elaborate once I get the hang of it.

 

[Ivan]

I don't know what the fuss is about

All you have to do is study this and you're away

 

[aldevis]

Ac

I don't know what the fuss is about

All you have to do is study this and you're away

Actually an interesting read....

Next IOTM will be about superimposing Giant Steps progressions on normal II V I. Happy now?