Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Join the JOI jazz joint !

I have a question, now that I've started on singing with Charlie Parker. Can't say I've been looking forward to this - I find him difficult and not very musical. I've started on the solo for Moose. Just wondering if I should be doing the head instead/as well as that. The head is quite a challenge in itself. What do y'all think?

both

okey doke

Charlie is very clever. You will hear when you get onto his A sections, how he varies each one.

And when you get onto Perhaps, you will hear that it is very melodic !

What helped me was listening to Dave's Charlie Parker masterclass on u-stream, study this at least once.

You will enjoy your singing of Bird so much more.

10,
I agree that Bird isn't easy to get into. But it's worth it. There's nothing like it.
If you try playing some of the lines, along with basic chords in the LH, you will hear lots of new things.

I'm very fortunate - I've got lots of time to spend with JOI, and I'm having a great time!

Here's lesson #5.
(I'm pretty comfortable with the solo pattern transpositions with lesson #3 and am working on the solo pattern in lesson #4. Doing the other things too. Started lesson #6).

Sugar Blues (watch out for the metronome)
Sweet And Low
...and a special treat - vocals!
I was pretty Satchmoe'd out (probably due to the poor audio) so I jumped ahead a little to Lester Young.
Fooling Myself They don't write songs like this anymore Sigh - I miss the old days.

Go Bing, great:) I especially liked the "shrugged my shoulders at the whole doobledeedoo" ..

Great fun.

DF

Thanks Dave. It is fun. I'm accepting engagements. Big Apple, here I come!

It's one thing to play solely for myself, and quite another to play while being recorded or listened to. The latter is a tad more... stimulating. So, here's my first contribution. My hands weren't entirely quiet or accurate, but I'm getting there. And in time the neurons will connect!


Autumn Leaves

Time,

Beautiful. The playing is smooooth. The attitude perfect. You fly.

Nice going Norman. You've got a nice swing going there. And congrats on your first recording in JOI. I'm looking forward to many more. (And thank you for your comments).

Good going, time, that swings! You have good control of those keys. If you can dedicate time to this, then you will fly through some of these lessons. Thanks for sharing the singing with us too, it is a most valuable exercise.

Norm, the blues sounded good to me. You kept it slow, you didn't skip a beat, and it sounded accurate. Can you do that and sing while you're playing?

Thanks custard and knotty for the encouragement. I did see the masterclass on Parker, though perhaps I should watch it again. Trying to keep an open mind. I will spend some time on the head, and may try stabbing chords while I sing as knots suggested. On starting with the solo from Moose, my first thoughts are - maybe it's not so much Charlie I object to, as his backing. What was the drummer thinking?

You bet! Sometimes I can't keep from singing. It didn't come through, however, because I had the keyboard plugged into the computer. Next time, I'll experiment with a screen mic, a soft whine, and a steady rhythm.

Ten & Time, Thanks for your kind comments. This was a bit of a technological leap for me, but as time goes by, I'll get the hang of it.

Hey Norm
Lesson 1 and you're already swingin' ! I'm pleased you love recording.
btw there will be a competition between you and 10 for best Satchmo !

Oh yeh ! How KOOOOL was all that ! Go Time !
You're always very accurate in your JOI tunes, even "detaching" at the right place for the held notes. You've got a great feel and it's amazing that you're already on Lesson 6 having been on Lesson 4 last week, congrats.
I always thought Billie Holiday needed someone to fill in for her on her "off" nights. Foolin' myself was my favourite.

It's a deal!

I recorded the tunes to lesson 17 today, though it's not my best.
http://www.box.net/shared/8j1spnhemu9sscbdlo9l

My voice was tired so I tried to whistle, but some of those runs are way out of range! It made me realise I don't know the tunes as well as I think I do.

The other thing I've done is starting to go back over the previous tunes. I forget them easier than I learned them.

I've done a bit more improvising and I'll have some time tomorrow to dedicate to it.

Custard and Ten, thank you for your comments.

Ten, that sounds really difficult to do, especially unaccompanied.

I don't blame you for having a tired voice. 10 min of singing Bird/Navarro = one and a half hours of a tennis lesson.
I think that the tunes get harder to sing. I am fine singing with the melody. But when I sing with LH chords only or a capella, I tend to start off on the new phrase singing a funny note, when the preceding phrase ends on a note a lot further away from the beginning note of the new phrase.

How long was the C section line in Lesson 17 !

That's great and very important to revise old tunes. Tunes 2 lessons back from my current lesson are easy to forget.

Hello !
I've been improvising long lines for my 3 scales: C maj, F maj, F min.

http://www.box.net/shared/omb1s64l2808a8zee998

I would value your feedback. Thanks very much.

Cheers
cus

Custard - that's beautiful! Wonderful long lines - very melodic.