Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Berklee improvisation course on Coursera

Yeah, it is isn't it?!?
Btw, are you going to do the 6-scales? Submission due in 1 day 9 hours. (500 miles due in 1 week, 2 days)

Week 2, kind of done in a rush but I know I won't have time:
http://snd.sc/10pv7Ww

LW, you can find some very simple LH patterns in there.
A good pattern would be to play just the root on 1 and hold it for 4 beats. I found the tricky part with these was to maintain the tonality and not gravitate towards the 1st mode. For example, A lydian dominant feels like an E- scale. So playing the A in the bottom really helps.

This would be much harder for a horn player with no harmony under.

Groovy!

Thanks Chris.
I didn't even listen to it

Really nice. I like how you gave his "brightest" of all scales, Lydian, a brighter rhythmic treatment, and his "darkest" of all scales, Locrian, a pensive treatment. Cool

Wow awesome knotty.

What I hear from you guys, you can make any scale sound really jazzy. I mean I can make the blues scale sound blues.. by just playing the notes lol.. but no way I can make like the C Major scale sound "jazzy".
I think this has to do with the articulation... In general the accents have to be on the "and"? So on the 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.

But it seems you guys have also a certain way to play the notes like staccato or something.

I find the articulation part very hard.



Yeah that's nice. I tried something like the vamps from Dave Frank's lessons. Seems to work.. maybe I'll post mine here lol.. if I got the confidence hah!

Thanks ken. Nice of you to comment.

Lw,
Articulation is key. In my view, it's 100 more important than scales and notes. If a guy is blowing on complicated scales, most people won't know.
If you screw up the rythm you will sound like an amateur after just 1 measure.
If burton doesn't get into it, I can share my thoughts later.

Amen to that.

A high distinction for you Knotty.

I gotta listen to those recordings. You all are so kind with me.

But I'm really looking forward to 500 mile high. I'm starting to like GB's approach.

I had developed a method for memorizing tunes, mostly based on ear. So far I've memorized a little bit under 100 tunes. But now I realize there's a whole other layer to it, which is picking scales based on those rules.
So for example, take a tune like Cherokee. Really the whole A section is one big Bb pentatonic scale. I don't think there's a single note in there outside. So that's how I came to memorize it. Once you know that, memorizing the melody is super easy. And the harmony is pretty standard. I don't think I will go back and think all those modes.

But my ear method is weak on tunes that use non traditional harmonies, because it is difficult to hear. So for tunes like Prince of Darkness, which will wipe me in a second, I think it will really help.

Well since I didn't have much time this week... I tried to learn the scales and record/submit something today... well it's not much compared to you guys but well, I'll just post it.. maybe it just motivates others to record an post here (finger and rhythm mistakes included! lol)

https://soundcloud.com/scott-fr-d-ric/6-scales-exercise

lw,
thats nicely done. one thing is I think you are supposed to start playing the scale straight up, and that helps us hear the improv that comea after, but its a detail.
I think you will enjoy week 3 also.

Thanks for you reply, yes I think that would make it more clear.. bit rushed the assignment. Today I'll check the week 3 vids let's see what this week is about

LW,
one easy tip to sound better. The most important note of a phrase is the last one. Hold it and let it ring. On occasion, it's ok to play it short, but generally, hold that last note like you meant it.

500 Mile high on a lunch break... I get a bit surprised by the ending :-)

http://snd.sc/13t6Soe

Not bad Knotty! Very smooth. Like the end of chorus 3 sequence . . . Yeah the ending is on the Cm7.

And now, some inspiration. From the horses mouth: http://soundcloud.com/chickcorea/grammy-500-miles-high

Was listening to rtf this afternoon and its just incredible the control and flow these guys have

Yeah those first two albums, Return to Forever and Light as a Feather are jazz classics!
The playing, as you write, is absolutely stupendously groovy; the Rhodes has never sounded better.

Oh man, the 70's; Return to Forever, Herbie with the Headhunters, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Keith Jarrett's american and european quartets - no wonder I'm still "stuck" there.

Knotty, very nice playing on 500 Miles High! I want to play like you!

Just finished recording my own assignment for 500 miles:

https://soundcloud.com/elkayem/500-miles-high

I feel a little better about this one than I did about my "What is this thing called love" recording, though clearly have a ways to go before I sound like a pro. The tempo (140) is better for me. Feedback and helpful tips welcome.

Knotty - Man, That sounded right on and so so fluid! Amazing that you can just pump that out on a lunch break.

Elkayem - Really nice head on that version. I think you have the same problem as me on this one - getting lost in the form the more verses you go in the solo. Nothing that more practicing wouldn't solve (if we had the time).

Here is my first attempt -

Ken's attempt at 500 Miles High