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Hi knotty!

@apples
You're right both tunes are a lot simpler. Especially piece #2 is perfect for me to learn it just by ear.

@Woods
Here's a total beginner but I think Dave Frank's material is fun to work with. He presents you with just the right amount of information so you can enjoy the ride. Other books I looked into were either too technically demanding, too theoretical and offer very little guidance for a beginner. Now I can concentrate on playing music rather than worrying about how to learn and what to learn when.

Please have a look @ p. 49 bar 4 & 5 (book 1)

There you're supposed to hold the E below middle C for 2 bars (bar 4 to bar 5).
At the same time you're playing a Bmin7b5 chord in bar 5, voiced as B-D-A. So the E I'm supposed to hold comes right in between the chord notes of the Bmin7b5 chord? I guess that makes the chord effectively sound like
B-D-E-A. Is that ok if I add the E to the chord in my LH?

And two beats later same thing happens again with the E7 chord, played out as B-D-E-G#. Only this time the E is already there in the chord.

The other questions is for bar 4. The Amin6 and its missing notes in the bass clef is probably covered by A and E.

Sorry simou, I don't know what you mean about holding the E.
Yes it is fine to add notes, E with a B min chord creates the lovely min 11 sound.
And it is fine to take away notes e.g. the 5th, if you think the chord sounds too thick.

So you don't have to play exactly what's in front of you.

Thanks Apple I got it

Ok, here's last week's assignment. I had to come up with a tune based on the progression of
lullabye in blue (on p. 42).. This's my first tune

https://soundcloud.com/simou-pw/songw23-2

What do you think?

That's great work Simou. I liked your sense of phrasing.
But since you are paying me for a suggestion "winks" I would say that you could make your phrasing even clearer e.g. you could try
"Call" "Response" "Call" "Response"
or
"Call" "Response" "Clarification of Response".

I received book one took a quick look and looks really nice.
But now I ask myself how to combine all those books. I mean.. my piano practice isn't structured atm but want to get back again on everything.
I have like 2 sight reading books, now JOI, Solo Jazz Piano: The Linear Approach (Neil Olmstead), I got some books like Triad Pairs and Expansions, I always work on a rag (from Joplin book) and a classical piece with my teacher (last I did was Debussy, now getting new piece).

Well I think Triad Pairs and Expansions are maybe out of my league right now... so that's for later. Thinking about dropping practice Solo Jazz piano and keep it at reference when working on walking bass. So it should be JOI + Sight reading + Ragtime + Classical piece from now on. If I only had more time (and less tension problems).

we usually skip the JOI solo pattern and go with the jazzhanon, chords and tunes)

DF

Hey LW
So you have a classical teacher ? That's great.
You seem to be practising too much. In my opinion, you've correctly identified your problem as the need for structure. You need a great jazz teacher
(i) to give you the focus; and
(ii) to teach you how to relax at the piano. Are your tension injuries from piano or sport ?

Got it from sporting - weight lifting last year (after 2 year break). Not a good combo with piano. Next to that I wasn't (and still am not) structured. This means I could work out and practice piano directly after working out. Not a good idea. Next to that I pratice/play a lot during the day several times since I don't have classes atm (almost every day free). Tried rest (a few weeks) and physical therapy didn't work. It's not really painful more irritating.

Decided from now on to practice structured every day at the same time and no playing in other parts of the day (so always "22 hours of rest").

Good point Apple, I haven't thought about the call&response pattern, thanks.

I've read the first 40 pages, looks good.. can't wait to begin.
Few questions though:
- Do you have to do innerear line method for every transposed JOI Solo Pattern (so every key repeat the 5 steps)?
- Jazzhanon says; Maintain the same fingering at each scale degree, in all keys. Maybe it's because english is not my native language.. but I don't know exactly what this means. I would begin the first jazzhanon with the 2 instead of the 1 (on the Bb). Should I begin ALL jazzhanon in all keys with the 1? So even in Ab?
- Sing along with solo. How do I know I'm listening to the right recording on youtube? Should I sing all solo instruments?

Lw,

We usually skip the joi pattern. Playing in all keys can be a bit hard.

Yes, use thumb on bb. There is no crossing of the thumb ever in the hanons

Some of the recordings you will not find on YouTube. Some are hard to find our have been repackaged under different albums. I can help you with the versions I found if you tell me which one you are on.

Tend to sing in "one octave" for example a C4 when playing a C5 or C6.. cause it's easier for my voice.. is this a problem?

By the way, I tried the hanon thing with the same fingering and it's actually much easier than I thought. Just knowing your basic scales well makes it "easy" to play the pattern (ok, mayb not with perfect swing, articulation etc.) cause you don't have to care about fingering just about the notes. Played only one pattern though lol so maybe I'll come back on this one

Edit: to be honest I'm feeling like I'm boring you guys with all these questions. But I don't have time to read al 90+ pages.

Lw
Check out df latest video on ear training and see how great of a ssinger he is. :-)
Yeah, switching octave is fine.

Thanks again,

Yeah that's true ha.. but still, thought DF tried to hit high notes with his voice. Well I'm trying singing and swinging atm . Really fun. Like how it says spend like 2 weeks on 1 lessons, a lot of books don't give you time indication and you're trying to get through them really quick. For this book, I'll just take my time.

*up*

Question about articulation:
The book says it's good to play with the CD and play as close to it as possible.

Well now I have a question. I've always wondered how jazz piano players make their sounds so "jazzy". From what I've read this comes from mainly 1. swing rythm and 2. articulation. I understand the swing rythm but the articulation is a harder part. From what I've read the accent is primarily on the off beats, the "and".

I've dropt the JOI CD track from lesson 1 in transcribe these are some of the things I see:
- Jazz Hanon 1: accent on the highest notes.
- Autumn Blues: accent generally on the onbeat beat, not on the off beat. Highest note in line gets is the loudest. Generally accent on the first beat played doesn't really matter on or off beat.
- Leaf Line: accent generally on the onbeat beat. Bars 21-24 accent on the off beats (highest note repeated).

My conclusion for this lesson is that the accent is far but on the off beat. But maybe my idea of accent isn't good. When I talk about accent I think about a bit louder in volume so it comes out.

Lw,

It's all about the slice of pizza.
Say "slice of pizza" as you play and you will be good.

Another way is to think of it in terms of blocks of 4 notes, putting a slight accent on the 1st of the 4.

Singing along to records will do the rest.

Playing with good flow is difficult and takes years. But it is the most important.

Just curious - am I the only one who does the Jazz Hanon in two hands? I do it twice per practice: once in both hands around 130 bmp then a second time right hand alone at a challenge tempo.

Just wondering.

Knotty, thanks, that's a whole other theory than those I the one I read about.. gotta try that Ah yes that's exactly how the record sounds! Accenting the first in groups of 4.

RonL, For me, I only do it right handed.

Lw,
The concept is simple.
To be able to do it will require a bit of practice ;-)