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To me, all big changes come from adressing one of my flaws. Right now I've just started a minor in jazz piano and got my first 'real' technique lesson, how to finger scales and stuff. I'm already...

On the black or on the white keys?

Hey, for a first composition I think this is really very good. There are no 'flaws' or anything I can hear, there is some nice voice-leading and a nice melody.
Also, it sounds like a coherent...

Los Boleros says some great stuff as always, and I'd like to add this: Learning scales and stuff often ends up in learning about your instrument; Learning songs ends up in learning about music. ...

Maybe you could tell us if you use dots or block-inlays as position markers on your piano.

piano fretboard???

Lol, this sure is a typical way of approaching music.
But on a closer look, it doesn't show all possible chords, it shows a lot of standard progressions: start anywhere, follow the arrows and you'll...

Just sit behind a piano and try everything you can think of.

Oops, you're right, that's what I meant. Usual approach is Cm7 over F7 for a sus4 sound (check out "Eighty One" from Miles' E.S.P.), Cm-maj7 for a #11.

Why Db works: The bars of F7 are just a...

This is not fun, an out of control insult spawning debate and I'm not participating in (or even better: starting) it...

Well, I'm off to do some meaningfull pratice, bye bye!

PS. Did you know...

Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan. They use some of the most interesting progressions in pop music.

For Stevie Wonder I recommend the records Talkng Book, Innervisions, Fullfillingness' First Finale...

Since the added notes are passing tones they will be described with # when ascending and b when descending, but that's just details. Remember that these accidentals don't say anything about the key...

Hi Live,

Just a quick note on bebop scales. They are a very great tool if you understand how they work:

In jazz you often play lines that are made up from 8th notes. In such a line it often...

That was a great view, thanks for the tip Eric! I saw your post just in time to catch most of the show.

Asperjames II, it has to do mostly with harmonic rhythm, which means (simplified) after how many beats the chord changes. In 2/4 you should see things like C C G G C C G G more and in 4/4 you should...

That might be something I will do in the future. Right now I love the possibilities that the electric bass is offering, especially all the stuff you can do with ghost notes ala Rocco from Tower of...

Update because of new hair :)



BTW The six-string bass form the old photo is currently not played as much because I defretted my old yamaha 4 string and I love it! The simplicity of 4 strings...

I wonder if taking a scale or mode as a starting point is the best thing to do. Maybe it would be a better idea to take a song/progression as a starting point, let people play over it and explain...

May I ask specifically what the benefits are of following rules created solely from music theory? It's a paint by the numbers approach I dont find really imaginative. Why is learning a stricktly...

Just put some notes on top of each other, but you have to do this immediately after putting down the note before, otherwise the note that was there already will be replaced. Or you can select a note...

Especially in minor keys beacause they are diatonic then. So try G7(#5) -> Cm7 (Or better, Cm-maj7) and play the whole tone scale over the G7(#5).

...

/ F#m7 / F#m7 / D7 / D7 / Gm7 / Gm7 / Eb7 / Eb7 / Am7 /

I see no ii-V's. F#m-D7 = Gm7-Eb7 transposed a half tone, yes, but they are not ii-V's.

Eb7 to Am7:

Eb7 = Bbm7 = IV moll-durr (Don't...

I'm still looking for that one. I do have the one about the making of Stevie Wonder's Songs in the key of Life (same series) and the Steely Dan 2 against nature live DVD, both highly recommendable....

Try coming up with an original subject and stuff can be a lot easier is my experience. Using humour is also a good way to avoid cheesyness and can even give your lyrics some more impact.
An example...