Washington Nationals Combo
We continued working on the chords of “Ladybird,” starting with the last two bars and playing the 1 and 3 of each chord. Then we played the 3 and 5, then the 5 and 7.
After that we practiced guide tones by voice leading between the 3rds and 7ths of each chord through the form.
After Mr. Fox joined us, he had us try playing the melody to “Ladybird” with more style. He had the horn players try to emulate singers, especially with how they phrase long notes.
We practiced more guide tones, playing the 3rds of each chord, then the 7ths of each chord. Over the form of “Ladybird,” we then improvised with a focus on trying to hit the guide tones.
We finished up by playing a riff blues with Mr. Fox leading the riffs.
- Forrest A
Michael Glynn Group:
After You’ve Gone:
An arrangement for this tune was passed out to everyone, and everyone will receive a copy of the full score next week.
Voice Leading:
We rehashed some of the voice leading principles discussed last week and have a little assignment for next week!
In this assignment, I asked everyone to use the solo sheet for this tune, and use what they learned about voice leading to find new lines that can be used to path their way through the tune.
Pick anywhere you would like to start and a chord tone to start on.
Where the next chord change happens, see if there is a chord tone you can go to without moving more than a whole step (not moving is always an option!)
Write out what those notes are on your solo sheet and we’ll see what everyone comes up with next week!
Andrew Fox Group:
Honey Sucklerose:
Learn the Lyrics!
A
Every honeybee
Fills with jealousy
When they see you out with me
I don't blame them, goodness knows
Honeysuckle rose
A
When we're passin' by
Flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why
You're much sweeter, goodness knows
Honeysuckle rose
B
Don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
You're my sugar
It's sweet when you stir it up
A
When I'm taking sips
From your tasty lips
The honey fairly drips
You're confection, goodness knows
Honeysuckle rose
The Changes
The A section of this tune is incredibly repetitive with the same ii-V in F being played 4 different times – can make it difficult to keep track of where you are along with the AABA form.
Utilizing tricks such as knowing the lyrics, or keeping the melody going in your head as you play the tune will be paramount to keeping your place as others take their solos.
A way to simplify the changes is instead of thinking of playing 4 ii-Vs in F, just focus on the V chords, as they provide much more direction and intent of where you intend to go with your solo than the ii chord.
And by doing this, suddenly the A sections looks and feels like something similar to the blues, which coincidentally is right at home for this style of tune!
Improvising:
There were questions about how to improve our fluidity and lines as we solo, and a summary of some tips were:
When you transcribe, it's not only important to learn the solo and get the notes, but to know the context and purpose of what is being played.
As we learn more and more snippets of licks and lines from solo transcriptions, we can generally categorize them into types of vocabulary (similar to grammatical structure with things like nouns and verbs)
Although there is no objective rule as to what is what, it’s important that you have an understanding of what you think certain things are as those are the first stepping stones to developing your own style of playing.
solos that communicate with the audience. A great solo doesn’t need to
be filled with endless runs or complex patterns—it’s about making each
note count. One of the best ways to build a solid solo is by focusing
on the core tones of the chords you’re playing over. We already
emphasized the importance of the 3rd and 7th degrees, and how you can
create phrases that are rooted in the harmony, giving your solo a
strong sense of direction. Now the challenge is to create space,
timing, and dynamics to create a sense of tension and release. Don’t
be afraid to leave room for the listener to breathe—sometimes the
silence between your notes is just as powerful as the notes
themselves.
For your homework, dive into the blues -put on any blues tracks and
play along. We decided to add Watermelon Man to our collection, so
play along with those recordings too. A recommended track is by Poncho
Sanchez, an Afro Cuban artist (has a pretty cool Ugetsu recording).
For those writing lyrics for the blues - write lyrics that you enjoy,
and think about how those words can influence the phrasing of your
solo. We’re also challenging you to come up with a shout chorus that
brings energy and excitement to the arrangement. Like a "hit-and-run",
keep it punctual and direct—this isn’t about overcomplicating things,
but rather finding the groove that connects everyone in the group.
Foxy Royals - Theater
We handed back our intervals and key signatures work sheet, and then handed out a new interval work sheet that includes every common interval, unison up to an octave.
Before working on Honeysuckle Rose, we warmed up on an easier chord progression, a 16 bar form that has 6 bars of F, 8 bars of C, and then 2 more bars of F. Focus on using rhythmic patterns and staying within the first 5 notes of the chord, but remember the most
Important note is the 3rd, try and emphasize the 3rd when you land on a new chord.
Remy came in to help out with the combo, we’re working on improvisation on Honeysuckle Rose. Try to keep the melody in your brain while improvising, it will be easier to keep track.
When your playing over a 2-5, focus on mostly playing the 5 chord, it’s basically the blues! The 2 is kind of directionless, whereas if you play just the 5, you’ll land safely.
Listen to the essential Fats Waller recording of Honeysuckle Rose. https://youtu.be/
-Max Bartron
Experiment with 
