#2 - Dan Greenblatt - minor is MAJOR

Colony is off to a great start. For those that missed session #2 or would like to see/hear it again.  Here are the links to the sessions. There is a ton of information here.  Take it in chunks and really work with it.

Here are the files for Greenblatt Transcription challenge. Email him your videos. dlgreenblatt@hotmail.com

4 phrases by JS Bach

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqN1Y0MHpyX29aTjlDeEpISUEtQXJqSVZVNGtz/view?usp=sharing

1.        Greenblatt Minor is Major Presentation:   https://youtu.be/FFmFL0dWOEk

2.        Greenblatt performance of "It Could Happen to You/Fried Green Bananas":    https://youtu.be/kk4pLcQbR7Q

Minor is Major - summary
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqMUI0Z2thUmRkYkRhODhtZHBsSGdtbW84VFFB/view?usp=sharing

Practicing Harmonic Minor 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqanpOSVZqci13NWZ2Ylp4SjE0bEpZaGRCb2ZR/view?usp=sharing

Broken Thirds Handout
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqTlh4VERkQUdPVng5dnEwbjZIOXhGNTdfUlFn/view?usp=sharing

It Could Happen to You - Concert Lead Sheet - pdf
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqNEg0MUt1c29LRzNHN1p6MDBuV0x1S0lLc0xV/view?usp=sharing

Here are the files for Greenblatt Transcription challenge. Email him your videos. dlgreenblatt@hotmail.com

4 phrases by JS Bach

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vys76rp3kqN1Y0MHpyX29aTjlDeEpISUEtQXJqSVZVNGtz/view?usp=sharing

This week's "Hang 10" repertoire challenge is "These Foolish Things" and videos should be mailed to Brandt Fisher (intern) at fisherbrandt5@gmail.com

Here is one beautiful rendition .... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy6fTf5Ywoc

Combo summaries:

The Marina Albero group worked on Recorda-me for the majority of the session. We talked about how the melody of the tune can give hints about the types of modalities to imply. We decided that the two minor chords in the beginning imply a Dorian mode. We played though those scales. We also talked about the last two chords. The F major has a Lydian sound and the E7#9 has a harmonic minor sound. This brought up a larger lecture on exploring different scales and modes. Marina inspired us to explore how different scales can be implied over chords. But the main idea she was trying to convey was that for certain songs or certain sections of songs you can just play “licks”. You have to have scales and melodies to draw from in order to make things interesting. For example, a good place to start is trying to “tweak” different notes of a scale to fit the chord or to create tension.  These ideas were important for the students to “chew on” as they go forward in learning modal tunes such as the beginning of Recorda-me and especially in learning Maiden Voyage. 

We concluded the night by playing through maiden voyage and listening through Bobplicity, which Marina transcribed.

The homework was to memorize Recorda -me. And listen and practice bobplicity. 

Max Bennett


We tried out the arrangement of "I Should Care”. We focused on playing the head to “ Billie’s Bounce” at various tempos and ddi a lot of soloing on the changes at various tempos.  We also altered our trading with our illustrious drummer E.J. from 12’s to 8’s to 4’s too 6’s and 3’s until we all lost our spot in the song.  Everyone had fun with this.  We also listened and transcribed the changes and melody to “These Foolish Things” without music or writing it down.  This proved to be quite productive and the assignment for Tuesday was to learn the melody in Eb and C (concert) They have two recordings to listen to: Nat King Cole in C major and Lester Young’s recording in Eb major.  There is also a Ella Fitzgerald recording in Ab major that is beautiful and deserves a listen.  I would like us to rehearse “Stolen Moments” but maybe not the arrangement we have but the original Oliver Nelson arrangement  ( I will put this together)

Best,

Paul G

When the theory behind the changes to a tune you are learning is too complicated, use voice leading to help you develop a solo. Often a sigh of good voice leading is when you choose pitches either a half step or a whole step away from each other. 

Knowing the relationship of a chord change to the home key is very important because a Cmaj7 over and tune in C Major is different from a Cmaj7 over a tune in G Major. Knowing each chords relationship tot the home key will also reveal which scale will most accurately cover the chord change. Furthermore, when you have the correct scale for that change, the pathway to the next change will be much more obvious to you.

Rehearsal summary: worked up the tempo on the band parts for Sonny Stitt’s arrangement of After You’ve Gone. Also discussed possible strategies identifying simplifying the changes through complicated chord movements.

Read through Jeep’s Blues and discussed the importance of being able to play over a slow blues.

Ran through “the things we did last summer” and discussed tough spots to work on.

After You’ve Gone:

Band Arrangement - https://youtu.be/EQihvHFBr1s

Melody - https://youtu.be/BTkv1sWugO0

submitted by Rimmy Le

This from Rodney regarding Greenblatt Combo

Week 2

• whole tone scale is a good way to play over the second chord of take the a train
• Whole tone scale is a scale with whole steps
• Sounds cool and out
• Billy Strayhorn came from a family that wasn’t musically inclined
• Joe Henderson take the a train whole tone scale example
• AABA 
• Play chord tones and you’ll always play good notes
• How to make music with those notes and transcribe notes and licks
• Right notes with good rhythms make music
• We are learning how to speak in a new language when we solo
• Have rhythms in mind that encompass the jazz style 
• Charlie Parker liked chicken so much that people called him yardbird. Yard for short or bird
• Have a rhythm in mind a repeat it. Rhythm first and play it stanky and Swanging
• Have a booklet of rhythms
• Learn how to follow the rules before you break em. Follow the chord tones then learn how to go around them
• minor blues scale learn it
• Improvisation is a combination of execution and composition
• If your gonna be a good soloist you have to be equally as good at composition as execution