supplementary materials and video recordings

Supplementary materials, as well as video recordings, are available below. 

Week 1

Good backing track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFoKMeL1uHY&t=29s

Week 1 activities

Jazz - a language of syncopations

Implementing swing rhythms

How/Why to “Transcribe”

G major pentatonic / G major blues

Conscious vs sub-conscious improvising

Understanding harmony function

Arpeggiate each chord in root position

Improvise arpeggiations in half notes throughout the form

Practice modes (major, lydian, dorian, mixolydian)

Play 3rd, 5th, 7th, ninth of each, etc.

Simplifying note choices through use of major scales

Week 2

WEEK 2 ACTIVITIES:

St. Anne’s Reel (bluegrass version)

Check out Stuart Duncan transcription

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQFv-v8L7ws

St Anne’s Reel (backing track) 80 BPM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Mg21hHFNk

St Anne’s Reel (backing track) 100 BPM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mSERKoXIDo&t=125s

Improv with D pentatonic (D E F# A B)

Adding blue note (D E F F# A B)

Bowings:

Georgia Shuffle

Georgia Shuffle alternate

Shuffle / Potatoes

Accents on offbeats

(Improv with all the above)

Chord voicings

Pivoting between tune / improv / backup

Pivoting between set melody and improv (4 measures of one, 4 measure of the other)

Inflection (slides and vibrato in bluegrass)

“Transcribing”

Improv Triplets or even “double time”

Week 3

WEEK 3 ACTIVITIES:

Take Five

Db major (with Db drone)

Eb dorian (with Eb drone)

Thoughts on playing in flat keys

Eb minor pentatonic

Eb minor blues (aka Eb blues scale)

Playing through multiple positions (like a guitar player)

Accenting different quarter notes / eighth notes in the grid

Half note throughout

Hemiola throughout

Starting phrases on different beats

Playing over the chords on the bridge

Vibrato & attack - creating tension / energy

TAKE THE A TRAIN

C major blues scale

C blues licks

Call & Response

Swing rhythms

Swing bowings review

D Lydian dominant scale

Exercise playing each scale on chords

Use of flat nine on dominant chords

More options on dominant chords

Improvising over the form

Q&A

Week 4

Week 4 activities

DETAIL, VARIATIONS, AND “IMPROV” IN CELTIC FIDDLE MUSIC

We did two tunes:

The Kesh Jig (Irish trad)

The Boxing Reel (Kittel)

Accents & Syncopation

Swinging the notes

Celtic ornaments:

Flicks

Rolls

Triplets / Cuts

Inverted Grace Notes

Slides

Bowings

Variations

Double Stops

How to Start with Variations in Celtic music

1. PRACTICING TRANSCRIBING

“Compared to What” by Eddie Harris & Les McCann

Going deep with transcribing

Transcribing method / aural focus

Paying attention to detail

1. PRACTICING BLUEGRASS

“Whiskey Before Breakfast”

Switching roles between rhythm and soloing

Chords

Shuffle Bowings and variations

Getting started with solos