Well, I guess I am behind the times, but I posted my first YouTube video yesterday. It is a video of a concert I did a the Dallas School of Music on November 17, 2012. The audio is pretty bad. This experience satisfied a first step of a goal. My goal is to continue studying jazz piano at DSM for at least 2 years, treating is as post-graduate study in jazz. I will do concerts periodically in at least Spring, Fall, maybe Summer, or quarterly. If I get better, maybe I could do it more on a monthly basis.
Whenever I am off work for a few days, I start to get ideas about improving my online presence with better connections between my blog, FaceBook, YouTube, recordings etc. That idea seems to get lost in the maze of other responsibilities once the work routine starts up again. I may spend some time on it as a New Years Resolution this year.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Jazz Is
Jazz is extended, altered chords based on a logical system of scales. The simplest way to view it is to start by imagining a major scale. If you have ever studied any music, you should know at least 1 major scale. Starting with this major scale, any or all tones of this scale can be altered (except for the first note, which of course would make it a different scale).
First lower the seventh tone of the scale. There you have a normal dominant scale. Just like a major scale except the seventh tone is lowered by a half step. A 4 note chord build from the first note of this scale is a typical dominant chord. This chord normally can resolve down a fifth, so a C dominant chord will resolve to an F major chord.
From here any number of other notes in the scale can be altered. Lowering the third along with the seventh creates a kind of minor scale known commonly as a Dorian, typically played over a minor chord.
The most interesting chords/scales are altered dominant ones. Continuing from lowering the seventh note of the major scale, altering other notes creates a plethora of possible dominant sounds including:
First lower the seventh tone of the scale. There you have a normal dominant scale. Just like a major scale except the seventh tone is lowered by a half step. A 4 note chord build from the first note of this scale is a typical dominant chord. This chord normally can resolve down a fifth, so a C dominant chord will resolve to an F major chord.
From here any number of other notes in the scale can be altered. Lowering the third along with the seventh creates a kind of minor scale known commonly as a Dorian, typically played over a minor chord.
The most interesting chords/scales are altered dominant ones. Continuing from lowering the seventh note of the major scale, altering other notes creates a plethora of possible dominant sounds including:
- lowered 9th
- lowered 9th and 13th
- lowered 5th
- raised 9th
- fully altered : lowered 9th, raised 9th, lowered 4th, lowered 5th, lowered 13th
Other combinations are possible.
One fundamental skill is to know all the scales and be able to create many patterns following the contour of the intended scale starting from any note in the scale. Then, application of this skill includes the movement of chords that might change scales quickly.
Boating vs Kayaking
Boating is wind in your face, sparkling water, relaxed driving, coasting and swimming in coves. You can drive up to a waterside restaurant in a boat. You have to keep your eyes peeled for other boats and watercraft in a boat since traffic on a motorized boating lake moves faster than more relaxed watersports environments.
Kayaking is floating, pulling water, direct nature experience, no coasting and good exercise. There is no coasting in kayaking. You can get to more remote locations with a kayak. You can get closer to turtles and other waterside animals with a kayak. You can see other kayaks and have plenty of time to change course.
Kayaking is floating, pulling water, direct nature experience, no coasting and good exercise. There is no coasting in kayaking. You can get to more remote locations with a kayak. You can get closer to turtles and other waterside animals with a kayak. You can see other kayaks and have plenty of time to change course.
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