It’s almost september and I know I “should” be doing a long updated report on the state of my practice and musical life in general … but I won’t! Generally, september brings me to re-consider the whole (“big picture”) of my life. But now …

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Played approx. an hour “free” today (on the guitar) again today. It feels great. I’ve been helped by reading/watching stuff by Kenny Werner in the last few days..

I think the play-a-long is worth it; it’s called Free Play. (You know that I don’t really like play-a-longs in general… so I think that there’s really “something there” for this one!)

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Piano :

• Blues in G : Trying different cadence going in measure 5
• Blues in C : Walking bass lines in LH + chords in RH.

Very relaxed and fun piano session (+/- an hour)

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… and teaching 5 hours.

A lot of playing/composing by myself today. Nothing too structured : blowing on tunes, exploring some voicings. I’m starting to like that “un-organized” approach more and more!

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At night, teaching 4-9 PM and practicing piano. I’m getting better and better at blowing/comping a simple Bb blues on the keyboards! Yeah!

Yet another 9 to 5 Sunday of teaching.

I had the opportunity to practice some piano in my breaks (exercises by Oscar Peterson and some blues)

Today’s musical activities (ooouuh, new terminology here!):

• Learning the tune You Don’t Know What Love Is
  • from the classic Sonny Rollins recording…
• Modern Method vol.3
  • p.22-31
  • great!
• Teaching at night and practicing some piano in the breaks
• Jam nights (attending two jam sessions… and went to bed @ 4AM!)

Woah. I really needed that massage Wednesday morning. I’m seeing a specialist for some neck issue (whiplash because of my workouts…); the guy is fantastic.

He’s the one who “fixed me” when I had serious left hand injuries. I’m doing all the little “exercises” again to make sure my back, arms, neck, hand, wrists, hands (etc.) are good to go when I need them.

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Practice (on guitar) :

• I Hear a Rhapsody
  • Improvisation “around the melody”
  • Metronome on 2&4 @ 48 then @ 96
  • .
• If I Should Loose You
  • Melody and Chord Melody Rubato
    • Improvisation “around the melody”
    • 2&4 @ 50 then @ 100
  • Great!

Discovery:

Just realized that in bar 12 of If I Should Loose You, the Bb dim to Bb major (to accomodate the melody) can also be seen as an A7(b9) going to Dm  (secondary dominant to IIIm…) Cool.

I’ve always had trouble hearing and outlining that “diminished resolution” when improvising; I guess seeing it as a dom(b9) (which I’m more used to) will simply sort the stuff out in my ears/mind/fingers…

So, I like to blow on the form like this : (the underlined really is Bb dim to Bb major…)

Gm / / / | ii-V / / / | Gm / Gb7 / | Fm7 / Bb7 / |
Eb / / / | II-V / / / | Eb / / / | / / / / ||

Cm7 / / / | F7 / / / | A7(b9) / Dm7 / | / / / /|
Gm7 /// | C7 /// |Am7(b5) /// | D7(b9) /// ||

Gm / / / | ii-V / / / | Gm / Gb7 / | Fm7 / Bb7 / |
Eb / / / | II-V / / / | Eb / / / | / / / / ||

Cm7 / / / | F7 / / / | A7(b9) / Dm7 / | Am7(b5) / D7(b9) /|
Gm7 / / /  | Cm7 / F7 / | Bb  / / / | / / / / ||

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Just received an email today : Charles Ellison is asking me to join his group for a short set next week. I studied in Charles’ class for 2 years and it’s an honor for me.

!

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Teaching at night. Some piano practicing on Oscar Peterson Exercises and blues in C.

Teaching all day Sunday (as usual). Practice 1-2 hours of piano in my teaching breaks.

• Mintzer etude on C blues
  • slowly adding RH voicings

• Rootless II-V
  • in all keys
  • 2 inversion

• Rootless II-V-I (major)
  • in 6 keys

• *New* Oscar Peterson Book
  • Practice Ex #1 and Minuet #1

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At night : Canada Hockey Team won the Gold Medal!

Woke up late… because we had a few beers yesterday after the gig… had breakfast in restaurant, etc.

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Today’s practice :

• Modern Method Vol 3 – solo in Bb only
  • On my classical guitar
  • It’s starting to sound like “something” now
  • I’ll record it soon (just for kicks)

• Piano :
  • Rootless II-V-I in LH in a few mores keys
  • Blues

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Teaching at night, like most fridays…

Next Friday I’ll be playing this new GIG instead of teaching!

Today’s Practice :

• Modern Method Vol 3 :
  • pages 5, 7, (Solo in Bb thenTriads close/spread)
  • Pages 9, 10 (major scales : 12 keys in pos II, mel min : 9 keys…)
  • Page 11 (Triads close/spread)
  • Top of page 12 : Arpeggios : 4 notes maj triads in pos V (very HARD!)
  • More on p.5 Solo in Bb, still not “flowing”
  • Page 17 (major scales : 12 keys in pos III)

Piano Practice :

• C blues, comping and blowing my ass off.
• Mintzer Comping Etude on C blues, going for the second chorus
• II-V-I rootless voicings in a few keys (from Cocker book)

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Teaching at night.

Yes!

Saturday : shopping and practicing piano.

• LH Maj7th chord, inversions, 50 in half notes
• Mintzer C blues etudes, first chorus @ 56
• More Mintzer C blues etude
• Rootless II-V’s in all major keys (2 inversions) Hard stuff!
• Some more at night (until I fell asleep on the keyboard)

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Sunday : Teaching 9-5 as usual and practicing piano during my break (1-2 hours of actual practice!)

More work on website at night (more than 7 hours in a row).