Tip of the Day

A student on the forum of BluesHarmonica.com is having some challenges playing their study song in time to the provided jam track. Here's my response to him, slightly changed to fit this general audience... maybe you'll find this useful.

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Playing in time on your own, with the jam track, is no doubt a challenge.

Try this...

1) Play to the original (non-jam track) at 30% slow, first chorus, until you feel you have it.
2) Adjust the volume of the music softer than normal and play to the same track while recording yourself.
3) Listen back and critique your playing. continue reading...

I find myself going back to this series on a regular basis... it's very well done from many levels. In many cases you can replace the word jazz with blues and the same statements would be true. Give a listen to the series in order, it's worth your time.

Jazz Insights with Dr. Gordon Vernick
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jazz-insights-dr.-gordon-vernick/id3...
- What Is Jazz?
- How Jazz Works, Part II
- How Jazz Works - Part 3
- How Jazz Works - Part 4

"Concert Vault" has a great array of live performance for download purchase. Today's special is Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee for $1 at http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/sonny-terry-and-brownie-mcghee/concerts/as...

1 Easy Rider (Incomplete) 2:26
2 The Things (That) I Used To Do 4:15
3 Song Introduction 0:31
4 Burnt Child (Afraid of Fire) 3:08
5 Song Introduction 1:41
6 Hootin' the Blues 3:54
7 Hey Baby Hey Baby You're So Sweet 3:05
8 When These Blues Get On Me 5:42
9 Come on, If You're Coming 3:59 continue reading...

“A good sideman has the ability to make someone’s music sound and feel like HIS. A good sideman is able to contribute to someone’s concept without losing their personality in the process.” Ron Carter Masterclass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2qfW-jCS4 @ 35:44)

Here's a cool quote from jazz bass player Percy Heath in regards to musicality (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew-spMuMqK4 @ 36:29).

"You have to learn all those notes and scales and everything... that's a beautiful foundation... but then you have to spend a lifetime finding out what to leave out."

I'm off to Stanford to give a talk, as part of their free-reed instrument mini-class, on how bending works and its application to the blues. This all started with a joint MRI study on how bending works on the harmonica. We've been working on this for six months and as soon as the paper is published in the ASA Journal (Acoustic Society of America) I'll start sharing our findings... most cool of all, images of the bending process within the mouth, in multiple plains. continue reading...

At sound check play your normal ~40% of capable volume level.

When the sound engineer asks to hear you... play at that 40% volume. The sound engineer is looking for a "balanced" sound with the rest of the band... that's what they're trying to achieve. If you play at your "all-out" level at sound check, like you're kickin' butt in a solo, you've just guaranteed no one's going to hear you all night. Your loudest volume is balanced with the band (not good for a solo!) and at your accompaniment volume nobody will know you're there if they close their eyes. continue reading...

Listen to "How Jazz Works, Part II" on the "Jazz Insights" podcast (AM 1690) with Dr. Gordon Vernick. Jazz, being blues' close brother (remember, Little Walter's playing style from "Juke" on is based on the Jump & Swing Blues style of phrasing), uses many of the same phrasing elements.

iTunes Podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jazz-insights-dr.-gordon-vernick/id3...

The musicians you're playing with also want you to use more space than you're usually willing to give. Improvising with no space is a one-way conversation... you might as well just play to a jam track on stage. Leaving space gives the band the opportunity to help lead you to chord change and play supportive licks/fills that add excitement to what you're doing. Leaving space, and playing longer-held notes, also gives you the opportunely to hear more of what the band is playing. continue reading...

"The listener wants more space (rest between phrases) than the player is usually willing to give."

Space gives the listener a quick moment to digest what you just played, just like the small pauses in speech allow us to quickly digest what someone is saying. No pause equals a story difficult to follow. These quick moments of rest allows the listener to recognize theme and variation easier, thus making your Chorus Form work that much more effective. continue reading...