Jazz students are often looking for new chords for the standards they are playing. This blog offers you some suggestions if you are unable to transcribe.

1. The iReal Pro app is a useful source. It doesn't always have the most exciting chords, but it does help you move on from the fakebook.
2. YouTube transcriptions, though not always reliable, will help you explore new harmonic ideas.
3. The Real jazz Solos Book by Hal Leonard is a reliable book to consult.

Have fun. 

David
 

My wife is preparing for your Grade 3 violin exam. She asked ChatGPT about preparing for the big event. Here are the results. 

Hi ChatGPT. What are your recommendations about preparing for a practical violin exam?

ChatGPT. Here are some general recommendations for preparing for a practical violin exam:

1. Practice regularly: Set aside dedicated time each day to practice the pieces you will be performing in the exam.
2. Work on technique: Make sure you are comfortable with the technical aspects of playing the violin, such as proper posture, bowing, and finger placement.
3. Learn the pieces thoroughly: Make sure you have a good understanding of the music, including the melody, harmony, and rhythm.
4. Practice with a metronome: Use a metronome to help you keep time and improve your sense of rhythm.
5. Record yourself: Recording yourself while you practice can help you identify and correct any mistakes or areas that need improvement.
6. Get feedback: Seek feedback from a teacher or a more experienced player to help identify areas of improvement and to gain confidence
7. Get enough rest, eat well and stay healthy: Playing a musical instrument requires a lot of focus and energy, so make sure you're well-rested and healthy on the day of the exam.
8. Practice performing: As the exam is a performance, practice performing your pieces to get comfortable with the stage and audience.
9. Remember that exam is not the only measure of your skill, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just enjoy the process of playing.

Wow, the advice is solid. However, a few things are missing. 

10. Listen to professional recordings of your music. This is a proven method employed in the Suzuki music methods. Students need to be able to recognize an incorrect note(s) in their playing. 

​The advice is all old school except for step five. 

David
BTW, my wife is a professor of education who writes on Ai. 

Why be conventional? 

This performance of Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison is a fine example of blues boogie woogie accompaniment and soloing. It features a simple rhythmic pattern between the hands and an easy riff-based solo. The one unusual aspect is his choice of key: Db major. (I've provided two written versions for you in Db and C)

Preparations.

1. Watch the video.
2. Print out the music or open it on your tablet.
3. You will be playing along so you will need ear buds or a speaker to amplify the YouTube video. 
4. Prepare the three chords of this piece: Db, Gb, and Ab major by reviewing the music below. (The left hand plays these chords in root position. The right uses the various inversions)

​The teacher practices Jazz
 
Last weekend I went to my first jazz jam with my Vibraphone aka my Malletkat GS Grand. We were a quartet of Tenor Sax/Flute, Vibes, Bass, and Drums. I survived with my dignity intact, but I’ve a few discoveries and confessions to share.

1. My skills on the piano are not necessarily transferable to the vibes.
2. My four-mallet chord playing will need further work.
3. I was unable to execute the solo lines I could hear in my head.

On the plus side, I knew all the tunes from years of playing and teaching jazz piano plus my jazz time and feel is strong.

Here is the practice regime I began to follow to improve my jazz experience.

Tune: Satin Doll by Ellington/Strayhorn

1. I practiced the melody, by ear, with the original recordings on YouTube. I discovered that after 45 years, that I’m dragging some notes. They are now corrected; I’m locked into the sax melody.  
2. I reviewed the piano licks played on the head by Duke Ellington.
3. I figured out bits of his piano solo.
4. I practiced all the broken chords like I instruct my students and I quickly discovered that this took a lot longer than I anticipated.
5. I practiced what I’ve learned by playing along on YouTube. 
6. I’m ready for another piece next week.  My goal is to learn a tune a week for 52 weeks. 
7. I'm continuing with my mallet study books to develop my manual skills. 

If I can help you with your jazz piano journey, call me. 

David

BTW: In the era of Ai content generation, a human wrote this blog. 

It is a good day to revisit the elements of musicianship. These are the areas of practice and/or reflection that successful musicians and earnest students consider, do, and follow. 

1. They listen to professional recordings and mark up their scores in response to what they hear. This is the shortest way to develop stylistic awareness in your playing. 

2. Theory helps musicians understand what they are listening to, communicate with their colleagues and teachers, and see the structural patterns within the music.

3. A fine sight reader takes less time to learn a new piece. Furthermore, a fine sight reader can play music for fun, without preparation. 

4. Technique is the pillar of success; nothing is worse than hearing music in your head that you cannot execute. 

5. Aural skills are ear skills connected with theory skills.

• As a professional musician I have a challenging time playing well without a clear aural impression before I start.
• Without strong aural skills it is difficult to memorize music.
• Ultimately, all musicians play by ear.  

6.  Historical awareness is the depth of knowledge and experience a musician/student brings to a project. If you want to play country music you have to know the players, repertoire, and historical styles of the genre, or your performances will always lack insight and finesse. Ditto for jazz and classical music. 

​7. However, your emotional commitment to the project is the most crucial element of musicianship. You must have faith that, with time, your goals are reachable. Students who follow the curriculum, practice correctly, attend concerts, listen to music, hang with other adults on the same path, seek additional information to support what they learn in lessons, ask questions, and persevere will win.

​If I can help, call me. 

David

The real estate coach Tom Ferry, says if you have three or more goals for your business this year, you have no goals. Ditto for piano. ​

Here are some realistic goals for my students. 
​

1. Adult starter: Complete the first volume of Piano Adventures for Adults, play in one workshop, and attend one professional piano recital.
2. Adult Classical piano student Grades A to 8: Complete one grade this year, sit for the exam, play in a recital, and attend one professional piano recital.
3. Adult Classical piano student Grades 9 or 10: Complete 50% this year, sit for the exam, play in a recital, and attend one professional piano recital.
   
4. Adult Jazz student with basic piano skills: Memorize 10 tunes and play three of them, from memory, in a workshop/masterclass, and attend one professional jazz concert or visit a jazz club.
5. Children: End the year as enthusiastic as the year began, play in three recitals, and move through at least one level of Piano Adventures for kids, or one RCM grade level. 

Call me, I can help.

David