Bass day (1h 45m)

  • Scale studies
    • Scale dissection
      • Minor blues: R, b3-4-#4, 5, 7 (recap)
      • Major bebop
        • R-5, b6-6, 7-R
        • 7-R (below), 4-5, b6-6 (above or below), 7-R (all chromatics) — COOL!
  • Walking bass / chord tones
    • Voice leading / connecting inversions with passing tones (Phil Mann exercise) over All of Me in G
  • Reading
    • Afro Blue
    • Afternoon in Paris
    • Airegin

Observations

Just found another very effective way of internalising a new scale. Instead of going up and down the neck, you can first figure out all chromatic intervals in it and them play only them, memorising their position relative to the root. Semitones are normally the simplest to memorise and visualise on fretboard (like, major 7 below — root), therefore there’s a big chance that you will get familiar with them really quickly, and afterwards it will be much easier to learn the rest of the scale. In the case of major bebop, the chromatics are: 7 below — root, M3 — 4, b6 —6 and 7 — R (above). I played them around the cycle of 4ths in all keys, sometimes playing b6-6 run below — because it is quicker to find — and must say that I’m definitely feeling much more confident with this scale!

Piano day (2h)

  • Improv + scale studies
    • 2-octave Lydian scales in all keys
      • Both hands
      • In harmonic thirds + 1-5 shells in LH
    • Major bebop scale in all keys (over major shells)
  • Jazz voicings
    • Dorian fourthy voicings: D thru Bb
  • Left hand + technique
    • Intervallic patterns
      • 1-5-10 — (5) — 1-5-10 descent: C thru B

Bass day (1h 30m)

  • Scale studies
    • Scale dissection
      • Lydian pentatonic: R, #4, 5
      • Major blues: R, 2-b3-3, 6, 5
      • Minor blues: R, b3-4-#4, 5, 7
    • Cycling scale degrees
      • Minor blues: b3, 4, 5 (above), b3, 5, 4 (below)
  • Walking bass / chord tones
    • Voice leading / connecting inversions with passing tones (Phil Mann exercise) over All of Me in G

Piano day (2h)

  • Improv + scale studies
    • 2-octave Locrian scales in all keys
      • Both hands
      • In harmonic thirds + 1-5 shells in LH
  • Jazz voicings
    • Dorian fourthy voicings (D, G, C, F) — man I needed it so badly!
  • Left hand + technique
    • Intervallic patterns
      • 1-5-10 (all m & M)
      • 1-5-10 — (5) — 1-5-10 over ii — V — I – IV + iiø — V7b9 — i (major + parallel minor) in shells in RH — KILLER!

Piano day (1h 30m)

  • Improv + scale studies
    • 2-octave Phrygian scales in all keys
      • With both hands
      • In harmonic thirds + 1-5 shells in LH
  • Left hand + technique / speed
    • Intervallic patterns
      • 1-5-10 (m & M)
      • 1-5-9-10-1-5-6-4 (M)
      • Combined with A-B shells in RH (7-3-5 to 3-7-9 around the cycle of 4ths)
  • Interpreting pop tunes
    • Katy Perry — Lost (verse)
      • LH
        • Intervallic patterns: 1-5-9-10, 1-5-6
        • Shells: 1-5
      • RH
        • Shells & voice leading
        • Inversions