Author: Jan

Je suis cool.

Bass day (1h 40m)

  • Chord tones — 1h 20m
    • 7th chord permutations (all starting on 1)
      • Harmonising C Dorian, F Dorian and Bb Dorian scales
    • Applying permutations over jazz standard (all starting on the root and then several starting on the 3rd)
  • Pick — 20m
    • Line from the “Famous Bass Lines” book by Larry McCabe (to be honest, most of them are pretty boring and just meandering around minor / major pentatonic, so I’ll probably get some new transcriptions for this part of my practice)

Piano day (2h)

  • Voicing skills
    • Cycling major 7ths: 7-3-5 to 3-7-9 and backwards
    • Cycling minor 7ths: same
    • Cycling dominant 7ths: same idea
    • Minor to dominant (7-3-5 to 3-7-9)
    • Minor to dominant (3-7-9 to 7-3-6)
  • Modes of harmonic minor
    • H. M. scales with both hands in all keys
    • 2nd mode of H. M.: harmonising C & F scales
    • Improv in 2nd mode (keys of F and Bb)

Observations

I should’ve got to this before! Harmonic minor modes are literally a whole new world! I definitely used these chords and colours before, but finally knowing where they come from is so revealing and — well, it just speeds up the writing process so much when you actually know how things work. I’ve been told this during my study in the music school and I repeatedly find more and more evidence to this. Knowing the math is very helpful!

Bass day (1h 40m)

  • Chord tones — 1h
    • 7th chord permutations (all starting on 1, all starting on 3)
      • Harmonising F Lydian scale (just because major all the time is boring, lol)
    • Applying inversions over jazz standard (1st, 2nd & 3rd in different shapes, trying slides this time)
  • Pick — 40m
    • Playing Jamerson part to the click (“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”)

Observations

Can I at some point have a day when I’ll harmonise all scales of all modes in all keys with all inversions of 7th chords played in all permutations? Just like Adam Neely played major scales in broken intervals for 6 hours non-stop? No. It will certainly take longer that a day, lol.

Pano day (2h)

  • 13th chords in all keys (exercise from the “Jazz Language” book by Dan Haerle)
    • Minor, major, dominant in full form (7th + triad polychords)
  • Modes of harmonic minor
    • 1st mode scales in all keys with both hands
    • Harmonising C, F, Bb harm. minor scales
    • Improvisation over diatonic chords with the key scale

Observations

V7 — VImaj7 transition in the harmonic minor sounds absolutely amazing! Feels like it’s about to push my long-time favourite Dorian i — IV7

Bass day (1h 30m)

  • Chord tones
    • 7th chord permutations (all 6 starting on 1)
      • Harmonising C major & F major scales with all permutations without stopping
    • Applying inversions over jazz standard (1st & 2nd)
  • Pick practice
    • Jet — Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
    • Larry McCabe “Famous Blue Lines” — Lines 1 & 2 in E-