Piano day (1h 30m)

Harmonising Lydian scale with 7th chords — 40m
- All keys starting on F around the circle of 5ths (pattern: I▵7 — II7, I▵7 — iii7, I▵7 — #ivº7, etc.) at 70bpm
- All keys starting on C around the cycle of 4ths (same pattern, same speed)
ii — V — I’s in major keys in shell voicings through the full cycle of 4th (Dan Haerle, skills 40 both pages) — 30m
Shell voicings recap (3-6-9 major, 3-6-9 minor, 3-7-9 major and minor) at 100bpm without stopping around the cycle (skills 7-9 from Haerle book)

Observations

That’s pretty cool! I didn’t realise that I’ve actually got better at playing rootless chords in the right hand. When I first started Dan Haerle’s “Jazz Piano Voicing Skills”, it was really uncomfortable to play voicings like 7-3-5 or 3-6-9 or 4-6-9 because I was so used to block chords, but after intentionally switching to some heavy stuff (like polychordal progressions and ii — V — I’s in different keys) from the same book where author kind of assumed that you’re already familiar with voicings, I sort of internalised them along the way, although it felt really tough. Bottom line: playing hard stuff that assumes that you’ve already got the basics actually helps to solidify them basics 😄).

Bass day (1h 20m)

Chord tones (Phil Mann) — 30m
- Major triads in all inversions without stopping around the cycle (60bpm)
- Minor triads in all inversions — same
- Diminished triads in all inversions — same
- Augmented triads in root inversion
Walking bass lines (Scott Devine) — 50m
- Major & minor ii — V — I patterns recap in G-
- Applying patterns + 1 — 3 — 5 — chromatic notes to the new standard (Adam’s Apple by Wayne Shorter) in D
- Latin rhythms: Partido Alto pattern over Adam’s Apple in D

Observations

A little bit overwhelmed with production stuff these days, but trying to keep up the practice at the same pace!

Piano day (1h 30m)

ii — V — I’s in major keys in shell voicings (7-3-5 — 3-7-9 — 7-3-5) through the cycle of 4th (Dan Haerle, skill 40) — 45m
- With click at 80bpm quarters
Blues pentatonic scale + soloing — 45m
- 12-bar blues in LH (7th chords), scale runs & patterns in RH — C-, F-, A#-, D#-, G#-, C#-
- Just scale with both hands — C- — D#-

Bass day (1h 30m)

Skipped one piano day because of the production deadline (I played piano during the process anyway, so there’s an excuse, lol)

Chord tones (Phil Mann) — 1m
- Major, minor and diminished triads in all inversions around the cycle of 4ths (gradually increasing tempo with each pass)
- Augmented triads in root inversion around the cycle
Walking bass lines (Scott Devine) — 30m
- Recap ii — V — I lines in G-
- ii — V — I shapes over Autumn Leaves in Eb-

Observations

Tempted to hang out in the “new comfort zone” — right outside the old one — need to move on to the next course!

Bass day (1h)

Chord tones (Phil Mann)
- Major and minor triads in all inversions around the cycle naming all the notes loud (44bpm), only roots (80bpm)
- Diminished triads in all inversions around the cycle at 40bpm naming all the notes
- Augmented triads in all inversions around the cycle w/o click

Observations

You tried to avoid double sharps, Cb and E# by all means… Well now you have to face them son! (Thoughts while grinding through augmented triad inversions.)