Category Archives: Beginning

Five Finger Exercise Part 1 2-2

Reply

Five Finger Exercise Part 1  2-2

[features_box_yellow width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Level:  Beginning

Practice the Five Finger Exercise before beginning studying scales and arpeggios.  This lesson introduces you to the concept of thinking in numbers and intervals.  You should be able to play the Five Finger Exercise easily starting on any note.  Then, play the triad and it’s inversions.  Practice this until the Five Finger Exercise is totally subconscious.  Then, begin studying scales and arpeggios.

[/features_box_yellow]

video
play-sharp-fill

Here is a good beginning exercise to eventually understand advanced jazz theory.  It starts with counting the keys.  You can start on any key.  Count in half steps (two adjacent notes) and whole-steps (two adjacent notes with a note in between).  When you count up (to the right on the keyboard),  count five notes:  between 1 & 2 is a whole step;  between 2 & 3 is a whole step; between 3 & 4 is a half step; and between 4 & 5 is a whole step (See the video and PDFs).

We number the notes 1-2-3-4-5.  Then, we chose notes 1-3-5.  That will form a Major Triad.  In that position, the triad is in the root position.  To find and name the “inversions” of the chord,  take the bottom note (#1) and place it on top.  That creates the first inversion (3-5-1).  Then move the bottom note (3) to the top and play the second inversion (5-1-3).

  • First, find the major five-finger template as described above.  You can start on any note.   Then, find the same five finger position an octave below with the left hand.  Now, play “up-and-down” the notes with both hands at the same time.  The object is to play relaxed and evenly.  Don’t forget to curve your fingers.  Slowly speed up your playing to the point where you start to tense up.  At that point, slow down to a relaxed tempo.  Keep moving the tempo up to the point where you begin to tense up – then slow back down again and again.
  • After doing this for a short time, play the major triad (1-3-5).  Then, play the inversions of the major triad (root position, first inversion and second inversion) (See the video and PDFs).

[membership_download_item_pdf link=”http://jsfp.s3.amazonaws.com/5 Finger Position.pdf” + target=”_blank”]Five Finger Exercise Part 1[/membership_download_item_pdf]

[features_box_blue width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Personal Evaluation

[green_tick_2_list width=”100%”]

  • I can easily find the Major Five Fingers intervals in all keys (starting on any note).
  • I am practicing playing the Five Finger Position using weight transfer and striving for a good tone.
  • I am able to increase speed playing up and down without increasing tension.
  • I am analyzing the structures of the Major Triad inversions.
  • I am practicing playing the Major Triad inversions using the “Think Before Moving Exercise”
[/green_tick_2_list]

[/features_box_blue]

 

 

 

Learning Intervals 2-1

Reply

Learning Intervals 2-1

[features_box_yellow width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Level:  Beginning

If you a beginning your music study, it is strongly suggested that you quickly become familiar with all of the intervals.  As you improve learning jazz theory, you will need this knowledge in your subconscious.  Keep at it until you can play, sing and hear any interval.  Don’t give up on this study until intervals are totally subconscious.  [/features_box_yellow]

video
play-sharp-fill

Learning to think in intervals is really the core of improvisation. This enables you to hear in all twelve keys (in numbers) and to play on the piano what you are hearing in your head. Classical pianists often have a difficult time with “playing-what-they-are-hearing” simply because they most often think of the written notes that they are playing.  In other words, they don’t think in intervals.  However, jazz players usually have no problem in hearing, singing and thinking in intervals and numbers.  Thinking in numbers actually reduces the complexity of music by one twelfth (all keys are the same) and gives you the ability to play musical ideas in all keys.

The best way that I know to learn to become familiar with intervals is to take them one at a time and learn each interval thoroughly.  It is suggested that you start with the diatonic intervals, which are the intervals within the major scale.  Then move to the chromatic intervals.

One method to start thinking this way is to find a song which starts with a particular interval.  Then use that song to help identify the interval.  Remember, the intervals should be learned both up and down.  Also practice singing the intervals.  Take a simple melody.  Analyze the intervals in the song.  Transpose it in all twelve keys.  This will  quickly teach you to think in intervals.  Every time you play two notes, either simultaneously (as a chord), or one after another (as in a melody), think of the interval between the notes.  This is part of the language of music.

Here are some additional suggestions to help you to become familiar with intervals:

  • Here is an exercise that I call:  “Think before moving” (See the video).  It starts by choosing a specific interval to study.  Then play that interval and hold the keys down.  While holding, look for the same interval starting on another note.  Then, replay the original interval and quickly jump to the second interval.  Once this is easy, add more quick jumps.  The key element is to think ahead and then jump quickly and automatically (see video).
  • Take a particular interval, for example a perfect fourth, and compose (improvise) a simple composition using only that interval.  Composers such as Debussy and Chopin have explored this possibility in their Preludes and Etudes with beautiful and creative results.  Try constructing chords and textures by mixing two intervals (or try three). Try harmonizing a simple melody using only your chosen interval.
  • After you become familiar with each interval, then start testing your abilities at distinguishing between different intervals.  Have a friend test you by playing, for instance, major thirds and minor thirds, or possibly perfect fourths and fifths. This can be done melodically (one note at a time) or harmonically (both notes played together).
  • Take a short melodic idea, three, four or five notes. Analyze the intervals, note to note. Then play this as a sequence, modulating to different keys.  Jazz musicians often do this by playing identical musical ideas (licks) back and forth.  Once you analyze the intervals, you can play those intervals in different keys.
  • Start now to take simple melodic ideas off of recordings. This is called transcription.  Listen to the melody, analyze the intervals and either play the ideas or write them down. (All keys, please!)

This is a long-term study.  Start now . . . and continue throughout your studies.

[membership_download_item_pdf link=”http://jsfp.s3.amazonaws.com/Intervals-Dia copy1.pdf” + target=”_blank”]Diatonic Intervals[/membership_download_item_pdf][membership_download_item_pdf link=”http://jsfp.s3.amazonaws.com/Intervals-ChromT.pdf” + target=”_blank”]Chromatic Intervals[/membership_download_item_pdf]

[features_box_blue width=”75%” + border=”2px”]

[green_tick_2_list width=”100%”]

  • I have mastered hearing, playing and singing all of the intervals.
  • I have tried the “Think Before Moving Exercise” using all the intervals.
  • I can sing intervals that I hear in my head.
  • I can recognize intervals played by another.
[/green_tick_2_list]

[/features_box_blue].

 

 

Section 2: Theory

Reply

Studying Music Theory

[features_box_yellow width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Beginning Level.

Use this section on theory according to your needs.  The lessons in this section are progressive.  Completely learn each lesson before moving on to the next lesson.[/features_box_yellow]

Theory is all about the language of music.  It’s also all about learning in numbers.  When you learn theory in numbers . . . you reduce the complexity of music by 1/12th.  At that point – it won’t matter what key you are playing.  It takes time to train the language center of the brain to literally think in music.  At that point – you become creative . . . and musically free.

All of the theory exercises in this course are to be practiced in all keys.  At first – this will be difficult.  But, later, it will be easy and natural.  Just keep at it . . . one step at a time.