It's A Conspiracy Theory!!!

It's true! They're trying to trip me up, I tell you!

You say, "Amy, Amy,... Let's be level headed about this. Why would they want to do that?"

I don't know. I couldn't say. All I know is, all of a sudden THIS

Showed up in the piece I was studying in the book, Jazz Composition and Arranging In the Digital Age. 

The first time I was thrown a curve ball, I thought, "Oh, I must have forgotten when they talked about that." The next time, "Gee, this is weird. When did they talk about this?" 

BUT NOT THIS TIME!!! They didn't cover what this chord symbol means. Not once did they mention it before. I caught them red-handed trying to mess me up! 

However, you will be happy to know that I have figured it out again. And thank goodness, because there's not a lot out there on this topic either. 

This is not a Cm9 chord trying to be cagey with roman numerals. Oh no, actually, this is a C chord where the player needs to switch his thinking to the Mixolydian Mode. 

Remember this? 

So, here's how this works. Here you see the Mixolydian Mode in G, because if you play only the white keys in the G scale, you will play the mixolydian mode. But of course, you will need to adjust for any other scale you play, i.e. C or A or whichever other scale. For more on modes click here.

The reason they use this is to allow for soloists to know where they can go within the key. Trust me, if you're in the midst of a solo, you want to know everything you can before going into it - lest you look very, very foolish. 

So, brush up on your modes! I know I'm trying to. 

In the future if you see "Cmix" or "Gdor", which are usually typed as "C Mix" or "G Dor"(G in Dorian Mode) or any other mix of Chord and Mode, remember this blog or get the book: The Structure & Analysis of the Modern Improvised Line 

Jazztimes - A Great Site

In all my scuttling around, trying to be a better musician, I would be remiss in my studies if I didn't look to my betters for guidance and wisdom. I mean, greatness isn't born in a vacuum, right? So, I looked about and found:

I like this site for several reasons.

1. Articles on professionals in the biz.
2. Articles on education.
3. It covers the globe. 
4. It shows upcoming festivals, gigs, etc...
5. Reviews on books, movies, concerts...
6. And so, so, much more.

Here's what I don't like, no breakdown of the music. No in depth look into what makes the arrangements great. 

In a way it makes sense, Jazz is (to a degree) about improv. But! For the larger ensembles, we do need to see what makes them great. How they pull together the sound to become AWESOME, well crafted, bands. 

However, I am looking at Downbeat magazine too. They have a transcription article, so I have hope that it will be able to fill the void. Though, the site is very much in need of help, imho. 

Oh well, back to my left hand training! Oh the agony and fun!

Disciplining Hands

I've been playing around with my bass notes, like I promised.

It's proving to be more challenging though. My left hand seems to think it's just fine the way it is, thank you very much, and would like me to stop exercising it by doing boring bass runs.

"Fine!" I said, "Then you guys will like this... How about playing the melody in the left hand and the chords in the right?! Take that, ya obnoxious little twerp."

So, I wasted no time in putting my left hand to work, and you know what? It actually did a pretty decent job!

However, then my right hand started whining. "What is this? You can't just make me play chords! You'll be hearing from my union. I strictly play melody lines and fills!"

Ugh... They're so temperamental.

I'm confident though, that this shift in dynamic and responsibilities will be good for them. Though my left hand is aching and my right hand is sad, they will be better for this.

A Diabolical Question: What's a V of V of IV? or III?

Monday morning study time came to a grinding halt when I ran across this:

I had just begun a new chapter on melodic reharmonization and counterpoint. It stated 17 different methods for melodic reharmonization, 12 of which were fairly standard practices. This made it even more daunting when I ran across this conundrum. 

All the examples look a lot like what you see above. A musical passage, followed by an explanation. All of them variations on "Autumn Leaves." So, I had gotten past 1. Simple Diatonic Method, 2. Altered Chord Tones, 3. Harmonization of Addition Melody Notes, 4. Diatonic or Diminished 7th Passing Chords - All fine. No problems.

Then 5. Dominant Harmony (Including Secondary Dominants). It's the latter of that statement I had issue with.  

Wait. Didn't we tackle Secondary Dominants before? Yup. But here as you can see from the image, we're dealing with something new. A Secondary Dominant within a Dominant within a chord. SAY WHAT???? And then Tritones within a Secondary Dominant. 

I didn't know what I was looking at. 

So, first of all, I didn't know what key it was. Was it Bb or Gm? I couldn't make the up my mind and then trying to figure out what the symbols meant. Aye, yi, yi.... I spent the whole day thinking I had screwed up and learned everything wrong. 

This morning, I was determined to figure it out. I couldn't be that far off.... And indeed, I wasn't. My younger self would have given up at the first sign of struggle with this concept -- thinking it was beyond me. But now, I know that will a little more digging, I can find the answers and figure it out. Even, Dare I Say It?... LEARN!

I did find out that there's very little on line to help people with this concept, so I will explain it step by step, so that no one is left behind. Let us begin. 

You can see the big picture by clicking the image at the beginning of this post.

1.  D9 = V of V of iv

The key is Gm, so first we start at the iv (or 4th) of the scale, which is C. Then we find the V (or 5th) of C and that's G. Finally, we follow the rabbit trail to the final V of the chord G, which is D.  (The 9th of the chord is still a mystery - maybe it just sounds good). 

Here's an image of what that looks like:

2.  Db13 = V (tritone substitution) of iv

Once again, the key is Gm, and again, we start at the iv (4th chord of the scale) = C. Then we follow to the V, which is G. Now, here's the interesting part. The tritone now enters the scene. Count up or down 3 whole steps from the G to find it. Now, we are at the Db and thus we have found our chord. 

3. C9 = V of V of III

  Just like before, only now we begin with the III (3rd) of the scale = Bb. Then to the V of Bb = F. And the final V of F= C

4. B9 = tritone substitution of V of III

Finally, the B9. The key is still Gm (of course) and we start with the III (3rd) of the scale = Bb. Then the V of Bb = F. But here, we count up or down 3 whole steps from F to find the tritone, which is B. 

That's it! Hope that clears up a lot for you. Having the right key certainly helps, doesn't it? 

I did this as a reference for me and hopefully a guide for anyone out there who's lost with this stuff. 

You rock! Keep going! Never Surrender!

Tritone Substitutions and Flat 9th Chords

Alright, I've learned a lot. As I journey into the realm of Jazz Theory, it's interesting how much you remember and how much you need to to refresh upon. Ergo, I have forgotten more than I care to admit and need a revisit some concepts.

Hey, that's ok! New concepts do take a bit to sink in. I'm thankful to have this blog as a refresher.

First, if you haven't already got a firm grasp of the concepts of modes and scales, do not go looking on wikipedia to explain these concepts. You will be horribly confused. Please see my blog on Modes and Scales before going any further.

I did end up making myself a chart in Canva, which you can download for yourself by clicking the link in the image.

If even this is confusing, I suggest you watch the following. It should help. 

I'm so grateful for so many resources out there. Every time I find a stumbling block in my book, I find the answers by doing a little research. 

I'm printing out my cheat sheet now. Have a great playful day!

Workin' For A Living

This morning I had the privilege of being a guest musician at Trinity Lutheran Church of Waupaca. It was a great opportunity to see some people I haven't in a while and share the messages that God has put on my heart. It feels good to help people and be a part of a community that enjoys working together. 

When I got home though, I was bummed. Why? Partly, because I hadn't been growing in my writing since I had written the songs from my last CD a year ago. I always want to be growing. 

This being Father's day, my cute hubby went fishing with a pal and I set to work on a score for the future. Ah... Back in the saddle again. 

I actually wrote the piece "Don't Call It Love" many years ago, but haven't arranged it for big band. Hmm....

Challenge accepted! 

I have enough Jazz theory under my belt to do this (I think) and you never know unless you try! 

So here's a photo of the beginnings:

Using Sibelius, I have a very rough keyboard part (which I will take my chords and some orchestrations from, then scrap), a little bit of a bass line, and the vocal mapped out. 

Not bad for a Sunday afternoon. The rest may take me a while, and I may be calling on a lifeline along the way, but I'm quite happy for where I am today. 

God bless the day!

What does - > ^ • mean, anyway? Let me articulate that for ya.

Yes, they are strange and somewhat confusing.... Articulation Marks.

There's even been discussion that because arrangers tend to use different articulations (or accents), there should be a cheat sheet given to musicians with each score. But that's silly. We can figure this out, right?

I have to admit, it was sort of a mystery to me. I didn't even know what those little funny dots and things were called above the notes. And I certainly hadn't seen them in high school or college as a trumpet player. And if I had, I totally refused to acknowledge any prior knowledge to ma wee brain concerning it. Funny how we do that, huh? Well, ok, I'd seen the staccato and fermata mark before.

If you're new to this nuance of the music world, these are the rule breakers. They sit above notes like halos and devil horns giving permission to hold out longer, play louder, blat a note and a host of other things. Yes, your quarter note can bend the rules, even in 4/4 time. These marks take the mechanical out - sort of - because they also put the mechanical back in... Let's get to it.

These look really small here, but click on them and they will get bigger. If you're a jazz arranger wanna be like me, the first image represents most of what you will need. If you'd like to learn about more music symbols, I would favorite wikipedia's page on them. Make your life easier for reference's sake. 

But here's what I want to say about articulation marks. They can make or break a piece. If you want to liven up a piece, adding these babies can make all the difference. Why add a dotted quarter note, when you could add an accent above a note, then a staccato above the next and get a swinging sound? Fun! Or break it loose with a fermata and your song will never end!

So add some spice to your flavors and use those articulations! I'm going to be learning so much more about them and adding them to my recipe of musicianship.

Let the band play on!

Chords: Basic and Otherwise

Oh, I love chords. I learned how to read chords when I was in 7th or 8th grade and have never looked back.

Now, keep in mind that my knowledge was pretty basic. I knew how play a C, F and G chord very well with my right hand. Then, I expanded my base to know how to play all the major and minor chords.... And for years, that's where I stayed. Because I figured I knew everything I needed to know to practice on my own and wasn't going to be a pianist anyway.

Oh what a silly fool I was.

I have since learned how I desperately needed to understand chords and have written music that has sus4 chords, augmented and the like. It's been such a great benefit to my writing to have this knowledge. So, I have made for you a chord chart to help you. You can print it out and use it whenever you need understand a chord structure.

Keep in mind that chords are based on a mathematic principles. Once you know and understand the scales this all makes sense. For example: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  represents the notes within a scale.
In a C scale it goes as follows: 1=C, 2=D, 3=E, 4=F, 5=G, 6=A, 7=B, 8=C
In a G scale it goes as follows: 1=G, 2=A, 3=B, 4=C, 5=D, 6=E, 7=F#, 8=G

In a major scale, the notes are in a pattern of whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. We see this when we look at a C scale on a piano. From C to D is a whole step. From D to E is a whole. From  E to F is a half step. And so on...

But I digress! Let us get back to chords.

Chord sheet on Canva.com

You guys are smart cookies, so as you can see the notes have been replaced by the numeric values that I explained earlier. Replace the numbers with any scale and BANG! You've got the chord structure.

Hey, I hope you guys are learning a lot. I sure am enjoying this journey through jazz. I was thinking perhaps I should put out an ebook, but then, isn't that what this is? 

Keep playin'! 

Secondary Dominants and Leading Tones

This was one of the most confusing concepts for me. I looked at this after their explanation and went "Does not compute! Error! Error!"

If you look at the first Secondary Dominant listed, it's a Eb7b5 chord, but the base note is an A. So, they are not even listing that as an A chord?! But rather Eb - which is the 4th chord in the scale. What is going on?? Do they just make this stuff up to confuse the heck out of you??? AUGH! It's a conspiracy, I tell you! A Conspiracy!

It made me so broke in the brainpan that I walked away from the theory book for a while. However, I knew it was just a case of finding the right tutor. So, back to youtube to find such a helper. I really was desperate and found more confusing teachers along the way. Even their examples hurt my wee brain!

Finally, I found Mr. Matthew Barrette. I saw he had 100 likes to his video and not a single dislike, which made me think, "hmm... He must have a good explanation." And indeed he has the best, though I can't say I enjoy the jazz music in the background. I find it distracting. However, let's not quibble about the small things. Mr. Barrette helped me understand after all. So, here's his explanation. Thank you, sir, my hat goes off to you.

I still don't understand why that chord is considered an Eb chord when there's an A in the base. The A is what makes it a V of iii secondary dominant. If you could break this down for me, I would sure appreciate it. Now that I get the concept of Secondary Dominants and Leading Tones,  it would be nice to understand why chords can be called one name when they seem to be another. 

Addendum (Later that same day): 

Well, turns out that the example above (the picture) was only pointing to the single base note as the Secondary Dominant and not an entire chord (as the video shows). Houston, we have liftoff! 

And upon further thought, it seems that there's a reason why you would call that chord an Eb, even though the A is the base. Because then it would be an A(b5b9add13) and WHO THE HECK WANTS TO READ THAT?!? An Eb7b5 is actually easier to read. Jazz Theory is crazy. I love it! 

Live Streaming? Yes, I will thank you.

Recently, I purchased a go pro. I thought I would use it for vlogging, or I would use it for another project. But it's actually just been sitting in my basement gathering dust.

Then I discovered that I could live stream with it. WHAT? Yup. Thanks to livestream.com, I was able to record a good portion of my gig last night with the River Cities Jazz Band. You can watch it here:


Now, keep in mind that it's my first attempt at this. And... it will only be available for the next 30 days. Then, it's gone.

So, enjoy it while it lasts.

But, let me tell you how easy it is with an iPhone and Gopro:

1. Get the livestream app. You can get Gopro's streaming app too, but I went with livestream for the first event. 
2. Make an account and create your event, saying what time it will start and end, with an image or poster to identify yourself with your audience. 
3. On the day of the event, take your Gopro and iPhone to your gig (that's all you need!) I also took a tripod to hold the camera when I didn't want to walk with it.
4. 5 min. before event, Turn on Gopro and turn on wifi on Gopro. 
5. On iPhone, Open livestream app and click the big red button to start streaming. The app will ask you which camera you want to use. (yes, you could just use your phone and no Go Pro at all!) You can also switch back and forth between the Gopro and your phone's camera. COOL!!
6. That's it! Now it will ask you who you want to tell or send a link to. Tell the World! 

I'm going to do this more often. I love how we can show the world what we're capable of through this technology.

Keep making music ma peeps!

All About 'Dat Bass

As I travel down this road, which is more like the whimsical Seussian road or the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz, I am finding places along the path where I need to pause.

One of which is my need of some fine tuning, specifically with the left hand. But here's what it's made me appreciate, the bass line. Yes, like the Wizard of Oz, the story wouldn't be complete if we didn't find the tin man's missing heart. And The bass is just like our heart beat, we hardly notice it until it's missing. "Where's the thump, thump, thump?" we say.

But dear bassists, I know your pain too. It's not enough to go "thump, thump, thump." You want to play a melody or countermelody, or something! Not just a thumping, monotone, droning underpinning. No! Give me some heart! I want to feel you, bass.

So, in my continued stretching and striving to understand this whimsical, magical world of Jazz theory, I am looking at my weak left hand playing and saying, "I'm so sorry. I've ignored you for so long. Letting the right hand have all the fun and play those flashy runs, while you held down the beat. Forgive me. You are capable of so much more."

Now, lest we get ahead of ourselves here, let me just say, I'm not kidding when I say my left hand has been underworked. It's muscle memory consists mainly of playing chords and keeping the beat.  Which has suited me fine, for now, but no more! Lest we never get to the Emerald City!

Here's a guy who's good at explaining. It must be nice to be so amazing at your talent that you're named after your instrument. Maybe one day they'll call me "Amy the Voice", but I doubt it.

Here's Harry the Piano:

Doesn't he make it look easy? Thank you, Mr. "The Piano". He's a cabaret pianist and very gifted. It's nice of him to explain the peddle usage, rhythmic devices, and some history. Love it. 

Well, back to Schwartz training (Spaceball fans will get that one.) The yellow brick road seems really long, but every journey begins with a step. 

Keep moving forward!

Google Sites: Don't waste your time.

One of the things you have to do to be a musician nowadays is to be a web developer as well. You can't really afford to hire someone, and online services are costly - even at $10 a month. You need that money for instruments.

So, I took down my normal site and put up a google site. Can we say, frustration?

Can't embed Facebook feed.

Can't embed iTunes widget.

Can't change themes well.

Won't tell you dimensions needed for images (borders, frames, etc...)

I have spent days trying to find a way to make these things happen.

How can I be successful as a musician or ANYTHING, if I can't design a site that helps people find me.

GRRR!!!!

Back to my old site. At least there I could figure out what I needed and get it done quickly.

Now to take kids to pool and read up on how music should be made. 

Take it easy. Amy

All Roads Lead To The 7th

In jazz, it seems, it can't be jazz unless the 7th of the chord is smashed in there somewhere. The more I study, the more I see the 7th (major or the dominant) stuck in a voicing.

I suppose it makes sense to a certain degree. The obscurity of of jazz calls for distinct sound. The seventh lends itself to not only jazz but rock, soul, gospel, and even some classical. It's just another piece of the musical puzzle. An interesting flavor to put in when we need more umph to pieces. A flair if you will.

But how much more interesting is the 9th! or the 11th? The 13th shows up once in a while. At first, these things baffled me. If a scale has only 8 notes (C scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - and C again) then how can we have a 9th or a 13th? The 7th and 6th make sense, but what the heck is this stuff?

If a chord in it's basic structure is the 1st (tonic), the 3rd, and the 5th, then what's going on? Well, here it is in a nutshell. The 9th is just the 2nd an octave up. The 11th is the 4th an octave up. The 13th is the 6th... You guessed it, an octave up.

Why write chords this way? Why not just write the 4th or the 6th? (ex: Gsus4 or G6) I guess, it's the octave. They want you to space apart your voicing.

When voicings are too close together it doesn't always sound very pleasant. It can be a jumbled mess! But Oh! The magic that can happen when we space out our notes! It can be the difference between grade school painting and a Master's brushstrokes.

Try it the next time you want to play a chord. You'll hear the difference.

Keep learning!

Making Music

Remember yesterday? When I talked about being Mozart or Rembrandt? Well, I wasn't talking about me... Not yet anyway. I'm in process. Transition. Becoming. Still in the chrysalis. Hoping I will become the butterfly. I've been in here for so long that it's where I'm most comfortable. But, I know, eventually, I will have to break free.

So, here I am, preparing to exit. This is going to take a lot of effort and some time. I'm just stretching at the moment, so whatever I present to you here is just stretching inside the cocoon, not cracking the shell.

I've been working on my exercises and trying to write a score. I know it's not there yet, but I thought I'd let you take a listen to my first attempt.

How High The Moon

The sheet music is just a plain, jane quick run through of everything. At the moment, I'm not using 11th's or 13th's and I'm trying to figure out what's best to write first: the piano part or the individual parts. I think the melody line and then the piano with chord voicing so that I know what to put into the individual parts, but I did it backwards this time. It will take me a bit to do it correctly.

There's more to it than ya think!

Scales and Modes and Stuff

Please keep in mind, I'm still a musician who plays in bands and has to rehearse for upcoming events and the like. As such, I have to also make time for that, plus I homeschool my kids, and just for fun, I cut myself with a garden shears last night pretty deeply.... So much fun! So here's a picture of my owie.

But, I still find time to further my education. below is a sheet I worked on last night. You can find it here on Canva.com

Becoming a better musician is certainly hard work. So, you can imagine how much it burns my cookies when people equate being a musician with being free or cheap entertainment. Art takes work. Yes, it's a labor of love, but it also costs musicians a lot of time, money, and energy... Just as much as any profession. And yes, it is a real profession. 

What would any of us do with no more radio, iTunes, Spotify, clubs, mp3's, or the like? If all of everyone's CD's, mp3's, movies, and TV were just gone and couldn't be replaced, what would we do? People would freak out! Without our music, we practically lose our identities! The value of live music and entertainers would skyrocket. People would be going out all the time searching for the beauty that was stripped from their lives. 

You see my point, right? We need music and the people who create this art proficiently aren't as common as we think. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of people who can copy art. But there are few Rembrandts, few DaVinci's, few Motzarts, few... well, you get it. 

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox.

Anyway, I love this life. I love music. Even with a bad thumb, it's worth it.