Practice Journal: December 8 2014

Monday:
(forgot to take notes today bit I remember working on the following stuff).
Ear Training - Training The Ear Vol. 1 by Armen Donelian arrived in the mail so I started some work from that. I have never really worked from an ear training book before (not including the Lars Edlund "Modus" books). I was trying to remember our ear training classes at school but only have vague memories (naming intervals, chords and chord progressions) and we had handouts from the tutors rather than a text book.
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (ascending chromatically)
Overtones
Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (descending chromatically)

Tuesday:
Ear Training
I had limited time today but felt the session was quite focused
Modus Vetus - 1 phrase in all keys using Lacy's "Magic Order."
Overtones
Started working on the melody of "Beauty Is A Rare Thing"

Wednesday:
Ear Training
Rhythm - Ewe bell pattern variations. I worked on these before playing the horn and then in between each of the following parts of the practice session. I didn't focus on one, just played few a half a dozen or so.
Long Tones - E at varying dynamic levels
Modus Vetus - 1 phrase in all keys (Lacy's "Magic Order")
Overtones - Working on a few lines from the Rascher book (page 16).
"Beauty Is A Rare Thing" - played melody solo and along with recording

After only getting 3.5 hours sleep last night things went better than I expected

Thursday:
Ear Training
Rhythm - Ewe bell pattern variations. I worked on these before playing the horn and then in between each of the following parts of the practice session. Focused on one rhythm each time.
Long tones on A - varying dynamics.
Overtones - having trouble with E & G off low C. Still working at it and the overtones off low B and particularly low Bb are getting being.
Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys around cycle of 4ths.
"Beauty Is A Rare Thing" - played melody solo and along with recording.Then started working on the harmony line played on the out head.

Friday:
Ear Training
Overtones - focus was on tone matching today.
Long tones - Changed things up a bit today. Held out long tone and then started alternating between notes a half step apart.
Rhythm - alternating between Ewe and Bemba Patterns
Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (Major 3rds)
"Beauty Is A Rare Thing" - melody and harmony line solo and with the recording

Then it was time to tune in to my friend Paul hosting a Jazz-Meets-Christmas show on Coast Access Radio (104.7FM)

Sunday:
Today's session wasn't very productive, I had a hard time with focus.
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (cycle of 4ths)
Revised some Ornette Coleman tunes - "Beauty Is A Rare Thing," "Broadway Blues" and "Feet Music."

Overtones - tone matching. I'm having trouble with some of the higher overtones from the C fundamental but I feel there has been some improvement.
Noodled around for 20 minutes or so. It was an unfocussed session.

Monday:
I took a break from the horn today but still got some work done.
Rhythm - Playing Bemba rhythm with different pulse beneath (4 and 3). Working on each separately and then alternating between them
Ear Trainning - more singing from the Donelian book

Tuesday:
Overtones and Tone Matching
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys
Rhythm - worked a little on accenting lines in 3/8. Started by just playing one note and accenting 3/8 then moving to playing repeated triads with the accent. Eventually moved on to improvising (slowly) 8th note lines with the 3/8 accent.
Finished things off playing "Out of Nowhere." This was the first time I had played something from the "Great American Songbook" for quite some time. Things felt quite open which is always nice.

This week I'm without my horn so the practice journal will have to wait until after Christmas.

Practice Journal: 10 November, 2014

Monday:
I forgot to write down notes from today but it was something along the lines of the following:
Overtones from the second half of page 14 in the Rascher book.
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in whole steps... I think).

Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase (worked my way around the keys I didn't get to before when playing this phrase).

Balkan Song

Rhythm - working on bell rhythms from Pure Rhythm.

Tuesday:
Following work, doctors and a run I decided to make today a rest day, although I did get in some rhythm work later in the evening.

Wednesday:
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in major 3rds)
Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in whole steps)
Balkan Song - worked on memorisation (I'm getting there slowly).
Finished things of with some improvising. It wasn't my longest practice session of late (about an hour) but I felt like I was focused and when my mind drifted I snapped back into place quickly.

Thursday:
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in minor 3rds)

Letting It Fall into Overtones and the 2nd half of page 14 and start of page 15 from Top Tones. E3 of C fundamental is giving me some problems. 

Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (ascending in whole steps). This one was a phrase in 4ths that came together pretty quickly.

Rhythm - tapped out some bell patterns later in the evening.

Friday:
Balkan Tune - focused on the articulation today which is helping to bring together the rhythmic aspect. Some of the melodic shapes have them fall into place and others are less obvious

Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in minor 2nds)

Letting It Fall into overtones - focus on the 5th and 6th (i.e. D and F from Bb fundamental). From Bb and B it was not too bad but I'm finding it hard to get E and G to speak cleanly from the C fundamental.

Modus Novas - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in Major 3rds).

Saturday:
About an hours practice today. My schedule changed at the last minute but I felt that I had quite a focussed session.
Modus Vetus - sing and play 1 phrase in all keys (in minor 2nds)
Overtones - Letting It Fall and start of page 15 from Top Tones. Mixed success up high.
Balkan Tune - memorisation is coming together and the piece is feeling more solid overall.

Improvising - finished things off with some improvising. Again, trying to not overplay and let things go were they want.

Sunday:
I did a few different things for this afternoon's session.
Started things off with some of the Joe Viola scale studies as a warm up.
When I was backing up my computer I came across an untitled folder containing 100 chords and decided to work with it today. Sometimes I would sing a note along with the recording and then try and play it and other times I would just play. I mixed things up - playing just a few notes or more of a line and other times working out parts of the chord. I worked through about 30 of the chords - playing each 2 or 3 times at the most. Here's one of the tracks (my first crack at uploading audio here):


I have no idea where these chord recordings came from. Drop me a line if you know the source.

Worked some more on the bell rhythms in Pure Rhythm. So far it has been a lot of fun working with this. I am a long way from being a percussionist but it is fun playing (or trying to play!) these rhythms on bongos.
Finished things off my some free improvising.