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I downloaded a lead sheet last night and started learning this.

This morning I've been trying to learn/practice it in different tempos; I'll upload two of those tempos here. While it was fairly quick to learn, the challenge for me is the swing, the feel. And really locking in the time. So I'll keep working on it!

This first video is of the slightly faster tempo. I'll load the slower one next...

Obviously, work to do. Onward!

A beautiful bossa composed by Luiz Bonfá, featuring my newly designed leather mallets.

Thanks Tristan, for the tips. I played around with them today. I play the head and then twice through the tune with quarters.

My goals for this practice:

*Simplify the accompaniment.
*Easy on the pedal.
*Stick to ONLY quarter notes on the solo section.

I slowed this down a bit more because I wanted to try and make some changes without feeling like the time was going by faster than my brain was working.

1. dig up some lessons from the past.

2. You sign up here and tell me what 4 lessons you will do. A Friedman etude counts, btw. So you post here that you're in and then you post the 4 lessons you will do, posting each lesson each week (not earlier or all in 1 shot). You can't miss a week :-). (I'm pretty tough huh?)

3. They need to be somewhat challenging for you. Don't phone it in as us veteran jazz musicians say. I need to know you worked on the lessons and they helped you. The goal being you become a better mallet player :-).

Getting acquainted with this beautiful vibraphone (Dave's vibraphone which we think is from around '67) and playing a song that I composed in honor of Dave. This is instrument is a gem and will be well looked after for sure. It's a gift and an honor to be able to play this instrument. I was thinking of Dave when writing and playing this piece. Gustavo and I had many great times with Dave when he would come into Boston to teach at Berklee. Many great lunches and many stories and laughs. He is sorely missed but his legacy as a great musician and educator will not be forgotten.

Figured I'd post one more tune I have been working on the last few days...where I am using or hoping to use, the same basic approach I did with the last tune i posted earlier (There'll never be another you) - trying to play the tune in TIME, staying true to the chord structure, and then using primarily quarter notes and (basic) comping to work my way through it after playing the melody.

The key for me is staying in time and not losing my place! :)

And playing the right notes. Ha.