Here's a lesson from a Percussion Geeks Episode on dampening. I think you'll find it pretty helpful.
Ok, I'm definitely not Johnny 2 Mallet man, but I do teach students how to play with 2 mallets. Especially when they're beginning.
Here's a video to help anyone working on 2 mallet technique. Just a few tips.
One way to learn to comp on Bossa's is to listen to others do it. As a matter of fact that's the best way!
Check out the Getz/Gilberto cd I mention above, that's a classic. I talk in that article on ways to use the cd to help you learn to comp. Most of the tunes on the CD are in the real book.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. If you get these cds let me know what you find out and learn from them. Post your comments below!
Here's a pdf and accompanying audio with some short 'etudes' on comping.
I have a ton of stuff stored up over the years from teaching online. These are some short examples of comping I made for somebody somewhere!
I have audio with and without the vibes. So you can work them up and play them alone.
Get the essence of them, and see if you can play them with no accompaniment but still here the band! In order to practice comping you need to be able to do that. Hear the music inside of you.
Here are some exercises from my old practice book. I was thinking about accompaniment with lines. I realized that you have to get the left hand sort of automatic and plopping down double stops and that will give the accompaniment feeling. I do it a lot when I'm playing faster tempos.
The pdf is attached below. Also I have an mp3 which is from a midi file where you can hear each exercise.
Yep, exercises. Yuck!
An incredibly unmusical but important exercise. Start at the bottom of your instrument and play 1 bar of 16th notes on each note. Go all the way up and then all the way down! See how far you can go. When you can do the whole instrument your hands are in good shape.
I'll attach a pdf, but this should be pretty self explanatory.
http://vibesworkshop.com/forums/about-wwwvibesworkshopcom
Check out this part of the forum. If any of you guys dig the school, It would be great for any recommendations you could spare. It's all part of spreading the word so we can get some dollars in here and do cool stuff!
So if any of you feel inclined that would be great.
At one time i knew every MONK tune by heart. I played in a Monk band and over 2 years I had every tune down. 6 months after the band stopped playing, I knew about 1/3 and now, not really any except the ones everybody knows.
This is something we all have to face and as far as I'm concerned there's only one true answer here. Anyone know of any others?
I kept looking at the Joy Spring solo and thinking ok, I'll work this up again and post it so you guys can hear what it sounds like. But there's something about pulling out stuff that's old and spending the time to learn it again. I want to do new stuff. So I wussed out, however here's a midi, that will help you here some of the stuff! It's attached to the lesson, the lesson is above, so you can get to it right from here.