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Good Ear Training Exercise

Ok, so download this file below. Burn all the tracks to a CD or put them on your ipod. Then set to shuffle. Listen and play the note back. Use the pause button if you need to. This should be a daily thing for a bout 5 or 10 minutes most days of the week!

This will help you get to know your instrument and work on your ears.

Try it and let me know what you think of it.

Forum Topic: Classical Vibes Repertoire Suggestions?

Hello fellow vibists,

I hope I posted this in the right section! I am looking for some suggestions of classical pieces for vibes. I play mostly jazz, but while I was in college I played classical marimba, for example Keiko Abe pieces. (Ah, I miss having access to a marimba!) Anyway, I am looking to broaden my vibes repertoire with a variety of modern classical pieces.

I appreciate any suggestions you have, thanks!

-Jenn

I Remember You Practice Tapes by Tony Miceli

I'm sure as everybody knows, I've been working on the Tom Harrell solo I posted here. I was blown away by it's simplicity and beauty. I think everything comes out of simplicity. It is possible to learn this later on as I did and lots of students do!

We're all blown away by Burton playing Chega. And we're blown away by how simple he makes it. That's one type of simplicity. It's complicated but Burton makes it sound simple.

Invitation Lesson Plan

Here's a lesson plan for Invitation.

A great way to study this tune in pieces. Each lesson in the beginning will focus on one part of the tune. Later we put it all together and focus on the tune as a whole and work on improvising on it.

What's great about Invitation to study is the A section is sort of a modal section and the B section are changes. The same changes in lots of other tunes like, Cherokee, Laura, and others that mention in the lessons.

What instruments does this pertain to?

Difficulty

Access

Tom Harrell Lick I Love

This is a great lick. It really gives some insight about weaving and vocabulary.

Check out the bebop major scale coming down. What a natural evolution for the scale huh? It just smooths out the major scale!

I love how he gets to the 4 chord at the end.

I laugh when I play this lick.

I'm definitely on the side of learning licks to study and show you ways through changes. I'm definitely of the belief that it does NOT make you a cut and paste player unless you already were, and then that's another story.