This is one of my favorite exercises. It's about playing lines that connect the chord changes so that you can hear them, no matter how fast you play. As with every exercise that you create yourself there should be a basic goal you're aiming for, such as connecting the chords and making the harmonic movement hearable throughout.Then you can add “mini" challenges, such as note value, tempo, phrasing, accents if desired, etc. I chose as my "mini" challenge a constant stream of eighth notes without rests.

A quick & dirty video of a tune I haven't played for a long time. A couple friends were killing on this last night at the local jazz club so I wanted to relearn it!

For Sale: Malletech 3.0 Octave Omega Vibraphone with Motor, Serial #4, $4,100. One owner. Hardly used by a beginner who did not progress. Originally purchased December 2013. I have two sets of wings for this machine and the tuning bar. Must be picked up, not shipped. Contact LeAnn Swieczkowski in Charlotte, NC at 704-560-4322 or lski1817@gmail.com.

This 4-mallet balafon improvisation, from my CD “The Turning,” marks my first attempt to use 4 heavy balafon mallets to fire up groove and energy in 4/4. The 4-mallet approach on the more ancient instrument inspired the idea to incorporate other mallets on vibes, beginning my experimentation with leather-headed mallets custom made in India (my “3 ballads” post tells more of the leather mallet story). To build the Woodwork arrangement, I layered wood-related percussion including cajon, cascara (sticks), clave and seed pods.

This is a quick mini-mini-concert because I only recorded one tune. Had to run after the recording.

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Felix Mendelssohn - A solo vibraphone rendition of this classic for the holidays. Here's my take on it with some "off the cuff" theme and variations as well as a little counterpoint. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays!

So, two mallets. I think what is interesting is how low his hands are. A good lesson for us all. You can’t play soft with high hands and you have no dynamics if you can’t play soft. I see that as the biggest problem with 4 mallets. The mallets are too hard and the hands are too high. No dynamics and that plinky sound. Often technically and harmonically impressive, but lacking in musicality.

hey, sorry i'm late...

i did:
folks on the hill
lulu swing
and xmas time is here

except with folks on the hill, i tried to play songs that i've never played live in a solo version so i have nothing arrangend. that makes it more challening to me.

critic meeee... ;)