Two Books that have helped me in teaching solid rhythm skills and
effortless sight reading:
Rhythms Complete; by Dr. Charles Colin & Bugs Bower
pub.. by Charles Colin 315 W 53rd St.
NY,NY 10019
the Musician in Every Sense; Complete Solfeggio Method Vol. 1
by Massimiliano Frani
The following is a
brief summary of some the important concepts and ideas presented to
teachers of the Utah Music Teachers Association...
Creating,
Arranging & Improvising
Reasons to learn how
to play and teach
Lead Sheet arranging (Lēēd Sheet)
|
Embellish
existing arrangements |
|
Create
instant arrangements |
|
Prelude Music,
Postlude Music |
|
Perform
professionally |
|
Receptions,
Parties, Dance |
|
Easier
to transpose music… |
|
Singers will
love you. |
|
Helps
in arranging your own compositions. |
|
Once
you have a handful of ideas, it can be applied to thousands of tunes |
|
Applied
Theory |
|
Develop
Musical Thought |
|
It
is very Creative |
|
Helps
in your understanding of existing music… |
C=ƒ(K.I.E.)
The Formula
|
C=ƒ(K.I.E.) |
|
Creativity
is a Function of |
|
Knowledge |
|
Imagination |
|
Evaluation |
Knowledge
(your first
component)
|
Applied
Theory… (around the circle of 4ths-which is more consistent with what
you find in music.. most chord progressions follow the circle of
4ths i.e.: C, F, Bb, Eb, etc.)
|
|
Thirds
|
|
Triads |
|
Sevenths |
|
Extensions |
|
Voicing (i.e.: L.H. = C & B; R.H. = E & G for a
CMaj7 Voicing)
|
|
Maj7th,
Maj9th, 11th, 13th, Altered |
|
Patterns
& Routines |
|
Stride
Piano Routines |
|
Combination
with Scales, Arpeggios, Inversions |
|
Scales(Traditional
& Non-Traditional) |
|
Major,
minor, blues, whole tone, diminished |
|
Advanced |
|
octaves, 10ths,
6ths in parallel & contrary motion |
|
Arpeggios |
|
Octaves,
Sixths, Tenths |
|
Broken,
Alternating Broken |
|
Advanced
Exercises |
|
Scales
in Full Chords |
|
Scales
in Thirds |
|
Combination
Exercises |
|
Use
of Voicings with Scales |
|
Combining
Chords with Scales |
|
Functional Chordal
Progressions with Scales in eighths, sixteenths, triplets… |
|
Combining
Arpeggios with Scales |
|
Combining
Different Types of Arpeggios |
Knowledge…
|
There
really is no limit… |
|
You can always
find new ways of practicing theory… |
|
It only takes
a handful of ideas to make it work… |
|
As your skills
improve, your creativity will increase… more skills, more possibilities |
Imagination
Second Component…
Remember to be empowering, encourage, applaud, be patient, try to avoid
any negative types of motivation, comparisons, etc.
|
Start
simple… |
|
Lead Sheets
with few chords & accidentals |
|
Simple Key Signatures |
|
No Extensions
(9ths, 11ths, etc.) |
|
Gradually
add difficulty |
|
More Accidentals,
Keys, Chords, Extensions |
First Lesson….
|
Tips to remember… |
|
Keep it simple |
|
Don't use every
idea in the book |
|
One or two ideas
will work great! |
|
Goal is Imagination…
Not Evaluation! |
|
Getting the
student to Create … requires gentle persuasion, lots of encouragement,
every idea that they come up with should be applauded… |
Right Hand
|
As Written |
|
8va |
|
16va |
|
In Octaves |
|
Embellishments |
|
Neighboring
Tone (upper, lower) |
|
Grace Notes
(explain the various types) |
|
|
|
Stylize
Melody |
|
Think like a
singer |
|
Modify note
values, but not measures |
|
Rubato… (notes
on a rubber band) |
Left Hand
|
Chords |
|
Consider
Range |
|
Block |
|
Broken |
|
Pattern
– Alberti Bass (Repeated Chordal Pattern) |
|
531 |
|
53135 |
|
53131313 |
|
5131 |
|
Etc. |
As Time Goes
On…
|
Add
more ideas to the R.H. |
|
|
|
Including: |
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Harmonization
(parallel, vertical) |
|
Fills (broken
chords, inversions, scales) |
|
Easy counterpoint
(8va-Maj7-6th) |
|
Pivot Patterns |
|
Voicings |
More Ideas
for the
Left Hand
|
Tenths |
|
Tenths |
|
Tenth Variations
(inverted, added extensions) |
|
Tenths with
Chords |
|
Tenths with
Added Root Tones, |
|
Tenths with
Added Passing Tones |
|
Tenth Routines
(Stride Piano) |
|
Modified Tenth
Patterns (BND, Pivots) |
A Few More
Advanced Ideas…
|
Various
Patterns |
|
Arpeggios |
|
10th
with Chords - Arpeggiated |
|
Scale Patterns |
|
Voicings |
|
Counterpoint
(RH, and LH) |
|
Rhythm
(Syncopation, Swung Eighths, Ghosting) |
|
Styles
(Jazz, Latin, Pop, Classical, Soft Rock, Bossa Nova, Rumba, Samba…) |
Evaluation
… third component
|
Musical
Interest |
|
Predictability |
|
What a Listener
Needs |
|
Melody, Harmony,
Rhythm |
Ways to Create
Musical Interest
|
Substitutions |
|
Extensions |
|
Intros, Endings,
Transitions |
|
Fills |
|
Counterpoint |
|
Special Effects |
|
Textures |
|
Monophonic |
|
Homophonic |
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Heterophonic |
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Polyphonic |
Musical Interest
Predictability
(50% Rule)
|
Shock the ear
a bit … change something… |
|
|
|
Popular Music,
about every eight bars… |
|
Classical Music,
about every two bars… |
|
Rock Music, about
every sixteen bars… |
|
|
|
A little musical
interest goes a long way… |
C=ƒ(K.I.E.)
The Formula
|
Creativity
is a Function of |
|
Knowledge |
|
Imagination |
|
Evaluation |
Lead Sheets
|
Have
some fun… |
|
It
really is not difficult.. |
|
You
were born to be Creative! |
|
It is in our
very nature! |
Thank You…
|
|
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