The Components of Music: Part Two

Melody

A melody is a succession of pitches that move in time. Each tone in a melody has both pitch and duration. Most modules are built from pitch arrangements called scales. There are many kinds of scales. You are familiar with major scales and minor scales. Here's an earlier post to refresh your studies, Reviewing 4 Scales.

Because melody has both pitch and duration, it cannot be separated from rhythm. Melody, therefore, could be described as motion plus rhythm. Melody is a continuous movement, and is, therefore, the progress of a moving line passing through successive sounds. A composer manipulates this movement in much the same way as a painter draws a line or a sculptor molds a shape. A line of any kind, however, whether visual or tonal, has direction. It moves either upward or downward. The movement of the line is what gives the melody a recognizable profile. Most melodies are built from pitch organizations called scales. There are many kinds of scales.

Modes

D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D

The scale above is called the Dorian mode. If you want to experiment with different modes, then read Learn Improv with Modes.

"Scarborough Fair" is an old English song that is based on this scale, D  E  F  G  A  B  C  D. This scale is called the Dorian mode. There are many kinds of modes. each mode uses a different pattern of intervals.

Reviewing Scales

The meaning of the term "scale" is an ascending or descending arrangement of pitches from which melodies and harmonies are built (generally within the octave). Half step examples: C-C#, E-F, A-Ab, B-C. Whole step examples: C-D, E-F#, A-G, Bb-C). A scale may start on any tone. Play some of these scales, starting in different tones. Choose one of the scales and improvise a melody.

• Major Scale

          W   W   1/2    W W W 1/2

• Minor Scale

        W  1/2  W  W  1/2  W  W

• Dorian mode

         W  1/2  W  W  W  1/2  W

• Mixolydian mode

         W  W  1/2  W  W  1/2  W
       
A great resource you may be interested in is Fundamentals of Piano Theory - Level 1.

Pentatonic Scales

You can use pentatonic scales for improvisation and composition. Pentatonic scales are related to the music of some of the Indian cultures. This is an example of a Pentatonic scale: D E F# A B. Not all scales have seven tones. Many songs are built on a five-tone scale. Five-tone scales are called pentatonic scales. Much music from the Far East uses pentatonic scales.

If you want to understand pentatonic scales, visit Altered Pentatonic Scales and Patterns.

Composing with Pentatonic Scales

"Sakura" is a famous Japanese folk song. This song is a delicate musical picture of cherry blossom time in Japan. When arranging notes of the song from low to high, use B C E F A B C. Notice that there are two half steps in this scale, unlike the more familiar, pentatonic scale. (Half steps are between B and C, E and F.)

Tone Row

Tone rows are pitch organizations like scales except that they have no tonal center. Some music has no tonal center. 

Building a Tone Row

The tone row was first developed by an Austrian author-composer, Arnold Schoenberg. Now manycomposers use tone row as a basis for their music. Schoenberg developed the twelve-tone system, in which every composition is based upon an arbitrary arrangement of the twelve chromatic tones, called a tone-row. An example would be C, E, G, C#, A, B, F, Eb, D, F#, G#, A#.

Microtonal Music

Some composers make up their own scales. The American composer Harry Partch (1901-1974) used a scale which has forty-three pitches to each octave. His music based on intervals smaller than half steps is called microtonal music. Microtonal music sounds out of tune to people who listen only to music built from half and whole steps.

A great handbook resource I recommend to musicians is Jermaine Griggs, 300 Pg Piano By Ear Home Study Course. I refer to it often with my piano students wanting to compose songs with a few chords.

Have fun building on music theory and using the information to improvise with making songs at your fingertips! 

-- LadyD

 "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Summer Worship

 I'm heading out in a few minutes to experience a worship concert and seminar event in SoCal. Should be fun and very interesting. So, I'm taking a little time off from blogging and teaching... a much needed rest.  I'll be back to tell you all about it. You know, what I found out and learned.

In the meantime, I have received emails from so many of my readers expressing needs in these areas:

1. reading music notes on the staff
2. understanding chord charts
3. more riffs and turnarounds
4. color chords
5. pattern playing

See you next week and we'll cover some of these topics. If you're interested in pentatonic scales, check out my other blog posts at http://pianodiana.blogspot.com

Happy summer, dear readers!





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 "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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Free Improv Book Plus Children's Jazz

Recently, I came across a book review that caught my eye and LOVED it! Naturally, I just had to reblog about it. Yes, I am on http://pinterest.com/ladydpiano/ and you can see the board that I post about music books for children there. This particular post is about John Coltrane's Giant Steps. You can see the entire review at turtleandrobot.wordpress.com

Are you familiar with the song Giant Steps? The raindrops provide the tempo, the box is the foundation and the snowflake is the harmony. Oh, and the kitten is the melody. It's a picture book for ages 4 and up. The reviews are 4/5 stars.

John Coltrane's Giant Steps

If you are serious about wanting to learn this song and mastering it,
here is a link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltrane_changes


* Friday Freebie Improv Book *

You don't want to miss this!

Richard Grayson provides a link for his free improvisation handbook.
Offered at http://musicmattersblog.com/2013/01/23/free-improvisation-handbook-by-richard-grayson/

Basically, you'll learn Pentatonic scales and how to improvise using just 4 chords.  

Free Music Coloring Pages

http://www.coloring.ws/music1.htm 

coloringplanet.com

Free printable coloring pages 

So, I will say this a million times over... I highly recommend and endorse Mr. Willie Myette for Jazz instructions. You can find him at http://www.jazzpianolessons.com/ No, I am not an affiliate partner and yes, I used to be one of his students and am familiar with his lessons and products. I watch his videos on YouTube when I have the time (after all, I am a grandma of 5) and I think he is the best Jazz teacher online. So, if you like Jazz, please take the time and watch his style.

 This hardcover book is about Florence Mills artistic life in New York. The book received 4/5 stars.

Harlem's Little Blackbird So,  Jermaine Griggs over at Hear and Play has made available a music resource for the vocal artists called Vocals. I believe it's a 10 Disc system of learning.

John Coltrane - Giant Steps

Oh, another book about music that I reviewed... just in case you missed the blog post,
Book Review: Blueprint By Kirk Franklin Oh, how I love this guy. Do you have a favorite gospel song of his?

Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Friday Freebie: Piano Scales

Minor pentatonic blues scale on A (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am often asked questions regarding various music scales, such as Major, Minor, Blues, etc.
So, I thought I would gather up some information for you. Remember this:

Scales played in the correct musical way
are very exciting and rewarding
James Galway - Flautist

Piano Scales (former posts from my blog)

1. How to Play Blues Scales

2. How to Play Minor Scales

3. How to Play Pentatonic Scales

4. How to Play Bebop Scales

Free Printables

Cmaj Scale

Cmin Scale

C Pentatonic Scale 

Blues Scales

What are the benefits of playing scales?

Scale practice doesn't make playing songs better. Practicing your scales makes your scales better. Plus, your sight reading and improvisation will improve.

*How do I find time to practice?
*How can I get better at playing in different keys?
*How do I decide/recognize what the left hand chords are in a piece of music?
*How can I play and read sheet music faster?
*How do I decide on proper fingering?
The answer to these and many other piano playing questions can now be yours.
Step-By-Step Piano DVD Course Helps You Become A Better Piano Player
www.LearnPianoTips.com






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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Blues Piano Licks and Riffs from Willie Myette

Willie Myette posted new articles on the BLUES site with licks and mp3 files
that I'm sure you will enjoy. Here is the direct link to those articles:
http://www.playbluespiano.com/articles/blues-piano-riffs-and-licks


For those of you who love the blues, here's his entire article! You will definitely learn lots from his site and his music resources. I myself have learned so much from his gospel online classes.

In this article, I am going to show you two different Blues piano shuffle licks & riffs that are fun and easy to play. Make sure you click on each sound file to hear the lick played.
Do you like the sound of the Blues? So do I. That’s why I created the new Play Blues Piano Series.
Blues Piano Lick #1
Before trying to read this lick, make sure that you listen to the audio file (right below the lick) to hear how it should sound. Even though the lick and left-hand are written out as eighth notes, they are really played with a triplet feel. It is common to write swung eighth notes as “regular” eighth notes rather than triplets. Take a look at example 1.
Ex. 1

Do you see how much more difficult it is to read example 1 than lick #1?
It’s unnecessary most of the time to write swung eighth notes like this. Instead, just notate that the eighth notes should be swung by using a style marking.
In the case of example 2, the style marking is Medium Shuffle. Well, medium is going to be right around 120bpm and shuffle means that the rhythm is a shuffle, triplet feel. BUT, notice how much easier it is to read lick #1?
I also want you to notice the tiny F# in the beginning of the lick. This is called a grace note. It should be played quickly and usually with the same finger of the note that you are going to. So the next note is G, played with your middle finger, so use your 3rd finger on the grace note.
Lick #1
Medium Shuffle


Listen to the lick


Blues Piano Lick #2
Lick #2 is a C minor pentatonic scale played in triplets. However, there is something interesting about how this lick is formed (besides just being triplets). Let’s start by just taking a quick peek at lick #2 and listening to it.
Lick #2
Medium Shuffle



Listen to the lick


Alright, so you hear the triplets right? But did you hear how the triplets were divided into four note groupings? In example 2, I’ve separated the groupings with boxes. This is creates a very cool sound because it’s triplets, but it’s triplets accenting a note other than the first triplet. The “top” note of each four-note grouping will produce a natural accent. Notice how the accent is on the first triplet in beat one, the second triplet in beat two and the third triplet in beat three? This is an example of phrasing a rhythm.
Example #2


 Listen to the lick


Remember, even though the left hand is written as eighth notes, they are still played with a triplet feel. This means the first eighth note will “line up” with the first triplet and the second eighth note will line up with the THIRD triplet, NOT the second triplet. See example 3.
Example #3



Listen to the lick


Comments are welcomed and encouraged!
Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.

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Piano Lesson: Improvising Melody

Image by liquidsunshine49 via Flickr

Introducing the Pentatonic Scale

The Pentatonic scale is probably the most widely used scale in the world. It can be found in all kinds of music, particularly popular and folk music, from countries as far apart as China and Peru. The Pentatonic scale is formed of notes 1 2 3 5 and 6 of the major scale. Starting on C this produces C D E G A - a five note scale, hence the name penta-tonic. If you know your scales that makes finding another pentatonic scale easy - it's just a major scale with two notes missing - notes 4 and 7!

For more information on pentatonic scales,visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonic_Scale

You can Google Pentatonic Scales and Improvising Melody for free articles on line. I have received many letters from students asking me for tips on runs and riffs for the right hand. My response has always been do you know your scales? Let's start with the Pentatonic Scale. For the beginner, you might want to take a look at this short tutorial that I found to be very helpful and informative. Plus, DeepWaterMusic offers a background tape that you can jam along with here on their video. Enjoy improvising with the Pentatonic Scale and let me know how you do with your practice session. Just 5 mins. of your time is well worth the investment of piano practice... your on your way to improvising!


Piano Lesson: Improvising Melody



DeepWaterMusic.net. Free Worship Piano Lesson from the publisher of "Pop Piano For Worship: The 30-Day Crash Course". As Seen In WORSHIP LEADER MAGAZINE!

Best,
LadyD






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Improvised Solos

Image via Wikipedia

Have you learned your piano soloing from a pro? Sometimes it seems that I learn quickly and easily by copying what a musician shows me and then change things for my style and improve upon that... Do you find that as well? I hope you'll leave me a message on what works for you.

I discovered a great article by Miles Donahue who plays tenor sax and is known for his hard-bop and post-bop music. I wanted to list some main points that I gleaned from the article.

* Referencing the Masters

1. Michael Petrucciani revealed that as a young player he transcribed and could play between 15-20 solos by Wes Montgomery.
2. Bill Evans said that he couldn't learn jazz through osmosis, but rather had to approach the subject through analytical study.
3. Lennie Tristano had his students sing and play certain transcribed solos as part of their jazz education.

* Academic Benefits
The intermediate jazz student can benefit most from transcribed solos if they have the right approach. There is benefit to be gained from transcribing the solos yourself, and there are benefits to playing solos from published books. If you do the transcription, you would likely have to sing what you hear and write it down. This would serve as ear training. At college auditions students are often tested on call and response, which is when someone plays a melody and then the student must play it back. When you improvise, the ability to remember melodic ideas and invent new ones is absolutely necessary.

* Rules
1. Do not try a solo that is technically beyond you.
2. Find a solo based on a chord progression you know (if we don't know the chord progression we cannot analyze the solo)
3. Sing and internalize the solo bassed on intervals, relationship to the chords, and upon what tools of music are used, such as bebop scales, pentatonic scales, approach notes, tension notes and more.
* 12 Bars and the Truth

A blues is only 12 bars long and there are many solos based on the standard jazz blues chord progression, therefore a blues is a good starting point. I recommend just learning 12 bars of a transcribed solo and then playing in every key or learn 3 or 4 different 12 bar solos in the same key.

What can be learned from only four bars of a transcribed blues solo? One thing I learned is that on the 4th bar many jazz players use notes from the altered scale to produce a stronger resolution to the IV chord on the 5th bar.

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