Today I started messing around with a music composition program called NoteFlight, which I know some other kids doing this project use. I decided to just make a 12-bar C major blues progression, which is both simple and I know how to do. I only have about four measures to begin with, but I like the sound of it so far. The only thing I don't like about the program is that it's not really meant for jazz composition. There's no "Style" option and cannot swing eighth notes, which I guess is okay for now, but I would really like for it to play back to me what I hear in my head. For the most part, it is going very well.
I am thinking for my presentation to the class that I will either (a) record myself playing my solo and post it on Youtube or (b) cobble together some of the jazz band members to play the chords as accompaniment live in class. I will probably do the latter, but I have some serious work to do if that's going to happen.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Google Day 14 November
I forgot to blog last Google day about two whole weeks ago, and so I need to mention it within this post, because there was also a Google work day today in class as well.
Last work day, I practiced outside once more. I worked on scales and then moved onto improvising. It did not go too bad; my mouth got tired rather quickly, but I managed to get some good practicing in before that. The melody notion that I am working toward was a little bit better. If I haven't explained it already, the melody notion is a melody, maybe a jazz melody, that you play around with to make it interesting, but you can still hear fragments, like certain rhythms or notes, in it. While doing my best to improvise, I came a little bit closer to playing with the melody, but it was mostly just little fragments of half the notes I played. I mean to say, some of the runs or licks or rhythms or ideas that I played sounded like the melody, but it was not a cohesive melody.
Today's work day was not as successful, but I still got some good ideas worked up. I warmed up for a while, but for some reason I could not play. Everything sounded wrong to my ears and I had no ideas for improvising. So I decided to practice my scales, which I am getting more adept at, and worked on the some of the music for Jazz Band.
I also decided to add a new component to this experience: I was once told that writing out your own solos is a good way to get better at them, and I figure this true. I can hear cool patterns and runs in my head, but I just can't play them. So I copied off some blank sheet music and intend to write out a solo. This is probably what I will present for the finish of this Google Project.
Last work day, I practiced outside once more. I worked on scales and then moved onto improvising. It did not go too bad; my mouth got tired rather quickly, but I managed to get some good practicing in before that. The melody notion that I am working toward was a little bit better. If I haven't explained it already, the melody notion is a melody, maybe a jazz melody, that you play around with to make it interesting, but you can still hear fragments, like certain rhythms or notes, in it. While doing my best to improvise, I came a little bit closer to playing with the melody, but it was mostly just little fragments of half the notes I played. I mean to say, some of the runs or licks or rhythms or ideas that I played sounded like the melody, but it was not a cohesive melody.
Today's work day was not as successful, but I still got some good ideas worked up. I warmed up for a while, but for some reason I could not play. Everything sounded wrong to my ears and I had no ideas for improvising. So I decided to practice my scales, which I am getting more adept at, and worked on the some of the music for Jazz Band.
I also decided to add a new component to this experience: I was once told that writing out your own solos is a good way to get better at them, and I figure this true. I can hear cool patterns and runs in my head, but I just can't play them. So I copied off some blank sheet music and intend to write out a solo. This is probably what I will present for the finish of this Google Project.
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