Configuring Zoom for Music Lessons

                                Configuring Zoom for Music Lessons

  

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image courtesy of Phil La Viola

  Ever since the start of the Covid 19 music teachers have been switching to online teaching. I’m sure the switch from live one on one to the virtual classroom must have been hard. For those music teachers and students who have not yet made the move to online music lessons I’ve compiled a list of materials you need and certain configurations  you need to make in Zoom. Hopefully all these recommendations will make your first time online teaching experience run more smoothly.

1. Desktop computer, laptop or even a smart phone: The faster the device with a great sound card is preferable but not necessary when starting out. Work with what you have and upgrade to a better and faster computer when you can financially afford it.

2. Buy a good quality microphone: A good quality mic will ensure you are getting a clean and clear sound and will make sure your  getting great sound quality. Either a good USB mic or one you can plug into an interface.  Below are some examples you can purchase one online. 

Amazon Link:

USB Microphone,Fifine Plug and Play PC Computer USB

Amazon Link:
Shure SM57-LC Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

3.  Interface: The interface is an important one to get.  More so for a music teacher than the student. Most students who are beginners won’t be interested in spending a lot of money on equipment. Most likely the student will only be using their stock sound card and USB mic that they just plug into the computer or laptop. Some students might just rely on their android or i phone for the lesson. So the sound quality on their end might not be the greatest. For the music instructor who has a large clientele base is definitely worth the investment. The interface will allow you to mic your guitar or piano in a more professional manner and achieve a studio quality sound. Here some links to affordable interfaces that you

Amazon Link: 

Behringer UMC202HD U-Phoria USB Audio Interface

 

 

Focusrite SCARLETT-SOLO-3RD-GEN USB Audio Interface 

 

Both teacher and student should do step #4

4. Zoom Configuration: Both parties should take the time to configure your audio setting in Zoom. This will give us the best sound quality and get rid of any delay in sound. It also will allow us to perform or jam in real time. To configure Zoom please follow the instructions in the 2 pictures below

       

  Step 1:  

Go to your Zoom Settings which is indicated by the grey wheel on the right hand side and click on Audio. Once you are on the Audio page, click on the Advanced Tab in the bottom right hand corner.

 

Step 2:
Under Audio Processing:  Disable Suppress Persistent Background Noise and Suppress intermittent Back ground Noise.
Leave Echo Cancellation on Auto

Please Note: All web cam lesson are done through Zoom. You must all ready have it installed on your computer or you can down load the program from the provided link for Desk Top: https://zoom.us/download  
Download for android phone: Zoom For android
Download for i phones: Zoom for Apple

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The Odd Couple Theme Song

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If you are a fan of Jazz music and the 60's TV show The Odd Couple, then you probably love the theme song. For jazz guitar lovers Russell Malone has a great version of the song that I transcribed for your performing pleasure.

You can click on the link below to get

your free copy the Pdf version of the song here:

From my web site: The Odd Couple

Transcribed by: Phil La Viola

 The Guitar Trix & Tips Blog is associated with Guitar 6 School of Music

 

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If you are a fan of Jazz music and the 60's TV show The Odd Couple, then you probably love the theme song. For jazz guitar lovers #russellmalone has a great version of the song that I transcribed for your performing pleasure. Please visit the link to download a free copy of the lead sheet http://guitartipsandtrix.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-odd-couple-theme-song.html?m=1 #guitarlessons #guitarsolo #guitarblog #musicblog #majorscales #musiclessons #bloggers #blogs #beginnerjazzguitar #beginnerguitar #bluesguitar #bluesguitarlessons #jazzguitar #jazzchords

A post shared by guitartipsandtrix (@guitartipsandtrix) on Aug 13, 2020 at 9:46pm PDT

 

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Devilette Solo Transcripiton for guitar by Dexter Gordon

 

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Devilette Solo  Transcription for guitar by Dexter Gordon

I will be uploading a new jazz solo transcription from any random featured artist every couple of months.  The first Jazz transcription solo will be by American jazz tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. There are many reasons for transcribing and for me it is to help with my jazz phrasing, ear training and to learn the many soloing tricks and devices that the pros use. So download the notation and  guitar tab at your convenience and enjoy. Cheers

Download the entire Devillette solo for guitar here: http://www.guitar6music.com/uploads/5/3/9/7/5397775/devilette_solo_for_guitar-page-001-converted.pdf

Here is  Video link to the song. Dexter's Solo starts at the 50 second mark

 

Here is a demo of me playing the entire solo

with the recording

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To download the entire Pdf file please visit the link http://guitartipsandtrix.blogspot.com/2019/11/devilette-solo-transcripiton-for-guitar.html?m=1

A post shared by guitartipsandtrix (@guitartipsandtrix) on Nov 24, 2019 at 9:17pm PST

The Guitar Trix & Tips Blog is associated with Guitar 6 School of Music
and is a amazon associate.

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Bye Bye Blackbird melody as played by Miles Davis for guitar

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Bye Bye Blackbird

 Please click on the image to view and print: or click on

the link to download the Pdf version: Bye Bye Blackbird

   From now on, I've decided to learn every new jazz standard by ear and stay away from learning melodies straight from a fake book. Every couple of months, I'll post a featured jazz artist's solo or melody transcription and share what I've been working on.

Recently, I wanted to learn "Bye Bye Blackbird." I had been looking at the version in my fake book, but then I heard Miles Davis play it, and I immediately noticed how much more interesting and musical his version sounded. After learning the melody from the fake book, I realized that, to my ears, it sounded pretty lifeless and boring compared to the way Miles played it.

So I decided to lift the melody directly from the Miles Davis version. And, man, what a difference! The phrasing sounds so much better and more melodic. There are subtle things in the way Miles plays the melody that you just don't get from looking at the notes on a page. It's a good reminder that there's a lot more to a melody than simply playing the right notes.

I didn't have time to write everything out neatly on my computer using notation software and tabs, so for now, I'm posting my good old chicken-scratch handwriting on manuscript paper. The song is in the key of F major, and hopefully anyone who comes across this post can read music!

In the future, I'll come back and edit this post with cleaner notation and tabs to make it easier to follow.

Enjoy, and happy playing!, please visit my past blog post on how to get started in learning how to read music on guitar.

 The Guitar Trix & Tips Blog is associated with Guitar 6 School of Music 

Advanced jazz blues Improv Part 2

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 How and where to outline chord substitutions within the blues form

  In the last lesson blog we talked about using some of the most common scales, arpeggios and minor pentatonic scales that  can be used over  a basic  B flat jazz blues.https://guitartipsandtrix.blogspot.com/2019/06/how-to-solo-over-basic-jazz-blues-part-1.html In this lesson we will talk about how we can spice up the blues by implying chord substitution and what scales we can use over these substitutions. Most of the substitute chord changes will either take place at the last measure or the last 2 measures of each line. Keep in mind that these soloing ideas will work over the basic changes or the advanced chord changes of the blues (Charlie Parker style blues or Bird Blues). Even if the rhythm guitar, piano or bass player does not play these subs they should still sound good. It will create some tension and release, it should give your lines a more sophisticated jazz sound. Have and fun and happy practicing.

Step 1: Simplify your thinking by simplifying the chord changes. The picture below will demonstrate on how you should think. Less thinking means you get to concentrate on the creative side of the brain. For more on drawing from the creative side of the brain read my article: The Right Brain Effect Will Help You Improvise With Ease
https://brainmadesimple.com/left-and-right-hemispheres.html 

Step 3: Start learning some of the scales ideas and inserting them in measures 4, 8 or 12. Start of off by implying the simple harmony and by the 2nd or 3rd chorus you can start employing some of the substitution ideas into your lines.  Use them sparingly going back and forth from simple to advanced lines.  You will have a variety of ideas to choose from and it will give your playing style a more sophisticated sound. 

Review the last lesson before you move on to the ideas below:
 https://guitartipsandtrix.blogspot.com/2019/06/how-to-solo-over-basic-jazz-blues-part-1.html

When comping you can play the 1 chord in measure 4, the 6 chord in measure 8 and the V chord in measure 12. Or you can experiment with replacing it with the tritone substitute which are the chords in brackets. 
  
  In the last blog we talked about the basic scales, minor petatonics and arpeggios that we can place within the jazz blues form when improvising. The list below is a guide of what scales you can insert in measures 4, 8 

Soloing ideas: Measure 8= Bb7 F melodic minor= Bb Lydian b7 for the #11sound, B melodic minor= Bb Altered scale for the b9, #9 and #5 sound

E7 Tritone sub= B melodic minor for the= E lydian b7, F melodic minor= E7 altered for the b9 #9 #5 sound. Notice how B melodic minor and F melodic minor work over both Bb7 and E7

 Minor pentatonic ideas:Db minor pentatonic works over Bb7 it gives you the altered sound.  On E7 it gives you the 13th, root,9th,3rd and 5th

 Tip: add the 3rd of Bb7 D to the Db minor pent. I find it outlines the chord and sounds better

 1/2 whole diminished ideas: use the Bb 1/2 whole diminished scale:  it gives you the b9 #9, #11, natural 5 and 13th
sound
Arpeggios: Bo7,Do7, Fo7 and Ab07
Dominant 7 arpeggios: Bb7, Db7, E7 and G7  

Soloing ideas: Measure 8= G7 Ab melodic minor= G altered for the b9 #9 and #5 sound, D melodic minor= G lydian b7 for the #11 sound
Minor pentatonic ideas: Bb minor pentatonic works over the G7 It gives you the altered sound. On Db7 it give you the 13th, root, 9th and 5th Tip: add the 3rd of G7 B to the Bb minor pent. I find it outlines the chord and sounds better

1/2 wholle diminished ideas: use the G 1/2 whole diminished scale: It gives you the b9 #9 #11, natural 5 and13th sound 
Arpeggios: Abo7, Cbo7, Ebbo7 (Do7), Fo7
 Dominant 7 Arpeggios: G7, Bb7, Db7, E7
 Note:All these scale ideas also work over the tritone Sub Db7

 Soloing ideas: Measure 12= F7 C melodic minor= F Lydian b7 for the #11 sound,  Gb melodic minor = Gb altered scale for the b9 #9 and #5 sound

 Minor pentatonic ideas: Ab minor pentatonic works over F7: it gives the altered sound. On B7 it give you the 13th, root,9th and 5th
Tip: add the 3rd of F7  A to the Ab minor pent. I find it outlines the chord and sounds better

 1/2 whole diminsihed ideas: use F 1/2 whole diminished scale: It give yous the b9 #9 #11, natural 5 and 13th sound

 Arpeggios: Ao7, Co7, Eb07, F#o7    Dominant 7 arpeggios: F7, Ab7, Cb7, D7
Note:All these scale ideas also work over the tritone Sub B7

 Note: when using melodic minor scales in jazz keep the notes the same ascending and descending. The scale is not to be played using the classical method.

Here is an example of how you might use the scales:
The Diagram and video below illustrates my thought process when soloing over a Bb Jazz blues.

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How to solo over a Basic jazz Blues Part 1

How to solo over a Basic jazz Blues

Part 1

Here is a guide on how to get started on improvising over a Bb jazz blues for beginners. Click on the images to view the examples of the the types of scales I use when improvising over a Bb jazz blues.

Thought Process

Here is a sample of how you can mix and use these diffent Scales

over a basic Bb Jazz Blues:

Watch my Instagram video to see how I put these ideas to use:
https://www.instagram.com/p/By6teWtnPpF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

If you need the tabs to any of these scales please email me and I will send you the tabs to the some of the scale patterns that I use. Visit my website link below to send me a message:

http://www.guitar6music.com/contact-us.html

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