Gabriel Piano Studio
  • 2022-23 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS

BERNAL study page

PRACTICE LOG

Access google practice chart here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pJ9tS2jR2rxEJHU4QZI45ZV3e1XALDOObtvk90wILZ8/edit#gid=1245708595
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Diminished scales

diminished_scales_copy_color_-_full_score.pdf
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MINOR PENTATONICS

  1. Complete run 12k from the root
  2. UP-DOWN on the key of the root, the key of the 5th, the key 1-whole step UP (C - G - D)
  3. UP in one key, DOWN 1/2 step higher
  4. UP changing chords until reaches the top of the keyboard.  DOWN the same way

MAJOR PENTATONICS

  1. Complete run 12k from the root
  2. UP-DOWN on the key of the root, the key of the 5th, the key 1-whole step UP (C - G - D)

2-5-1

Major 2-5-1

Combination -1-  Example in C Major
RH plays the scale of the "I" through the 2-5-1 (C Major)
Combination -2-  Example in C Major
IIm7 = mPent 5-UP
V7 (13) = dim scale of V
Im Maj7 = MPent 5-UP

Minor 2-5-1

Combination -1-  Example in C Major
IIm7(​b5) = natural minor of I (C natural minor)
V7 (#5) (b13?) = harmonic minor of I  (C harmonic minor)
Im Maj7 = melodic minor of I  (C melodic minor)

OTHER COMBINATIONS TO TRY
V7 = Locrian / EbM / Cm nat
V7 = Cm harm
V7 = Cm mel
G dim / Locrian b4 / Abm mel
Question for Paul:
Does this look right?
Which other combinations are available with these chord progressions.
Not too out there, because I prefer a gradual approach.
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2 - 5 - 1 General chart

the_two_-_five_-_one_extended-2.pdf
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EXPERIMENT WITH THIS:

2 - 5 - 1 but in the V7, instead of LH = F - B - E, Try F - Bb - Eb and find out the improvisation that matches this unexpected turn for the V7

TRANSCRIPTIONS

JARRETT "Where Can I Go without You"

Creating my own improvisation and complete setup of the song piano solo and piano with combo.
JARRETT Where
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scanned_documents.pdf
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MORE ON PENTATONICS

LH chords: 

pentatonic_chords_in_4ths.pdf
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Using the degrees of the Dorian mode to build the chords.
All chords except 3 are perfect 4ths.
3: match dorian by raising the last two notes 1/2 step
BUILDING 4ths:
al flat positions except
C->C# and F -> F#
​(symmetrical)

Exercises to move scale UP and DOWN

Building pentatonics in C minor going up to C#m and down to Bm
pentatonic_exercises.pdf
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pentatonic_scales_exercises.pdf
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Go to Sibelius and fix this exercise

GRB created exercises/drills

These exercises happen during practice and then I forget about them.  here are some of them:
Scale: switch to 1/2 UP, 1/2 BACK
Scale: switch 1/2 UP, 1/2 BACK, 1/2 DOWN, 1/2 BACK
ARPEGGIOS in 4ths UP and Down mimicking the LH position
​Broken arpeggios skipping middle notes.
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Broken scales fingering

pentatonic_broken_thirds_-all_keys-.pdf
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Exercises to work on this video

Clusters/chromatic raise

Patterns up and down 1/2 step

Other applications

C Maj7 --> e minor pentatonic or G Major pent
M3rd UP -> minor pent
P5th UP -> major pent
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Peter Martin transcription

Transcription of Peter Martin demonstrating pentatonic improv. "Dive into Pentatonics".
dive_into_pentatonics_grb_notes.pdf
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dive_into_pentatonics minute 1:00.pdf
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EXERCISES IN 2 - 5 - 1 Major and Minor by Jimin Park

2-5-1 in Major key
2 - Dorian 
5 - Diminished 
1 - ​Aeolian or Lydian

60'

2/11
F - D - C
jimin_2-5-1_in_f.pdf
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Done
jimin_2-5-1_in_g.pdf
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Done
jimin_2-5-1_in_c.pdf
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Done
jimin_2-5-1_in_d.pdf
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2-5-1 in Minor key
2 - Locrian 
5 - Melodic minor 1/2 UP or Diminished 
1 - Minor with raised 6+7 or Harmonic minor

60'

2/11
​C - 
jimin_2-5-1_in_cminor.pdf
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Exercising the V7 diminished scale

Reference: b9th
Every note can belong to two dim scales, and by elimination it doesn't belong to one of them.
One of the dim is H-W, the other is W-H

MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE.  C Major. Harmonization

REAL BOOK my_one_and_only_love.pdf
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my_one_and_only_love.pdf
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30'

1- Presentation rich harmonies.
2- Chart of the scales
3- Record improvisation.
11/20
Harmonization of the main theme

TUTORIAL BASED LESSONS. 

SCALES.  
Write down the scales that are being use in these exercises and crate a full chart.

We are going to use as reference a jazz pianist/teacher that has a well organized channel on Youtube.

First lesson, basic, will be on practicing scales based on a 2 - 5 - 1 chord progression just to get your ear used to these dissonances.

​After you are able to play it in the original key we will start transposing it to other keys.

Diminished scales

diminished_scales.pdf
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Magyel "ALL OF ME" Exercises

2-5-1 SCALES Magyel -C-
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2-5-1 SCALES Magyel -C- GRB
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2-5-1 SCALES Magyel -D-
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Learned in C, D, E.
Analyzed in E​.
Next is to transfer all the analytics to the exercise in C and D
​Then create a blank sheet containing only the analytical cues to create an improvisation based on the suggested scales.

Create score that has only the indications but not the notes and following the indications you have to create the improvisation.
ALL OF ME Magyel -C-
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ALL OF ME Magyel -C-GRB
File Size: 5077 kb
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ALL OF ME Magyel -D-
File Size: 82 kb
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ALL OF ME Magyel -E-
File Size: 83 kb
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ALL OF ME Magyel -E-GRB
File Size: 5208 kb
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ALL OF ME Magyel -F-
File Size: 83 kb
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NEXT RECORDING: Blame It on My Youth (Keith Jarrett version)

BLAME YOUTH 4/7/2021
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Lessons with Paul Bratcher

6/16
The exercises I am creating:
Don't get too complicated, rather than difficult exercises, work on smaller groupings of 4 notes.
Groupings in clusters and playing the notes all at the same time.  Assimilate the unit.

Finding the triads in the scale
C7 -> C# (the b9) and play C#Major triad notes (PLUS ONE).  Add an extra note that matches (belongs to) the chord on the LH

Then exercise with these patterns.

Moving scale exercises up and down 1/2 step:
Use smaller patterns, that is more applicable in improvisation 
No need to use long scales.  Ok to practice them, but not as applicable.

USING PENTATONIC SCALES IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS
C minor pentatonic can be used in the following contexts:

Cm --> LH Pent chords
C# --> LH Pent chords
D --> Altered (#9) chords
Eb --> EbMaj7 and Eb7 Pent chords
E --> Difficult sound. Heavy altered
F --> As F7 and F Pent
F#
G --> G7 Altered // G(#9) // Maybe Pent
G# --> Maj7 // Pent
A --> Altered #9
Bb
B --> B7 not Pent

5/26
8th, 16th notes as foundation.  Add triplets
Scale played in broken 3rds as 8th, 16th, and triplets
Take the same scales I am practicing and convert the meter to triplets

LH Dorian is OK
Build comp shapes using LH-RH

C Dorian scale has inside 3 pentatonic:
C minor pent
G minor pent
D minor pent
and of course, the relative major pentatonics also.

For GRIT:  use the 6th instead of the 7 (Coltrane sound)

C minor: use the other pentatonics for other sounds

Cm be the center.  
5th (Gm) different character.  Softness
9TH (Dm) Is very out there in sound

PETER MARTIN
He uses imposing harmonies

Using LH dominant vs minor

Cm, pentatonic on LH, one of the chords is the F7 (Eb-A-D).  This chord is a dominant that launches other possibilities:

LH ​F7 --> RH

F#m pent (b9, 3, #9, b13)
LH ​F7 --> RH G#m pent 

Using pentatonics off a dominant chord:
Alter dominant (AKA Diminished whole-tone)
It is a "melodic minor played 1/2 step above"

F7 in a 2-5-1  Use the altered dominant on the V7
Then find the pentatonic inside the scale you are using.

EXTRACTING PENTATONICS FROM THE SCALE WE ARE USING
​Build a pentatonic starting on each note of the scale and see how many can bou build.

Do this same exercise also with the Altered Dominant

LH Use a Dominant because of the colors available #9, b9, #5, b5, etc.

Thinking and improvising in F7 while bass is still playing Cm

RH SKIP OVER PATTERNS
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Patterns must be in fingers in every key
Wider intervals, angular sound

Bass Cm.  LH F7  -->  RH 1/2 step above dominant = F# pentatonic

5/5
Davinci/resolve versus Final Cut-Pro or iMovie
ManyCam little quirks
Share the Jesu Joy arrangement

Improvising on a modal.  Video of kayak sailing
Use pentatonic minor
Pentatonic on the 2nd degree of Cminor (D
For Fm7, same sound
Bb7 dim wholetome
For G7 #9, melodic minor 1/2 step up from the V7, which gives you a diminished whole tome.
PETER MARTIN on Pentatonicxs will be a good source to learn this
​When playing on pentatonic, move far away, the farthest is a tritone UP.  From Cm to F#m
McCoy also uses chord progressions whole step apart from each other. mirroring them with the RH scales.  Paul sounded amazing doing all that.


4/7
Mentioned:
Students like Jonathan Orloff.  
Biff Smith arrangements and harmonizations
Notebook log for practice

Shehan Rajapakse and Paul's student Milo attend the same high school and both are pianists at the same Jazz Band.

PAUL: Paul Carr tenor player: Hear diatonically. Exercises 5' - 10'
Use the iRealPro exercises on 2-5-1 in every key and play the scales 
1- starting on the note
2- starting on different notes
Keep it melodic, stay diatonic
Blues as a simple enough structure to apply scales as well

GRB: YT ADDRESSED TO TEACHERS RATHER THAN TO STUDENTS?
IEJE CONFERENCE
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
Speakers, conferences
Levine grant may cover some of the costs
BPC!!!
Gary Prince did not like the conferences.  Paul and Gary don't coincide in pedagogical visions.
Brad goes to them regularly

Buy the YT material to learn the sequencing of the teaching method and delivery of information

OPEN STUDIO Peter Martin and Adam Mannes
Peter is the intuitive explainer
Adam is the structural explainer
SUSCRIBE TO THEIR PAID MATERIAL.  1st week free. Worth it.

Noah -???- last name?  Very well explained material

GRB:  VOICINGS.  THE USE OF BIFF SMITH to open ears
Paul goes more methodically
Apply voicing and open harmonies to COMPING
Chords first as 3-note chords like 3-7-9 and 7-3-5
Then 4-note chords as 3-7-9-(5 RH) and 7-3-5-(7 RH)
All colors produced while comping

​BRATCHER CHART (See side notes)

3/17

My teaching started mostly focused on reading from Real book for classical pianists
Teaching the beginnings of improvisation.  Some students are starting to get it. Going back to the root.  Putting myself in the shoes of the beginner student and going page by page through the book.  Practicing myself what I will be teaching from the very beginning in all 12-keys.

GRB: ​Fingering for Dominant-Bebop scale.  Traditional fingering doesn’t fit
Book uses a 2-1-2-1 3-2-1 3-2-1 
PB: Placement of the thumb over anything else.
Strengthen 1-2-3 fingering.  Pivoting.
Bebop scales / diminished scales / altered scales are mostly played with 1-2-3.

GRB: Complex classical fingering get in the way of improvisation bc it imposes the will of the hand rather than the will of the mind.
Simple fingering seems is simplify the process of transfer from your mind to the keyboard.

PB doesn't have a specificities opinion on using what I call all-terrain 4 wheel drive fingering.  He doesn't use that system.

GRB: I am able to “hear” in my head a complete improvised solo over a chord progression.  Especially after listening to recordings for a number of minutes.
I can even visualize the keyboard and see my hands playing the notes slowly, so that I can almost name the notes slowly.
Then when I actually try to play it, my mind stalls and the fingers want to play what they are comfortable.

We exercised at the lesson singing and transferring the idea from the mind to the keys.
Singing and playing the side vs your fingers having an idea and then singing it, which is the reverse process, and not ideal.

GRB: At the lesson I noticed that if I looked away from the keys, my mind would be ahead of the game.  If I looked at the keys, my fingers found patterns and dictated what to play.

GRB: How to exercise with the students to liberate them from being stock on an idea, or stock on a small range of notes at the piano.
PB: Ask them to play more "scale-ly".  More "set-wise" at first.
Use BACK-AND-FORTH teacher-student so they hear you play and they get inspiration from your playing.  Place yourself in the level of the student, not playing out with complex lines.
1- Consecutive tones when improvising.
2- Move to thirds after first step is ok.

Start with a 2-5-1, then trade fours, etc.

GRB:  We looked at my composed improvisation on “On Green Dolphin Street”
PB: Improvise on the same tune and let's hear the difference.
I could barely keep up remembering the chords.

GRB: Identifying a mystery scale on a 2-5-1 in F
Happens to be diminished whole-tone, mixed with melodic minor of the tonic.
This is a sound common on Herbie Hancock from the 60s when he played with Miles Davis:
Nefertiti, Sorcerer

Creating chords directly from the scales.
Practice going up each degree fo the melodic minor scale and see what tones are forming.

Mulgrew Miller forms chords using the tones of the scale, rather than chord tones.
3/10
TEACHING ENCLOSURES:
Chromatic motion: building muscle memory and speed
Degrees of the chord: building awareness and understanding
Written exercise versus mental concept:give them the model and they can turn it into an exercise.  No need to write everything down.

DIMINISHED SCALES
 They can be too advanced for some students.
Teach them related to V7 chords always 
Gradual teaching:
1- Mixolydian
2- Introduce the 9th, the b9th and the #9th.

GRB: Learn the Diminished Whole-Tone
Great resource for V7 in tunes like:  Caravan, Take the A Train.
Starts as dim, continues as whole-tone.

USING METHOD BOOKS FOR TEACHING
He is thinking of creating a method similar to Suzuki but for jazz, for young children.

- Jazz Piano Comping.  Jim Snidero
For students with bad reading skills, to learn rhythms.  School big bands.
Based on standards but not the actual songs (© issue).

- 15 Easy Jazz Etudes.  Bob Mitzer
For students whose ears/reading is not yet great.

"Amazing Phrasing".  Debbie Denke
This book helped Paul himself.
Similar to Aebersold, loops not too long

STUDENTS MUST GET iRealPro AND BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Use the app through a separate device fro Zooming, not the same.

PREP TIME.  RECYCLING MATERIAL;
Paul uses a share folder in which he places material  such as 
- Learn voicing 2-note voicing, 3-note voicings,

TECH AND RESOURCES
Paul takes a tune from iRealPro
Records a solo on top of it using Garage Band
Sends to the student for student to practice comping chords over Paul's solo.

​


3/3
LICKS:
Full blown licks are too much and have too many elements to digest.
Start by isolating a single element from the lick.  "Enclosure" and play it in every key.  Use it in different environments.
- Enclosure of the 1, of the 3, of the 7, etc.
- Goal of playing them in all 12 keys chromatically
Then practice how to get IN and OUT of the enclosure.  Use back-forth teacher-student demonstration so student can hear and feel inspired by hearing the teacher.
Start practicing with the student 3 or 4 keys at a time.  Eventually cover all 12 keys.  Keep units very small.

TRANSCRIPTIONS:
Notes versus feel.
​Red Garland, Miles Davis. Relaxin'
Solos are short, the pianist is a sideman rather than a big part of a trio
Simpler solos for ears that still need development:
Herbie Hancock -Watermelon Man
Horace Silver -More of a motive approach
Thelonius Monk -Low chops but dissonant.  "Bag's Groove' record.

APP FOR TRANSCRIPTION:  Transcribe!  About $30 or $40
Allows to tune the app to your own piano
Guesses notes for you
Can divide the transcription into sections.  How many measure per week if the transcription takes 3 months?

SCALES:
Practice them with rhythm exercises
Use words.  Paul's words are "Meatloaf", "Barbecue", "Barbecue sauce", "Tommy Flanagan".

CAMERA SETTING:
"MANY CAM" APP for splitting and many other functions.
https://manycam.com

NOTEBOOK sketch
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TRACK 83 exercise
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Practicing after 3/3 lesson

3/8
​Isolate technical element and practice in every key
exercise_on_enclosures_-grb-.pdf
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3/10
New variation on the exercise for enclosures.  Focus on each note of the chord in which we are.


C7: C- E - G - Bb - C and create an enclosure for each one.
Then...
Cm7 C - Eb - G - Bb - C and do the same.

Do this for each variation of the enclosure.
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  • 2022-23 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS