Lesson page.  NOLA

January 17
Springs of Living Water
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (in F)

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
handwritten LESSON NOTES from January 17
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January 17
  • Converting choral score into a piano score
    • This specific choral score is very complex.  The piano part doesn't double the voices, so you have two textures taking place simultaneously.  
    • I would recommend keeping the top part of your arrangement to define the essence of what the choir is singing, and the mid and bottom part of the arrangement to define the essence of the piano accompaniment.
  • Creating your own arrangement of this piece:
    • You are considering using the same intro as the original.
    • We talked about using a deeper, darker gospel sound using the lower range of the piano
    • Also we talked about the importance of space, silence between the notes, and the possibility of allowing the piano to sing with minimal pedal at times, so the silence between the notes speaks as much as the notes themselves.
    • Reharmonization for darker sound, replacing some chords with their relative minor.  
    • Some of these harmonic substitutions can be prepared with 2-5-1 chord progressions in minor key:
      • IIm7(b5) - V7 - Im
    • Chords formed on the V7 of the "IIm7(b5) - V7 - Im" could use more color and more tension applying our trick:
      • Play the V7 with the left hand (1-3-7 is a good simple voicing)
      • Add on the right hand a chord 1-whole step higher than the chord on the left hand
      • The resulting chord has three notes.  You can now build a Major chord for each of those three notes.
        • ​For example, if the V7 is G7, play G7 on the LH and A Major on the RH
          A Major  = A - C# - E
          Each of these resulting notes are the root of the chord we will be adding to the G7 on the right hand
          Examples:
          LH plays G7 while RH plays A Major (9, #11, 13)
          LH plays G7 while RH plays C# Major (b9, #11)
          LH plays G7 while RH plays E Major (b9, 13)

At the River (Copland)
copland_at_the_river.pdf
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January 17

Springs of Living Water
springs_of_living_water_arr._by_tedd_smith.pdf
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January 17
  • New piece to learn for possible Offertory
  • Possibility of incorporating some of these elements on new arrangements 

Compositions: "Offertory" and "Waiting Up in Utero"

Dec 6
​Video of some harmonic ideas for transition below:

Manuscript notes

NOLA OCT-25.pdf
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NOLA SEPT-27
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NOLA SEPT-13
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Exercise for harmonic spacial thinking in 2-5-1

Starting simple:
1- Just the left hand to go through the entire spectrum of the 12-keys
2- Design a simple RH to go along with it, using the scale of the "I" (dorian, mixolydian, aeolian).
March 15
​So far 6 keys  at MM = 80

April 26
2-5-1 in major key, more options
​Build the three left hand chords in the key of C Major:  Dm7 - G7 - CMaj7
Scales for the RH:
Dm7 = D Dorian (same as C Major)
G7 = Diminished scale of the chord you are playing as G7
CMaj7 = C Lydian, which is C Major #4 (F#)
or C Major Pentatonic

Offertory Project:  "Of the Father's Love Begotten"
108-of_the_fathers_love_begotten.pdf
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May 24 
​Scanned notes from today's lesson are on the right margin.
NOTES from 5/24/22 lesson
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May 10

​Here are the revised notes from today's lesson.

​The video recording of today's lesson will be uploaded to Dropbox and I will send you the link.

​In addition to that see the notes below:
April 26

Ideas for the harmonization using ascending bass line and jazz influenced chords.
​See our notes on the right margin.

If my notes are not clear, let me know and I'll write the melody and place the chords above it.

​The recording of the lesson will arrive to you via Dropbox or WeTransfer.
March 15
G Major: Idea based on Bach's Suite for cello.
G minor: LH design: 1-5-1-2-3-2-1-5
How to go from Gm to GM.  Try the chord progression:  Gm - Cm (7 optional) - A7(b9) - D7 (b13) - GM
This progression keeps the B-flat ringing from chord to chord.
Counterpoint:
​Bach style: Go from one theme to the next in 5ths.  If the 1st one is in G, the next in D, next ...
GM - DM - AM - Em (relative minor to GM and easy to reconnect back to GM)

Other exercises:
1- Decide which chord to go before you start playing that new group of notes
2- Create a pre-planned chord structure and build the groups based on it.
Example:  Thirds.  G - Bm - D - F - Am - C - Em - G
3- Alternate playing themes "intact" versus themes modified with more free form, different meter, etc.
4- Decide the chords as the melody takes you to them, without pre-planning
5- Write down any ideas that you like
6- Avoid the theme being always either on the top or at the bottom.  Experiment more with inner voices played by the fingers 1-2-3 of each hand
7- Slow down the theme to 1/2 the speed. 8th notes = quarter notes.
8- Practice this in other keys that may surprise you.  G Major is an easy key for you and may all sound predictable.  try EbM, AbM, AM, BbM, etc.
​9- Create a different "escape note".  The escape note changes depending on where you want it to go harmonically. The notes of the melody are designed to walk on their own footprints, not allowing for an escape route easily.
March 1

The Scottish idea:
Mixolydian bagpipe scale.  A way to have more room for harmonic color, raise the melody one octave, rather than playing starting below middle C.
Then try stacking 4ths for a more complex harmonic sound.

The chord progression:
​Today we talked about fitting the chord progression in the song.  The chord progression we currently have seems to fit better in C Major.  In order to use it in G Major we could transpose it one 5th up.
Here is a recording of the experiment that we were doing at the lesson:

On diminished scales

Playing them with fingers 1-2-3 Up or Down is not uncommon, because it leaves fingers 4-5 available to add turns and different designs.

Jazz listening

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden.  Album: "Last Dance".
Attached is transcription of "Every Time We Say Goodbye"
every_time_we_say_goodbye.pdf
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Composition. Collection of pieces based on family members

November 2
Using diminished scales for the V7.

Find the b9 of the V7 chord
That b9 will tell you which two diminished scales can be used 
Select the scale that matches the chord you are using on the LH
Dim scales are built as whole-half-whole-half scales, or the opposite:  half-whole-half-whole.

​The walking bass practice in F minor:

RH can use the blues scale, but also, a little more agile is the minor pentatonic scale.
​

October 19
Benjamin idea:
Django Reinhardt.
I am listening to D.R. on Spotify.
Results:
Looks like they frequently use diminished chords/arpeggios to develop a V7 that is traveling to a I.

You could use the same technique, or create melodies based on diminished scales during those V7.
See right margin for info on the diminished scale 


October 5
Intro - A A - B B (not composed yet) - Trio (C) (tuba carries melody) usually 4th up - D (dog fight) - C (grandioso) - D - C (optional stinger)

​Today we extended the section for the dog-fight 

Goal:  continue extending it, while treating it as a large F7 passage that will eventually lead to Bb Major.
diminished_scales.pdf
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Here is a basic outline of the diminished scales and how they can be used in the context of the 2-5-1
9/21
Here is Brad Mehldau, who also wrote a suite with similar goals.  In this case the inspiration is "April 2020", the title of the suite.

The audio samples included here will only play  a portion of the song, but it gives you a reference I case you want to find the complete tunes in Youtube or some other source.

His musical intentions sound similar to your suites, and I think you will enjoy listening to this.  Notice how he uses variety of styles on different numbers, elements of classical, jazz elements, dissonances, some numbers easy to listen to, some not as friendly.
Other interesting titles by the Brad Mehldau, with solo piano pieces that can bring some inspiration:

Jazz reharmonization.  Biff Smith

"Someday My Prince Will Come"
someday_my_prince_will_come.pdf
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Offertory ideas

November 16
COVENTRY CAROL
Here we are applying a ii - V7 - I in the key of Eb Major to a section of the melody with very interesting results:
October 12
More ideas on opening sounds come when you play from transcribed scores of jazz players.

Here is a transcription of Biff Smith playing "Someday Mi Prince Will Come". Play through the score as slow as necessary, but pay attention to the quality of the chords.  Eventually, the faster you are able to play them will give you more contextualization, but even if you just play very very slowly, you ca easily follow the melody of the very well known tune right on the top of the chords.

​I recorded the sound of the transcription slowly myself so you can hear it in context.

This could provide ideas for the hymn "Leaning of the Everlasting Arms".
someday_my_prince_will_come.pdf
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Opening the sound of harmonies at the piano

9/21
Take a simple triad.  C Major. Extend it using Perfect 4ths, Perfect 5ths from each of the notes fo the chord.
Take a dominant 7th chord (G7).  Use the same system to open up the chord.

Then try these other experiments:
​Raise one whole step up the note of the V7
​For example, if G7, take A
Build a Major chord from this note
Example: A Major (A - C# - E)
Each of these resulting notes are the root of the chord we will be adding to the G7
Examples:
LH plays G7 while RH plays A Major (9, #11, 13)
LH plays G7 while RH plays C# Major (b9, #11)
LH plays G7 while RH plays E Major (b9, 13)
Score of "Greensleeves" ready to download  -->

and a link to see it on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVt_wO5hRvA
greensleeves_jazz_gabriel_ruiz-bernal.pdf
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String quartet

November 16
​Ideas for a transition into section -D-.  The video is downloadable.  you can watch it here or download it.
beautiful.mp3
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Classical listening

Maurice Ravel. Piano Concerto in G Major
​2nd mov
ravel_2nd_mov.pdf
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