2026. April 7
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Lesson notes scanned and posted here below:
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LESSON NOTES
2026. February 17Lesson notes scanned and posted here below:
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2026. January 20 |
Mike absent today
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2026. January 6
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Handwritten notes scanned ----->
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2025. November 11
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Handwritten notes scanned ----->
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2025. October 28
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Handwritten notes scanned ----->
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2025. September 30
Leaning on Everlasting Arms
General character: Bluesy-Gospel
Intro - Very interesting quote with personality
Theme - Nice presentation, nice resources and character.
Development - Similar character to the theme, I suggest lifting it up a bit by using less pedal, more voicing of the melody versus accompaniment. Taking a bit more risk, using more bass and chord on the LH to free up the RH to improvise.
Insert the E-flat 7 chord (with 9 and #11) following the B-flat chord.
Chord progression - F - A7 - BMaj7 - Eb7(9,#11)
Exercises for improvisation - Using the F pentatonic as base scale:
Use F pent on the F chord and Bb chord
For the A7, simply raise the C to C#
For the Eb7 raise the C to C# and the D to D# (actually they would correctly be labeled as Db and Eb.)
Continuation of 7 West Chesley composition project
Considering composing for two pianos using a walking bass line
General character: Bluesy-Gospel
Intro - Very interesting quote with personality
Theme - Nice presentation, nice resources and character.
Development - Similar character to the theme, I suggest lifting it up a bit by using less pedal, more voicing of the melody versus accompaniment. Taking a bit more risk, using more bass and chord on the LH to free up the RH to improvise.
Insert the E-flat 7 chord (with 9 and #11) following the B-flat chord.
Chord progression - F - A7 - BMaj7 - Eb7(9,#11)
Exercises for improvisation - Using the F pentatonic as base scale:
Use F pent on the F chord and Bb chord
For the A7, simply raise the C to C#
For the Eb7 raise the C to C# and the D to D# (actually they would correctly be labeled as Db and Eb.)
Continuation of 7 West Chesley composition project
Considering composing for two pianos using a walking bass line
2025. July 8
Piece 1: Desmond
Brass Quartet – 2 Euphoniums, 2 Tubas
Piece 2: Baroque Piece
Possible resources and features:
Brass Quartet – 2 Euphoniums, 2 Tubas
- Section A (C major):
- Standard melody and chords
- Progresses through the circle of fifths
- Resolves with IV–V–I
- Section B: (Not completed yet)
- Section C (Trio):
- Tuba solo in Bb major
- Character: Classic John Philip Sousa march style
- Connector Section:
- In Bb major
- Dogfight Section:
- In G
- Trio Grandioso:
- Reprise of Trio material in Sousa march style
Piece 2: Baroque Piece
Possible resources and features:
- Sonata form with coda
- Counterpoint
- Fast–Slow–Fast structure
- Antiphonal texture
- Use of diminished chords (for tension, transitions, or dominant function)
- Left hand accompaniment that allows space for the melody in the tenor range.
- Reference: Arioso by J.S. Bach
- Originally intended to have a jazz influence.
- You will decide how much jazz character to retain while preserving Baroque feel.
- The character is similar to the Short Prelude in C Minor by J.S. Bach.
(I will include score reference here if needed.)
- Chord pattern: Cm – D half-diminished – G7 – Cm
- Melody: Monophonic, mostly eighth notes, some quarter note pauses
- Development suggestion:
- State the theme, then if you repeat or vary it, consider holding high notes while adding a counter-melody in RH
- Style inspired by Bach’s Invention No. 1 in C Major
- A1
- A2
- Bridge
- A3
- Final chord
2025. June 10
Offertory for July 6
Piano and cello 3 1/2 minutes. Fur Elise / O the Deep Love of Jesus
Please see notes written directly on the score. I didn't take separate written notes at this lesson.
Piano and cello 3 1/2 minutes. Fur Elise / O the Deep Love of Jesus
Please see notes written directly on the score. I didn't take separate written notes at this lesson.
2025. May 27
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Joyful Baroque
Today we focused on the jazz style bridge. See photo of the notes |
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2025. February 27
Chesley:
- This piece is now ready to record.
- You took video to capture specific ideas and arrangements.
- Also ready to record
- Applied the same approach as Chesley, using video to illustrate ideas and arrangements.
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 3
Here is a video of my "Silent Night" in which I apply some of the diminished scales and tension chords, especially during the improvisation. |
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November 19. |
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October 8. Recording session. Tuscany and Easter
- Here is the recording of the best takes.
- I am providing two versions:
- A simple version with no effects, straight from the recording file, in case you prefer it like that.
- A second version with a light touch of reverb.
- All files are high definition mp3 for better upload/download.
- If you would rather receive the uncompressed wav. files, I can bring my hard drive to our lesson and you can transfer the file to a laptop if you bring one. The files are too large to upload here.
- To download, right click and select "download linked file"
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September 24
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September 10
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May 7
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April 9
- Altered scale. Excellent explanation here:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_scale
- Basically: If LOCRIAN is the scale 1/2 step UP, ALTERED is the scale 1/2 step DOWN
- C Locrian is C# Major. C Altered is B Major
- LOCRIAN also starts as a diminished Half scale, and continues as a WHOLE-TONE scale.
- It is the same scale as LOCRIAN, but with the flat-4
- LOCRIAN is used in the II of a minor II-V-I while ALTERED is used in the V of a major II-V-I
- You can have both scales used in the same II-V-1 in minor key: LOCRIAN for the II, ALTERED for the V
- A Sunny Tuscan Luncheon with Krystal
- Indications on the score
- Prelude: Easter 2018
- Final touches
- Chelsea
- Different touches that are indicated directly in my copy of the score
February 27
- Billy Joel interview on Fantasies and Delusions
- Billy Joel / Sibelius "Still My Soul" as an idea for a merging piece for an offertory.
- Recording options:
- At the church. At Strathmore Room 309.
- Piece "Florence" (temp name).
- Perfect as it is. No need to change a single note.
- I would recommend writing it note by note to leave it as a legacy to your children.
- Perfect as it is. No need to change a single note.
- Prelude "Easter 2018"
- Measures 1+2 -beautiful image of bells
- Repeating instances of the melody. Try featuring something different, rather than the same idea twice. See video and marked score from more details on a few ideas you could draw material from.
- Altered scales
- The two scales you presented today can both be used as dominant scales, accompanied by dominant (V7) chords
- The first of the two scales (Altered) would match a C7#5(b9)
- The second would match a C7(b9)
- Next lesson: April 2
January 2
7 WEST CHESLEY (from the family series -Desmond-
The length of the sections are fine. No need to feel obligated to reduce the size.
Think about the purpose of this piece in the future. Is it a gift of a sound recording, or the score is part of the gift? The answer to that will determine if you keep the score as a sketch and guide for your performance, or you may consider someone in a future time who may try to play it when you are not there to help them interpret it.
Write down everything you want the interpreter to know about the score and the music it represents. If there are images, write their meaning.
Nice and refreshing presence of quotes from songs that we found at "Waking up in Utero", and the quote from the traditional song "All Through the Night".
The length of the sections are fine. No need to feel obligated to reduce the size.
Think about the purpose of this piece in the future. Is it a gift of a sound recording, or the score is part of the gift? The answer to that will determine if you keep the score as a sketch and guide for your performance, or you may consider someone in a future time who may try to play it when you are not there to help them interpret it.
Write down everything you want the interpreter to know about the score and the music it represents. If there are images, write their meaning.
Nice and refreshing presence of quotes from songs that we found at "Waking up in Utero", and the quote from the traditional song "All Through the Night".
December 12 |
Lesson notes delivered in printed paper
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November 28 notes |
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November 14 notes |
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October 31 notes |
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October 17 notes |
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October 3 notes |
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October 4 UPDATE
Here is a technical routine that I use myself and I enjoy it more than the traditional routine that includes Major key and the three minor modes. You may notice that it has:
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September 19 notes |
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March 28 notes |
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February 14 notes |
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Compositions: "Offertory" and "Waiting Up in Utero"Dec 6
Video of some harmonic ideas for transition below: |
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Leaning on the Everlasting Arms |
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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)
- For example, if the V7 is G7, play G7 on the LH and A Major on the RH
At the River (Copland) |
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January 17
Springs of Living Water |
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January 17
- New piece to learn for possible Offertory
- Possibility of incorporating some of these elements on new arrangements
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).
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 |
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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 listeningKeith Jarrett and Charlie Haden. Album: "Last Dance".
Attached is transcription of "Every Time We Say Goodbye" |
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Jazz reharmonization. Biff Smith"Someday My Prince Will Come"
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Offertory ideas
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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". |
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Score of "Greensleeves" ready to download -->
and a link to see it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVt_wO5hRvA |
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String quartetNovember 16
Ideas for a transition into section -D-. The video is downloadable. you can watch it here or download it. |
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Classical listeningMaurice Ravel. Piano Concerto in G Major
2nd mov |
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Mike, here are the PDF score for the jazz arrangements of "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen"
Thanks for asking, and any other arrangements you would like to have, let me know!
Thanks for asking, and any other arrangements you would like to have, let me know!
| GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN Advanced Intermediate |