Hi everyone,
Now that we have transitioned to ZOOM video lessons, I am no longer able to write down notes and musical material in the students’ books/binders. Instead, I have created PDF documents for each of you and dropped them into a Google Drive folder. The link to your documents is listed in the What to practice heading under your name below. You should be able to access the documents simply by clicking on the link. Here are your practice assignments for this week:
Aidan
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The 16th-note beat from “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yJPRmQn7QZuvnmvhe8ji-CCGmJPGLDZi
How to practice it most effectively: Focus on the open hi-hat shots at the end of each bar. This is the foundation of the rhythm of this beat. The shots are on the off beat sixteenth notes, so practice it slowly to make sure you are really getting the rhythm. Also, remember that your feet will be moving opposite from one another before and after the open hi-hat shots.
Will
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The outro and transitions in “Arabella” by the Arctic Monkeys. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17pjkCZ1jfMdjwRqFBMaPIG_hKMb3gQGz
How to practice it most effectively: Practice the final section of the song (the “outro”), particularly the fill in the middle. Remember that your right hand does most of the moving around and the left hand only moves when it follows the right hand to the high tom. Then practice the transitions throughout the rest of the song. It is important to be able to move from one section of the song to the next without stopping or hesitating.
Elliot
Recommended minutes to practice: 10-15 minutes per day
What to practice: The new fill and the transitions in “Come Together” by the Beatles. https://drive.google.com/open?id=10YGpSqgr9Z2SExyhXz7k1evG3C0t2VEc
How to practice it most effectively: Practice the measure that is marked “Intro beat with fill” which is what we worked on in your lesson. This is the transition into the bridge and into the long guitar solo at the end. Then go back and practice each of the sections of the song focussing on the transitions. It is important to be able to move from one section of the song to the next without stopping or hesitating.
Alexy
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The first 12 exercises from “Lesson 5.” https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MOQ0wuxOjWJ3H46kSSuJleBV6eZMuaZi
How to practice it most effectively: Practice these exercises as we have been doing for the past couple of weeks. Focus particularly on the ones you find to be difficult (#3, #6, #10, and #12, I think). Then, once these exercises start to become more comfortable, practice playing them in combination with one another. Pick 3 or 4 pairs of the exercises that you think fit well together and practice playing them in alternation with one another.
Oscar
Recommended minutes to practice: 20-30 minutes per day
What to practice: The first four measures of the “A” section of “Sonata” by J. S. Bach. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VYJX4ERbTiJ1d8ePZ2h7ldbheEz5yKpq
How to practice it most effectively: Look closely at the type of motion you see in each grouping of notes: steps, skips, or leaps. Most of the motion is in steps, which means you just have to figure out when it’s moving up and when it’s moving down and just follow the scale. The important parts to identify are the parts where the melody moves in either skips or leaps. These will need to be practiced.
Nate O.
Recommended minutes to practice: 15-20 minutes per day
What to practice: The beats and fills from “The Seed 2.0” by The Roots. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lsS6FvGAobS96Y5mFUDE_7L1HGfAK0_s
How to practice it most effectively: Spend some time this week listening to the song and identifying where each of the fills happens. It is important not just to be able to play them but also to know when to play them. Practice the new beat that we worked on this week in your lesson and the fill that happens at the end.