Week 3 - More on Arpeggio's

This week was surprisingly phenomenal. I thought I would just be doing mindless exercises on all the different arpeggio's, and although that did happen, I achieved so much more. 

For the arpeggio's, what I did was write down every one I would need and for which chord, then I proceeded to practicing them and becoming familiar with them.  Jamie Aebersold says that "knowing your chord tones is like knowing where the kitchen, bathroom, front-door and telephone are". Needless to say, arpeggio's are important. All in all there are about 22 new arpeggio fingerings I have been practicing all week and becoming familiar with, that includes major, minor, dominant and half diminished. I've also gone one step further and added the 9th note in just to give them some flavour. For the next week to follow I am again going to drill these arpeggio's in me, the fingerings are still new, and I NEED to know them on the fly. I have a vision to play at the jazz jam soon, like real soon, but I know my solo's will be 90% arpeggio's, and for now I am fine with that, because its progress!

I also got 3 more standards under my belt. Victor Young's "Beautiful love", Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and Ellington's "In a Mellow tone", in all fairness though, my mentor had shown me that song before, I just forgot it. I don't think "Beautiful love" is such a popular standard, the only reason I learnt it was because the jazz jam I hope to play at soon plays it often, and what better way to gell with the musicians then to know the same repertoire they do.

I also surprised myself with my 'swing' technique, sure its not perfect, but I definitely got something going there, and it just came so naturally, I didn't even have to think about it. Its from all that listening. I put lots of Jazz on my iPod so whenever I walk to and from campus (or just walk in general) I am (as I like to say) "indoctrinating my mind with jazz". I really feel I have progressed so much, and its only been 3 weeks. I can't wait to see the end result.