Weekly update…
My melodica is out of tune. Turns out it’s a pain to tune a reed. I am trying to find somebody to do it for me, but it’s a niche skill, and I may have to do it myself. The tuning is irking me enough to give me just slightly enough resistance to not want to do my 30 minute Aebersold improvisations. I thought of switching to piano until it is tuned, but I do not find the tonal balance with the play along tracks nice on keyboards. What I need to do is import the play alongs into Pro Tools and sum a single channel to only hear the bass and drums. When I do this, I’ll also do some quick edits to loop the piece for 25+ minutes plus, so I can get into the groove. I’d like to do this for 5 books, Vol 1 Learn to Improvise, Vol 24 Major Minor, Vol 3 ii V i, Vol 54 Maiden Voyage, Vol 84, Dominant 7th Workout.
I performed a 20 minute piano improvisation for my passed teacher, Dr. Mike Petersen. I believe I will do many more for him. I am modeling my musical development after my experiences in his piano studio. I realize my playing is becoming formidable!
I am continuing to build a “simple loop” of developing and performing. This “loop” can happen in a single day (practice in the morning, improvise in the evening on disk), and it does, but I am interested in stretching this loop out to a week, a finally, a month. The reason for this extension is because I am simply recording “too much” music, because I am unable to mix and release so many projects. I want to slow down my release and tracking loops so that there are less and they are greater achievements. I am finding this tricky, because I love to record, and my playing is impressing me. So, unfortunately and fortunately, I have 2 piano pieces to mix… and possibly release.
I am developing some profound ideas on the relationship between improvisation, study, composition and recording, but I am not ready to spill it, yet, and still learning how to put it into words. It involves seeing compositions as recorded improvisations, musical recordings as passages of improvisation, recordings as after-thought captures of improvisations. Compositions are the achievements of what is discovered during improvisation. They are written down and archived as something admirable and also to guide further improvisation. However, even when reading compositions, they are improvised.
Due to melodica tune, I am moving to heavier daily piano studies. I bought a 36 key MIDI controller, USB cable and case so I can study theory when I am stretching out on the floor in my yoga studio. I am studying my mind often away from the keyboard, for example “what is the ii V I of Bb? How about F#? And Eb? A?” Having a physical keyboard that I can play on the floor while recovering my body will help keep my musical mind stimulated.
Ambitions are learning one (or two) altered dominants through all 12 keys. During one improvisation, I played I b2 b3 3 #4 5 as a quick melody line. This is a scale I often use, and then I move up a fifth and repeat it. It has connection to Lydian, and some type of musical symmetry I do not fully understand, but appreciate. I’d like to learn I b2 b3 3 #4 5 in all twelve keys and add this scale fluently so I can decorate chord progressions with it in all musical contexts.
However I must stay connected to my spinal chord of practice, which is PianoGroove. I decided as much as I want to finish the Foundations course, I will be OK staying here another few months before moving on, so I can learn Moon River, Georgia and the other pieces in all 12 keys. It’s going to be a lot to do it all 12 keys, hopefully I can do it in less then 6 months 
For all 12 keys I am playing scales in both hands parallel motion 1 octave, diatonic 7ths root position, followed by major triad/minor triad/diminished triads 2 octaves, followed by I V IV I. It takes me a while to get through all this, but I know it will happen much faster if I continue to study.
The pieces I am progressing through:
- Moon River, Georgia, Tune Up, Bach Prelude in C from The Well Tempered Clavier
Final thing is also studying Bill Boyd’s Jazz Chord Progressions book. I find it exhaustive in a bad and good way, and have spent a few hours just reading every note from the chords and saying what scale degree it is.
Music through my speakers is still McToy Tyner Enlightenment. A little John Coltrane A Love Supreme. Not listening to much music because I am playing so much.