I have a few ideas for my next ones, but I also want to know your ideas and topic requests. Let me know and I will feed your ideas into my lesson planning.
I have 2 weeks of time late this month/early next, to work on my own masterclass lessons, and so tell me what topics you would like to see me explain and I will add them to my schedule.
@Lyndol is also working on some vocal-inspired masterclass lessons. If you have any particular areas just let Lyndol or myself know and we will be sure to cover them in her upcoming 5 Minute Masterclasses.
All suggestions will be considered. I will ensure that the topics are taught by the most suitable member of our teaching team to create the best jazz piano tutorials available online.
A lesson has already been recorded on the “Augmented Chords/Scale & The Whole Tone Scale” - I will prioritise the editing for this one to get it online asap.
What I like about 5-min videos is that they are extracts of lessons that are applicable to many tunes. They also give me also a sense of accomplishments after I understood them and could apply them where needed.
In that spirit, the only suggestion I have at present is: 5-min. videos focusing on licks/runs/phrases that could be applicable to many improvisations and across many tunes. This seems very similar to what Marc already suggested.
Such examples are already done in many full lessons already posted but, as I said, maybe shorter, focused masterclass lessons would be useful and applicable to many tunes. It sounds like a crutch but, for some of us beginners it could be a useful one.
I agree … the awesome thing about the 5-min videos is that we can attempt to consolidate the information from longer lessons into just 5 minutes. For some students, that may be all that is required to absorb the information.
Should the student want further information, they can always check out the “Related Lessons” tab which will direct them to the areas of the PianoGroove syllabus where the topic is covered in more detail.
Many of the ideas I have for my upcoming masterclasses will do just that, and consolidate information from elsewhere in our syllabus.
Yes brilliant idea… I will tie this into one of my upcoming masterclasses.
I think the key is to demonstrate a series of licks/runs/phrases over a 1-6-2-5 or 2-5-1-6 progression, and then reference a number of jazz standards to apply them in context of the tunes we’re all working on.
Fantastic idea… thanks!
Yes agreed.
Thanks again for this incredibly insightful feedback Smole
I think it would be good to deal with passing tones and passing chords separately, as the former is a melodic concept, and the latter, a harmonic concept.
For sure there is lots of overlap, but for the purpose of demonstration, it would be easier to apply these concepts independently of each other, particularly in the shorter 5-min lesson format.
We do actually have a 5-min lesson on passing chords:
Check that out… I think you will enjoy it
We first cover the underlying theory, and then apply passing chords to the tune “The Shadow Of Your Smile” which is one of my personal favourites. There’s so much space in the harmony and melody, making it a fantastic tune to demonstrate passing chords in action.
Then an upcoming lesson on passing tones…
I have been brainstorming this for a while.
I think a nice way to approach the topic would be to play over a simple progression, first by sticking exclusively to the chord and scale tones ie. playing directly within the harmony
Then after that has been demonstrated, it would give the foundation upon which we can hear the effect of the added passing tones. Even full chromatic lines can be useful and effective.
Great idea… leave it with me and I will produce the lesson in the coming week or 2.
Hey Hayden. Off the top of my head I can’t think of anything burning that could be covered in the 5 minutes or so. Much of what I’ve been thinking would be great to see would seem to fit better with longer lessons. Happy however to feedback on any ideas that are being mulled over
