Monthly Livestream #57!
Thanks for tuning in to today's livestream! Here's the recording:
(And for those of you that have been enjoying the "audio only" version of these livestreams - now you can get it right here in this post! You should be able to "download audio" from the Patreon mobile app, then listen to this offline like a podcast.)
Started off with a few shameless holiday advertisements. In case any of you are looking for some holiday gift ideas, Patreon now offers gift memberships! So if you know someone who might enjoy the material on this page, you can purchase a membership for them for any tier (except the "Private Lesson" tier), for 1 to 12 months. Also, there is a holiday sale on this Patreon page until the end of the year, which is 25% off the first month of a monthly subscription, or an annual subscription. Also, if you've been enjoying this page, and are pretty sure you'll stick around for another year, you can upgrade to annual now for a 25% discount (usually there is a 15% discount for annual subscriptions.
AND - Michael Lucke is offering a 25% discount on everything on his site from now until the end of the year, so you can grab a "Solo Vol. 2" transcription book, paperback or digital, for 25% off! Check it out on Michael's website.
AND - LPs of my last album "Star Dreams" are now $25! Which actually they always are for you Patreon members, but this public sale runs until the end of the year, and you can order one at my website.
OK! So now with that out of the way, here's the rundown of the rest of the livestream. I started off with a few holiday-esque tunes: "A Child Is Born" by Thad Jones, and "My Favorite Things" by Richard Rodgers. Then had a bunch of great questions that I'm still mulling over:
First, what are some ways that we can start a solo after we finish the melody? I demonstrated some ideas on "My Favorite Things" and "Confirmation", including some ideas about how to use the melody, as well as how to NOT use the melody, and some reasons why we might want to take either approach.
Then a question about the value of learning licks and vocabulary, and whether I think it's worth learning those things. Short answer: yes! And elaborated here with some analogies to language.
How to play solos in a way that's less "linear". An interesting and important question, and I demonstrated some ways to improvise "non-lines" over Confirmation, and how these can be valuable orchestrational outlines.
And finally, is it valuable to sing what you play? YES! Had fun elaborating on this. Although I don't think it's necessary or even always appropriate to sing while performing, when practicing it's absolutely necessary to be able to do this. It's a little bit like the aphorism "If you can sing it, you can play it!", but in reverse - "If you can't sing it, you can't play it!".
Thanks again for tuning in! Wishing you all a joyful holiday season, and see you in 2025!
Glenn
