Today during our rehearsals, although I now understood what I had to do I still couldn’t get it right when it came to how fast the solos were played by the guitarist in Living Colour and how many flavour tones had to be hit if I wanted it to sound somewhat like the original.
Over half term I need list to the song as much as possible to get the rhythm and feel down, and then I need to focus on when to pause and let others go. I also need to be able to point out to others to not step on my toes or each others when it comes to our fiddly bits, because it frustrates me as it needs to be perfect for the song to flow properly.
For the rest of the day I worked on my stylistic analysis within my notebook, where I am planning it all out for me then to put it all together on my blog after all the other tasks I have to do, especially before our trip to Solent University after half term!
Explain the stylistic elements required to improvise musical passages over a 12 bar blues chord progression.
Within a 12 bar blues progression features a call and response between the vocalist and guitarist in my case. Another feature would have to be the swung feel on the drums which are played within 12/8. Instead of using regular sticks, brushes are used instead to give it that blues feel, just like the original. We are also in a minor key to give it that gritty feel, all of the chords the guitarist would be minors in our progression. The walking bass line also helps to brings everything together so it flows smoothly. Here are two musicians who I have taken inspiration from whilst playing through the 12 bar blues, they are B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. When it comes to call and response there phrases when responding to the singer are deep and meaningful but also simple whilst sounding complex based off their own styles.
Write the chord progression and/or structure of the section of the piece that you improvised on below.
List the scales/technical exercises that you used in your improvisation.
During this improvisation I tend to use all minor chords through out the progression as we in a minor key (A Minor). I also use the pentatonic minor and the blues scale to come up with new phrases that fit when it comes to responding to the singer. I have taken inspiration from David Gilmour, B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughan when it comes to the sounds and licks I come up with.
Analysis in detail how you used the scales/technical exercises listed above, to improvise musical passages over a 12 bar blues chord progression.
I mainly rely upon the blues scale and minor pentatonic, I stick within one octave at the moment as going into a higher one doesn’t sound right at the moment trying to work it in to the song doesn’t quite fit. I tend to play around the different chords each time round based upon the singers part. Mimicking the vocalist through call and response portrays my ability whilst playing through a 12 bar blues progression also as it takes skill and patience to figure out where they’re going next.
Today was the first rehearsal with our full band, for once. We used both sessions to work on ‘Love Rears Its Ugly Head’ for our taster day if you will at Solent University. In the first session we combined what we had learnt individually and added the vocals and bass line in, and it is beginning to sound more like a song rather than a empty mess…
Within my guitar lesson today we went over chords and scales again, after half term we will have proper hand outs based on what we need to know for the grades we are working towards. Even though I missed out on Grade 6 by a couple marks, I am now working hard towards Grade 8 in time for my University Auditions which will further broaden my playing ability, not to mention my overall confidence.
After my lesson had finished I walked home to then start practicing what I had been taught in my lesson and then putting those skills into practice before I go on holiday on Friday, because I will have no access to a instrument for a week…
During rehearsal We ran through the whole of ‘Love Rears Its Ugly Head’ with vocals this time, ish they weren’t the best but they were good to hear along with our accompaniment. I made sure to focus on my solos again the transitions between certain sections and play them to the beat which will make it more accurate. Next week we will need to work as a unit as quite frankly I am getting sick of half of the band putting all the effort in…
We then had theory to finish off our day and that is always a breath of fresh air, I go through my theory work at home mostly because I am ahead of most within my class still so I should cut back but theres no real reason too do so.
Today Chris is taking the HNC’s away on a trip to local music shops whilst he leaves us all at college with Jason to get on with our work, I was a couple minutes late this morning, but I had rehearsal and setting up always takes a few minutes…
In rehearsal we went through ‘Love Rears Its Ugly Head’ as a band for the first time without a backing track, each and every time we went through it we got progressively better which was entertaining to see unfold. At the end we had a break and then we were ushered into the Mac room for two hours..
We were meant to have Improvisation, because next week I believe we are all being assessed on our capabilities when playing in a band and as individuals. I would have liked to rehearsed after an hour in there but there was only one lecture in so I started to fill in my UCAS application, all that is left to do is my personal statement which is coming together I am just a bit frazzled on what points to include.
We also attempted another MMP meeting but at the moment no one is ever in, including the president so as a class we discussed the venues we could hire and what would be realistic on getting people to buy tickets for and make the journey to see us play and potential charities to donate too.
Lunch was a recovery period for the two hard hours I sat down for, afterwards we then had rehearsal to conclude our day. We carried on going through our set and songs until we called it quits because we were all tired and some of us were getting more frustrated than others.
I wasn’t feeling my best today, I couldn’t get to sleep and trying to get myself ready for college without feeling cripplingly sick was impossible not to mention the headache I’ve acquired…
In the evening I attempted to practice some off my grade eight exercises then called it a day and went to sleep.
This week half of the band hasn’t been in really, like here and there so we used rehearsal to come up with songs for our set. Currently we have one song, ‘Love Rears Its Ugly Head’ by Living Colour, once we have mastered this one we shall be
During improv the remaining bands took turns playing ‘Stormy Monday blues’ again whilst coming up with our own solos. I could have done better, next week I will include a few licks instead of focussing heavily upon the rhythm.
Today I put together a list of things to do and organise when I get home during my lesson in the mac room, the main item on the agenda would be my UCAS application because I have to find out all of my GCSE Certificates which I cannot remember where I have placed them.
At the end of the day we then went through our set again for a while until we were allowed to go home, where I have a lot of things to put together to make my work super efficient.
Today we were working towards finishing the improvisation sheet which was given to us a couple weeks ago, I have already finished it but this gave me time to go over it with my peers and Chris.
Here is what I did below.
After this we then had a rehearsal which I got a bit frustrated within, we were talking other what we could play and work towards for Solent Sound which is coming up soon!
I will go into this within more detail next week because we are still in the decision process, as a year group we chose we will be taking songs from separate decades in each band. We were left with the sixties so coming up with something challenging along with our band being able to fulfil the arrangement will be hard.
After we went over this, I packed up my equipment and put it within the cupboard and got set off to walk home.
Today our band worked towards our improv piece so we played through ‘Stormy Monday blues’. I focused upon my technique, dynamics and tried to further develop my solo.
In rehearsal we went through ‘Love Rears Its Ugly Head’ as a band, and every time we went through it we got progressively better which was my endgame. Currently, I am still working towards correcting and perfected aspects of all three of the solos in the song…
Within our lesson in the mac room I tried to focus upon my UCAS application but it is always too loud and I can never seem to concentrate as well as I can at home, especially with this headache I get on my left side due to eye strain, luckily my eye test is coming up shortly then things will go back to normal.
At the end of the day again, we rehearsed through our set again and yet again I polished up a few bits then went home for some much needed rest.
Today is the day of the open evening, we were all told to come in whenever our instrumentals were mean’t to be taking place, mine was supposed to be at 1pm so before I got into college I went shopping with my mum and Nan and we had food in the cafe also.
I got some food to help me get through the evening which just so happened to be Percy pigs as they’re the best sweets to get if we goto somewhere posh like Whiteley.
When I got in I was told that the guitar lessons are supposed to start next week which is okay but I would like to get started with Grade 8 now. Anyway I was sitting around until half three because then we could rehearse through our set for the last time before the open evening.
In that time me and Lucy went on a road trip to hers to pick up her art things and starbursts which was fun, we then came back for rehearsal we then went over our set for Christmas along with our old set because we will be swapping over all evening and we would eventually get bored of the same two songs over and over.
Lots of potential students came in and out of the room we were playing in with happy faces and some even lost for words on what we were playing which makes our course look great. I enjoyed showing off to overs as that’s a small aspect of music that people just starting may see.
At the end of the evening I was very exhausted, not only was my wrist was aching I was sweating incredible amounts and fairly hungry. Luckily we have a late start tomorrow so I can have a bit more sleep within preparation for another job interview I have tomorrow in which I hope it should go well.
Ellie Thornton Music 