THINGS THAT CREATE INTEREST WHEN SOLOING

REPETITION
SEQUENCE
DYNAMICS - Loud & Soft
RANGE - TESSITURA - High, Low, Middle register
ACCENTS
HELD NOTES
REST - SILENCE
RHYTHMIC VARIATION
VARIETY - But not too much!
BLUES SCALE USAGE
TENSION & RELEASE
MOTIFS
KNOW WHERE CHORD TONES ARE: Tones 1, 3, 5, and 7
WIND PLAYERS - SUPPORT YOUR SOUND/TONE
CHORD OR SCALE PASSAGES
TRILLS, GLISSANDOS, SWOOPS, VIBRATO, STACCATO, etc.
EMPHASIZE PRETTY NOTES: 7ths, 9ths, and #4ths,
ALWAYS TRY TO BUILD YOUR SOLO. MAKE IT GO SOMEWHERE.
NOTE: Don t try to play everything you know in one solo. Take your time and plan a
head. Try to visualize your solo with ups and downs, fast sections and slow sect
ions, loud and soft passages, tension and release sections. Aim at overall Tensi
on-Release to your solo. Utilize repetition and sequence. Listen to jazz masters
on recordings to get ideas and to wet your imagination. Music is for ears.

CONTEMPORARY KEYBOARDIST - PRIVATE LESSONS

Welcome to CK On line! This course is for professionals or those who want to be
professionals. I ve been wanting to do this on line for years and I have finally f
ound the time to get everything organized. The Contemporary Keyboardist is diffe
rent than most instruction methods in that it is organized into a personal custo
m course that locates and concentrates on your weak fundamentals. That is why it
is extremely important that you take the time to honestly fill out the registra
tion form that contains your history. The goal is to not only to help you with y
our music basics but to also help you find your melody, your expression to sound
like YOU and not somebody else which is the trap. The first step on this journey
is to become confident with your playing so the real you isn t afraid to shine th
rough and express itself. All playing problems stem from weak fundamentals in th
e following areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Ear training
Technique
Harmony/theory
Rhythm/Time
Improvisation
Repertoire/Styles

Your assignments will therefore consist of various exercise, drills and assignme
nts in all of these areas simultaneously. Don t just get excited about one area an
d ignore the rest. Start at the top of your lesson, ear training and spend a def
inite amount of time on each section skipping none! Don t get stuck on one section
just because you haven t completed it. You ll have two weeks between lessons to be
working daily on each section. At the end of the two weeks, you are where you ar
e. You send in what you have achieved period. Some things are fun to do; some th
ings are not. You should practice daily, at least 5 to 6 days per week and anywh
ere from 2 to 3 hours per day minimum if you really want results. Although talen

t figures into the equation, it takes mostly hard work, diligence, discipline an
d desire (passion) to become a good player, and oh don t forget about patience as
it takes as long as it takes!
Sincerely,
John Novello