The pieces are really starting to come together! We are ready to start running them and try out the solos. We still have a few areas to tidy up, but I am impressed with the progress made to date!
You will find in this note: Rehearsal 3 notes plus Next rehearsal notes; Listening links; Musescore workshop; June 5 Info Night update.
This week we met the trumpet players – and a fine group they make! Let’s meet the members of the rhythm section this coming week!
Warm Ups : Swinging Scale (Bb concert; Chromatic scale.
Scales are made up of (whole and half steps). We have played the Major Scale (review – https://www.basicmusictheory.com/b-flat-blues-scale#st3 )and Mixolydian Scale (flat 7). Some of us have also played a Dorian Scale (flat 3). A Natural Bb minor Scale is (compared to the Bb Major) has flat 3, flat 6, flat 7. The Blues Scale is very closely related to the Natural Bb minor scale. https://www.basicmusictheory.com/b-flat-minor-scale
Next rehearsal, we will learn to play the Bb Blues Scale, and the “T.J. Wheeler riff”: https://www.basicmusictheory.com/b-flat-blues-scale (transposing instruments: clarinet, tenor, trumpet will start on C, alto and bari sax on G, F horn on F.
Hit the Road Jack.
We played from the top (beginning), and focused on m 37 – 44.
Next rehearsal – Art kit –Add a strong back beat on 2 and 4 on snare, trumpets and saxes tidy up the rhythms at m 19-m27 (same at m 45). Perform straight through.
Girl From Impanema (Jill – kit)
Wind players – very impressed with measures 9 and 11 – great straight quarter notes on the beat! Measure 4 – we are not yet playing all together on the second note – on 3+ – keep thinking of each beat in swing – measure 4 plays two notes: DOO bah, doo bah, doo BAH, doo bah ! Triplets should be played thinking tri – pul – let (be careful that it is an even three feel, and not “fast fast long (dragonfly)”, or “long fast fast (blueberry)”! Or think “Ca-na-da”.
Next rehearsal – even eighths – nail down the rhythm in- m 27 , m 31 (don’t be late on the second note). Try solo section (rhythm section only while everyone “hears their solo in their mind” – alto 1 or tenor 1, trumpet 1, plus anyone can volunteer to do an 8 bar solo loosely based on the tune of the song. Try playing 8 bars of this lovely tune and embellish all you like. Trombones, flutes, piano, guitar, start in concert F Major on the second note of the scale (G – E- E -D ), (for alto saxes, that is D Major, start on the E-C#-C#-B), and clarinets, trumpets, tenor saxes, G major, start on (A – F# F#- D). F horn would start in C Major, on the notes (D – B -B- G). Run the piece with solos.
Brown-Eyed Girl (Mary G – kit ) We played m 1- 41and m 61 to the end.
Next rehearsal – polish (dynamics, rhythm) m 76- 77, Alto sax 1 (first time) and Trumpet 2 (second time) have solos at 40. A clarinet or flute solo would sound good there too( see trumpet 2 solo). The range is G above the staff to high Eb for flutes.
Forget You (Stuart – kit) We looked at m 49 – 57, and played the beginning and ending of the piece.
Next rehearsal focus – m 29 – 49, and m 65 – 69, then run the piece from the top.
Sight reading piece for week 3–
All the Things You Are – Everyone really seemed to enjoy this piece.
Next rehearsal- Believe it or not, let’s do another read-through of All the Things You Are, so the flutes can enjoy their solo again!
Listening Links – click on the song title to hear it!
New this session- Focus Pieces
Hit the Road Jack – – 1961 – Percy Mayfield arr Mike Lewis (R & B tune made famous by Ray Charles – easy swing feel)
Forget You – 2011 “Motown sound” Bruno Mars et al, arr John Berrry (made famous by Cee Lo Green – rock)
Brown-Eyed Girl – 1967 Van Morrison arr Paul Murtha (Latin)
The Girl from Impanema 1963 Vinicius de Moraes and Antonio Carols Jobim, arr John Berry (made famous by Stan Getz and amateur singer Astrud Gilberto (wife of Joao Gilberto – Bossa Nova)
Pieces we will take a look at for sight reading and fun, but these are not our focus pieces.
Believe It Or Not (aka Greatest A Hero) – 1981 TV show – Mike Post and Stephen Geyer arr. Jerry Nowak (moderate rock)
All the Things You Are (from: Very Warm for May) –Hammerstein and Kern arr M. Sweeney – Latin/Swing
Review tunes (if you don’t already know these, you don’t need to learn them unless you want an extra challenge):
All My Lovin’ Lennon & McCartney, arr Rick Stitzel (easy swing)
Possible Latin additions from past repertoire- because we are lucky enough to have four percussionists – and because these are fun and sunny tunes – and we are in love with sunshine after the wild winter!
Mixed Bag (Swing/Latin/Rock-Funk)
Into the Sun (Latin – Reggae)
- Ready for a challenge?
Link to MUSESCORE – Cathy will run a free Musescore mini-workshop for flutes, F horn, and there will be room for another one or two people. Email Cathy if you are interested. Weekday evening or Weekend in near future.
- Tell Friends and Family – Info Night on Wednesday, June 5 6:30-8 pm Carleton Heights Community Center, 1665 Apeldoorn
Friends, neighbours, coworkers and family are invited to come and try out different instruments and hear about the ONHB program.
PLEASE NOTE – Can you volunteer to demo your instrument, teach how to hold it, and how to make a good sound? St. John’s Music will supply the try-out instruments. Email Cathy at wilcoxceo@gmail.com if you are available to help. One person needed per instrument.
