Course Category: Edge

BEN MONDER: Ask Me Anything! (Edge)

Rare chance to extract knowledge from an amazing musician & guitar hero #mindbender

Extract the goods from a true master musician & concise teacher

* What is your music education background?
* How to develop a strong time feel
* Which upper structures do you use for going out?
* If you could only impart one golden nugget, what would it be?
* When improvising across a tune is the key center of the tune part of your harmonic concept?
Even as the changes may be taking you away from it?
* On Foot Tapping (or not)
* Do you keep a study journal to focus?
* Ever get lost and, if so, what do you do?
* How would you describe the concept & execution of jazz feel for an eighth-note line to a student?
* Do you still have a practice routine?

An Introduction to the harmonic colors of Olivier Messiaen

* ORIGINS AND BRIEF OVERVIEW: MODES I – VII
The person / mathematics / nomenclature / the overtone series / tetrachords
* THE MAIN COLOR SOURCES
Mode II, Mode III and „L’Accord sur la Dominante“ (chord on V)
Basic chord rows and chord symbols
* MODE III
Many ways of harmonic and linear orchestration / carnatic scales
* L’Accord sur la Dominante (chord on V), AD
Colorful voicings / the modal principle
* Applying Ollie-Chords to Functional Harmony
T and D / the double role of S / DD etc. / II V I
* OUTLOOK
New colors by combining Mode III and AD with Bebop-Scales

An approach to personalizing melodies that speak to you

* Picking a good melody to harmonize
* Choosing what bass notes are best for that given melody as counterpoint
* Choosing which group of chords fits best to the counterpoint created
* Editing the final version making sure it doesn’t take away from the melody or flow of the song
* Exploring instrumentations that best fit the reharm

Why your ears are the master and music theory is the servant

Expanding your melodic vocabulary beyond functional harmony with pitch-class sets

A personal approach that goes to the core of improvisation

* Constructive Noodling; practice what inspires you, expand on vocabulary you already know
* It doesn’t matter WHAT you practice but HOW you practice; then how you apply it
* Practice needs to include specific, “zen like” focus; identify and zone in
* Connecting Ears to Finger, Play Melodies already in your head
* Your Ears are the best teacher
* Play along to ALL music, learn to hear what you play

How Joseph Schillinger opened the door to infinite music possibilities

* Looking at Graphic Notation: seeing the connection of all the musical elements
through simple numbers and ratios
* The Harmonic Series: The “ruler” of musical language through history
* Intervals of the Overtone Series and how they relate to Polyrhythms
* 2/3. The Fibonacci series and how to locate it and work with it in music
* Joao Gilberto, Early Greek Music, Sidewinder, Maiden Voyage, Bulerias
* Golden Section Intervals. Fifth 2:3, Major 6th 3:5, Minor 6th 5:8
* Homogeneous Chord Voicings. (Abbey Lincoln, Kenny Barron minor 7th)

How to organize, improve & strengthen your practicing to address any weaknesses (while having fun!)

* How to practice with enjoyment
* The 10 (or so) main problems that all jazz musicians encounter
* How to improve your facility soloing over chord changes & understand what jazz solos are comprised of
* How to improve your metronomic time & groove
* How to improve your fast tempo playing
* How to integrate ear training into your practice sessions

Donny shares his favorite rhythmic, harmonic & melodic concepts