Digital Pill – working musicians talk about their lives

Guitar: rhythmic variation (Doug DeVries) pt 2

In part 2 of a series Doug DeVries shares some ideas on how to add rhythmic variation to a piece of music. In this lesson he demonstrates how to increase interest by varying the rhythm.
Visit Doug on these links
His website dougdevries.com
Doug’s albums on iTunes

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Guitar: voice leading (Doug DeVries) pt 1

Doug DeVries shares some ideas on how to add harmonic and rhythmic variation to a piece of music. In this lesson he uses one of his own compositions – Astoria – as an example of voice leading in harmony as well as examples of how to increase interest by varying the rhythm.
Visit Doug on [...]

Guitar: walking bass (Tim Nikolsky)

Tim Nikolsky demonstrates how to do Walking Basslines on Guitar. Tim has been performing with the vocalist Margot Leighton for the past 13 years and has developed a unique style of playing in this musical duo incorporating the whole rhythm section on guitar. The technique of walking bass on guitar is also a great way [...]

Clarinet: register jumping (Cam Robbins)

Cam Robbins demonstrates a classic device for jazz improvisation on the clarinet, rhythmic register jumping. The video contains several examples and Cam demonstrates how to use the technique over one and two chord sequences.
Here’s some links to Cam’s music
Cam playing with Skazz
and also this is a link to all his music on iTunes

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Songwriting: lyrics and poetry (Joe Dolce)

Joe Dolce uses several examples to make the distinction between poetry and lyrics and demonstrates how this understanding is important for songwriting.
” One of the country’s premier songwriters.” RHYTHMS MAGAZINE
” . . . the Ohio-born Dolce is one hell of a bluesman. . . . [the] guitar work is deceptively complex, weaving in and out [...]

Guitar: using triads (Lucas Michailidis)

Guitarist Lucas Michailidis details his unique triadic approach to comping and improvisation. Included is a comprehensive guide to all triad inversions along with how these can be superimposed to generate a range of extended chords and alternative possibilities.
Click > HERE < to download a pdf of the lesson
Here’s some links to [...]

Accordion: bellows shake (Dave Evans)

Dave Evans explains the uses of the accordion bellows shake. In this video, Dave describes the uses of the double and triple bellows shake in jazz, zydeco and cabaret music. He includes detailed instructions about how to perform the shake as well as techniques for adding accents to play with the rhythmic aspects of [...]

Trumpet: extended techniques (Peter Knight)

Peter Knight demonstrates improvised laptop processing of trumpet. Peter is currently researching this area of improvisation as part of a DMA at Queensland Conservatorium. Features live sampling and processing of micro sound worlds created using the trumpet – stretched and squashed with Ableton Live.
Listen to Peter’s music here
Peter’s solo trumpet project on myspace
Peter’s jazz quartet
Way [...]

Sax: bebop scales (Paul Williamson)

Paul Williamson explains the uses of bebop scales in jazz improvisation. In this video, Paul’s first post for Digital Pill, he describes the construction of bebop scales, jazz articulation, the use of a metronome and how bebop scales place the chord tones firmly ON the beat to create an “inside” sound in improvisation. The [...]