When aspiring musicians, being classically-trained, 'home-schooled' with private lessons or making their realizations in the 'woodshed', discover the harmony components poised above the seventh, typically those being 9ths, 11ths and 13ths, they soon may presume that the presence of those notes could present a logistical issue when trying to construct a chord on their instrument that contains the tertiary members of that harmony, i.e. a chord with a root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, etc.
At some point in...

My first foray into musical analysis and realizations took place in 1956 at 5 years old when my parents replaced the pots and pans on which I used to bang with a Christmas gift drumkit. I do not remember much about the drumkit but always thought it was supportive of my dad to allow such a thing.

My next exposure was at 7 years old. My sister and I were signed up to take piano lessons from a "Mrs. Lane", local teacher. A sweet older lady but very strict about technique.

I began to make connections...

Here are some books to which I will refer in my discussion of various music theory issues and areas:
Twentieth Century Harmony - Vincent Persichetti




Tonal and Rhythmic Principles - John Mehegan














Jazz Theory - Andrew Jaffe







Voicings for Jazz Keyboard - Frank Mantooth

















Amazing Phrasing - Debbie Denke










Complete Guide to Jazz Guitar Vol. 1 & 2 - Mickey Baker
A Jazz Improvisation Primer - Marc Sabatella

When I am charged with learning a 'new' tune, I like to think that I approach it systemically. I figure out SOLO keyboard and SOLO guitar treatments before I begin to play the bass on the particular tune with the band. I feel that that way, I will have an analysis of the form, melody and harmony at the ready and it will just be a matter of extending my analyses into my understanding of string/fret patterns and actions.

This is my first blog!

The band! I am going to be discussing jazz theory in the context of the instruments I play and the sources of information I use for developing my knowledge areas. In the Montecito Jazz Project group, I play primarily the bass guitar, fretted and fretless, and I also play the upright electric bass.

No fretting!
Guitaring on the train!  I also play guitar, keyboards and the ukulele. I am completely self-taught on all musical instruments but have taken a couple years of ...