Bajan Pied Piper Google Site [CLICK HERE]

Jeffrey CrashandBurn

Last night, at the Berkeley Ukulele Club, it was kind of a slower night. I thought I had gotten there late and that things would be moving along. But Mike DaSilva was showing guests from Sweden around the shop. There were about 30 people there and only two women! Earlier in the day I prepared two songs for the group that I had practiced a bit and thought would be fun and somewhat challenging for everyone.

--> Sugartime (as sung by the McGuire Sisters, in the key of F)
--> Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Doctor Ukes version)

So I, invoking my alter ego as Jeffrey Crashandburn, got up on the stage and got the meeting going. Starting to learn music at 45 years old I have a lot of musical defugalties and frequently goof up. But, I have learned from many good friends over the last 5 years, that the getting together and sharing music is great fun, and that bringing some creative music and starting off a song doesn’t mean you have to be flawless. Sometimes you just need to have the fortitude to get the ball rolling. 1…2…1234…

This night there were several new faces, and I was really amazed at how quickly everyone seemed to pick up on the music. Doctor Uke’s arrangements sometimes overwhelm me but I found the Neil Sedaka song to be a very fun finger yoga tune to play. The biggest trick is moving from the Bm (4222) to F#+ chord (3221). But I found an easy answer, After the two beats of Bm, slide your hand down so that the barred finger is now at the first fret and covers /1111/ this moves the ring finger is at /3xxx/ and then bend the middle finger to get /x22x/.

Yes that sounded awful but the transition from Bm to F#+ becomes a simple step. So much of the musical notation I read I perceive as a list of instructions, or map of the music. Once you know where you are going you can put the map back in the glovebox.

Well, with a modicum of success, and no ready volunteers, I continued on with:

--> Sweet and Slow (Steven Strauss’ version found on BUC Songlist)
--> Stray Cat Strut (my personal adjusted arrangement – which I will e-mail to anybody that wants a Microsoft Word copy – It’s a lot of fun.)

Then our Danish representative, Kim Jorgensen, came up and pulled Mood Indigo from the BUC hymnal. Kim has found a new Louis Armstrong-ish voice within himself that brings a bit more fun to the song. I have Kim’s breakout YT video with this voice posted in the blog about a month back.

Then the club got moving along and I drifted in and out of various musical selections. I checked the key of the songs and got in the far back of the room and just improvised as best I could to songs in the key of C and F. I am SO advanced that I know my C scale in 2 places and my F scale in one place. I amaze myself with this! But my friend Goovy aka BajanPiedPiper from YT and Barbados has challenged me to improvise.

I don’t sound really solid yet, but following Groovy’s advise on magic notes, pentatonic scales, chromatics, timing, blues notes, etc. has opened up some new potentialities to my musical experience. I have links to Groovy’s stuff in my music theory section.

[Note: if you learn BPP or Uncle Groovy's pentatonic scale pattern which he plays in G on the Baritone ukulele, it is the C pentatonic scale on the standard uke, then you can easily move the pattern up 2 frets to get the D scale, one more and you have Eb. This musical knowledge just keeps on building! Oh yeah and the Bb scale is just one fret down!]

UNCLE GROOVY'S BACKING TRACKs FOR JAMMING

BajanPiedPiper has inspired me... on to new adventures... musical & otherwise

This photo is from the ECOVELO blog.

I got back on my bike today after a long time.

I got this link from Nipper's Bicycle and Ukulele Blog.
http://www.ecovelo.info/

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Today, how about hopping on the bike,

ride until you find a peaceful space,

take out the ukulele and strum.

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Well, it sounds good to me!

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Oh, and the BajanPiedPiper, shared his extreme

kayaking experiences in Barbados with me.

It may take a bit of time to get used to his style but

he has some deep groovy musical knowledge

http://www.youtube.com/user/BajanPiedpiper

Barbados with Ohta-san (Herb Ohta Sr.)

I googled "Barbados" and "ukulele" thinking about my Bajan friend, David, who has been providing some intriguing videos on YouTube for improvisation, magic notes, secret formulas, and sweet nothings. Well this is for you Mr.BajanPiedPiper for your generousity. I think these jazzy tunes -- exemplify an aspect of your sweet nothings...

Bajan Pied Piper || Call & Response to the Blues || Busking

The Cat in the Hat(s) amazes me again with sage advice. I wrote a note to Jim D'Ville who teaches us to use our ears more and writes the blog PLAY UKE BY EAR and he said he learned about BPP by reading my blog. My friend EcoDougie clued me in. BPP has a way of explaining so much about MUSIC THEORY. Back to Jim, he said that he feels as if he's being talked to directly each time he watches. I have been soaking it all in, and as you know, have posted several BPP videos, on this personal storage place and notebook.

The following is Bajan Pied Piper's
IDEAS FOR COMPOSING A SONG AND MELODIC IMPROVISING
1. Start by choosing a scale. You can use the major scale, or one of the modes, or one of the many other scales that are out there.
2. As a general rule, start on a note and advance or retreat in small increments. This does not mean you can not or must not or should not make a big jump.
3. There are really no rules where music theory is concerned. Every theory rule can be altered. At best there are only guide lines!
4. You may like to throw in a semi-tone or two...
5. Many songs are composed on the major scale and then ~ for the bridge, one of the modes is used as the template, and/or a change of key, etc...
6. Use repetition of notes.
7. There are a lot of songs that begin with the same 4 or 5 notes! And you get passages of notes that are identical in the body of the song but because of what comes before or after these identical phrases, and the way they are played i.e. the duration of the notes whether half-notes, quarter notes, sixteenths, etc you don't recognize the phrase. As an example: these four notes G A B D are the first 4 notes of Tennessee Waltz; Someone to Watch Over Me; You Belong to Me; P.S. I love You; etc.
8. Play a progression of chords and see what melody suggests itself.
9. Play sweet nothings ~ just get together with your instrument and play runs and behold a melody line will appear! practice with a tape recorder or write down the phrase. After you have a motif carry on and build on it.
10. Write the words the lyrics. Then say the lyrics. Sing the lyrics to various little melodies that suggest themselves.
11. Play a chord as an arpeggio and see where your ear wants to go. Extend the chord to dominant 7th or a 9th and so on.
12. Etc. etc. !

BajanPiedPiper || MEDITATIONS

BAJAN PIED PIPER -- More Beginning Musicians Improvisation Lessons (HU HIGHLY RECOMMENDS!)

I have never had a close friend that was interested in sitting down and just talking musical philosophy with me. David aka Bajan Pied Piper has posted many YouTube musical improvisation videos that take an investment in time to go through but I have found them worthwhile. I have been taking notes like a college student and printing out his very thoughtful sidebar notations from the YouTube notes portion. HU

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Here's a quote off of his recent YouTube post...

"There is a dimension of music we must not overlook... the spiritual, the mystical... It opens and you feel it in your soul when you play meditatively. I encourage you to grab your instrument every day - just for a moment - and play sweet nothings. Walk among the stars..."

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#5

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#6 There's a lot packed in this video. Improvise using Scalar Method or Chordal Approach. Fake Book Ref. Spend time getting to know the notes on the ukulele which we can match to any vocal sound. Sweet Nothings...

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#7 Peaceful, quiet, meditative, connect with your soul. Sweet nothings on a Baritone uke and then on a Harmonica...

Uke Video Surfing || One of the Best MUSIC Lessons on YouTube :: BAJAN PIED PIPER

EcoDougie has incredible internet surfing and researching skills. He came across this Bajan Pied Piper video that has music advice that all of us musical newbies need to know to become better MUSICIANS. Here's a 10 minute video and then I have reprinted his thoughtful lengthy YouTube side bar notes repeated in RED below so that you don't miss them. This is his video #117 so I looking forward to checking out many more. Thanks to EcoDougie!!!

MUSIC LESSON 117 - Here is a work that will propel your skills by leaps and bounds. I do hope you will treat yourself to this gift ~ it will swiftly sky rocket your talent ... all you have to do is DO IT!

Using a tape recorder, or recording on your computer

1. MAKE A LONG BACKING TRACK OF THE C CHORD at about 90 BPM. (It can be any chord of your choice, what follows is given in C - you can transpose to any key.) The easiest thing would be to use Band-in-a-Box software! http://64.40.99.154/demos/demo_bbw.php then all you'd have to do is type one letter - C - and hit play and you're off and running in less than one second!

2. Start your backing track and begin to solo with the Major Pentatonic Scale. (C D E G A) ~ C is at the 1st string. 7th fret on your guitar. Use the box shape! Memorize the sound of the scale ~ it only has 5 notes! Get to know in your head what the note you are about to play sounds like, before you play it. If you don't think before you play you're just carrying out a mechanical exercise ~ you're not improvising.

Play the Scale using random notes i.e. notes out of sequence.

3, Now compose a phrase in your mind - SING IT - SCAT IT - and play it while you sing (wordlessly or audibly.) Use repetition of notes and phrases, syncopation (rhythm changes,) chromaticism, silences, call & response, etc

4. After you have mastered this (it may take a few weeks to be fluent) learn ONE of the Scales from the following list (play the scales and select one you like) and work with it as you did above.

5. Finally - be able to do this ~ start your backing track ~ begin with the Major Pentatonic Scale, improvise for a while then segue into the new scale you learned in 4, work with it for a while, then go back to the Major Pentatonic Scale, play with it for a bit and close.

After you have mastered this exercise redo the backing track to include another chord (say F) Record the C chord for 4 bars, then the F chord for 4 bars, repeating; let the track be quite long and practice the above routine using this new chord progression.

Working this exercise will quickly develop your ear and your dexterity to an extraordinary degree and you'll be able to say "I've gotten over the hump." And now the whole world of music awaits you!

OK! ~ PENTATONIC SCALES Here we go ~

You can transpose these scales to whatever key you prefer ~

Major Pentatonic C D E G A C
Minor Pentatonic C Eb F G Bb C
Ritusen - C D F G A C
Egyptian - C D F G Bb C
Chinese - C D F# G B C
Indian - C E F G Bb C
Kumoi - C D Eb G A C
Lydian - C E F# A B C This scale is often used in Jazz. It has a free floating, non-obtrusive feel and is excellent for creating a pleasant non-resolving effect. Sometimes its given as C E F# G A C - - you can try it both ways and see which version you prefer.
Japanese - C D Eb G G# C
Man Gong - C Eb F Ab Bb C
In Sen - C C# F G Bb C
Scriabin C C# E G A C
Iwato C C# F F# Bb C
Hirajoshi C C# F G G# C

While it may not be mandatory when improvising with the Pentatonic Scales, it is good to play the scale that matches the chord ~

When on the C chord, you can play the C major pentatonic scale notes: C, D, E, G, A.
When on the F chord, you can play the F major pentatonic scale notes: F, G, A, C, D.
When on the G chord, you can play the G major pentatonic scale notes: G, A, B, D, E.
When on the Am chord, you can play the A minor pentatonic scale notes: A, C, D, E, G.
When on the Dm chord, you can play the D minor pentatonic scale notes: D, F, G, A, C.
When on the Em chord, you can play the E minor pentatonic scale notes: E, G, A, B, D.
When on the B° chord, you can play the B diminished pentatonic scale notes: B,C,D,F,G.

Oh! By the way ~ some time ago I did a workshop with Ali Lexa in Chicago. The instrument was a ukulele. HOWEVER you play the music, not the instrument! Ali has a splendid article where he has summarized a lot of improvisational techniques Take a look ~

http://www.ukespot.com/instructional/docs/Uke%20Improv%204-08.pdf

Please, please, please read this article by Tom Kolb. Click here...

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/soloing_strategies_b_b_king

(HU: Takes a while to load, and will automatically shift to the B.B. King page.)

[Notice ~ this page will take about 30 seconds to come in! You will get so much good information from this article you'll nod your head. There are audio examples there as well.Also visit this site and learn more! -]

http://www.theorylessons.com/pentatonics.html

I can only point the way! It's up to you to take the leads and run with them! PLEASE BE SURE TO VISIT THESE LINKS AND LEARN FROM THEM

I have run out of space here and I've had to continue these notes at MUSIC LESSON 113 please go there and carry on ~

So Bajan Pied Piper has just set up your musical life's work for the next 4 years. What a wealth of information! Hope you enjoy this and leave a comment if you wish and please indicate what city or country you live in. HU