Rock & Roll 101

December 5th, 2023

Tonight was Sandi's last lesson. :'(
We played through a bunch of Christmas carols together.

(Love you!)

November 28th, 2023

We went over four or five Christmas songs from church which Sandi brought with her.

November 21st, 2023

We ended up just chatting, and not doing any music at all. :) Love you Sandi!

November 14th, 2023

Sandi's coming in at 5:30 today, in Caiden's spot.

- Sandi brought charts for this Sunday, and her bass, and we went over four or so, with me singing Adrienne's part.

November 7th, 2023

October 24th, 2023

We went through a few of Sunday's songs on bass.

October 10th, 2023

Sandi brought her bass and we played through a bunch of songs I had already printed out.

October 3rd, 2023

September 19th, 2023

Sandi didn't bring an instrument in today, she was feeling to tired - but we listened to a couple of songs she wants to use in worship service, and we talked about the keys they'd be in.

September 12th, 2023

C, Am, F, G, Em, Dm, D, A,

We played through Amazing Grace, Country Roads, Benediction, and Brokenness Aside.

September 5th, 2023

Sandi brought a Ukulele today, and we learned 6 chords: C, Am, F, G, Dm, and Em.

We then went through the songs for Sunday together.

June 26th, 2023

We didn't do much music. We did talk about finger exercises to strengthen the pinkie, and about Sunday worship

June 19th, 2023

Here's a playlist of easier bass tab songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3jGD-OBf1A&list=RDQMElNlU2ErOQo&index=6

Today we did Roxanne, Another One Bites the Dust, and Smells Like Teen Spirit.

May 29th, 2023

No Sandi today!

May 15th, 2023

Sandi's not coming today - Emily has a doctor's appointment.

May 8th, 2023

Sandi and I went over this playlist and did some of the songs she recognized:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLjwITboahA&list=PLU3AwS8UrG6vaPL_RQd9xvxtu6nTTrbNt&index=41

We also reviewed Zombie

May 1st, 2023

Today we went over the bass tab for a few songs. They were...

The Cranberries, Zombie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Zuoepny2Y

The Beatles, Yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix6ffbwnSqc

Metalica, Enter Sandman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPP3iWd53ic

April 24th, 2023

We worked on the bass line of the bridge of Free Amen today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg1c6ZnUr50

April 17th, 2023

We talked for a good part of the lesson, and then played through two songs from her song sheets.

April 3rd, 2023

We plugged in the bass and played for a few seconds but then ended up talking about the Easter service.

March 27th, 2023

We went through the Eagles, Take It Easy. Bad chart, but Sandi did well figuring it out. A few bumps along the way, but the chart is probably the problem, as it's not clear where the beats are.

March 20th, 2023

Sandi didn't bring in her bass, so we talked a bit about Anette, and about songs for Sunday.

March 6th, 2023

Sandi was feeling overwhelmed from all that's going on lately, and didn't practice or remember what we worked on last time.

We just continued playing through one song a few times, and I gave her some ideas of bass fills she could do (slides, octave jumps, etc).

February 27th, 2023

We continued working on bass fills. I suggested she add the half-step before the next chord (sometimes will be a while step depending on the note of the scale, but before 1 and 4, there are halfsteps (leading tones).

You can look online for chord progressions to play along with for bass (bass jamming tracks, bass accompaniment tracks easy, that kind of thing).

February 13th, 2023

Today we watched a bass fills video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD-dNZXT3ug&list=PLVR4Pzl5lJZ0nZ77jcv-sVKRXiLT4VC0D&index=2

Then practiced playing some bass fills in the key of G and C. C was different because of where the 5 chord was (G), meant her hand was higher on the neck and she didn't have as much room to do the fill up... have to think down instead.

February 6th, 2023

Sandi brought in her bass, and we talked about taking next steps so she gets better. Her struggle is with fingers that don't cooperate, so I suggested she focus on learning more about chords and learning to play all the parts of the chord for each chord in a key, starting with C to keep things easy.

January 30th, 2023

Sandi is unwell today

January 23rd, 2023

We went through the songs for Sunday, trying to make decisions on keys etc. Sandi is going to trim out the list and get the order for Sunday.

January 16th, 2023

Sandi is away this week in Cuba

January 9th, 2023

Sandi is away this week

January 2nd, 2023

We went over a new worship song together.

December 19th, 2022

Sandi and I went through Country Roads, Wind Beneath My Wings, and Rudoplh together.

We practiced playing fifths on two of the songs, going up, and going down too.

December 12th, 2022

Sandi brought her bass, and we went through one of my giant fake books together, picking a few songs to work on.

December 5th, 2022

We went through the songs for Sunday, practising some of the hard ones and picking a key for another.

November 28th, 2022

Sandi picked music for next Sunday, and we went through it together today.

November 21st, 2022

Sandi and I went through some Christmas songs on bass.

We talked a bit about also doing rhythm with the bass, not just the notes.

November 14th, 2022

We went through some potential songs for the Mourning service in December.

1. Unforgettable
2. Angel
3. Supermarket Flowers

November 7th, 2022

In Sandi's lesson we started with I See Red, and then added two songs for sight reading the bass: Unchained Melody and All I Have To Do Is Dream.

October 24th, 2022

Sandi and I went over I See Red singing and playing again. She tried to sing and play the extra parts on the bass this week.

October 17th, 2022

We transposed I See Red, and worked through it a few times, fixing up some mistakes in the charts.

October 3rd, 2022

Sandi added a new song today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uah7ashExfU&ab_channel=LyricsDarling

We charted it and I shared it with her.

September 26th, 2022

Sandi brought her bass and we went over a couple of songs so she could sing and play at the same time.

September 19th, 2022

Sandi has COVID

September 12th, 2022

On bass, we went through a few 1/5 songs like I'll Fly Away, and then another one in D.

It gave us an opportunity again to find various notes (The d in this example) using the double 7.

June 28th, 2022

We found another video of just the chords for Bobby McGee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H575R-Z0d-I&ab_channel=StrumAlong

June 21st, 2022

We did "Me and Bobby McGee with bass tab today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-PHN0u5oVQ&ab_channel=Jeff%EC%9D%B4%EC%9B%90%EC%9E%AC

Fun!

June 14th, 2022

Sandi and I worked through the songs for Sunday, trying to decide which ones to do, and singing a few of them.

June 7th, 2022

We played through this Sunday's songs with Sandi on the bass this week. Great job!

May 31st, 2022

Sandi didn't have her bass today, we basically chatted and talked a bit about music, and then listened to a couple of songs in the HFMC Possible songs playlist.

May 24th, 2022

Sandi isn't coming today.

May 17th, 2022

Sandi did her lesson yesterday.

May 16th, 2022

Sandi moved her lesson tomorrow to this slot for this week.

We didn't do a lot of bass work until the end of lesson in which we discussed scales. We reviewed the easier way to play 3 and 6, and thought through how to locate 7 and 8 (seven is a half step down from 8).

We also talked about playing a minor scale, by starting on 6 (below 1), and working our way up to the 6 above 1.

May 10th, 2022

We went over the songs on bass for this Sunday together.

May 3rd, 2022

We went over "Ain't No Grave" a few times, moving it to the key of A.

I need to chart this (especially if Adrienne wants to do it too -- one of us needs to bug her to let us know).

April 26th, 2022

Sandi brought a new song in to work on that's easy to play and sing at the same time. Ain't No Grave by Bethel Music and Molly Skaggs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGncW_ueyHA

April 19th, 2022

Sandi and I were a little unmotivated tonight. We played through two songs half-heartedly on the bass and guitar.

April 12th, 2022

We picked songs today for Good Friday.

April 5th, 2022

We kept working through Child of Love, talking about bass parts etc.

March 29th, 2022

Sandi and I worked through some of the songs scheduled for this Sunday... Child of Love and Mountain.

March 22nd, 2022

Sandi is in Sudbury on Tuesday

March 15th, 2022

We went over Just a Closer Walk with Thee again, and talked about 1/5 bass, and at the end about walking bass. I recommended she work on the scale in E to play for this song.

March 8th, 2022

We went over the song Just a Closer Walk with Thee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBm4axiEre8

March 1st, 2022

We went over House of the Lord a few times, and worked on the drop slide fill.

February 22nd, 2022

We went over House of the Lord a few times.

February 8th, 2022

We spent the lesson working on the new song Joanne picked for this Sunday, Phil Wickam, House of the Lord:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8uKldEUrPE&ab_channel=PhilWickhamVEVO

February 1st, 2022

Tonight we worked on bass fills a bit, leading into a note from below or above it, and following the scale.

We also quickly reviewed the two fret thing, where you can do more fancy fills in between notes.

January 25th, 2022

Sandi and I worked through bass today, and focused again on finding the alternate 3 and 6.

January 18th, 2022

In Sandi's lesson, we worked through the "It Is Well With My Soul" hymn, trying to find a good key, and checked the keys for the rest of them as well.

January 11th, 2022

Sandi isn't able to come in today.

January 4th, 2022

We worked on the bass lines on We The Kingdom, Child of Love.

December 28th, 2021

We played through some songs singing and playing bass. We talked about different places to play the note - start with the patterns (1 through 6) and then add open strings as you feel comfortable. Also add alternate 3 and alternate 6 in the position.

Finally, we talked about walking down and up to a note, staying in the scale. So going to 3 by way of 2, or 5 by way of 4, etc.

December 21st, 2021

Sandi and I worked through Christmas Allelujah together.

December 14th, 2021

More bass this week, and we played through O Come Emmanuel. This brought up a conversation about minor keys and finding a '1' (they key name, such as A minor would mean the A is the sixth, so C is one.)

Once you have memorized the note positions on the fret board, this is less important to remember, but nevertheless a great way to understand the framework of music.

December 7th, 2021

We worked on bass, practising through playing and singing at the same time, using songs that she'd printed out from previous Sundays.

November 30th, 2021

We sang through a couple of songs while Sandi played bass - to work on the singing and playing thing.

Sandi did really well!

November 23rd, 2021

We went over the songs for Sunday together, and planned on changing the keys to a couple of them.

November 16th, 2021

Sandi and I worked on a new song by Adele called Easy On Me:

charts:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gwWeYrJByz4_fkkfaa3cjg8PouE4-tkJPW8HG1YyEWU/edit

video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhdZFO5LVco

lyrics:
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/adele/easyonme.html

November 9th, 2021

We worked through Child of Love's bass run for a bit, then moved to a ballad (which I forget the name of) and talked about other places to play notes, on thinner or thicker strings. Also, open strings. (Eat A Damn Grape)

November 2nd, 2021

Sandi brought her bass, and we worked through Child of Love some more, including writing out the tab for the little bass run that happens from time to time.

October 26th, 2021

Sandi didn't bring her bass today, so we just changed some keys and sang through some of the songs for Sunday.

October 19th, 2021

Sandy and I talked to a bunch of hymns together, most of which were a bit too performance-oriented. We talked about the baseline in child of love, and hammer-ons using the pinky which is challenging for her to do because her pinky doesn't work!

October 12th, 2021

We cancelled today because my back @#^&*!#$ hurt.

October 5th, 2021

September 28th, 2021

We went through a few of the songs for this Sunday on the bass.

September 21st, 2021

We did bass again in Sandi's lesson. I charted out Here's My Heart, getting all the bass notes I could here, and went through it a few times.

September 14th, 2021

Sandi and I continued with Here's My Heart today.

September 7th, 2021

Sandi brought her bass today, and we worked on a new song by Lauren Daigle, Here's My Heart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFw42tZVDKI

I wrote out the chords on a piece of paper for her.

August 24th, 2021

Sandi brought the bass again. We went over songs from Sunday together.

August 17th, 2021

Sandi is on vacation today.

August 10th, 2021

We continued with bass, working through a couple of songs which Sandi had printed out.

We continued focusing on the alternate place to play 3 and 6.

August 3rd, 2021

Sandi brought the bass again, and we sang through this Sunday's songs while she played along.

July 27th, 2021

We did bass in Sandi's lesson, and played through a few worship songs, working on alternate three and six notes as we did so, and also adding open strings where convenient.

July 13th, 2021

Sandi brought the bass today!! We reviewed some of the old stuff, like how to find notes, what the octave is, what the fifth is, and then added some new things, like the easier position for 3 and 6, thinking of where the half steps are, add fifths to a note for any note in a song, etc.

July 6th, 2021

Sandi and I worked through finding a new song for Sunday.

June 29th, 2021

Sandi and I did the pentatonic scales again this week, then worked on Amazing Grace, and tried to think of a new song.

June 22nd, 2021

Postponed until 7 pm today

June 15th, 2021

Sandi and I worked on the new song Joanne introduced at church last week, "Trust In You." We lowered it to G.

March 29th, 2021

Sandi didn't have a new song to learn, so we played through a bunch of songs trying to find inspiration.

March 22nd, 2021

Today we went through the songs for Sunday together, working out alternate keys etc.

March 15th, 2021

Sandi and I worked through Found My Freedom some more especially focusing on free adlibing on the intro Amen, Amen, Amen etc.

March 8th, 2021

We went over Hold Onto Me a couple of times, and then decided to move onto a new song... we just need a new song now! :)

March 1st, 2021

We added a new song, Hold Onto Me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWua9o2KEv0

February 22nd, 2021

We went over a song from back in December, and then started on a new song called King of Kings. One of the high notes in the song was reachable when Sandi pronounces her vowel differently and really opens up.

December 28th, 2020

December 21st, 2020

Sandi is in lock-down today. (Sandi, I set the cost for 0.00).

December 14th, 2020

December 7th, 2020

We continued with Found My Freedom, working on the bridge more, and experimenting with alternative melodies to make it easier to sing - without going too high.

November 30th, 2020

We continued with Found My Freedom, working on the melody of the bridge and the rhythm, as well as how to best sing the vowels in the last chorus.

November 23rd, 2020

We added a new song by I Am They called Found My Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QcUHYAlj8E&ab_channel=IAMTHEYVEVO

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1umlqn8txKaRaAY49lfJFI1d6QnvLKsOtd099rtlrG88/edit

November 16th, 2020

We went over Broken Ladders more, working on little specifics in the last chorus especially, to make sure she's not punching, and giving the right syllable the emphasis.

November 9th, 2020

We continued working on Broken Ladders, focusing on some of the challenging parts, like melodies that jump up, using too much vibrato here and there, punching notes, etc.

We are also going to do a bass lesson at 5:30

November 2nd, 2020

We did a new song by Selah called Broken Ladders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kvzgoH-l90&ab_channel=TheSelahVideos

October 26th, 2020

We started with going over the bass with How Great using her new bass, and then we sang through it once before running out of time.

October 19th, 2020

We continued with How Great - watching the 'shouting, back of the throat' thing, and pushing on the little vocal trills.

We also talked about instrumental before bridge to change it up a bit.

October 5th, 2020

We went through How Great in D, I mentioned pushing and phrasing, and the last time sounded amazing. If/When we do this at church, the first verse should be done acoustic or something to contrast it with the rest of the song a bit.

We then listened to Amazing Grace by Selah - amazing blues!

September 28th, 2020

We continued with How Great today, and kept focusing on opening and relaxing to remove the brassiness. One good trick is more air, which seems to open things up.

We also worked on ad libbing on syncopation and melody to give a solo more interest. When practicing this, continue to exaggerate your ideas, and then that will expose you more to what works and what doesn't.

September 21st, 2020

Sandi came with a new "How Great" song today, by Koryn Hawthorne. She brought double spaced lyrics, and I wrote out the chords for the song. We went over it a couple of times.

My recommendations again where relaxing and pushing less on the higher notes... going for a more open and less brassy sound.

September 14th, 2020

Sandi wants to work on increasing power, and also emotional intensity while singing.

We went through Stand Up a few times, working on connecting with her feelings - also opening up on some works like "ing" and "me"

March 10th, 2020

Sandi brought in a new song today, We the Kingdom, Holy Water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0xhhG1Hyos

A fun, kinda country rock bluesy style... the chorus is the same as Sister Christian!

I charted it out, and we went though it a few times in A... I suggested she try it at home in G even - it might be easier for both women and men to sing in that key.

March 3rd, 2020

Sandi nailed Stand Up today. We went through it four times or so - sounded amazing!

February 25th, 2020

Sandi's voice was rough from food poisoning, but we went through the song a couple of times anyway, until she was hoarse! :)

February 18th, 2020

Sandi and I worked through Stand Up again today.

February 11th, 2020

We wrote out the parts of Stand Up (on a piece of paper), and played through it a couple of times.

February 4th, 2020

Harriet Tubman, Stand Up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEMsIHVejWM

Karaoke Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C32n8JnAPVo

January 28th, 2020

Sandi is in Cuba today.

January 21st, 2020

We worked through This is Me a number of times - I guess you should pick a new song for next week? I think you've got this one down pretty good!

Remember, keep it open!

January 14th, 2020

We practiced through This Is Me in the key of C.

January 7th, 2020

Sandi didn't want to continue with Noel, since Christmas was over, so we added a new song from The Greatest Snowman, called "This Is Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEJd2RyGm8Q

We dropped it to C from D.

December 17th, 2019

We went over the Lauren Daigel song, Noel. We especially focused on the high note, and keeping it open and clear, not tight. It sounded great!

No lessons next week, or the 31st. :D

December 10th, 2019

We worked on Lauren Daigle, Noel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGg7KdN19rs

We lowered it -4 half steps.

I wrote out the chords on a piece of paper, in the key of A

December 3rd, 2019

Sandi wanted to work through the songs she's singing next Sunday, so we went over them and modified keys as necessary.

November 26th, 2019

Sandi came late today - we looked at her choir piece at the beginning of the lesson, and then started working on Into the Mystic, but ran out of time before getting very far. :D

November 19th, 2019

W ewent over Gracefuylly Broken in Bb a couple of times, and hten lowered it to A - easier with a cold.

Sing the E as an IH, and keep the I's open Ahs.

We then added Into the Mystic by Van Morrison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ59spYH9mk

November 12th, 2019

Sandi brought her laptop and I showed her how to save the video to the external drive. We then chatted for 10 minutes before starting Gracefully Broken.

November 5th, 2019

Jason sick today.

October 29th, 2019

Sandi came today, but she is still sick. :(

October 22nd, 2019

Sandi is sick today.

October 15th, 2019

We went over Gracefully Broken in Bb some more, and worked on the generally "arrangement" of the song. Just a couple of observations from me; remember keep vibrato light, don't be too heavy in the middle of words or sentences (like punching notes), carry a pair of pliers.

October 8th, 2019

We charted out Tasha Cobbs, Gracefully Broken in Bb and played through it a few times... we tried to get that high note - really dig into your diaphram and pull down as you reach up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzZC3EbH6iE

October 1st, 2019

Here are the chords:
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/franz_schubert/ave_maria_chords_783974

(D0n't give up on it, you sound great! Just need more breath!)

September 24th, 2019

We tried lowering the key 1 half step to G from Ab.

We also tried it in E, and it was nice as long as it was still breathy, airy and light.

September 17th, 2019

10 Genres
Musical:
Jazz:
Blues:
Country:
Pop: Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You
Christian? Ave Maria
Gospel:Tasha Cobbs Gracefully Broken
Folk:
Rock Ballad: Alone? (Heart)
Rhythm & Blues: Black Velvet

Ave Maria chords:
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/franz_schubert/ave_maria_chords_783974

YouTube Recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d4xXvF2ukY

September 10th, 2019

Jason is supposed to pick 10 songs - really really hard ones.

Mariah Carey, My All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkk9isqBV0

Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdMjLL6veG0

Alannah Myles, Black Velvet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cudk-kOQ7vM

September 3rd, 2019

June 25th, 2019

June 18th, 2019

June 11th, 2019

June 4th, 2019

May 28th, 2019

May 21st, 2019

May 14th, 2019

May 7th, 2019

April 30th, 2019

We added Lauren Daigle's "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L57ox0iQU7A

April 23rd, 2019

April 16th, 2019

April 9th, 2019

April 2nd, 2019

March 26th, 2019

March 19th, 2019

March 12th, 2019

March 5th, 2019

February 26th, 2019

February 19th, 2019

Sandi and I looked at the choir piece she did in high school, and talked about how to do it with our choir.

We also looked at the last two Norah Jones songs.

We spoke about putting together some songs to do at Desert Lake Gardens, as a coffee house or something.

She's going to go through and look at songs that would be a good fit for that.

February 12th, 2019

lesson cancelled from the snow.

February 5th, 2019

We worked through two Norah Jones songs, Come Away With Me and Don't Know Why

We recorded one with my little recorder.

January 29th, 2019

January 22nd, 2019

January 15th, 2019

January 8th, 2019

December 18th, 2018

We practiced O Holy Night for Christmas Eve.

December 11th, 2018

We went over O Holy Night a couple of times, and then tried to revisit Dance Me to the End of Love, which we both found boring.

December 4th, 2018

November 27th, 2018

Sandi wasn't feeling very motivated today, so I added bass and organ to one of the songs she'd worked on in the past.

November 20th, 2018

We continued with O Holy Night, working a bit on the high notes, to get them as open and round sounding as that penultimate note at the end!

We should record this one!

November 13th, 2018

We continued with last week's song, O Holy Night (which I forgot to write in the log about).

It's a bit more jazzy than most versions, has some really pretty parts - and Sandi was amazing on it tonight! Such relaxed sound!

November 6th, 2018

October 30th, 2018

We did Dance Me to the End of Love by Civil Wars, but in E minor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmbVqO9GCY0

October 23rd, 2018

We worked out how we're doing the ending of Feeling Good, and went over it a few times; also added a few more chords to the intro, halfway through. I played the time a bit more straight, with Sandi singing it with the same pauses that Nina uses; it turned out really cool!

We also talked about the recording and the files I have of her recordings. She's going to bring a drive for me to put them on.

October 16th, 2018

We added a new song, by Nina Simone, called Feeling Good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Y11hwjMNs

Fun song!

October 9th, 2018

We went over both Lauren Diagle songs today. Nothing new, just played through them, though I tried different chords on Losing My Religion.

October 2nd, 2018

We went over Still Rolling Stones a few times from the piano, in the new key.

We then looked at another new song, also by Lauren Daigle called Losing My Religion, which we did in the same key as the recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw6_g0aTwt4

September 25th, 2018

Oops, I missed the first 15 minutes today! sorry! We went over 15 minutes to compensate.

We added a new song by Lauren Daigle called Still Rolling Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQZNcZcfo8E

We lowered it to D

September 18th, 2018

September 11th, 2018

Sandi has strep throat, so couldn't make it today.

September 4th, 2018

Today we went through all the newer songs that Sandi is singing in worship on Sunday.

June 25th, 2018

June 19th, 2018

June 12th, 2018

June 5th, 2018

We did some blues scales, and ad libing, then sang through Speak, the workship song she's wanting to do.

May 29th, 2018

We worked on Speak by Bethany Worship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOXPVSRxttU

May 22nd, 2018

May 15th, 2018

We worked on the blues scale, and how to use it to ad lib a bit in melodies. We did the melodies of At Last and Blue Moon? I think.

May 8th, 2018

Sandi brought in a new song, a possible worship song to learn for the Worship event we're planning.

May 1st, 2018

Lowered to C.

Link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7Kfpow0FQwvw3xxrRdXgf9

Intro
E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / R R R |
Verse
[: E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
A7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
B7 / / / | / / / Bbo | A7 / / / | / / / Bbo |
B7 / / / | / / / Bbo | A7 / / / | ! ! ! R |
E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / R R R :]

E7 / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / :]

April 24th, 2018

We added a new song, from Spotify - called Kiss, by Kelly Clarkson. Only on Spotify.

April 17th, 2018

April 10th, 2018

We worked on Dance for You today.

April 3rd, 2018

Rachel D'Arcy: Dance For You
https://open.spotify.com/track/54kioGJiGZciwzmSG6aKUL

Em D C B7

(extra C D D#o Em)

March 27th, 2018

We recorded Casket today.

March 20th, 2018

March 13th, 2018

March 6th, 2018

February 27th, 2018

February 20th, 2018

We worked on Til the Casket Drops - I recommended not dropping off pitch or volume on the end of every phrase -- once in a while is fine, but hold notes out a bit more, more often. :D

February 13th, 2018

We added "Til the Casket Drops" by ZZ Ward:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4KUMznYtxI

2x[: Dm Am C G :] Bb A C Bb
Chorus:
3x[: Dm Bb Gm A :] Dm Bb A
Bridge:
2x[: Dm C Gm A :]

February 6th, 2018

January 30th, 2018

January 23rd, 2018

January 16th, 2018

January 9th, 2018

We rerecorded Fallin' vocals this week, and then went through Put The Gun Down.

January 2nd, 2018

Worked on Put the Gun Down.

December 19th, 2017

We worked on ZZ Ward - Sandi wanted to wait to re-record the vocal parts next time.

Fun Song!

December 12th, 2017

We postponed the lesson until tomorrow at 5.

December 5th, 2017

We sang through Fallin', and I think Sandi wants to record it next week (right?)

We then added a new song, by ZZ Ward called "Put The Gun Down"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5chkHjTNFgk

It's going to be a fun one!

November 28th, 2017

We went over some Christmas songs for service this weekend.

November 21st, 2017

We worked on Alicia Keys, Fallin' again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZSzS4_kHCI

Especially focused on intonation and holding notes - not dropping off on the intensity for the full value.

November 14th, 2017

Sandi and I worked through Fallin' by Alicia Keys; trying to decide on which key (5 half steps down) and whether to sing it softly or harsly.

November 7th, 2017

Sandi is going to pick a song for next week - maybe Alicia Keys Fallin' or Fuggees, Killin' Me Softly

October 24th, 2017

Sandi came a little late today, so we chatted instead of singing. (Feel better! x0x)

October 17th, 2017

We went through Try, Once in My Life, and then I Try.

Bit of a swoop on the first word of I Try, which if you think of it as coming down on it, it's easier to hit it accurately.

October 10th, 2017

We warmed up with Try and then worked on I Try a few times.

October 3rd, 2017

We sang through Blue Rodeo first, then Stevie Wonder, then added a new song by Macy Gray, "I Try."

September 26th, 2017

September 19th, 2017

Worked on Once in My Life a few times,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FApu12-BJNk (acoustic version, not in same key)

then added a new song, Blue Rodea, Try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxlV9ch-akQ

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YraJ3K6k3GbdPrSpECggHffC1D7_I5BYqZet8OOIe-Q

September 12th, 2017

We worked through Once in My Life four or five times.

September 5th, 2017

We started fresh with Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oZClso_yUQ

Great song, hard chords!

http://www.guitaretab.com/s/stevie-wonder/284914.html

June 27th, 2017

June 20th, 2017

We worked on recording Stone again today, focusing on some of the vocal parts.

June 13th, 2017

June 6th, 2017

We worked on Kaleo, Way Down We Go, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-7IHOXkiV8

Then we went over Stone again a couple of times.

May 30th, 2017

We worked on Stone, and then talked about the next song to learn.

She is going to pick a key and send it to me.

May 23rd, 2017

We worked through "Stone" a few times.

May 16th, 2017

We added a new song, Whiskey Myers, "Stone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTKsmmDQw4Y

We lowered it to Bb.

May 9th, 2017

We recorded the Can't Be Loved song today, guitar and vocals. Should redo guitar as there was some hiss.

May 2nd, 2017

We practiced Can't Be Loved a bunch of times

April 25th, 2017

Sandi did a new song by Elle King this week, Can't Be Loved:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chAdz4C-i-c

We lowered it to Bb minor.

April 18th, 2017

We worked on finishing up Mama This One's For You.

http://yourlisten.com/rockandroll101/sandi-desjardin-mama-this-ones-for-you

April 11th, 2017

We laid down some new vocal tracks for her mother song.

April 4th, 2017

We recorded the piano and two vocal tracks of the "Mama, This One's For You" song. She felt like she didn't do well (though you did!!) so we'll try another track next week.

March 28th, 2017

We worked on the mother song, then reviewed the recording for Mean, and I added bass.

It over drove the mic, so I redid it after Eli's lesson.

It's rendering now, and I'll upload it when it's done.

March 21st, 2017

Sandi and I chatted all lesson. :)

March 14th, 2017

March 7th, 2017

Sandi's on vacation this week.

February 28th, 2017

We worked at the piano on Beth Hart, mostly focusing on breathing - it's a weird one for that!

It's turning out to be a beautiful song!

February 21st, 2017

Beth Hart, Mama This One's For You:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnbDIgQLQwI

February 14th, 2017

Here's the similar artists for Liz Wright:
http://www.last.fm/music/Lizz+Wright

http://www.last.fm/music/Lizz+Wright/+similar

February 7th, 2017

I wrote the chords for My Heart into the Google Doc, and then we went over it a few times.

January 31st, 2017

We reviewed the recording of Song of Sorrow, and then worked on the Lizz Wright song, My Heart.

January 24th, 2017

Sandi and I recorded Song of Sorrow, but didn't complete it yet.

January 17th, 2017

We worked on Song of Sorrow a number of times - what a great song! We'll record it next week.

We also added a new song by Lizz Wright, My Heart:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZDMyMOlB1w

January 10th, 2017

We had Sandi's lesson on the January 4th.

She added another song by Elle King, called Song of Sorrow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-l_oObzPYc

We changed the key to C

The verses started on C, the chorus on Aminor, and they use F as the extra transition chord between verse and chorus

January 3rd, 2017

I recorded the piano for her Elle King song, so we redid the vocals for that, and finished it up... I'll try to add some bass this week.

We then talked about a new song to learn. She's coming for Owen's lessons slot tomorrow.

December 27th, 2016

I cancelled with Sandi this week because I was sick in bed. We did a one hour lesson last time, so we can count that as this weeks.

December 20th, 2016

We recorded a couple of songs - and went into Eli's lesson to try to finish up the next one.

December 13th, 2016

Sandi's back was hurting, so we talked for the first 15 minutes or so, and then finished up with Mary Did You Know, which she's doing in F minor for the Pageant this weekend.

December 6th, 2016

Sandi and I went over the Magnificat a few times, lowering the key two half-steps.

We then went over two songs from this weekend.

November 29th, 2016

Sandi came with a new song, but it was too hard for me. :-/ so we recorded the song we had learned a while back, but ran out of time.

November 22nd, 2016

We recorded two more songs!

November 15th, 2016

We re-recorded the vocals to Bourbon, and they sounded great. We then started with the recording of a new song, Lizz Wright, Hit the Ground.

November 8th, 2016

We recorded Bourbon in Your Eyes - the first go at it anyway. I did piano, and then we recorded a few takes of vocals. Just need to re-record the piano and mix it.

We also took a listen at the the other songs we haven't finished yet. We need to wrap those up, some of them are nearly done.

November 1st, 2016

We went over three or four songs that we had been working on - lots of fun, and a bit of happiness for a dreary Tuesday afternoon.

October 25th, 2016

We wrote out the chords for the Elle King song, and went through it a few times. - it sounds great!

October 18th, 2016

We went over a little wicked, and decided to lower it a half step to F minor.

Then we added an Elle King song, I Told You I Was Mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fGiLEl43M4

October 11th, 2016

We went through Hit the ground together, and then did Valerie Broussard's a Little Wicked.

Great song!

When I get the cord in the mail we can start recording these songs!

October 4th, 2016

68 G / | / D / | Em / / | / / |G / | / D / | Em / / | / / |
Hit the ground, baby It's alright now
Hit the ground, baby Take your veil down
C / | G D/F# | Em / | C / | G / | D C | G C | G / |
See your eyes in mine Leave the rest behind
Hit the ground, baby 'Cause I want to love you now
G / | / D / | Em / / | / / | G / | / D / | Em / / | / / |
Hit the ground, baby I said it's alright now
Hit the ground, baby You're gonna make it somehow
C / | G D/F# | Em / | C / | G / | D C | G C | G / |
Baby, why so lonely? The day has just begun
Hit the ground, baby Hit the ground and run
[solo over first chord section]

C / | G D/F# | Em / | C / | G / | D C | G C | Em / |
See your eyes in mine Leave the rest behind
Hit the ground, baby Hit the ground and run
C / | D C | G C | G . |]
Hit the ground, baby Hit the ground and run

September 27th, 2016

Valerie Broussard, A Little Wicked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46rUBCewhxY

Lyrics: http://genius.com/Valerie-broussard-a-little-wicked-lyrics

Stacey Kent, Never Let Me Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZghlxjZhJ4

Lizz Wright, Hit the Ground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s8ymSYuIHk

September 20th, 2016

We went over Bourbon in Your Eyes a few times, and it is exhausting to play on the piano! Not sure what the next step is to take on this one-- I am thinking it might be a good one to work on when I'm not playing (like, pre-record the piano part) so that we can really analyze the various parts of the song.

Then I tried to find a song that I thought of today as being a good option for her to learn. I couldn't locate it. :-( I don't know if I imagined it, or what was going on. Weirdness.

I think it would be fun to take some of the jazzy songs we've learned to the senior's "Diner's" lunch that Joanne is doing.

September 13th, 2016

Today we started a new song, Bourbon in Your Eyes by Devil Doll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLrKdPOyva4

I wrote out the chords and we went through it a couple of times.

September 6th, 2016

June 28th, 2016

We recorded Andra Day (using my other operating system - since my computer monitor was messed up).

I haven't added other instruments yet, but it sounds pretty awesome just piano and vocals!

June 21st, 2016

Sandi and I went over Rise UP three or four times.

We're going to record it next week, our last lesson of the season.

June 14th, 2016

Sandi and I went through the worship songs for this weekend.

June 7th, 2016

May 31st, 2016

Sandi brought a new song today- a challenge vocally, and quite amazing really.

Andra Day, Rise Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BWsrd_aXQA

May 24th, 2016

We recorded Georgia this week, first piano and then two vocal tracks.

We'll listen through it and isolate the best parts next week.

May 17th, 2016

We went over the 'happy' song together and then tried to find another happy song.

We decided to record Georgia next week.

May 10th, 2016

We went over the songs for Saturday night together, and worked on a harmony for the first song.

May 3rd, 2016

We started work on the Ingrid Michaelson song, Everybody. We lowered the key one half step from the original.

April 26th, 2016

Ingrid Michaelson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlFCfkyuQM0

I think we should record Georgia, it sounds amazing.

April 19th, 2016

In Owen's spot yesterday, we did Georgia- we revisited it today - in the key of Bb

We then just messed around - playing Flowers on the Wall and King of the Road.

April 12th, 2016

We went through the songs for Saturday together, and talked about how we would split up parts and harmonies.

April 5th, 2016

Sandi and I recorded Sunny on the piano downstairs - we did two tracks and then spent some time tweaking it (there was a mistake in words at one point).

March 29th, 2016

Sandi and I worked some more on Sunny, and we think it's ready to record.

I think we should try to record it live - we'll try it next week?

March 22nd, 2016

We went through the songs for Easter and Maundy Thursday... Joanne has picked different songs from what Sandi suggested.

March 15th, 2016

March 8th, 2016

We listened through two worship songs for Easter, and tried to find a key to work for the Crowder one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2zhf2mqEMI

Going down from C to A seemed to work.

March 1st, 2016

February 23rd, 2016

We wrote out and went over Sunny (at a slower speed).

February 16th, 2016

February 9th, 2016

We recorded four tracks of I'm Not In Love vocals tonight.

February 2nd, 2016

Sandi and I will do Sunny next:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvYQxTXO3U

I still haven't recorded the I'm Not in Love song, but will do so.

Also we should record Everything I Own by Bread.

January 27th, 2016

Because I didn't record this piano AGAIN this week, we added a new song, by Bread, called Everything I Own.

January 20th, 2016

January 13th, 2016

January 6th, 2016

December 30th, 2015

We went over the song I'm Not In Love by Diana Krall, and talked about a next song, like maybe IF by Bread.... Bread has a few songs similar to the I'm Not In Love Song.

We decided to record I'm Not In Love next week

December 23rd, 2015

December 16th, 2015

Sandi was sick tonight.

December 9th, 2015

We went over the Jesus Prayer parts multiple times, with the MIDI file and with me singing other parts-- She's basically got it now.

December 2nd, 2015

Sandi and I went over the songs for this Saturday, and talked about the next song to learn.

We thought it might be fun to return to Summertime, or to maybe try "Only You,"

November 25th, 2015

Sandi wanted another week to work on the parts in Ain't No Sunshine, so we reviewed the harmonies for the parts I wrote.

She's singing alto on the Jesus Prayer song, and the parts jump around a lot! We went over everything a lot. Not much else to say! :D

November 18th, 2015

I forgot to leave a note last week.

We recorded "Ain't No Sunshine" today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRG0vB4Tm0s

We're going to try recording a few spots throughout the song. I sent her the audio file to listen to.

November 11th, 2015

November 4th, 2015

We warmed up, worked on fifths and fourths, and then went over Valerie a couple of times.

We're both pretty tired of this song, so I asked her to find something new that was a challenge for her.

October 28th, 2015

Sandi and I warmed up for 15 minutes, doing 4ths, 3rds, and 5ths.

We then sang through the Valerie song a few times, working on making the sound smooth, holding off on the vibrato, not dropping the ends of the notes, etc.

I suggested at the end that we try to do more dynamic variance between the different parts.

Sounds good! I'd like to give it a go recording with just guitar and vocals.

October 21st, 2015

We warmed up, and did three fourth intervals -- great job!

Then went to Valerie, and played it through a few times. We recorded it to listen back. Watch that your vibrato isn't too fast, and don't drop off the end of notes too fast-- hold them enough that we can hear the pitch.

Lots of support too, will keep you in tune.

October 14th, 2015

Sandi recorded the vocals of the song we were SUPPOSED to do last week. Sounds awesome! I will lay down the bass and post it soon.

Next song is Valerie.

October 7th, 2015

I recorded the wrong song, so we worked on the songs for this Saturday, which Sandi really didn't need since she's awesome! :)

I'll record the music for Temptation for next lesson. SORRY!

September 30th, 2015

We went through Temptation a couple of times, and decided to record it-- hopefully I can get the piano part done before next lesson.

We then looked for a new song, and decided to try Valerie by Amy Winehouse.

September 23rd, 2015

Sandi is in Montreal tonight.

September 16th, 2015

We spent the first 10 or 15 minutes with warm up, then played through O How I Need You, in G.

We then worked on The Night We Called It a Day, but it is so slow and depressing that we decided to try another song, Temptation by Diana Krall

September 9th, 2015

We started off working on the new All Sons and Daughters song, O How I Need You.

I charted it in A, but we might take it down to G.

We then looked for a jazz song we could work on, to maybe focus on some stuff like rubato time. We settled on The Night We Called It a Day by Diana Krall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZgsLR8QGr8

June 23rd, 2015

We worked more on interval training, and tried to find some apps to help.

In the summer I'm doing one-off lessons, so we can try to set something up after I've had a week off or so.

June 16th, 2015

Sandi and I went through the songs for the worship service Saturday night.

June 9th, 2015

Sandi and I went over her song again from yesterday, and though the first time was a little too strong, the second time was much sweeter. We did it a couple of times, then worked on harmonies for Apostle's Creed Song (crazy!)

June 2nd, 2015

We warmed up for a few minutes, then did Rooftops by Jesus Culture

May 26th, 2015

We added Reason to Sing by All Sons and Daughters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y56nxe5HeFI

Very pretty and moving song!

May 19th, 2015

Sandi and I worked on the songs for Saturday night together. Great job!

May 12th, 2015

Sandi and I worked on the songs for service in two weeks, and I tried to show her some strategies for singing harmonies.

In the future, it may be beneficial for us to work on singing intervals, as this will help with finding parts.

May 5th, 2015

Sandi and I worked through tiny details on the song Living Breath of God. The emphasis is on strange syllables with this melody, so it becomes important for the vocalist to think through the words and try to downplay high notes etc.

We talked about working through harmony concepts at the next lesson.

April 28th, 2015

We reviewed the recording, and talked about her amazing ability to sing it exactly the same way every time!!! I'm jealous.

She can try to be more spontaneous with her expression though, it will require relinqishing some control.

We then added the new song: Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8FKZIz97AU

April 21st, 2015

We recorded this week, and I'm taking notes now. ;-)

April 14th, 2015

Warmed up, then we played through Say the Name - which on the last time through was absolutely amazing!

Very convincing, I believed it. The sound was strong, and airy, and the pitch was right on!

I recommended we try to record it next week.

April 7th, 2015

March 31st, 2015

We worked on You Are Still Holy again today. It's beautiful, and you did an amazing job on it!

We spoke about fading into a note gradually to keep from being too heavy on it, especially in the beginning.

I suggested we add the song by Margaret Becker, "Say the Name"

March 24th, 2015

Sandi and I worked on You Are Still Holy. We moved it to the key of D, (from E).

She did a great job at varying the sound from sweet to harsh, and other than a few little spots where it seemed pitchy, or where maybe the lyrics didn't match up with the sound, it was fantastic.

I suggested we use it as a special in an upcoming service (Joanne said Easter won't work).

March 17th, 2015

Sandi is away this week.

March 10th, 2015

We warmed up first, then reviewed the song and recorded it.

I suggested we learn a new song, Rita Springer's You Are Still Holy, which will be a fun challenge!

March 3rd, 2015

Sandi and I worked on the expression of the song today.

I recommended she use a few different strategies to give the song interest:

1. Overdrive your voice a bit -- singing kind of harshly (overdo it in the beginning until you get used to it)

2. When holding long notes, do things with the sound, like dynamic changes, volume changes, (crescendo), etc.

3. Contrast your voice from sweetly to more driven depending on the lyric content

4. Don't make every note have equal value in intensity, volume, etc. Phrase your sentence as you sing, so that you give emphasis to the important words in the line.

February 24th, 2015

Sandi and I recorded Brokenness Aside a couple of times. I recommended she vary the intensity and expression of her voice throughout the song-- if the accompaniment gets softer, she can sing whisphery as well, and when the accompaniment gets intense, she bring some intensity into her voice as well.

February 17th, 2015

Sandi and I sang through scales, including good ear building ones like 1-3-4-3-1, and I recommended she work on 1-5-7-1 at home etc. to still build that ear.

We sang Sinking Deep a few times, I recommended not being too strident in it.

Then went back to Brokenness Aside, which she really nailed. A bit of tuning issues in first verse, but overall really sensitive and beautiful.

February 10th, 2015

Sandi and I went over the worship song from last week, and I made some suggestions as to weightiness (lightening up at times) and also letting the sound be a little 'raw' when the lyrics are raw. We talked about vulnerability, and connecting to the meaning of the lyrics, and letting yourself really communicate them... to let it all hang out a bit.

February 3rd, 2015

Sandi and I went over the song from last week, but it's a hard one-- so we decided to try a worship song from church. She likes All Sons and Daughter's "I am a sinner," (can't recall the name offhand).

I recommended she check out The Civil Wars, Sleeping at Last, Alison Krauss, Dala, and a few other artists.

January 27th, 2015

New song:

http://www.songlyrics.com/amanda-noelle/beautiful-name-lyrics/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD8AHMc-frM

January 20th, 2015

January 13th, 2015

Sandi is away vacationing in the sun today!

January 6th, 2015

Sandi and I recorded four tracks of Stormy Weather. We'll edit it down next week maybe... though I'd love to have you give another go at some of the high spots after giving your voice a good rest.

December 30th, 2014

We warmed up, then listened through the final recording of Mary Did You Know. Other than a missing consonant, it was pretty fantastic.

She then decided to add a new song. Here's the Karaoke version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGpIiLg0EAM

We'll need to get closer to yellin' at a few points! :)

December 23rd, 2014

Sandi and I started with warm ups, then recorded three or four tracks of "Mary Did You Know." I'll try to finish it before Christmas!

December 16th, 2014

My computer wasn't working right, so while I rebooted, we did some warm up, and then just continued working on a new song -- Mary Did You Know. This is sounding really beautiful!

December 9th, 2014

Sandi and I warmed up, then sang through the song a few times before recording two takes in Ardour.

I recommended she work on the vibrato a bit-- pull it back some.

December 2nd, 2014

Sandi and I sang through the new song a few times, (you're coming along swimmingly!!) I think we could try recording it next week, if I can remember those fool chords! I'll write them out, I promise!

November 25th, 2014

We began with warm up, (1-3-5-3-1) and I really tried to focus on listening for issues-- it was hard to find any! A tad out of tune going up on 3. Always rectified coming down on 3. Just something to pay attention to when practicing 1-3-5

We then worked on the new song (sorry it took so long to find the chords!) There's one spot on the song where she just hits an upbeat push a bit hard. She tried whispering it, and it seemed to make a big difference! She said she was so used to singing "clearly" with choir, that it feels unnatural do it.

November 18th, 2014

Sandi and I listened to the recording together (from last week), then warmed up some and she re-sang a couple of takes.

We then went through her part, editing and picking the best version.

It's very close to done-- I'll try adding a better piano part and some bass in this week, then mixing it down.

November 11th, 2014

Sandi and I warmed up quite quickly, and then recorded two or three tracks of At Last vocals. We had the tuner screen up to just watch falling pitch at the end of tones. She's really sounding amazing!! Just watch that tuning and also slow down your vibrato just a bit.

November 4th, 2014

Sandi and I worked on At Last, and decided to try recording it next week.

The tone has really improved. Don't be afraid to throw dipthongs away, and use "Ahs" instead on letters like "I"

October 28th, 2014

We went over "At Last" a few times in the Eb key (I'd forgotten to rechart it!)... we focused on keeping the soft palate relaxed, and using lots and LOTS of air to stay easy and light.

October 21st, 2014

Here's a lower key for At Last:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrsr4xLNzg4


I need to remember to rechart it in Eb!

October 14th, 2014

Sandi and I recorded again this week, putting down a 'scratch' piano track first, and then recording three separate takes. She did better when there was no voice in the headphones, just the piano.

Swooping is still a bit of an issue, but the sound is good, and once you got 'belting' it a bit the third take, it gave it more personality too!

Looking forward to this!

October 7th, 2014

We did warm ups with the tuner for the first 15 minutes, and then recorded the song. A real improvement in the solid sound, and communication was terrific.

Next week, let's record this song for real and see how it goes!

Also, Sandi wants to focus on Etta James' At Last next.

September 30th, 2014

Sandi and I did some warm ups, then went over the song a couple of times, before setting up the microphones and recording a few takes of her singing it.

Some points that came from recording (that I can recall this morning):

1. Watch on excessive swooping-- try to save it as a special thing, not a regular feature of your voice.

2. Keep your voice light, but keep the intensity of diaphramatic support; sometimes coming in on a note there isn't enough intensity in the sound (as you're aiming for pitch accuracy, this is normal).

3. Really engage with the words, as this is likely the most important part of singing... it's like a story teller who uses inflection... it covers a multitude of other sins in presentation

Great job!

September 23rd, 2014

Sandi and I started with warm up, using consonants (tee tee tee, doo, doo doo, lah lah lah, bah bah bah, etc.

Sandi, continue to work on these warm ups at home, keeping your voice light and agile, adding just a touch of 'breathiness to your tone. Don't weight to heavy on starting notes, don't throw away notes, but give each a value, even if in passing.

Practice the song No Moon at All using that same light style-- it's definitely a winner when you do that! Next week let's record it both ways, and compare.

September 16th, 2014

Sandi and I warmed up for 10 to 12 minutes, working on scales, keeping open tones, and not punching tops and bottoms of runs.

We then worked on the song "No Moon At All"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GxvSALRLzM

September 9th, 2014

Sandi has selected vocals as her focus, and we started with the basics today, going through warm up and talking about things like punching top and bottom notes, dipthongs, vowel similarity, etc.

We did the alternating ladder-style scales, as well as double vowel half scales. We did some ear training too, 1-5, and then 1-5-4-1

I suggested she find a few songs that would be in the crooner style from the 40s, as they lend themselves well to vocal lessons.