I'm trying two ways:
- an 'intelligent' progression
- a set of tunes
As an 'intelligent' progression I'm trying this:
C# - F# - B - E - A - D - G - C - F - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb
This is merely a fourth progression, but has two good properties, I think:
1. It is not chromatic (i.e. C,C#,D,...) so it allows less tricks: sometimes
the hands learn before the mind, and this is not very useful. On the other
hand, it is a typical and very useful progression.
2. It starts with unusual tones, so it forces practice on that tones, even
in case of interruptions.
I will appreciate any comment on this idea.
For example, a common problem is that this progression has a large range, so
at some point I have to lower an octave, in just one step or two.
In a word, I would like to have a progression that I can forget, makeing it
automatic, and leave my mind concentrated on the specific exercise -
voicing, pattern, singing, or whatever.
Regarding the set of tunes, I think it would be the best method.
I mean to have a list of tunes that touches many different tonalities and modes.
Not necessarily tunes with many keys, but also a well assorted list of tunes
which covers the whole range.
Each tune can be transported to other tonalities in order to involve other
keys, but I think it should be better to limit the tonalities to the useful
ones, for example the instrumental key and the typical male and female vocal
keys.
I will try to compose this list, but obviously I think everybody of us have
some idea.
The only examples I can imagine now, before to start a real search, are:
Any anatole, in typical keys
Any blues, in typical keys (even rock/guitarisic ones (E,A,..)
Giant steps
Very early
Walts for Dave (Chick Corea)
...
-- Andrea Chiodi (andrea.chiodi@atom.it)