Educational Blogs
JMI Blog: Blues Phraseology (Part II)
Blues Phraseology in Jazz by Steve Russell, piano lecturer at JMI This is the second in a series of articles aimed at developing a better understanding of the nature of blues phraseology and its importance in jazz and bebop. Part 1 is designed to clarify the...
JMI Blog: Blues Phraseology (Part I)
Blues Phraseology in Jazz by Steve Russell, piano lecturer at JMI This is the first in a series of articles aimed at developing a better understanding of the nature of blues phraseology and its importance in jazz and bebop. Part 1 is designed to clarify the...
JMI Blog: Three Beat Phrases in Jazz Drumming
by Dave Sanders, drum lecturer at JMI Many of the syncopations in Jazz music are created from rhythmic phrases that use groupings of three. These provide a rolling feel that crosses bar lines and create excitement. A musical example is in bars 5 to 8 of It Don’t Mean...
JMI Blog: Jazz Drumming in Odd Time
by Dave Sanders - Drum lecturer at JMI. In this blog series, Dave will look at various aspects of jazz drumming. This blog will focus on playing in odd time. Not all music is in 4/4. It’s a good idea to spend some time practicing in time signatures other than 4/4. By...
JMI Blog: Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady – A Case Study by Andrew Garton
by Andrew Garton - Jazz Composition lecturer Introduction Charles Mingus’s “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady” (Mingus, 1963) was recorded and released in 1963 and is one of his most extended and unified works that is “remarkable for the richness of its harmonic...
JMI Educational Blog: Working with Triads – PART II
by Travis Jenkins - lecturer at JMI Last week we looked at the importance of triads and how to effectively use them in constructing melodies through major harmony. For a recap, check out Part I of Working with Triads. This week we're going to look at expanding on...
JMI Educational Blog: Working with Triads – PART I
by Travis Jenkins - JMI sessional lecturer Teaching jazz music in Brisbane, I often come across musicians who are already sinking their teeth into the art of improvisation, yet still don’t know their triads. I was definitely one of these people. One of my teachers...
JMI Educational Blogs – Piano chords: Spelling vs. Voicing
One of the first things you’ll learn in any tertiary contemporary music course – especially at JMI in Brisbane, once your fundamental scales and triads are secure, is how to “spell” 7th chords - not just dominant 7ths, but major and minor 7ths, diminished and...
JMI Educational Blogs – Reading Rhythms & Ostinato
When teaching at JMI in Brisbane I get all students to spend some time reviewing some basic fundamentals on the drum kit. Reading rhythms is one skill we can use to help us develop in many ways on the drum kit. Here’s some ideas you may want to try. Adaptation of...
BeBlog Part II: Major Pain
by Andrew McNaughton Major Pain The dominant 7 chord function seems to get all the attention in jazz with its flashy flat fives, bodacious upper body structure and all its possibilities for tension and extension. But what do we do with all that pent up jazz … more...
BeBlog – A Grain of Salt Peanuts
By Andrew McNaughton - lecturer at JMI & Qld Conservatorium When JMI put out the called to arms for a jazz-related blog with an educational aspect, I responded with an enthusiasm borne out of a deep sense of duty and the passion of a dedicated teacher. Ask not...
JMI Blog: My Top 5 favourite Bass Players
by Nick Quigley - CEO of JMI There are many jokes that go around about bass players... such as; what do you call it when two upright bassists play in unison? A minor second... But in my opinion, the bass plays an integral role in all styles of music and holds a...