Study Online with Bob

Intro to Scat! is now available at IMusic School

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Bob's fun, interactive course will give you the skills, vocabulary and theory you've been looking for!

Unit I - Expand your vocabulary and strengthen your rhythm with style!

Unit 1 begins with a clear explanation of how beats are subdivided into 8th, triplet and 16th pulses. Each beat-pulse relationship is rhythmically interpreted with an even or swing feel that corresponds to a specific musical style. You will enjoy learning an extensive vocabulary of scat by articulating rhythmic patterns embellished with syllables, syncopation, accents, ties and slurs. All exercises have background sing-along tracks in a variety of musical styles including jazz swing, Latin Bossa Nova & Samba, rock, funk, shuffle, Reggae and Cajun. 
Unit 2 - Get the foundation you need with scales, modes, arpeggios and more
Unit 2 is all about melodic navigation using both scales and arpeggios with extensions natural 9 and natural 11. This unit offers a diverse palette of exercises designed to help musicians practice the melodic sequences of major, pentatonic, blues, jazz be bop dominant and harmonic minor scales along with the Dorian, Mixolydian and Aeolian modes. Practice sing-along tracks include a diverse collection of musical styles similar to Unit 1.

Unit 3 - Deepen your understanding of chord relationships in motion 
In Unit 3, we review the modes and how they are derived from major scales. Next is a review of triads and seventh chords followed by added extensions 9, 11 and 13. We then segue into a comprehensive study of unresolved II-V’s and extended II-V’s followed by a review of special scales including Lydian dominant, diminished, half diminished and the altered scale also known as the super Locrian mode. Tonal modulation (changing keys) is explored using cycle 5 with a focus on the roots, color tones, extensions and how these notes resolve from chord to chord. Finally, we practice exercises that highlight the tonal resolutions of dominant 7th to major and minor keys and how to combine the Locrian mode with the symmetric diminished scale in order to resolve both major and minor keys.  

Unit 4 - Use your new skills to solo over classics from the Great American Songbook
Unit 4 is a collection of prescribed scat solos written over the chord changes to 10 jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Each solo demonstrates a different application of all the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic skills taught in units 1-3 including: rhythm, syncopation, scat syllables, instru-vocal articulation, accents, scales, arpeggios, color tone resolution and how to navigate common chord patterns in jazz and popular music. Each written solo demonstrates phrasing, line contour and motivic development in a variety of musical styles. The songs are arranged for rhythm section and strings, beginning with a statement of the melody followed by a written solo that segues into background tracks for you to practice creating your own solo over the chord changes.

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