Here's something I first learnt from Carl Orr.

Later, I read Bob Moses' drum book (well worth checking out if you can find it).

It deals with learning to control where your phrases begin and end rhythmically.

(Think of the end of a phrase as being as important as the end of sentence).

1) Start phrases on every possible 1/8th note.

2) End phrases on every possible 1/8th note.

then do the same for triplets and 1/16ths…

Practise this with just one note and a metronome, then

(a) Play over one chord vamp

(b) Play over chord progression/tune

Record.

Listen back. Critique.

Of course, you don’t think consciously about any of this when you’re performing, but practising it will help prevent your phrasing from becoming predictable (ie boring!).

Rather than just learning to recognise the interval between 2 notes, it may be more useful in a playing situation to be able to recognise pitches relative to a key centre (eg. hearing that the sax player just played a 9th).

To do this, you need to listen to all 12 chromatic pitches over and over against a strong key center cadence until you internalise the sound of all the notes. The approach here reflects the teachings of the great Charlie Banacos.

Possibly the simplest way is to use software to do this – the great Functional Ear Trainer (set it to all chromatic pitches and all octaves).

The real learning happens when you get an answer wrong:

1) Play the cadence again and sound the pitch you named. Go back and forth between the cadence and the note. Learn what that note really sounds like.

2) Repeat this process with the pitch originally sounded. Fix its sound in your ear.

Had a great online lesson with Sheryl Bailey last night, about her picking technique.

She learnt it from Rodney Jones, and it's modelled on George Benson's unusual style, where the pick is essentially held at 90 degrees to the way most people hold it.

It allows you to play in a very relaxed way, and to get a better sound (and maybe more speed).

Seems like it could take 6-8 months to swap over to this method, but I'm going to give it a shot. Here goes!

Space

Phrasing

Rhythmic variety

“Make musical sense”

Melody

THE melody

Practise everything. Think about nothing…