Challenge of the Month — January/February 2010

photo credit: dobroide via flickr

Change of plan: in the future I'll keep the posts regarding my monthly challenge goals short and sweet.

There's 3 main reasons for that:

1) I don't want to bore you

2) It takes too much prep time to write about it

3) I don't want this blog to turn into just my personal practice diary

I've been thinking about it and came up with this solution:

I'll still post my personal goals for the month. It might only be a few words, I might add a few sentences clarifying things, it might turn into a monster post. Who knows... depending on whatever my goals will be that month.

But there will be a Challenge of the Month post - publishing my practice goals makes me stick to my practice schedule. Just because I wrote about it. That's the power of accountability.

You can always ask questions about any of my exercises or concepts and I'll do my best to answer them. Either directly in the comment section or as a full-blown post.

When a new insight hits me, there's a major epiphany, or just an observation I'd like to share - that's what I'll do.

If nothing like that happens, there won't be a follow-up just for the sake to get a post published.

This hopefully will allow me to deliver helpful stuff at a time that's right instead of a post squeezed in to fit a schedule.

For example, I continued to practice the Precision Technique exercises by Robert Conti even though that challenge has been over. After more than 2 months of practice I'll be able to write a more detailed review than back in late December 09.

Anyways, we'll see how it goes.

January 2010 Challenge:

The central topic: the ii-V-I progression

Guitar: playing ii-V-I progressions for both E and A string roots through the cycle of 4ths and memorizing 3 new ii-V-I licks, playing them in all keys.

Piano/Keys: practicing a two-handed 4 part voicing ii-V-I progression in descending whole step sequences and the cycle of 4ths.

Additionally, I kept doing my functional ear training exercises, the Robert Conti Precision Technique routine as well as my Piano Blues scale technical exercises.

February 2010 Challenge:

Guitar: I've been very fortunate to have studied with Jeff Richman, an awesome Fusion guitarist. During one of our lessons he handed me a set of exercises dealing with chromaticism.

I'll practice the 8 exercises on all 6 strings horizontally for maj7 chords. 1 key a day.

(There'll definitely will be a full blown post about this chromaticism concept.)

Piano: time to add another piece to my repertoire. I've decided on a piece by J.S. Bach - Inventio #1.

P.S.: ear training, the Conti exercises, Blues piano exercises and playing ii-V-I progressions will stay in my practice plan, only the allocated time is reduced per section.

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Related posts:

1. Challenge of the Month — December 2009
2. Challenge of the Month — November 2009
3. The Challenge of the Month Concept

Tagged with: Bach • chromaticism • ii-V-I progression • Jeff Richman • Robert Conti

Filed under: Challenge of the Month

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