I typically have a deeper understanding of material when I must try to solve my own problems (ie what chord next, what notes to include, what would be a good leading note...etc). To become a more flexible player, I would like to try randomly pairing chord progressions and different rhythms.

This is the best way I can describe what I am after. Envision a slot machine with three tumblers roughly like this:



I'm sure exercises like this already exist. If there is material like this, please point me in the right direction. Thanks for any input.

Rob

Hi Rob, I do not know if a tool like that exists, but if there is one, it may be used by the guys into Serialism or Indeterminate music... For those sad mortals like me that have ever listened to that, it is as far from music as a female iRobot would be from Pamela Anderson (even if they both share, I might add, some recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate related materials [ plastic ] in their makeup).

My honest recommendation would be to center your exercises around more "real" music, so you do not bore yourself to death. Some examples:

- To exercise your improvisation capabilities, play the mayor, pentatonic, harmonic scales and all the arpeggios of all the chords (major/minor) in the same spot on your instrument.

- To work your rhythmic capabilities and enhance your hand independence, play some basic piano tunes or check the three books of Georges Dandelot (specially the third), it is an entry level to evil level rhythmic book. If you are also up to it, try playing music outside your preferred style / confort zone (Latin Jazz, Serb Fanfare music, Persian, North African, South American) you will se that you quickly enrich the "tools" you have available when you play.

- Regarding the chords; Nothing better that picking up a simple tune and arranging it by increasing the succession of chords (II, V, I) or inverting them or replacing any dominant chord ("tritone" replacement of the dominant with any chord each 1 and 1/2 tones from the tonic of the original)

Just some thoughts, hope it helps.

Gustavo