Thacher Montessori Gym, 5-5-2013

In attendance:  Victor, Glenn, Chris, Scott, Brad

Opening the meeting with right-hand calisthenics:  follow-through downstrokes (56ish bpm, once every two beats), to follow-through upstrokes, to "stop" picking, then alternate picking, then double time, then double time again, and then 4 beats per string.  Upping the tempo two or three times.  First Primary work, with concentration on the right hand.

Chris suggests revisiting the diatonic modes of the major scale, which Scott has not learned before--this allows us to fully revisit how they are constructed, from light to dark:  Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian.  (Ascending fifths, incidentally).  The way to learn this seems to be circulating each one with tonal center C, droning a C while circulating each scale up and down one octave several times (to allow it to completely move around the circle).  Following this, Victor moves to short improvs, which are each begun by one player, while the rest of the circle moves to recognize and respond in the correlating mode.

A break.

Back in the circle, improvising work.  We jump straight in to recording improvs, and move through 3 improvs.  After the third, we move upstairs to the music room of the school and listen back to the whole set. A few things crop up:  open and closed forms, harmonic density, certain timing and feel qualities.  Swing/shuffle rhythms are specifically mentioned as something that presents itself, but isn't able to be sustained, simply because it's not a regular part of our practice.

For next week, specific work to be involved includes repertoire (from the to-be-practiced list for the OCG), all diatonic modes in C, and swing/shuffle time.