I’ve just come across this great little that allows you to create a video or photo wall which you publish to your blog. I first published Facebook and now I’m trying out here.

Hope it works!

<img style=”visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;” border=0 width=0 height=0 src=”http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyOTgxMzc2MzQ2NjEmcHQ9MTI5ODEzNzY*Njc2MCZwPTkwMjA1MSZkPSZnPTEmb2Y9MA==.gif” />http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf

Last Monday was my daughter Carme’s 16th Birthday. So as I’ve I’ve been learning Cubase in order to make jazz and blues backing tracks for the AdvancedGuitarPlayer Website, I decided to have a go at recording one of my own tunes – I wrote this one the day Carme and my wife arrived home from the maternity hospital.

It’s called Smile (Somewhere in mt Heart) – the vocals are a bit rough but it’s not too bad for a first attempt!!!

http://www.youtube.com/v/&hl=en&fs=1

Happy Birthday, Carme Harris!!!

I’ve just started on the first couple of levels of the Interval Recognition Exercise and it looks pretty good.

LevelOne is ascending Perfect Fourths, Perfect Fifths and Perfect Octaves and Level Two offers the same intervals both ascending and descending. (see screenshot)

What’s cool is that you get a choice – you can either name the interval or name the notes – very cool!

I’ve been pretty lax about writing the review of Auralia Ear Training for the Ear Training Section on Advanced Guitar Player – the truth is I’ve been a bit busy and what’s more, it occurs to me that however good it is most Ear Training Software suffers from the same problem.

Both Auralia and EarMaster Pro are so complex and offer so many different exercises that you really need some guidance – preferably from a teacher.

The great thing about Auralia is that it sets out course pathways – an excellent resource for teachers, which also gives structure to your Ear Training practice if you’re working alone.

Having come a cropper starting on the Jazz Course pathway, I’ve decided to learn learn the program from the bottom up and start with the the Solfege – Fixed Do Course.

This pathway provides:- Interval recognition, Interval singing and Scales from the Intervals and Scales Section, Chord Recognition and Chord Singing from the Chords Section and Pitch Dictation and Sight Singing from the Pitch and Melody Section.

I plan to work through the exercises over the coming week or so so I’ll let you know how I get on!

As I’m sure you’ll guess I’m working on ideas for this tune at the moment.

Anyway, here’s the sublime Wes Montgomery showing all us budding guitar players how it’s done!

http://www.youtube.com/v/fXvdU7f-q7I&hl=en&fs=1

Just back from a rehearsal and we started messing with this . . . Impressions by John Coltrane. It’s nice ’cause its the same chords as So What by Miles Davis but this much more fun.

I’ll be uploading the Lead Sheet and Scale Ideas to Advanced Guitar Player over the next couple of days.

http://www.youtube.com/v/me7P9qqBgwI&hl=en&fs=1

Some great tips from Kurt here – Very handy! I’m going to start on the Pentatonic thing right away!

http://www.youtube.com/v/8uLnw6O8hUQ&hl=en&fs=1

OK OK OK . . . I know it’s been Days of Wine and Roses ad infintum recently. But this version by Pat Martino is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

http://www.youtube.com/v/muzILtfvfe4&hl=en&fs=1

I couldn’t resist it . . . I got into these standards watching the crooners shows on Saturday Night with my Mum. Perry Como, Andy Williams et al

Anyway, here are Johnny Mercer’s lyrics

The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at play
Through a meadow land toward a closing door
A door marked “nevermore” that wasn’t there before

The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you

(The lonely night discloses) just a passing breeze filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you

And here’s Andy Pandy strutting his stuff . . . it makes my toes curl!

http://www.youtube.com/v/lGA6b-DoX4c&hl=en&fs=1

Another new tune this week . Henry Mancini’s wonderful Days of Wine and Roses. Snooping around on YouTube I found this interview with Herb Ellis and his very sparse version of the tune – it’ll be be great for working on solo ideas with.

Clear and simple – the great man is sorely missed!

http://www.youtube.com/v/7TAdOyX-yKk&hl=en&fs=1