Welcome to Try This!—a space for exploring old ideas that still have something to teach us. This year, I’m expanding Try This! with monthly articles about partimenti—the fascinating 18th-century teaching tradition that challenges us to rethink music history and reconsider how we teach and learn music today. Lately, I’ve been reading and thinking about Joseph […]
Welcome to Try This! Your weekly exploration of musical patterns applied to partimenti. This week we’re going to look at how two master composers—JS Bach (1685–1750) and Paul Simon (b 1941)—realized these patterns in their music. Here is last weeks post introducing the ④ ③ ② ①. Share This! If you know anyone who you
Welcome to Try This! Your weekly exploration of musical patterns applied to partimenti. This week, we will start exploring the Rule of the Octave ④ ③ ② ①. [FREE WORKSHOP] Improvise a Classical Phrase 📅 April 21-25, 2025 | ⏰ 11:00-11:30 AM CST | 📍 Live on Zoom Unlock the secrets of classical improvisation with
Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Naples, a land of sunlit streets and lively piazzas, musicians created an ingenious way to learn, teach, and create music. This method was not only efficient, and effective but—perhaps most importantly—fun! Just like kids build castles with Lego bricks, mixing shapes and colours to build an unlimited
Welcome to Try This! Your weekly exploration of musical patterns and partimenti rules. This week we’re going to look at how two master composers—Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713) and Beethoven (1770 – 1827)—realized these patterns in their compositions. Here is last weeks post introducing the ① ④ ⑤ ①. Romantic Bassline Project Is there a
Welcome to Try This! Your weekly exploration of musical patterns and partimenti rules. Romantic Bassline Project Is there a harmonic moment that you love in Chopin, either of the Schumann’s Brahms, or Mahler. I’m in the process of analyzing all sorts of romantic period repertoire and creating basslines from that repertoire to explore, improvise with,
Partimenti Workshop 2025: Open for Registration! I want to let you know that the Partimenti Workshop 2025 is now open for enrolment! This workshop will get your musical creativity flowing, give you reliable and practical tools to improvise, compose, and understand music, and help you trust your musical ideas. Partimenti This week we are going to continue
Part 2 of 3: Zingarelli’s Libro Primo, Partimento No 1Read More »
Welcome to Try This! Your weekly look at a partimenti rule. This week we are going to start with the Rule of the Octave (RO)! If you don’t know the RO it is the most useful musical pattern that shows up in music from Bach to Taylor Swift. The Rule of the Octave Don’t think
