Victor Wooten
Groove Workshop
Expanding on the groundbreaking concepts he introduced in his book, The Music Lesson— A Spiritual
Search For Growth Through Music (Penguin), master bassist Victor Wooten lays out his unique philosophy of
teaching and learning music in Groove Workshop, a new DVD from Hudson Music.
The 2-disc set features nearly five hours of material, including a complete master class where
Victor — along with bassist/educator Anthony Wellington and six bass students — uses his personal experience and
expertise to delve deeper into rarely discussed, yet vitally important, aspects of music making.
While traditional music education focuses primarily on developing technique and
note-perfect performance, professional musicians like Victor know that there's much more to making music than just
playing the right notes. On Groove Workshop, Victor redefines the essential elements of music and demonstrates how
to apply them in fresh, creative, musically relevant ways.
Check out some images from the DVD
Shoot!
(all images courtesty of Andrew
Lepley)
Chapters and content include:
-
Notes: Sometimes even the "right" notes
can sound wrong. But applying chromatic scales and playing within the musical context can make "wrong" notes
sound right.
-
Grooving: Why feel and emotion are
important in music and an explanation of the elements that need to be present for a good groove to
happen.
-
Articulation/Duration: How changes in
articulation can affect the feel and help create a more professional
sound.
-
Dynamics: How to use dynamics to connect
with your audience.
-
Rhythm/Tempo: Victor's suggested rhythmic
exercises along with the creative use of metronomes and drum machines will improve a player's sense of
time.Tone: Understanding the role of tone quality and how to adjust it for different
situations.
-
Phrasing: Utilizing singing, breathing
and imagination to create more natural, more musical phrases.
-
Space/Rest: A discussion and
demonstration of why space is such an integral part of playing music.
-
Listening: Learning to trust your ears
and why listening may well be the most essential aspect of playing
music.
Also featured on Groove Workshop are several solo performances by
Victor, as well as duets with Anthony Wellington.
Multi-Language- Featuring options for German and Spanish
sub-titles!
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