A lesson in Jimmy Wyble’s right and left hand technique
If you want the Right and Left hand independence exercises packet, I hope to have this on my website for a free download soon. In the meantime you can write my email: [email protected] and put Wyble packet in the subject. I will attach a pdf file and send it back to you.
Here are some thoughts that might help you:
1. Jimmy kind of gave us a direction on page 1. Ex. 1-5 tend to show us how to practice by just working the first 2 notes of any exercise, then the first three notes, first four notes, first five notes and then work the entire exercise. If the repeat flips the fingering, work it again with the new right hand fingering.
2. Look at where the top note “D” lands in each measure, for example, exercise 7, m&a attack on beat one of the first bar, beat two of the second bar, beat three of the third bar and beat four of the fourth bar. Most of these exercises are like this where m&a are playing on every beat in every exercise but usually once in every measure. Sometimes m&a will alternate attacking on the quarter or half notes.
3. Make sure that finger 3 stays down and sounds for its full duration, and fingers 1,2&4 play connected but don’t let those lower notes ring over.
4. They are challenging and I believe these are the key to playing any of Jimmy’s music. I would only practice one exercise per day and change exercises each day. Work one page per week. That means each week you revisit exercises that you played earlier in the week. It will take you three months to go through the entire set of exercises this way. If you are ready to go on to the contrapuntal scales at that point move forward. If not, go back and do the the first 12 pages again. The contrapuntal scales pages 13-16 are written out with tablature in Jimmy Wyble’s “Art of Two Line Improvisation” book. It can be purchased from melbay.com, Amazon or eBay.
5. Go real slow when first practicing any particular exercise. Try not to practice more than 10 minutes daily. These exercises will drive you crazy if you over practice them.
I hope will enjoy these exercises,