Lost on Rhythms in the Real Book

[bobsguitars09]

Huge Roadblock here. Getting ready to start playing my way through the Real Book 6th edition.

I am severely stuck on how to play all the "Rhythms" listed on each song. I have NO idea where to even start. I know I can listen to the recordings and will. Is there a resource or can someone put some notation up here that shows in notation the Rhythms you would use for each of these types of rhythms please? I am LOST. no idea how to approach any of these from a rhythm guitar standpoint. am I the only one? I AM comfortable playing through the freddie green type rhythm. not sure on any of these here. I should add that I also have the cd's that go along with the real book from hal leonard and I still have no clue.

MED. LATIN - AMERICAN FLOWER how would I play a MED. LATIN?

BALLAD - ALFIE not at all sure how to Really approach playing a ballad..and so on and so forth.

MED. BALLAD - ALWAYS

MED. SWING - ALL OF ME

MED. FAST - AFRO BLUE

MED. BOSSA - AGUA DE BEBER

MED. ALICE IN WONDERLAND

MED. BLUES - ALL BLUES

SLOW BLUES - ANGEL EYES

BRIGHT BLUES - BESSIES BLUES

MED. SLOW - BIG NICK

SWING - AFTERNOON IN PARIS

BOP - AIRGEN

BOSSA - ANA MARIA

EVEN 8THS - APRIL OF JOY

JAZZ - ARMAGEDDON

MED JAZZ - AUTUMN LEAVES

MED-UP JAZZ - BLACK NILE

MED. JAZZ WALTZ - BLUESETTE

FAST JAZZ - BYRD LIKE

MED. UP BOSSA - BLUE BOSSA

MED. FUNK - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

SAMBA - CAPTAIN MARVEL

LATIN BLUES - CHITLINS CON CARNE

SLOW 3 - CONTEMPLATION

MED. 2 BEAT - JELLY ROLL

It would be nice for people like me to have them include rhythm slashes with all the chords along with the melody. maybe a beginner real book.

[bako]

Listen to recordings and then come ask this question if there is still some confusion.
Between youtube, spotify, rhapsody or 99 cents a song it was never easier than now to do the research.

[bobsguitars09]

Hi bako. I would agree. problem is I am doing that right now and I think if I had some "rhythm examples" with slashes and or notation for these it would help make it click for me right away. I am soaking up a bit by listening but it would be amazing to have some solid examples on paper or what have you.

[bobsguitars09]

I will be spending A LOT of time listening now. I just want some solid examples to guide me at first. I learn better this way. the combination of both will be my ticket.

[JakeAcci]

The cool thing about play standards, you don't typically stick to one rhythm pattern in comping. The comped rhythm is improvised based on the setting and what the other instruments are doing. For guitar, check out Jim Hall comping, complete mastery of rhythm guitar as far as I'm concerned.

For general comping, Wynton Kelly and McCoy Tyner or really any of the pianists on those giant records are required listening...something I should do more of myself!

[TruthHertz]

Hi Bobsguitars09 (do people call you Bob for short?) Yeah I remember when I was in exactly the same position as you, standing at the edge of enormous mystery. Your question will be answered as you immerse yourself in the jazz genre, and as is pointed out, there's no substitute for learning from your ear. Let me ask you this, though: What got you into jazz? Who are you listening to? Who do you love and what's your range of awareness?
Let me suggest some things you might consider: Listen to people besides guitar players (you'll listen to plenty of guitar players and there's lots of guidance about that on this forum.) Listen to horn players, piano players, bass players, drummers... Stand back from the idea that you've gotta "get it" all at once and listen to each of your examples by different people. Learn your opinions about whether Dexter Gordon appeals to you, or Clifford Brown, or Doug Watkins, or Steve Smith, or Mark Turner, or Lee Konitz... When you've found something that says "That's it!" to you, take the recording, play the recording and play along. Don't play what they're playing, necessarily, but you've just been invited to sit in with the band. How do you make yourself fit in? Begin that slow process of "feeling" the time; of how and what you yourself need to know this. Do it by ear and by movement. Record yourself in this process of "sitting in" and open your ears to what works.
You said you're getting ready to "play your way through the real book?" No. Please don't do that. That's like learning about French cooking by eating your way through the menu, or cooking your way through a cookbook. It's like getting to know what Los Angeles is like by working your way through the phone book. Better to look on the search function on this forum, look at what people consider their favourite songs or tunes they consider staples at a jam or something and get to know these tunes as they were done in real time.
This is only a suggestion. And take off your serious hat and have fun!
David

[bobsguitars09]

very great info thanks. anyone happen to have any of my listed rhythms in notation format?

[mr. beaumont]

It's really a "feel" more than a set rhythm when it comes to those instructions.

That said, there's some common bossa patterns out there, I'll see if I have any scribbled down on paper somewhere...

[cjm]

The Real Book rhythm notations are just one arranger's interpretation. Take almost any ballad in the real books and listen to a dozen different recordings by different musicians...you'll hear everything from a slow ballad to an up tempo swing. You'll hear Bossa Nova tunes played as 4/4 swing, swing tunes as Bossa Nova, and so on and so on.

So listen to the tunes -- get some ideas -- and be aware that any group you play with will want to do it differently than the fake book anyway.

And with that in mind, also be aware that most of the chords listed aren't the chords you are going to want to play as a rhythm guitar player. The chords are there so that everyone can see what the arranger intended...but the rhythm guitar, the bass, and the piano usually shouldn't be trying to cover every interval/extension.

The thing is -- it's jazz -- so the idea isn't to duplicate what was done before...not even to duplicate what you played the night before. With that in mind, there really is not a right way and a wrong way to interpret the rhythm.

There are, however, good ways and sucky ways to interpret the rhythm.

[coolvinny]

There is no right answer. You could play the exact same tune in two completely different ways from one practice session to the next...or you could change the rythym part-way through the song. I don't mean to sound condescending, but it sounds to me like maybe you aren't listening - I mean really listening - to enough jazz. The way the rythym is played also depends on how the melody is being played...it's all inter-related.

Also, that's a pretty long list of tunes you listed. Eventually it would be great to master all those, but I think you might learn more if you just take one of those songs and learn the heck out of it...i.e. learn a bunch of ways to comp it, with different feels, etc...then you can apply those things to other songs. That approach helped me; YMMV.