Memorize that progression you dummy!

[Drumbler]

I have to put a serious effort into just plain memorizing the progression of a tune when I improvise over it.

It's easy for me to comp over a tune and become kind of a robot, just repeating the progression in a pattern, forgetting what's going on, what IS the chord I just played, what's coming up next.

When you go from comping to improvising, then you really need to know.

You can't be a monkey. Especially if you are taking a song through different keys, which I always make a point to do.

Some tunes are easy. Some are surprisingly complex in subtle ways.

It's a damn pain BUT to me it makes jazz so interesting.

This same process I find to be in playing chord melodies. If you only play a chord melody in one key (which is perfectly acceptable) you can kind of relax a bit and use a pattern mentality. When you take it through different keys, then you cannot get too comfortable.

It's a challenge.

[FatJeff]

Originally Posted by Drumbler

I have to put a serious effort into just plain memorizing the progression of a tune when I improvise over it.

It's easy for me to comp over a tune and become kind of a robot, just repeating the progression in a pattern, forgetting what's going on, what IS the chord I just played, what's coming up next.

When you go from comping to improvising, then you really need to know.

You can't be a monkey. Especially if you are taking a song through different keys, which I always make a point to do.

Some tunes are easy. Some are surprisingly complex in subtle ways.

It's a damn pain BUT to me it makes jazz so interesting.

This same process I find to be in playing chord melodies. If you only play a chord melody in one key (which is perfectly acceptable) you can kind of relax a bit and use a pattern mentality. When you take it through different keys, then you cannot get too comfortable.

It's a challenge.

It's the same issue I used to have with classical pieces - you can memorize it if you play it enough, but do you really know it? I certainly never played classical guitar pieces in any other key than the one the music was written in. Thus, I did not know them well.

Have worked blues in all 12 keys. Currently working ATTYA, Rhythm Changes and Cherokee in 12 keys. It's tough but it really ingrains that progression in your head!

[errandboyforrhythm]

I find that analyzing the harmony of the tune helps. I also tend to simplify the changes when necessary. I only do the simplifying to learn the changes, the most important parts of them... When you think, you'll also memorize better...
You don't have to play the chords in a simple way once you've learnt the changes well

[drobniuch]

IF SOMETHING DIFFICULT TO YOU, YOU WILL NEVER LEARN IT...
BUT WE CAN ANY HARD PROBLEM DIVIDE INTO MANY EASY ones...

if You realize it You learn how to learn !!

forgetting what's going on, what IS the chord I just played

You simply don't know the tune enough. It's not becouse You spend not too much time but becouse bad practice learning routine

[mr. beaumont]

Are you learning the melodies seperately as well?

That was one mistake I made when first starting to arrange chord melodies--I'd learn the melody and chords as a cohesive unit...It meant I could transpose my chord melodies up or down a few steps with ease, but i didn't really internalize the melody or the changes as seperate entities...Just another "there are no shortcuts" lesson I learned the hard way.

[mike walker]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Are you learning the melodies seperately as well?

That was one mistake I made when first starting to arrange chord melodies--I'd learn the melody and chords as a cohesive unit...It meant I could transpose my chord melodies up or down a few steps with ease, but i didn't really internalize the melody or the changes as seperate entities...Just another "there are no shortcuts" lesson I learned the hard way.

For me... this is one of the main points. Learning the tune in different octaves and positions separately from the chords. Lenny Breau, Jarrett etc play the tunes with so many variations, breathing new life into them.