Wayne Krantz - An Improvisors OS

[alwaysharp]

Anybody check this book out? And if so, what's your take on it?

[bako]

The book contains a complete list of note collections, some suggested practice approaches and Wayne's thinking about music and improvisation.
It reads as a dialogue between Wayne and an imaginary musician processing the books ideas and suggestions and is quite funny at times.
Personally I like the book. What are you hoping to gain from it.

[alwaysharp]

Thanks. I'm just looking for a different perspective and something new to work with. I actually went ahead and ordered it because I found it for $15. I figured I've probably paid more for worse. Once I get it and get a chance to check it out I'll give my own little review...for whatever that's worth. Lol. Thanks again.

[marcwhy]

It's a cool book. Kind of a Mick Goodrick approach in that Wayne gives you a formula, and then you have to do the work to figure it out (which, of course, helps us learn it more effectively).

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by alwaysharp

Anybody check this book out? And if so, what's your take on it?

I like it a lot. He pulls no punches: 1. Identify every note on the fretboard until you don't have to think about it. 2. Learn to read music.
If you're up for doing both, then the book will pay dividends.

[TruthHertz]

A remarkable little antidote to the ocean of hand holding phrase/genre oriented "lick-tionary" books out there. Most books are boats or cruise liners taking the reader to somewhere the author thinks you should be. The OS is a kick in the ass that drops you in the middle of the ocean.
Lots of exhaustive patterns for you to work yourself into and out of. Lots of fingering and musical possibilities you probably never used or even thought of. Just put out there in list form.
I'd say it's most useful for people who've done their ear training homework and can appreciate the power of new possibilities for making music.
Put it on the music stand next to Goodrick books, it'll fit. It's literally a little book.
By the way, be forewarned, this is a "modern" approach. I dare say it's the kind of book that the Jimmy Bruno/Pass-ters would scoff at. Think of Dave Binney's music on guitar. Better yet, get Binney's new CDs with Wayne on them; it's one glimpse into possibility.
David

[JakeAcci]

Just for the sake of discussion and my own curiousity, how does Wayne's book differ from Slonimsky's Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns?

[TruthHertz]

Originally Posted by JakeAcci

Just for the sake of discussion and my own curiousity, how does Wayne's book differ from Slonimsky's Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns?

They're both complimentary sources, both are very good for revealing the various permutations that can be played for 3 note, 4 note, etc. combinations but Wayne's book also addresses the specific demands, questions, ruts, habits, cliches of guitarists working in the "jazz" genre. There are some thoughtful commentaries and suggestions that freely admit that this is not for everyone, but for a modern jazz guitarist looking for approaches in the post Coltrane, Post Shorter era, this is one way that guitarists can break out of the zombie lick pattern rut, by being aware of other note combinations and how they're applicable in a tonal (or not) situation. It seems that horn players work in this realm a lot more fluently than guitarists. For sure, if more guitarists worked with Slonimsky's book, or worked with teachers fluent in the Schillinger system of multiple tonics, or with Goodrick's system of voice leading, that the guitar world would be much broader.
The OS is a guitarist's systematic offering to different sounds, unique sounds that come in different note combinations. It's akin to Indian Ragas and the scale, intervallic, implied harmonic relational sounds that can be found in those finite sets. It's maybe like the uber-chord scale catalogue. Like Slonimsky but with an eye and commentary from a practicing guitarist's perspective.
As I look these over, they form an awareness of relationships between phrases, notes, and a freedom that comes from being able to identify unique synthetic chord scales as they can be developed in real time during a solo.
Hope this is helpful.
David