Creating More Interesting Lines...

[rtmoran]

Greetings everyone!

Second post here... Was hoping to get some feedback. I've only been doing that jazz thing for about a year and guitar only a few years more.

Lately I've been looking for any devices possible to help create more interesting lines in my playing. I haven't been playing jazz long enough to really be able to pick out what I should or shouldn't be doing more of. Hate for an introductory post to ask for feedback I was hoping some of you would take a moment to check out a few of my recordings. I even threw some chord melodies in there. But I would really appreciate it!

I've included 7 tracks. Stella was probably recorded a bit too soon!
http://soundcloud.com/imknothere/sets/music/

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

[rtmoran]

If this is the wrong forum for this kind of request, I'm sorry... Would I mod please direct it to somewhere more appropriate?

[randalljazz]

Originally Posted by rtmoran

If this is the wrong forum for this kind of request, I'm sorry... Would I mod please direct it to somewhere more appropriate?

not a mod , but you might try down here:

Showcase - The Jazz Guitar Forum

also, you might try one at a time, so as to not scare folks off ...

[rtmoran]

also, you might try one at a time, so as to not scare folks off ...

Not a bad idea!

I left my version of Time Remembered up and would love some critiques!

Forum by imknothere on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

[gersdal]

Originally Posted by rtmoran

Not a bad idea!

I left my version of Time Remembered up and would love some critiques!

Forum by imknothere on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

The improvisation sound ok. You seems to pick notes that are correct and fit with the chords, but as you indicate in the title I guess you could work on getting the lines more interesting. I would probably asked you to work on Rhythmic variation if you were my student.

Another thing. The comping is interferring too much with the improvised lines in my opinion. You should think about how to make the comping supportive but not inferring. Different registers and lover volume may help.

My 2c

[rtmoran]

Thanks for the advice.. I would agree that my rhythmic variation does need some work... do you have any advice as to exercises?

Thanks
Ryan

[Tbirdjazzguitar]

Do you listen to a lot of jazz?
If not, it helps to hear what actual jazz lines sound like.

[rtmoran]

I do.. I actually try to memorize and sing along to the lines.. it works up until a certain tempo and then I can't keep up with it... But you're absolutely correct.. my playing has grown a little bit (I think) since I began investing more time into the listening.

Thanks
Ryan

[gersdal]

Originally Posted by rtmoran

do you have any advice as to exercises?

1 - Sing what you're playing, and stop playing when you breath.
2 - Sing a phrase first that you think is cool, then repeat it on your instrument.
3 - Work your way into all sorts of rhythmic possibilities in one bar, two bars .... E.g. I'm gonna play 8th notes in two bar phrases, but I shall leave one 8th note rest somewhere in the phrase and I'll approach the second bar with a set of triplets. Incorporate the cool ones into your playing.
4 -Listen to records, what kind of rhythmic figures do you think is cool when you listen? What are they doing? Whats the rhythmic figure they use? Write it down, and incorporate it into your playing...

G

[TruthHertz]

I can only vouch for this as having worked for me. Take blank music paper, put the chord symbols where they should be and write out a solo. You might put your chord tones in pencil very lightly. For me this was a revelation, I had time to think, no pressure and no conflict of getting caught in devices that work for me in practicing (habits becoming cliches.) Writing out a solo a week gave me what I needed to realize things like motific soloing, starting a phrase at different points in the measure, the significance of beginnings and endings in a phrase, dynamics... all the usual suspects but in a written out (composed) form, I can have the benefit of controlling my speed of thought and recall. Since the process is the same as improvising but with time to think clearly, I learned things that I had missed by playing uninteresting solos in real time "just to get by." It was immediately apparent that this helped my soloing abilities. But that was just me.
I did one solo a week, for a long time. I favoured this approach over transcription though the two are by no means mutually exclusive.
David

[rtmoran]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone... A question... would you say learning as many jazz licks as possible is essential to learning the jazz language? At least, at first? That is one thing I do not spend nearly enough time doing.

[TruthHertz]

You're going to get as many answers as there are people reading this. It's for you to decide. I'd say it's important to know the function of each phrase, know your theory, what are important notes you want your lines to go to, target notes in a phrase, and realize that your line should take you there via arpeggio, scale, leap or approach of some kind. I'd say that to learn a lick in your hand will serve you in the short term but may limit you if you don't realize what it is you're actually doing. I'd say you can be aware of what other people do and be much more aware of what the options are for doing that same thing and then make your own expanding book of phrases. I'd say your ear must be the first step in any process, don't play until you can hear what it is you're playing; let the inner sound guide you rather than the lick in the hand. But there will be many many others that will say I'm completely wrong. It depends on what you decide you want to do with your time and what you want to be able to do in the end.
David

[AmundLauritzen]

Originally Posted by rtmoran

Thanks for all the great advice everyone... A question... would you say learning as many jazz licks as possible is essential to learning the jazz language? At least, at first? That is one thing I do not spend nearly enough time doing.

A great idea in my opinion. But I believe you should learn those licks in context. Apply them to as many situations as possible and lead in to and out of them with your existing vocabulary. That will create associations in your subconscious and make them appear naturally in your playing.

Playing licks isolated is nothing but a technique exercise because you don't associate them to anything.
Another good idea is to try to relate them to chords or visualize the scales they use.

I'm a firm believer in vocabulary. Learn as many licks as you can and squeeze the most out of each and every one of them. First learn it as it was originally played. Then dissect it in as many ways as possible. Analyze it and discover what makes it tick. Maybe it has an augmented arpeggio for example. Find out how that relates to the underlying chord and try to use that one concept as a basis for coming up with your own lines. Dwell on each lick until you can't stand it anymore. When you've tossed it around until the point that it makes you nauseous, then leave it alone. Suddenly, you will find that it appears in your improvisations. Then, you've got it!

My 2 cents.