Robert Conti's Ticket To Improv - Green Dolphin Street

[lawson-stone]

Bars 1-24.

I couldn't get the hang of the triplets bar 21&22, god knows I tried. so I did them on the same string.

Wonderful tone! Looks like you found your own way to play it, and it works!

[lawson-stone]

So here's my clip on the whole solo. My wife's been gone all week so I've consoled my self by working on this solo. I still have trouble transitioning to the final two measures, but hopefully that will smooth out.

I'm using iRealPro 8 for the backing track. I did this clip differently. Normally the guitar is through an amp and mic'd, but this time I played the guitar through the Quilter 101 head and brought the direct feed to the AudioBox, as well as direct feed from the backing track.

[andyb]

My wife's been gone all week so I've consoled my self by working on this solo.

Sounds like heaven, great job on the solo but you are a week early. I suppose you could put your feet up for a week now.

Joking aside it sounds really good, perhaps the backing could be a touch louder, but I am nit-picking here.

[lawson-stone]

One way I "cement" a project is playing it on as many different guitars as I can. I've been really impressed with the very budget-friendly Epiphone ES175 Premium, and thought I'd try a clip with that guitar.

I'm going direct to the Quilter 101 head, and via the effects loop out as a direct line to the AudioBox iTwo, and then to the iPhone 6 via the USB/Lightning cable. I added some reverb in software since the Quilter has no reverb on-board.

I'm sorry to report that I still haven't got the solo's ending down smooth and clean...

[andyb]

I'm sorry to report that I still haven't got the solo's ending down smooth and clean...

I am working on this at the moment, there is a confusing thing on the DVD Mr Conti shows a way to play that line in detail, then he plays it a different way.
I think you are playing it the way he explained. You could take a look at the vid and work out how he actually plays it at tempo.

[MarkRhodes]

In late February I re-enrolled in JimmyBruno's Guitar Workshop (JBGW). At first, I kept up with four study groups here and a few other things but not anymore..


For now, it's all-in with Jimmy and I'm not getting to much of anything else. (Except tunes. I play some tunes every day.)


This won't be forever but it is for now. (The rest of this month and most of next. At that point, I'll reassess how I allocate practice time.)


Much of it is grunt work that I need.For example, playing the ii / V7 / I progression in all 12 keys,using all inversions of 6432 chord voicings along the way. Or running a melodic cell through the “five fingerings”. And playing a(different) chorus of improv in five position on the guitar (over one set of changes). It's kicking my butt but I'm better for it.


All the best to those continuing here.

[MikeS]

On Green Dolphin Street
Bars 25-32

Mike

[losaltosjoe]

In late February I re-enrolled in JimmyBruno's Guitar Workshop (JBGW). At first, I kept up with four study groups here and a few other things but not anymore..

For now, it's all-in with Jimmy and I'm not getting to much of anything else. (Except tunes. I play some tunes every day.)

This won't be forever but it is for now. (The rest of this month and most of next. At that point, I'll reassess how I allocate practice time.)

Much of it is grunt work that I need.For example, playing the ii / V7 / I progression in all 12 keys,using all inversions of 6432 chord voicings along the way. Or running a melodic cell through the “five fingerings”. And playing a(different) chorus of improv in five position on the guitar (over one set of changes). It's kicking my butt but I'm better for it.

All the best to those continuing here.

Hi Mark -- Good luck with your JBGW studies. I try to incorporate a little of Jimmy Bruno (e.g., Five Fingerings, Chord Voicings) into my practice routine every day. Hope to see you back here at some point.

[lawson-stone]

Hey you guys!

We've lost 2 very, very valuable members of our traveling crew here, snailspace and Mark Rhodes. These guys will be missed, but we all need to persevere! In another study group, I'm working on my 5th solo, and that's with solos running 64 measures. I've seen the group turn over several times, people in and out. I can promise you that if you stick with it, you will love what it does for you.

Also... the forum has a kind of pendulum movement. Right now the pendulum seems to be more talk about playing and talk about gear and talk about theory... talk, talk, talk... but not so much of people like us just posting their playing and getting/giving feedback. But isn't PLAYING the thing we are all after? I find myself tiring about discussing the same old topics, but I never tire of processing the business of learning some actual music and talking about that with others who are working on the same thing.

Our group has the added advantage that, in the end, we actually have a piece of music we can play. Next time I play "Satin Doll" for an audience, I have a nice solo that I know people will enjoy. OGDS is another. Theory, scales and arpeggios have their place, but guys I want to learn to play music. Tunes.

So I am just encouraging all you who are still pursuing the Conti Course to be encouraged, stay the course, keep making and posting those clips, keep giving feedback (graciously!) and keep up the conversation around real music that we are actually playing.

That's where the real fun is!

[losaltosjoe]

Hi Lawson - Thanks for the post! I'm not going anywhere! This study group (my first) has been a wonderful experience. Seeing others work through the solos and comparing notes is so much more rewarding than working through the projects alone. Recording and posting the assignments has been strangely terrifying and fun.

At the end of Green Dolphin Street and before we start on Conti Project Three (Autumn Leaves), perhaps we should verify who is still on board and determine if any tweaks to the process are needed?

I hope to have my full solo for OGDS ready to post over the weekend.

[MikeS]

At the end of Green Dolphin Street and before we start on Conti Project Three (Autumn Leaves), perhaps we should verify who is still on board and determine if any tweaks to the process are needed?

I'm enjoying this study group. I'm also staying for accountability reasons. It forces me to stay on track working through each project. I am going to make one change. Up to now I've been recording in eight measure segments. Starting with Autumn Leaves, I'm going to record from the beginning of the song with each new eight measures. I think this will keep the whole tune in context for long term memory.

Let's keep it going.

Mike

[andyb]

Glad to hear you are all keen to continue, thanks for your post Lawson it was great.

As you probably know I was reluctant to join this group, I had come to the conclusion that I couldn't improvise and was working on solo guitar tunes. Well they are on the back burner now, I am really enjoying the group and the progress we are all making, I hope to continue through all 4 volumes with you guys.

[losaltosjoe]

Here's my take on the full solo, bars 1-32.

[MikeS]

Here's my take on the full solo, bars 1-32.

Nice one! I liked your ending.

Mike

[lawson-stone]

Here's my take on the full solo, bars 1-32.

Some really nice touches in there. I keep hammering the triplets mm 1 & 2 but your picking them sounds much cleaner to me. I think I need to try that. I also liked what you did at the end of 16 playing an approach to the line starting in 17.

I think we all find the last 2 lines as written not quite what we want. I'm trying something else I haven't recorded yet, using the old Count Basie ending.

Do you plan to try a post with the head and solo?

Also: what are you using for your backing track? I really like it.

[losaltosjoe]

Some really nice touches in there. I keep hammering the triplets mm 1 & 2 but your picking them sounds much cleaner to me. I think I need to try that. I also liked what you did at the end of 16 playing an approach to the line starting in 17.

*** Thank you. Playing it over and over and watching it on video, I notice I have a habit of sliding into notes (maybe too often!).

I think we all find the last 2 lines as written not quite what we want. I'm trying something else I haven't recorded yet, using the old Count Basie ending.

*** I play the last 2 lines different every time!

Do you plan to try a post with the head and solo?

*** Coming soon!

Also: what are you using for your backing track? I really like it.

*** For the backing track I use Band In A Box 2014 and plug in the Conti chord changes included in the Solo Transcription. STYLE: JFREDMD.STY (Jazz Quartet Medium Slow)

[andyb]

"Sliding into notes (maybe too often!)."

Well it didn't do Wes any harm did it? sounds good to me.

[losaltosjoe]

Hi All,

Thanks for the positive feedback on the 32 bar solo.

Here's my take on the full tune (3 verses: melody, solo, melody).

Credits:
- Bars 1-24: I learned this from a Jimmy Bruno Guitar Workshop Sample Lesson. Unfortunately Jimmy no longer offers this as a sample lesson.
- Bars 31-32: I stole the turnaround/fill from Grant Green (On Green Dolphin Street - Grant Green w/ Sonny Clark). The video is on YouTube. The lick starts at 1:05. Grant plays it in Eb. I had to truncate the lick to make the timing work heading into the solo.
- Bars 33-64: The TTI Conti Solo.
- Bars 65-96: I transcribed the melody from "Introducing Doug Raney". The song is available on YouTube. Doug plays it in Eb. I think someone (Andy?) from this group may have recommended this version.
- The ending fill comes from Freddym223 It is available on YouTube. The lick starts at 3:00. Freddy's videos and lessons helped me get back on the jazz path.
- The last chord comes from another YouTube video: Bireli Lagrene - On Green Dolphin Street Improvisation (Lesson Excerpt). Check it out!

[Doublea A]

Hey you guys!

We've lost 2 very, very valuable members of our traveling crew here, snailspace and Mark Rhodes. These guys will be missed, but we all need to persevere! In another study group, I'm working on my 5th solo, and that's with solos running 64 measures. I've seen the group turn over several times, people in and out. I can promise you that if you stick with it, you will love what it does for you.

Also... the forum has a kind of pendulum movement. Right now the pendulum seems to be more talk about playing and talk about gear and talk about theory... talk, talk, talk... but not so much of people like us just posting their playing and getting/giving feedback. But isn't PLAYING the thing we are all after? I find myself tiring about discussing the same old topics, but I never tire of processing the business of learning some actual music and talking about that with others who are working on the same thing.

Our group has the added advantage that, in the end, we actually have a piece of music we can play. Next time I play "Satin Doll" for an audience, I have a nice solo that I know people will enjoy. OGDS is another. Theory, scales and arpeggios have their place, but guys I want to learn to play music. Tunes.

So I am just encouraging all you who are still pursuing the Conti Course to be encouraged, stay the course, keep making and posting those clips, keep giving feedback (graciously!) and keep up the conversation around real music that we are actually playing.

That's where the real fun is!

I know that I get busy with work and family life and from time to time I seem to disappear from my Study groups, however, I feel that they keep me accountable and force me to stick to a practice routine.

Lawson is right, these groups swing like a pendulum. Anyone that has held a gym membership has also seen the pendulum swing there. Gyms are full in January, empty in March, full in May (Beach season) empty in September, full in December (people realize they have paid for a years membership and only gone twice).

I miss snailspace and Mark but the rest must carry on and leave the leave the light on for them when they return.

[lawson-stone]

If nobody else wants to do it, when we move to the next Conti project, I'll be happy to arrange the "sticky" post with Mark and get that thread going. That would be a good point also to more or less "call the roll" and find out who's moving to the next solo. If someone else would rather do that, great, but if not, I'm happy to look at the calendar, estimate dates for each section, and post a launching thread when the time comes.

[losaltosjoe]

If nobody else wants to do it, when we move to the next Conti project, I'll be happy to arrange the "sticky" post with Mark and get that thread going. That would be a good point also to more or less "call the roll" and find out who's moving to the next solo. If someone else would rather do that, great, but if not, I'm happy to look at the calendar, estimate dates for each section, and post a launching thread when the time comes.

Thanks Lawson! I am also planning on pinging the Conti Facebook group's moderator to see if anyone from that group would like to join our study group.

[MikeS]

On Green Dolphin Street Bars 1-32

Conti Equity Model Guitar

Mike

[andyb]

On Green Dolphin Street Bars 1-32

Conti Equity Model Guitar

Mike

Well done mike, that last bit is trickier than it looks. Perhaps is it just because we had less time to practice the last part compared to the first. I think in a few weeks it will be flying through it all.

I like the new guitar, is it all black I can't tell from the camera angle.

[andyb]

I'm in,

There was some talk about the chords and melody to these tunes. How do you feel about discussing these as we learn the solo. I had thought we should concentrate on just the solo, but I am wondering if we should pull it all together as we go through?

[MikeS]

I'm in,

There was some talk about the chords and melody to these tunes. How do you feel about discussing these as we learn the solo. I had thought we should concentrate on just the solo, but I am wondering if we should pull it all together as we go through?

I think this is a good idea. Not so much detailed theory, but the structure of these tunes. I believe the purpose for learning these solos is to reuse or restructure these lines for use in other tunes. Mr. Conti does cover his methodology in his book The Jazz Lines. Maybe we could discuss this on a preliminary level such as what lines fit over a ii-V or a I, vi, ii, V turn around, etc. A cursory analysis could help us break down a tune for using these lines from a Conti perspective.

When we get to Project 4, the A-Train it should give us a better understanding of how these lines can be reused. A further discussion may help us (me) break the code.

Just my thoughts.

Mike