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#1
03-17-2010, 07:06 PM
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 Jazz blues improvisation Hey guys, i really need some help on jazz blues soloing. I'm pretty good in a normal blues setting but what i would really like to be able to play is something like this YouTube - Wes Montgomery - I Love Blues (1965) Can anyone help me out by telling me what is goin on here or giving me some hints?     |
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#2
03-17-2010, 08:10 PM
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| Hi Noxx: So would a lot of folks...  What do you mean by Normal Blues setting? a I - IV - V blues? Jazz blues progression in Bb is: Bb7 / / / | Eb9 / / / | Bb7 / / / | Fm7 / Bb7 / | Eb9 / / / | Edim / / / | Bb7 / / / |G7 / / / | Cm7 / / / |F9 / / / | Bb7 / G7 / | Cm7 / F9 / | Unlike in Normal blues where you usually play in the pentatonic Box, jazz guys shift to different scales on each chord... A good series to start learning this style is the Frank Vignola jazz Blues series..... |
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#3
03-18-2010, 08:40 AM
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 Quote:
A straight-ahead "Chicago blues" goes something like | I7 | I7 | I7 | I7 | | IV7 | IV7 | I7 | I7 | | V7 | V7 | I7 | V7 | A "jazz blues" is a lot more complex. There are harmonic turnarounds and approaches that are used to spice things up. Typically something like: | I7 | IV7 | I7 | (ii7-V7)/IV | | IV7 | #ivo7 | I7 | (ii7-V7)/ii | | ii7 | V7 | I7 VI7 | ii7 V7 | You dig? If you don't know what these symbols mean, ask and I'll explain. And yeah, I'd like to be able to play like that too. Wes is the man! |
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#4
03-18-2010, 09:47 AM
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| Mix playing the blues scale with the arpeggios of the underlying chords. Then add approach chromatics on upbeats to the chord tones of the arpeggios. That'll get you started nicely. |
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#5
03-18-2010, 10:21 AM
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| There is a great lesson here on the evolution of the blues. Jazz Guitar Chords: Jazz Blues Chord Progression Guys started adding chords to the simple I IV V blues progression to give them more harmonic material to solo over. You an approach any dominant chord with a ii chord, so now you can employ any ii V lick you have in your bag. In addition, things like jazz minor a half step up, diminished and whole tone scales mixed with bebop mixolydian and the good old minor pentatonic work great. Just adding chromatics to your pent minor starts getting you into a more jazzy feel. Good luck. |
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#6
03-18-2010, 10:28 AM
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| It may seem heretical, but I think a great idea is to get a transcription of a solo you like, learn it note-for-note and play it death until you get it up to tempo. It will teach you how a great solo is put together. I'm all for theory but theory can't tell you what it feels like to play a good solo, and that's important. The same goes for songwriting (which I do). It's important to learn how songs work and to do your own thing, but one of the best ways to really learn is to learn a couple songs inside and out and tinker with 'em (the way some guys do with old cars) to see what makes 'em go. Imitation is vastly under rated!
__________________ "I can not overemphasize how important it is to sing what you play or play what you are singing. You do not have to be a singer. You don't have to sing loudly, or even above your breath. Scatting, as this is sometimes called, directly improves your ability to play what you heard, which in turn sounds less like someone playing memorized patterns." Herb Ellis |
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#7
03-18-2010, 10:30 AM
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| For example, he continued, Wes learned a lot of Charlie Christian solos note-for-note. I read that his first gig was to play those solos for a band playing those tunes---he could't play the chords because he didn't know them, but he knew the solos and could play them. Charlie Parker learned Lester Young solos...
__________________ "I can not overemphasize how important it is to sing what you play or play what you are singing. You do not have to be a singer. You don't have to sing loudly, or even above your breath. Scatting, as this is sometimes called, directly improves your ability to play what you heard, which in turn sounds less like someone playing memorized patterns." Herb Ellis |
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#8
03-18-2010, 02:10 PM
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| I agree that transcription is important. I've completed about 6 or 8 solo transcriptions (mostly of horn players), and on each of those I've managed to steal a great lick or two, and adapt it for the guitar. Transcribing a Lester Young solo right now, as a matter of fact (Mean To Me). |
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#9
03-18-2010, 04:35 PM
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| Quote:
Sounds easy, it is after you absorb the fingerings but it takes time. The Boss looper is a great tool for practice, worth its weight in gold! You can record mp3 files onto it.  |
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#10
03-20-2010, 08:31 PM
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| markerhodes is right on the money.....I learned all the Vignola solos note for note.....the solos are in different keys so I after learning one, I transposed the solos to another string set...i.e. if its in Bb, transpose it to F and vice versa...after a while you can "mix and match" the lines and start coming up with your own ideas. The Joe Pass Method book is also really good and will help your reading ( no tab). |
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