A take on 'Wave'

[a22]

YouTube Video

Appreciate any feedback, cheers!

[paynow]

Honestly? You have excellent ability. I like the way you play around with the melodic theme as opposed to just running scales. "Wave," like a lot of Jobim stuff, can be very easy to get harmonically lost in, but for the most part I always knew where you were. I went to your YouTube channel and listened to "Blue Monk" and am listening to "Minor Swing". Nice feel, good concepts. Experiment a bit more and be less tentative; don't play it safe as much.

What's with all the apologizing, BTW?: "I'm sorry I don't have gypsy a guitar, I look retarded" or whatever else you had posted there. Who cares? Nice job man. Worry about the music. Forget all that other peripheral crap. So many people have all kinds of gear and can't locate middle C on a kazoo.

You're using your brain to play and that's the most important thing. You're on the right track. I'd like to hear some more speed at points but that will come eventually. Vary it up rhythmically a bit.

[a22]

Thanks man! I agree with everything you said. The apologizing thing is remnants of my extremely poor self-esteem, I've worked really hard to shake it. I'm still young and it only seems to get better though, I'm extremely optimistic!

[Double 07]

I see you have a concept of the key centers and that's good. You're also including some altered tones in places, that's also a good thing to give you're playing some spice . So you're on the right track. I do have some suggestions:

Play the chords, that is use more chord tones in your playing. That way your improv will sound like it has more of a harmonic sense of going somewhere to it, like it's flowing with the harmony. Here's a basic yet effective example over the first 5 measures of "Wave" to help illustrate the method:

Swing 8th's, 16th notes in red



D Maj7 (mostly notes from the DM7 arpeggio)

---------------------------------------------
---------5-----7------10P-------7----------
-6------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

Bb dim (all notes from Bb dim arpeggio)

---------------6------9P--------6-----------
-5-------8-----------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

A min7 (all notes from A min7 arpeggio with an added 9th*)

--------------7--------10P------7-----------
------5---------------------------------------
----5-----------------------------------------
-7--------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

D7b9 (Pulling-off notes from the Eb diminished arpeggio on the strong beats to the next lower scale step then approaching the diminished arpeggio tones from 1/2 step. The first 8 notes play as pull-off's. Notice the chromatic figure leading to the 7th of the following GM7 chord). D7b9 and Eb diminished are chord synonyms.

--------------------------------------------
-8-7-----------------------------10-9-8----
-----9-8-----------------------8------------
---------8-7-------------7-10-9------------
-------------10-9-6-9-7---------------------
---------------------------------------------

GMaj7 (all notes from the GM7 arpeggio)

---------------------------------------------
-7---7-----------------------------------------
--------7---7----------------------------------
----------------9---9--------------------------
------------------------9----9-----------------
---------------------------------------------


Now how's that for feedback lol. Follow this thread ==> http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/getti...available.html

I'll soon be releasing a book that goes into detail about how to effectively use chord tones in your soloing, if it seems there is enough interest here. Tips and tricks, how to integrate them into your playing the way the pro's do. I hope this quick example is helpful for you. Good luck with your playing.

[a22]

Wow thanks!

[kris]

Nice sound with a some chorus.
Practise,practise....more straight 8's note thinking.
Try to play longer lines.
Transcribe fameous jazz solos/not only guitarists/ and adopt some liks to your style.
Be creative.
Good Luck
Kris

[Double 07]

Originally Posted by a22

Wow thanks!

You're welcome. Not implying that you only play chord tones. I'll go into it in detail in the book. I'll lay it all out and how to apply them. Hope that little example helps illustrate tho.

[Double 07]

Had to make a slight edit there. It was 4 in the morning when I wrote that post.