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Respectfully disagree.
The arranger did a lot of work for Buddy Rich and his arrangements sound great. The arrangements are unusually attentive to the guitar/piano issue and never seem to have anything unplayable for the guitar.
The question I think it raises is why he put this rather arcane instruction in a chart, given that his charts are generally crystal clear. Perhaps he knew the guitarist who would be playing it, and knew that the guitarist would understand the instruction? Or perhaps he thought big band guitarists would figure it out without too much difficulty -- which is my guess.
I don't recall what he had the piano doing at that moment in the chart. Next time we play it, I'll make a note.
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04-27-2018 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
One pet peeve I have about any big band chart is the harmony as written for the rhythm section: it's usually written with the various embellishments and harmonic movement the horns are playing, but too many rhythm section players take that stuff too literally. *not* playing every substitute is part of the sound. Same thing is true of hits for drummers, it's possible to over-interpret those things.
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Originally Posted by pcsanwald
It usually sounds fine if you can play all the extensions correctly.
Also, it may sound even better if you play, say, thirds and sevenths, and leave the extensions for the horns. It may create more space and less mud.
The extensions also tell you what not to play -- so that you don't play a natural 9 against a b9 -- that sort of thing.
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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I do a lot of work with a singer and small group, and I do all the arrangements. I've found that highlighters in different colors can be very helpful indicating repeats, segnos, codas, etc., and since I am often dealing with new players and we never rehearse, the layout of the arrangements is, indeed, important. I generally write fairly simple lines, focusing on intros and endings, with rhythmic hits where warranted, and I hire the best jazz-playing readers I can find, because I like to leave room for obligato playing behind the singer. With a piano-bass-drums-guitar-sax line-up, I can get some nice harmonies going by writing diads for the guitar and putting the sax in the lead. I've also incorporated my Roland GR-55 synth for some string pads on ballads and some exotic sounds like steel drums and marimbas and flute sounds for color. Everything is done in Finale, and the charts are in ring binders, generally no more than 2 pages, with a 3 or 4-pager carefully designed for easy page-turns. With good players, this quintet can sound quite large and full.
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Yes, Christian, it's much too far above his head. He just doesn't get it.
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I don't think it was really very funny to start off with TBH
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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Some pro arrangers write a chord symbol directly over a horizontal line and another chord symbol underneath.
Basically, it's like the two hands of the piano. Play the lower chord in the left hand and upper chord in the right.
For example, I've seen Em7 over Dm7.
Every time I've seen this, the horns are playing the upper chord, the pianist usually plays both, but if I play the upper one on the guitar it usually sounds bad. Maybe that's because I'm in the register of the horns, but I'm not necessarily voicing the chord the same way.
It seems to work out better to play the lower chord. But, I haven't seen this often enough to be sure.
Anybody have any thoughts about this?
Dropped D tuning and just strum all the open strings while whistling a C?
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Sorry I missed that it was a joke.
AAs you know, I am a fan of your stuff on here.
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
I have no problem with it for a modern chart if that's the intended sound, but I take issue with it when it's a "classic" big band jazz chart, like a nestico or jones chart.
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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