Solo Guitar Tune #6 - Stella by Starlight

[Alter]

Here 's an improv on this head. Sorry for the sound quality, it's just a portable camera recording.

[PaulW10]

Here 's an improv on this head. Sorry for the sound quality, it's just a portable camera recording.

Sounds really nice! And I love the tone of your guitar!

[lawson-stone]

So here's my effort. I can't seem to make it through even one chorus without some howling mistake, but I still basically don't like this song so I'm giving myself credit for at least challenging an entrenched prejudice, though I didn't overcome it. I'm playing around on this with chromatic bass lines wherever I could find one, and then laying in whatever chord sounded interesting. Results are mixed...

[joe2758]

Thanks Lawson, your kind support really means a lot to me. Happy to share any of the subs that interest you most

[lawson-stone]

Thanks Lawson, your kind support really means a lot to me. Happy to share any of the subs that interest you most

Thank you-it's not my own style of playing, and I doubt I could internalize it, but I do admire it, respect the skill involved in it, and find it fascinating to listen to. It reminds me of composers like Charles Ives, whom I learned to admire when I lived in New England. You really turn that tune inside out, shake all the pieces out, and re-assemble them in a way that is quite surprising and yet still engaging to listen to.

That one is worth notating, in my opinion, just so it doesn't slip away from you.

[joe2758]

Charles Ives! what a compliment! thanks again

[lawson-stone]

Charles Ives! what a compliment! thanks again

Not exactly a household name even for jazz players!

[joe2758]

Thanks Paul! I put a lot of thought into each one, my goal is basically to continue making arrangements of how I wish could improvise. I get faster and faster putting them together each time, so I feel I'm getting closer to my goal each time.

First I make a photo copy of the lead sheet and mask all the chords. Then I look at the changes on my lead sheet and write a simple outline on my blank copy. So, for Stella my working copy said "T1" (turnaround to 1) for the first 4 measures. Then I wrote "BT" (Ballad Turnaround, I made this term up a while ago) for the next 4 bars. The next 3 bars I wrote Mm/6 (Major to Minor to minor with the 6th in the bass).

I have little pet names for common movements. This way I can memorize harmony, but I'm able to experiment without referencing the lead sheet.

The game for me is to continually come up for interesting ways to play the same movements

[PaulW10]

Thanks Paul! I put a lot of thought into each one, my goal is basically to continue making arrangements of how I wish could improvise. I get faster and faster putting them together each time, so I feel I'm getting closer to my goal each time.

First I make a photo copy of the lead sheet and mask all the chords. Then I look at the changes on my lead sheet and write a simple outline on my blank copy. So, for Stella my working copy said "T1" (turnaround to 1) for the first 4 measures. Then I wrote "BT" (Ballad Turnaround, I made this term up a while ago) for the next 4 bars. The next 3 bars I wrote Mm/6 (Major to Minor to minor with the 6th in the bass).

I have little pet names for common movements. This way I can memorize harmony, but I'm able to experiment without referencing the lead sheet.

The game for me is to continually come up for interesting ways to play the same movements

Thanks for taking the time to write this Joe.

So when you say "mask all the chords", you mean you're not able to reference the chart chords at all and you're working with the melody line only and a blank slate for harmony?

[joe2758]

no, I use the chart to make my outline. So my chart says Db dim 7 for two bars, c-7, F7. Well, to me that's just a turnaround to the 1 chord (I remember the first chord just because it's Stella). Second line is F-7, Bb7, E half dim, Ebmin, That's my "ballad turnaround"Then I have a Bb going to it's 3rd D-7, that calls for Mmm/6

[joe2758]

[don_oz]

off the cuff first take of stella, kinda lost it at some points. The bridge specifically! Kinda ran out of ideas for that part. That's why recording yourself is great. You get to roast yourself!

[joe2758]

Hey guys, i definitely want to do laura next (i think it was second place), but if we’re not going straight down our last poll...i like east of the sun, detour ahead, and the folks that live on the hill (keeping with the “not done to death” theme.)

[joe2758]

Nice playing, Don! can you clarify what you mean by “off the cuff?”

for insance:

1. you’ve never played it and are reading a chart
2. have heard it a million times and trying for the first time
3. have played it a million times and just seeing what comes out

thanks!

[don_oz]

Nice playing, Don! can you clarify what you mean by “off the cuff?”

for insance:

1. you’ve never played it and are reading a chart
2. have heard it a million times and trying for the first time
3. have played it a million times and just seeing what comes out

thanks!

Hey Joe! Thanks a lot! I really enjoyed yours too!

By off the cuff I mean, I've played the tune quite a lot of times and it's more of a train of thought, mixed with some small things that I use every now and then. The idea is that I sit down and try and filter what I know e.g the song (melody and chords), harmony/movements and try to make music. After I play through it once like I did in the video I then sat down and looked at what worked and what didn't, what could be better for next time or what other options I had that didn't occur to me whilst playing through.

So I end up developing what I have for the tune each time. It's a new process that I'm trying so the tunes I've worked on aren't a lot yet. I basically imagine I'm doing a solo tune on a gig. Whatever happens happens, and it'll be better next time hopefully!

Cheers,
Ozzy

[PaulW10]

Thanks for posting this Joe. Very instructional!