Robert Yelin Jazz Standards: Any Videos out there?

[jasaco]

I have the Robert Yelin book, "Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar" (Hal Leonard) and, since it doesn't come with audio, am wondering if any of you have played through any of these tunes and might have made a home video (or mp3) of any of them? I'd like to hear what they sound like before choosing one to invest my time in.

Anyone?

[Steven Herron]

The Chord Melody Guitar Music website has an entire page devoted to Robert Yelin that has numerous videos of his arrangements being played.

You'll also find a biography of Robert there as well as a complete listing of all of his chord melody solo books.

[AlsoRan]

I have the Robert Yelin book, "Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar" (Hal Leonard) and, since it doesn't come with audio, am wondering if any of you have played through any of these tunes and might have made a home video (or mp3) of any of them? I'd like to hear what they sound like before choosing one to invest my time in.

Anyone?

jasaco,
The folks on this forum hit me with a reality check when it comes to using his books. Unless my memory is fading (its been a few years), I remember them writing that the songs are not truly meant to be played as written, but instead are basically fodder from which you can create your own chord melodies. I am sure there is a thread on it here on this forum.

Like I said, if recall that you can learn to play them that way, but the author really was just giving you some nice chords. You can choose to play his full chords, or fragments of them, and you can also insert double stops or single note lines.

I found myself having to introduce some lines because I would get bogged down. I also liked inserting some rhythm chords where it sounded good to me.

I hope someone corrects me if I am wrong. Oh, and also, as Steve said, there are videos out there and a search with Yelin's name on Youtube will bring some up.

For example:

and

[jasaco]

Thank you Steven and AlsoRan. I appreciate the chance to hear a few of his arrangements. I can, of course, learn much from them but I must say that they are in the block chord style (a chord on every note) that I do not prefer. Of course, I can leave a lot of them out and replace them with single note lines, dyads, etc. wherever I wish. But I don't find them inspiring in the first instance, so I might just look further for other arrangements to emulate. I know Steven's site has a lot of them so I'll rummage around in there too.

Thanks again to you both.

Jim

[Jonah]

jasaco,
The folks on this forum hit me with a reality check when it comes to using his books. Unless my memory is fading (its been a few years), I remember them writing that the songs are not truly meant to be played as written, but instead are basically fodder from which you can create your own chord melodies. I am sure there is a thread on it here on this forum.

Like I said, if recall that you can learn to play them that way, but the author really was just giving you some nice chords. You can choose to play his full chords, or fragments of them, and you can also insert double stops or single note lines.

I found myself having to introduce some lines because I would get bogged down. I also liked inserting some rhythm chords where it sounded good to me.

I hope someone corrects me if I am wrong. Oh, and also, as Steve said, there are videos out there and a search with Yelin's name on Youtube will bring some up.

For example:

and

It's interesting.. he plays extra beats in both versions... in the same place (either it's learnt wrong or it's misprint in a book)...

But it is really interesting because it shows how people feel (or do not feel) the form... I encounter this problem quite often.. they go gradually from detail to detail and lose the feel of overall breath.

I hope everybody understands I am not mocking the guy... on the contrary I always admire and appreciate the efforts people make for loving music even if they make mistakes.

[Jonah]

Thank you Steven and AlsoRan. I appreciate the chance to hear a few of his arrangements. I can, of course, learn much from them but I must say that they are in the block chord style (a chord on every note) that I do not prefer. Of course, I can leave a lot of them out and replace them with single note lines, dyads, etc. wherever I wish. But I don't find them inspiring in the first instance, so I might just look further for other arrangements to emulate. I know Steven's site has a lot of them so I'll rummage around in there too.

Thanks again to you both.

Jim

If I remember correctly his books seemed to me more as a ustmostly arranged chord-melody. Where every sigle note is arranged with the richest and fullest chord possible...

I read about him that he was a big adimirer of Johnny Smith... and I believe that probably he himself could play his arrangements convincingly... but it is too specific.

I think is often missed out that for such a style one needs to have specific right-hand technique to control phrasing -- much more than something special about left hand..

[Triple_Jazz]

I have the Robert Yelin book, "Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar" (Hal Leonard) and, since it doesn't come with audio, am wondering if any of you have played through any of these tunes and might have made a home video (or mp3) of any of them? I'd like to hear what they sound like before choosing one to invest my time in.

Anyone?

Hi, I have that book, as well as Jazz Favorites. There are some versions that really sound great and others I don’t quite latch onto. I haven’t found any versions or at least very few of them on YouTube.

I think this thread would be a great way to get some out there and I’d love to see what others are doing with the same arrangements. I recorded I Can’t Get Started today at lunch and will post below. Sorry for the messy background, it’s not the neatest place!

[Triple_Jazz]

I found some time to create a new Yelin video. Here is Sophisticated Lady from the Classics book. Hope you enjoy.

[morroben]

I have the Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar book. I don't love it. The arrangements are too busy. The chord/single note ratio is way off for my tastes. Just a personal preference thing. I have stolen a few ideas out of the book though.

Great playing Triple_Jazz!

[Onlyserious]

Barry Galbraith has two chord melody books that are really great--much more listenable than Mr. Yellen--and comes with a CD. Yellen's are an excellent resource for working up an arrangement and one can learn much from his books, but with Barry's hip arrangements you can learn a tune today and play on a gig tonight.

[Triple_Jazz]

Thanks Morroben, I'm a big fan of busy chord work and found Yelin to be my style but you're right that it could use more single note lines. I wind up adding my own and simplifying certain passages.

i'll have to check out Galbraith, thanks.

[fathand]

I have the Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar book. I don't love it. The arrangements are too busy. The chord/single note ratio is way off for my tastes. Just a personal preference thing. I have stolen a few ideas out of the book though.

Yes, I bought the Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar book as well and I gotta agree with you as I don't love it either! To put it another way it's just too verbose as far as chords are concerned. I much prefer Steve Crowell's Chord Melody books which you can also find in the below link. Crowell wrote these books so that non-notation readers could figure them out as well, no tab but you really don't need it. I figured out a few of the songs before I even learned to read music. He has all the chords on one page and the notation on the other. You learn the chords, eek out a few notes and blamo, there it is!!

Steven Crowell Tabs - Guitar Solos, Tab Books, Instruction DVDs + Video Lessons

[Triple_Jazz]

I recorded Yelin’s arrangement of Autumn in NY a few months ago. I gave it more of a groove than a slow ballad. It’s from the Jazz Favorites book.