The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Playing solo is humiliating and I wish I was better at it. So the idea is to post a solo tune in this thread every day for december, first takes, it may not be pretty and I apologize for that but I thought it would be a fun way to push myself to play something solo every day and if anyone else is interested and wants to post feel free hopefully we can make progress together. Today I did "I Can't Get Started"



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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by DonovanT
    Playing solo is humiliating and I wish I was better at it. So the idea is to post a solo tune in this thread every day for december, first takes, it may not be pretty and I apologize for that but I thought it would be a fun way to push myself to play something solo every day and if anyone else is interested and wants to post feel free hopefully we can make progress together. Today I did "I Can't Get Started"


    sounds ok but maybe a drum machine would be useful to learn swing feel at getting skilled at the time feel of performing jazz music and when you are ready I think that thicker strings might help your tone.Best wishs just stay with it!

  4. #3

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    A tune a day is ambitious, but it will really kick your butt into high gear. Great idea. I think you'll get a lot out of this.

  5. #4

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    Sounds good for a one day project...a lot better than I could do.

    I really like the idea of this but I think a song a week might be more realistic (but still ambitious) if I were to try it.

    I'll keep a lookout for this thread. Good luck with the challenge.

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by steve burchfield
    sounds ok but maybe a drum machine would be useful to learn swing feel at getting skilled at the time feel of performing jazz music and when you are ready I think that thicker strings might help your tone.Best wishs just stay with it!
    ive got 14s, its just this peerless its a POS. Im tryin to play rubato but noted I’ll work on my time

  7. #6

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    I did a song per week a few years ago. Only made it through half the year, but it taught me a ton.

    I keep at the weekly thing now with jam of the week on Facebook, great practice at internalizing things quickly, but im not doing solo guitar every week either...

    But I love the idea of weekly challenges. Keeps the blood moving.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I did a song per week a few years ago. Only made it through half the year, but it taught me a ton.

    I keep at the weekly thing now with jam of the week on Facebook, great practice at internalizing things quickly, but im not doing solo guitar every week either...

    But I love the idea of weekly challenges. Keeps the blood moving.
    It's tough man solo is so hard, so much responsibility. I live in a very isolated town in Alaska currently and have no one to play with so what better time to try and start feeling better playing solo. I feel conflicted using this forum as a vehicle but it's just a whole nother level when you record it, have to keep going when you mess up and have to hear what it sounded like vs. stopping and working things out like I tend to get stuck doing while practicing. I could just listen to it myself but was hoping some other players would be down too with all this free time most of us have right now lol. Uploading todays tune on youtube now "Who Can I Turn To? and will post it once it's loaded.

  9. #8

  10. #9

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    As to rubato playing, you’ll hear the typical guys, Barney, Tal, Joe playing usually one run through of the tune in a rubato mode, treating it much like a classical cadenza. This is not easy as you have to balance where to stray from tempo and how to snap back. Without that contrast, in and out of temp, it becomes mush. To me, at least )))
    There’s a quality vs quantity trade off you might consider. It takes a lot of work to pull off chord melody, or really learning any piece of new music jazz or classical. Part of the process is learning how to learn. Isolating what sections are troublesome, identifying different ways to finger to achieve smoothness, and the inevitable boredom of going over something time after time after time till it’s flowing and sounding good.
    it really requires complete self awareness and honesty about how you sound, so you begin to recognize what you need to work on.
    So from a learning standpoint think about whether you will be a better player knowing 30 songs poorly or a few you’ve really nailed.
    Are you using flat wound strings? I don’t know that guitar but it does have a thin sound. Amplifier?
    Anyway hope this makes sense/helps.
    good luck
    d

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    As to rubato playing, you’ll hear the typical guys, Barney, Tal, Joe playing usually one run through of the tune in a rubato mode, treating it much like a classical cadenza. This is not easy as you have to balance where to stray from tempo and how to snap back. Without that contrast, in and out of temp, it becomes mush. To me, at least )))
    There’s a quality vs quantity trade off you might consider. It takes a lot of work to pull off chord melody, or really learning any piece of new music jazz or classical. Part of the process is learning how to learn. Isolating what sections are troublesome, identifying different ways to finger to achieve smoothness, and the inevitable boredom of going over something time after time after time till it’s flowing and sounding good.
    it really requires complete self awareness and honesty about how you sound, so you begin to recognize what you need to work on.
    So from a learning standpoint think about whether you will be a better player knowing 30 songs poorly or a few you’ve really nailed.
    Are you using flat wound strings? I don’t know that guitar but it does have a thin sound. Amplifier?
    Anyway hope this makes sense/helps.
    good luck
    d
    Im using John Pearse roundwounds, its just a bad guitar man the frets need to be leveled and im just going to sell it take a hit and get something else my buddy has a line on a fair priced Eastman hopefully he will grab for me. Im currently not in my home state and amp didnt cut it on the priority list for packing the car. I raised the action and adjusted the truss rod unfortunately its just a bad apple.

  12. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    As to rubato playing, you’ll hear the typical guys, Barney, Tal, Joe playing usually one run through of the tune in a rubato mode, treating it much like a classical cadenza. This is not easy as you have to balance where to stray from tempo and how to snap back. Without that contrast, in and out of temp, it becomes mush. To me, at least )))
    There’s a quality vs quantity trade off you might consider. It takes a lot of work to pull off chord melody, or really learning any piece of new music jazz or classical. Part of the process is learning how to learn. Isolating what sections are troublesome, identifying different ways to finger to achieve smoothness, and the inevitable boredom of going over something time after time after time till it’s flowing and sounding good.
    it really requires complete self awareness and honesty about how you sound, so you begin to recognize what you need to work on.
    So from a learning standpoint think about whether you will be a better player knowing 30 songs poorly or a few you’ve really nailed.
    Are you using flat wound strings? I don’t know that guitar but it does have a thin sound. Amplifier?
    Anyway hope this makes sense/helps.
    good luck
    d
    what you said about playing makes sense btw i hope my rubato feel improves with the days to come and yeah its great to have a “chord melody arrangement” some of the stuff barney did was beautiful but im looking for a little bit more freedom i dont want to play it the same way every time. Bottom line good advice though thanks!

  13. #12

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    Might want to try Thomastic Infeld Jazz Swing flat wounds. They have a nice mellow but strong sound and feel and are very popular.
    Or D’Addaeio flats, they can be a bit brighter and are worth a try.
    i get your point about having the freedom, i dont write anything out, i just have fun.
    you take care!
    d

  14. #13

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    I bet it would be pretty good though a good amp, and maybe a better guitar. It would probably further inspire you, too. Something to look forward to, maybe?

    I would be happy to be able to play at your level. I plan to work on my chord melody some day...

    Enjoy and good luck.

  15. #14

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    that was great ....
    it’s a lovely tune , and lyric
    i love the Tony Newley version

    you’ve got it going on man !

    i play it slower and more
    scmultzy ....

    x6876x
    x6878x

    6x656x
    686866

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by AlsoRan
    I bet it would be pretty good though a good amp, and maybe a better guitar. It would probably further inspire you, too. Something to look forward to, maybe?

    I would be happy to be able to play at your level. I plan to work on my chord melody some day...

    Enjoy and good luck.
    i have a 66 vibrolux im just living in alaska until January and didnt want to bring it/couldn’t. a nice guitar is inspiring unfortunately i wont be getting a new axe until january so this will have to do for now. Thanks for the kind words

  17. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by pingu
    that was great ....
    it’s a lovely tune , and lyric
    i love the Tony Newley version

    you’ve got it going on man !

    i play it slower and more
    scmultzy ....

    x6876x
    x6878x

    6x656x
    686866
    thanks man ill have to try those voicings

  18. #17
    Today I play "Gnid" and it kicked my ass, definitely botched a few parts in the melody but it's the nature of this challenge can't say I didn't warn ya.


  19. #18

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    Remember, playing the right notes is only part of it. I say it's 25% of what makes music sound good.

  20. #19
    todays tune was "If I should Lose you"

  21. #20

  22. #21

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    Hey, cool idea!

    I'm big into playing solo and have found that I can make some money busking with it.

    That said I'm playing mostly pop tunes but am getting heavily into jazz. I'm working on ATTYA right now and hopefully will have a good jazz repertoire by summer...maybe for a few restaurant gigs etc.

    The only way that we can improve it to keep playing and practising.

    I'll check out your songs tomorrow when I have some more time.

    Keep going dude!!

  23. #22
    Here's a go at "Dedicated To You" This time I plugged in to an apollo twin and used the Luna recording system.

  24. #23
    and monks mood since I skipped yesterday

  25. #24

  26. #25