Keith Jarrett: Country. How to approach rhythm playing on this

[Average Joe]

Our sax player brought this up. Lovely tune, but so much of it seem to ride on Jarrett's lovely backing, and of course the into bit. And I don't know how I'm going to make an appropriate noise there. It's not the chords per se, those aren't hard, it's more how to get that kind of movement in the part, if that makes sense. Best I've come up with so far is a faux soul/r&b thing. A sort of Curtis Mayfield and Hendrix'y thing. But I dunno, it falls flat by comparison.

So, how would my betters on the forum approach it?

[mr. beaumont]

Great tune from one of my favorite albums.

I'd go full on "Sound of Summer Running" Bill Frisell for comping on this one, doublestops, open strings where I can, country/gospel style hammer ons...the Hendrixy idea isn't bad, just maybe with 1/10th of the notes Jimi play when doing rhythm... It's a jazz tune, but it's not...a bright gospel like flavor, but unmistakably modern and very Keith/ECM.

I'm stringing up my classroom guitar today, I'll try and come up with some ideas for you...would you happen to have a chart?

[ragman1]

It's either fingerstyle or some very agile pick work. Jeff will undoubtedly help, he's good at that sort of thing.

[Mick-7]

[mr. beaumont]

This is too busy, but it's a starting point. Im just playing on thevA section here. I plan on learning the whole tune now...thanks for bringing it up.

Also, it STARTS on Ab...it is not in Ab...its in Eb. Talking too much too fast.

[ragman1]

What Jake is doing here is how I hear it too. We're talking the basic rhythmic pattern (complete with thumps!).

[spencer096]

i love how keith echoes the melody throughout...give a pseudo chorus effect.

id approach this fingerstyle.

[Mick-7]

So.... lots of triads, this is basically a rhythm and blues tune, you could cop some ideas from the gospel comping forum thread.

[ragman1]

Average Joe -

Jake Reichbart is on this forum. If you ask him nicely I'm sure he wouldn't mind breaking down the pattern he's using for you. Try him on a PM.

There are lots of amateur players doing this song on guitar on YouTube. Most of them are certainly trying hard but not really getting it right at all. Don't be another one. Just saying.