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I think I mentioned this back in January, then life got in the way. So here were are now, 4+ months later, and ready to start.
What do I hope to accomplish here? Not much really. A month is a short period of time. I do think it's helpful to do focused practice and force yourself to do things every day, so I figured why not with rhythm? Its sort of a lost/dying art anyway. Its something I'd enjoy being better at. So here we go!
These first 2 videos are kind of mostly about pick choice and attack to produce the best sound. I think in any style of play, focusing on "sounding good" is very important. And I don't mean tone hunting...I just mean using my hands in the best way I can.
I'd really like feedback on songs to try. I also think I could easily just spend a month on Rhythm Changes, but that might get boring. Sticking to 3 note Ranger Doug style chords for now, I think. Lots up in the air. Im along for the ride.
Anyway, enjoy and feel free to comment and critique and discuss. This is about progress...
And a quick addendum after a possible realization...
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04-16-2023 01:11 PM
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Yes mate
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The pick Bucky gave me to practice with was a Fender thin teardrop, very flexible, although he used a somewhat thicker one himself. I have more or less settled on a .73 mm (yellow Dunlop Tortex) for swing rhythm on my 1940s Stromberg, although I will use slightly lighter or heavier picks from time to time. A lot also depends on how heavily built the guitar is.
In your first video I preferred the lighter pick to the others and thought you might go lighter still. The objective is to avoid the “splash” while still projecting well. It calls for a light touch with a light pick and, as Bucky (and now Jonathan Stout) said, “letting the guitar do the work.”
Two other things I might suggest:
1. Hold the guitar at more of an angle on your lap so the downstroke connects with the middle strings
2. Nothing wrong with those Ranger Doug voicings, but also try voicings on the middle and top strings. Jonathan has some nice ideas about these in his lessons on Denis Chang’s site.
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After listening back i was very surprised to hear that the perceived volume out front was not nearly as different between the heavy and light pick as it was behind the guitar.
The angle is definitely something ill try. In time.
I'll have to check out those videos, I take JS's view on these things very seriously.
As for the RD voicings, I might stick with them for this month...getting decent at this is a lot more than a one month endeavor!
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Looking forward to following this thread, Jeff. I'm really enjoying playing rhythm guitar these days - some gypsy jazz, some western swing, and some straight ahead swing. I have the Doug Ranger book and am trying hard not to make it a memory thing - instead I'm trying to internalise some of the decision making. I'm also working through the Roger Edison book - the shapes are subtly different but the gradual introduction of some of the substitutions / passing chords / turnarounds fits my learning process almost exactly, so it's a good course for me. I've been listening to the Scott Hamilton / Bucky Pizzarelli CD, lots of Whit Smith, too, and of course Jonathan Stout. Been enjoying Allan Reuss, Eddie Lang and George van Eps and those early guys, too. As with single note improvisation I think slowness of thought process, as well as even slower fingers creates a fairly low ceiling for me, but it's a lovely style, both in and of itself, and as accompaniment, and I shall look forward to seeing and hearing the insight coming from a player of the calibre of yourself.
Cheers
Derek
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Glad to hear there is some interest in this. Now let's have those song ideas...
I'm thinking of starting with "April In Paris?"
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Yes
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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On with the month. Here's 2 videos, talking through the process of a tune and actually playing it, and some chord charts.
EDIT: There's a missing "#" on the F#m7b5 in the B section-- A-6 for F#m7b5
Last edited by mr. beaumont; 04-21-2023 at 09:33 AM.
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My main takeaway is I'm trying way harder than I should be. Thanks for making this!
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Yes, if I have one takeaway so far, it's that you can easily get "too cute" with this stuff. It's VERY tempting to dive right into the idea of improvising a tenor line on the 4th string and being all cool and "jazz" about it. But if you're not playing a good solid rhythm it's all just bullshit.
So yeah, I'm in no position to give advice about this style yet, but I'm going to anyway: When starting out--work some shit out in advance and focus on your sound and your pocket.
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I'm always trying to toss in 13ths and b9s with a new inversion voicing and by the end I'm so twisted up I can't even count to 4.
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You have to stay out of the horns’ way. They outnumber you at least ten to one. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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I'm gonna save that line and use for everything I happen to be working on Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I'm really happy that you posted the chord charts. I'm not so quick with all those voicings/ -substitutions, is what I'm calling them.
You're making those choices to maintain a certain continuity in your part, is that the main thing you're thinking ?
.......did anyone else hear Jeepers Creepers over part of that ? ....... lol
-best,
Mike
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Well first off, thanks for checking it out and glad it could be helpful. Originally Posted by mjo
Yes, the decisions I'm making for voicing is for continuity of sound (in this case, same 3 strings for all) and to create as many 1/2 step and whole step moves between chords as I can, particularly on the 4th string.
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How do you keep track of all the "same chords" I think you said you swapped C for Em at one point, which I think I get, relative major and minor), but I don't get why you did F6 for A-6. Just experience like everything else?
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I didn't do F6 for A-6, i might have misspoke. I did A-6 for F#half dim. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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For the sake of good order, Am is the relative minor to C. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
However, Em is a good substitute for C. Em shares the same notes with Cmaj7.
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@Mr.b, on your chord sheet #2, the first chord (Fm7b5) should be one fret lower (mark 7, not 8). Or should it be F#m7b5?
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Missing the "#" , writing too fast Originally Posted by bluenote61
Good catch.
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Yes I had my terms mixed up. In the Mickey Baker book he suggests the 3rd of a major as a minor chord one can freely substitute. So the Em for C made sense to me E being the 3rd of a C chord. Originally Posted by bluenote61
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Yeah, basically, there is an Em triad in a Cmaj7, so it's not even really a "sub" I guess. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
I've always been really into chord synonyms when comping, getting as many different uses out of shapes as I can...this swing stuff is that on steroids kinda...every shape can be so many things...
Alright, so where to from here? A different tune? try this one with 2 note chords and eventually a 1 one tenor line?
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You might try scale moves in thirds, sixths, tenths. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Can you elaborate a bit on that? Originally Posted by pcjazz
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You can play two-note voicings in thirds or sixths or tenths as scalar moves against the chord of the moment. Tenths work especially well on guitar as they are the outside voices of drop-2 chords. Easy to grab at fast tempos and plenty of scope for movement through inversions when tempo and chord duration permit. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Interesting...so with the 10ths, the opposite of accentuating the inner voices, now we're muting the inners and hearing the outers...I'll have to try. Originally Posted by pcjazz
Do you know any players who used this a lot?
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