The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hello everyone. This is for a video audition for a summer jazz camp. The two ballads aren't a problem at all because I know the tunes and can use iReal as a backing track.. but the first page at 176 BPM really has me confused. I can get the chords but am having a hard time with the time, and am coming to realize that when playing in an ensemble knowing the chords is only half the battle; if you can't count you're dead meat LOL. Perhaps I should take it as a hint that this camp is too advanced for me, but still I want to get this down. Anyone want to comp this example and post a sound file?? Thanks for any help and advice!

    22pnoguit_vid.pdf

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Those are simple rhythms, the challenge is grabbing the chords and the up tempo. Go in and figure out all the rhythms that aren't 4 to a bar, memorize them, then play it slowly and gradually bring it up to speed.

    What I would personally do is make a backing track with drums and a bassline that plays 4 to a bar all the way through and through the rests so the rests wouldn't mess with my head as much and it would be easier to count.
    Last edited by Jimmy Smith; 02-09-2022 at 03:58 AM.

  4. #3

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    Struggling with an arrangement-screen-shot-2022-02-09-4-20-57-am-png
    Maybe try isolating it as a vocal rhythm exercise first.
    You can also, as a separate exercise, find the diatonic movement in Bb, play/hear/feel where the native chords are, then apply secondary dominant chord movements where they're written into the piece. This will give you the harmonic flow of the piece; help you to play it without a chart.
    Record yourself doing this slowly and listen to the sound, until you can discern what's going on.
    The sound is what you're after and if you can manage it, get this off book. The rhythm and the changes support one another.
    Since you're having trouble with the rhythms, you might try a slow metronome setting and count eighth notes, until you feel the quarter notes as two eighths tied. Then tie them in different ways; you'll discover syncopation this way in the ways that effects the feel of rhythm. You'll also discover the feel and sound of a pickup note as the chord crosses the bar line in anticipation to a chord. Tie a pickup eighth to the quarter in the next bar and you've got a strong motif that runs throughout this.
    I found it really helpful when I worked with all eighths, then tied them into the longer values. Always get beyond the count and into the gut. The purpose is to feel the flow with accents and hiccups, to build a vocabulary of rhythmic sounds that you don't need a lead sheet to be aware of.
    You can do this. This piece can be a learning tool for you. It's got good stuff in it. Take each challenging measure and break it down, then internalize it, then think of a song that uses that rhythm so you can hear it.
    Once you've got the confidence of your rhythmic vocabulary, strive to be able to play this with a metronome on 2 and 4. When you can do this, the swing feel will emerge. Yes it's a project, but one you'll be a stronger player for doing.
    Good luck and have fun at camp!

  5. #4

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    Maybe practice in smaller bites that you can chew. 4 bars, or 2?

  6. #5

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    I have to work on my time as well. One thing I find helpful is to take a section and work my way backwards. If bar 167 gave me grief I'd work on that, then work on 166 and 167, then 165-167. And so on. Isolate the problem areas, work on those till they're down, then the previous bars as lead in until I have the whole thing.


    I'm going to steal that lesson and work on it myself btw

  7. #6

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    This is a pretty typical chart. You have to be able to play the rhythms. Here are some tips:

    1. At first you may have to count numbers in your head and tap your foot slowly. But you want to get away from that and, instead, sing drums licks to yourself. So, instead of thinking one two three and. You sing baa baa baa-DAH. If you're having trouble with the counting at a more basic level, you've got some work to do. I'm happy to offer tips if that would be of interest.

    2. The tempo is challenging, so you may have to figure out some easy ways to play it. Here's an example.

    The first chord is Bb6. That's Bb D F G. The next chord is C9sus. That's C F G Bb D. The bass is going to play the C. Then what's left is a Bb6. So, you don't have to move your hand. The bassist will change the sound of the guitar chord.

    I'll come back to the C#m7. First, look at Dm7. It's D F A C. The bassist has the D root, so all you have to play is an F major triad.

    Now, back to the C#m7 -- same thing but a fret lower. You play an E major triad and let the bass make it a C#m7.

    So, now you can pick your voicings. Which octave do you want to play in?

    Big band swing typically has the guitar in the middle its range, maybe 3rd and 7ths on strings 3 and 4. Freddie Green often played even lower, but he and the bassist were locked tight. I've heard players go up an octave and make that work too, but not so much with quarter note comping.

    If you pick the middle range of the guitar you could do something as simple as play xx576x for Bb6 and then play xx645x and xx756x.

    In fact, there a very good chance that the 6th of the Bb is going to be heard in the horns and/or the piano and nobody will complain if you don't play it. So, if the passage is too hard to play fast enough with the 6th, you can leave it out. Nobody is likely to complain. If you're playing swing quarter notes like Freddie Green, you're like a drum that can play chords. The drive will still come across even if you omit a note here and there.

    Bar 167 also requires a quick change. Em7b5 is E G Bb D. Bass has the E. The rest is a Gm triad. Maybe xx533x.

    Think of the Ebm7 as a Gbmaj triad, say xx432x. Bass has the Eb, you have the Gb Bb and Db. That's the chord you want. So, you play Gm at the third fret then xx432x and then xx321x. Not too difficult that way.

    So, now, it's easy enough to grab the chords quickly. You have to feel the rhythms and that will come with rehearsal and practice.

    3. If you can't figure out a rhythm, ask one of the other musicians to sing it for you. Horn players and pianists tend to be very good at this.

    4. The most important thing is not to get lost. You don't want to play something badly and get confused and then lost. So, if you can't play something, leave it out and just count. Be sure to come back in at the right time. Often, the stuff that's rhythmically hard is when the horns are the loudest - so the absence of the guitar is at its least noticeable (although maybe your audition is not going to have horn "cover"). Another trick is to play one note for each chord rather than try to play entire chords and not quite get them in time.

    5. It's very unlikely that anybody is going to complain that your three notes were not enough. The big band guys of the past sometimes played two or even, oddly enough, one note. Of course, they also played four note chords too. The low note can edge into the range of the bass and it can be a good idea to leave it out. Depend on the bass line.

    6. If there's a piano reading the same chart, which is suggested in this case, the pianist is probably going to be playing all the notes and your omissions will be even less obvious. But, you will have to listen to avoid clashes in harmony and rhythm. It all depends on how the pianist approaches the chart. If my experience with big band pianists is any indication, the pianist may not worry too much about what you're playing. If he gets wild, you stay simple. If he stays simple, probably you should too. Simple is fine if your time feel is good. Usually nobody has really high expectations that the guitarist is going to brilliantly enhance his part.

    7. Sometimes there are passages that make it easy to get the time confused. Like a syncopated passage that lands on 2. That 2 can feel like it's the 1. The tip is to say to yourself "Two!" when you hit it and count three four.

    8. Salsa musicians, as I understand it, have names for the and-of-two and four. Bombo and Punche, iirc. This is a very good idea. You need to know, for example, the sound and feel of the fourth beat of every measure. Knowing it like an old friend who has a name, well, that can help. They also teach with rhythmic syllables or phrases.

    Some drummers teach kids using fruit.

    Pear is a quarter note.

    Mango is two eighths.

    Watermelon is 4 16ths.

    Pineapple is a triplet with the accent on the first note.

    Banana puts the accent on the second.

    So, now a break might be: pear mango pear watermelon. That seems easier than counting 1 2 & 3 1e-and-uh.

    9. If you get the position, be prepared for some discomfort. A guy who reads pretty well for a guitarist might be the worst reader in the band. Don't ask me how I know this <g>. The key to managing is to omit the stuff you can't play while reading along, listening to the horns and trying to make sense of the printed page. You're judged more harshly for a wrong note played than a note omitted.

    Good Luck!
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 02-10-2022 at 05:50 AM.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
    Struggling with an arrangement-screen-shot-2022-02-09-4-20-57-am-png
    Maybe try isolating it as a vocal rhythm exercise first.
    Totally agree with this...learn to sing the rhythm AWAY from the guitar first.

    You don't mention when the audition is, but if you have some time you CAN do this. Also, my guess is the expectation for a summer camp is that people's playing wont
    be perfect coming in...after all...they'd like your money

    Take it a bit at a time, post videos, and we can go over it here too...

    And oh, do you have the "drumgenius" app? Is makes counting a lot more interesting.

  9. #8

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    Wow everyone! Thanks so much for taking the time to offer all this support and guidance. All I can say is I'm working on it. I'm going to try a Freddie Green type 1 note per chord arrangement for the ensemble excerpt @176. But Beautiful, I have the iReal app/backing track and it's only 72 so the 3 and 4 note chords aren't a problem. This is a deep dive for me; part of me thinks if I can't read this right down and play it on the spot, I'd be in over my head at this camp. But still I need to try.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    You don't mention when the audition is, but if you have some time you CAN do this. Also, my guess is the expectation for a summer camp is that people's playing wont be perfect coming in...after all...they'd like your money
    Video is due March 1st! They just want a video of me playing down the ensemble part and one of the ballads. And yes I do have drumgenius but haven't used it in a while; I'll give it a try tomorrow. Mainly been playing along to songs and Aebersold tracks..

  11. #10

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    If I was cramming for an audition, I'd put it into Musescore or Sibelius play it back with a click to play along.

    That way, you know you're getting the hits right. And, you can start slow and increase the tempo until you've got it at the right speed.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    If I was cramming for an audition, I'd put it into Musescore or Sibelius play it back with a click to play along.

    That way, you know you're getting the hits right. And, you can start slow and increase the tempo until you've got it at the right speed.
    You read my mind! This here is my first time using any kind of notation software, so go easy on me LOL. A couple of the ties aren't correct but I couldn't seem to fix them.. I tried to outline a Freddie Green type approach to the chords. This took hours and I'm so stocked on coffee right now no way I get to sleep before 4 AM. I have the metronome set at 176 and you can hear it when playing the file in Musescore but not when I exported it. TABS aren't entirely right as I'll play those notes above the staff on the D string, not the G.

    JITM_TAB.pdf


  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Mac
    You read my mind! This here is my first time using any kind of notation software, so go easy on me LOL. A couple of the ties aren't correct but I couldn't seem to fix them.. I tried to outline a Freddie Green type approach to the chords. This took hours and I'm so stocked on coffee right now no way I get to sleep before 4 AM. I have the metronome set at 176 and you can hear it when playing the file in Musescore but not when I exported it. TABS aren't entirely right as I'll play those notes above the staff on the D string, not the G.

    JITM_TAB.pdf


    I was just thinking about a quick and dirty for the posted section. Just play chords, or even just roots, for all the notated stuff. Leave everything else (rests and slashes) as rests.

    Then play it back with the click on. You play the part live it should match the stuff you entered. Everything else is right on the click. Start at 110 and increase gradually. Sing it. Take as much time as required, even if it's hours. Nobody ever got good at this without paying some dues.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Mac
    Hello everyone. This is for a video audition for a summer jazz camp. The two ballads aren't a problem at all because I know the tunes and can use iReal as a backing track.. but the first page at 176 BPM really has me confused. I can get the chords but am having a hard time with the time, and am coming to realize that when playing in an ensemble knowing the chords is only half the battle; if you can't count you're dead meat LOL. Perhaps I should take it as a hint that this camp is too advanced for me, but still I want to get this down. Anyone want to comp this example and post a sound file?? Thanks for any help and advice!

    22pnoguit_vid.pdf
    In the longer term - get Bellson’s Modern Reading Text and practice it everyday. It’s just rhythms so you don’t even need to play guitar

  15. #14

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    Yea generally the point is.... not to memorize the part. If you can't just play the part... that's what it is. You need to work on your technique and sight reading.

    Your not alone... most guitarist just don't know how to comp and don't put in the time to develop the skills.

    Any advanced player or musician.... can tell if your just playing a memorized part.

    The part is just a guideline with kicks.... just as important would be your lead line or melody created on top of your voicings.... what to also play during the slashes, which help create the feel and style of tune.

    Sounds like you needs some help.... there's nothing like being in live performing situations. The camp should provide those situations and help teach you how to develop the required technical skills.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Yea generally the point is.... not to memorize the part. If you can't just play the part... that's what it is. You need to work on your technique and sight reading.

    Your not alone... most guitarist just don't know how to comp and don't put in the time to develop the skills.

    Any advanced player or musician.... can tell if your just playing a memorized part.

    The part is just a guideline with kicks.... just as important would be your lead line or melody created on top of your voicings.... what to also play during the slashes, which help create the feel and style of tune.

    Sounds like you needs some help.... there's nothing like being in live performing situations. The camp should provide those situations and help teach you how to develop the required technical skills.
    Imo musicians should never sight read unless they're depping.
    You should absolutely learn the part. Sing it first. Internalise it, then put it to the guitar.
    Agreed, live performance is king. It's what all the greats learnt on. Best programme ever invented